chapters in action
Community Value
Members say participating in a chapter enhances the MOAA experience, providing them with camaraderie and opportunities to help others, a support system, and career-transition assistance.
This past year has been one of transition. MOAA rolled out a new membership model, and, simultaneously, the Council and Chapter Affairs Department launched a new chapter recruiting program. Both have proven successful, but we have lots of work ahead to make both programs reach their full potential.
The issue that drove us to focus on recruiting and retaining chapter members — our declining chapter membership — still exists, although we did make significant progress in our recruiting efforts. As with any new program, we continue to refine the process and look forward to your continued support and ideas. As we move into our second year of the recruiting campaign, one key component stands out: personal involvement. Welcoming and inviting non-chapter MOAA members to visit and join a chapter is the key to successful recruiting.
At times, it appears we all assume people know about our chapters and the good work they do within their respective communities. I often hear about an individual, a MOAA Life Member, who has lived in a community for years but just joined a local chapter recently because he or she didn’t know a chapter existed nearby.
How do we address this lack of chapter awareness? I wish I had an easy answer. One tool available on MOAA’s website (
www.moaa.org/chapteradvertising) is a fillable PDF advertisement chapters can personalize for use in local newspapers. Many chapters have taken advantage of this tool. Some have even advertised upcoming chapter events on local talk radio shows, and others have signage and pop-ups they use at events with their chapter name displayed. Often the best form of advertisement is a golf shirt or hat with a chapter name on it. It’s a natural way to break the ice and strike up a conversation so members can invite potential members to visit and join their chapter.
Each year, my deputy, Col. Brian Anderson, USAF (Ret), and I look for the “silver bullet” that makes our chapters and association successful. The only constant we find is our great members — at the local and national levels. In today’s environment, so many civilians don’t understand what it means to serve our nation; our members and their families understand service and commitment, and most of you are still involved and making a difference in your communities.
So why not be around folks who share your same core values — by joining a local MOAA chapter, through which you can continue to help make a difference in your community and our country. I hope to see you during a future chapter visit.
— Col. Barry Wright, USA (Ret) Director, Council and Chapter Affairs
On the road:
This month, Col. Barry Wright, USA (Ret), director, MOAA Council and Chapter Affairs, will visit chapter members in Florida and Louisiana. See MOAA Calendar, page 84, for dates.
Continuing to Serve
Camaraderie leads to community involvement.
When members of the Military Officers Association of Sarasota (Fla.) Inc. (
www.sarasotamoaa.com) gather together, it feels just like a family reunion. In fact, some members refer to their chapter friends as their MOAA family.
The affiliate’s Young at Heart Officers Organization aims to build camaraderie among its members by hosting parties during the annual Army-Navy football game and the Super Bowl. Chapter members also travel to Oktoberfest events, attend luncheon cruises, organize golf tournaments, or go bowling or kayaking together.
online: Find a MOAA chapter at
www.moaa.org/chapterlocator.
50 MILITARY OFFICER JANUARY 2014
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