Military Officer - September 2007 - (Page 52)

chapteractivities Gaining Support I tell chapter members one reason MOAA’s chapter system is so important is it plays a key role in generating grassroots support for MOAA’s legislative agenda. I had the opportunity to work in MOAA’s Government Relations Department and saw ﬁrsthand the impact chapters can have in moving key issues forward. Once or twice a year, MOAA’s Government Relations Department asks chapter leaders to support a particular legislative goal that needs one ﬁnal push. We include information to prepare chapter members to call, write, or visit their legislators about that issue. Then we turn them loose. It works like this: MOAA depends on chapter members to talk about its top issues with senators and representatives when they are in their home ofﬁces — or call or write them here in Washington, D.C. Our chapter members have relationships with their legislators that MOAA could never hope to duplicate. When chapter members call, write, or visit, legislators listen. Members are voting constituents — and 52 MILITARY OFFICER SEPTEMBER 2007 M has an Air Force JROTC unit that receives support from the chapter. Two years ago, the JROTC instructor at Union High School approached chapter members about organizing and running a regional legislators always will listen to conJROTC competition. Members stituents before they listen to us. responded to that request, volunThose members of Congress go teering to assist with the competion to ask their staffs to explain the tion and working to issue — or at least what ensure the judging is being done to address the problem. The The JROTC remained impartial. Capt. Phillip staffs often call MOAA program Brown, USA-Ret., headquarters for more makes the the chapter’s ROTC information. Then the Government Relations cadets feel coordinator, designed awards that were team explains why the like they presented during this issue is important and belong. year’s competition. offers a well-thoughtMembers, spouses, out solution. That freand auxiliaries calcuquently translates into lated the judges’ scores and detersupport for the issue, and if we are mined the winners. The Oklahoma able to repeat that across the counCouncil of Chapters purchased the try, we generate enough support to trophies, which were presented by make things happen. Green Country Chapter President If you want to help effect change Cmdr. Bob Laighton, USN-Ret., on important issues, get involved by and members Col. Larry Anduss, visiting your local chapter today. ReUSAF-Ret.; Maj. Al Nichols Jr., member, grassroots support works. — Col. Lee Lange II, USMC-Ret. USAF-Ret.; and Cmdr. Howard Director, Council and Chapter Affairs Shea Ferrell, USNR. Members of the Green Country Chapter currently support 15 JROTC units in the Tulsa area. Each year, chapter members award the outstanding cadet in each unit an Chapter Runs Multistate Junior ROTC Competition MOAA medal, a certiﬁcate, and $50. A little more than a year ago, chapter members decided to inembers of the Green crease their support, and they Country (Okla.) Chapter formed the Green Country Excelsuccessfully sponsored lence Fund. According to Laighton, their second multistate regional this nonproﬁt 501(c)3 endowment Junior ROTC (JROTC) competifund will enable the chapter to tion, in which cadets from 15 high apply for various grants and other schools in Arkansas, Missouri, and forms of funding. Oklahoma vied for top honors. The “JROTC gives these kids somecompetition was held at Union thing they need, and it provides High School in Tulsa, Okla., which Field Reports PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - September 2007

Military Officer - September 2007 Contents From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Plan for Your Future At Home in a High-Rise Lone Star Living Common Ground Insert: Community Source Cover Story: Waging War on Disease More Than Beaches MOAA Scholarship Donors Pages of History Faces of MOAA Information Exchange Advertising Index MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps MOAA Member Services Encore

Military Officer - September 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.