Military Officer - October 2006 - (Page 42) chapteractivities Pick a Line N ational MOAA has about 360,000 members. Some 20 percent — about 71,000 — also belong to a local MOAA chapter. Some of you might say, “Twenty percent is pretty good.” Others, especially chapter members, might ask, “Why so few? Why isn’t the other 80 percent joining and helping support MOAA’s mission?” Those are good questions, my friends, questions that MOAA’s staff and board of directors continue to ponder. But there are no easy answers. We do know that the rank-and-file chapter member, day in and day out, carries the bulk of MOAA’s grassroots lobbying effort. A prime example plays out each spring, when council presidents come to Washington, D.C., to speak on MOAA’s behalf. If MOAA needs a push — support from a particular member of Congress — we can turn to the local chapter or state council. They haven’t failed us yet. This success prompts another question: “Can MOAA afford to have 80 percent of its members on the sidelines?” It’s easy to feel too busy 42 MILITARY OFFICER OCTOBER 2006 Y life members. One of their sources of potential members is close to home: their own ranks. During the Give Me 10! campaign, chapters receive credit for recruiting chapter members who don’t yet beor overextended, but what happens long to national MOAA. when something we all need from Congress isn’t forthcoming? Who’s Also, chapters receive credit for converting existing memberships responsible if no one challenges ininto life memberships creases to our health and for renewing care fees? The national existing memberorganization, chapWho is reships. For example, if ter members, or you? sponsible an officer’s national Being an American if no one membership is up should never be a spectator sport, and neither challenges for renewal between should being an MOAA increases to March 1 and Dec. member. If you’re not our health 31 and the chapter renews that memin a chapter, you’re care fees? bership, the chapter probably not doing all will receive credit for you can to be part of recruiting one new “One Powerful Voice.” member. Moreover, the renewing This month, we highlight some member will receive two years of of MOAA’s best chapters. They’ve membership in national MOAA for excelled in getting those “80 percent$24, a discounted rate. Normally, ers” to join them and help preserve membership is $24 a year. earned entitlements. If you have a To date, more than 232 chapters chance to join a local chapter, give have signed up and are participating it serious thought. Joining will put in the campaign, which offers both you in the front lines rather than on participating chapters and recruitthe sidelines. — Col. Chris Giaimo, USAF-Ret. ers cash incentives and awards for Director, Council and Chapter Affairs recruiting new MOAA members. For the 2005 campaign, chapters earned more than $25,000 to use toward their scholarship, family support, and other programs and activities. To learn more about Give Me Recruiting and Renewals Grow With “Give Me 10!” 10! and how your chapter would benefit from participating, visit the campaign’s Web page at www.moaa ou now have several hun.org/givemeten. You’ll find the latdred more fellow MOAA est recruiting statistics, answers to members in your national frequently asked questions, success organization thanks to the chapters stories from participating chapters, participating in the 2006 “Give and information about how to sign Me 10!” campaign. So far, these up a new member, including downchapters have recruited and reloadable materials you can give to newed more than 430 annual and Field Reports PHOTO: RHODA BAER
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