chaptersinaction

Expanding the mission Col. John Harms, USMC (Ret), held many leadership positions in the Hawaii Chapter (now the Hawaii Aloha Chapter) before moving with his wife, Bobbi, to Williamsburg, Va. Shortly after moving, he was asked to serve as vice president of the Virginia Peninsula (VIPMOAA) Chapter and later became president. Harms used his experience to help VIPMOAA grow and improve. Charitable donations have increased, and members support the local USO, Honor Flight, the U.S. Army Trans- portation Museum, and the Casemate Museum. He also developed a direc- tory that contains members’ contact information, chapter bylaws and his- tory, a list of chapter officers and past presidents, a checklist for surviving spouses, and other useful information. In addition, Harms led the

charge to establish a Junior ROTC (JROTC) scholarship program, which is funded by members’ dona- tions. The program continues to grow, and this year, one $500 schol- arship was awarded to a cadet in each of 11 JROTC programs, which members support. Currently, Harms participates in the chapter’s ROTC mentorship program at two local universities. He also serves as the chapter’s li- aison at his retirement community, answering members’ questions and ensuring they have transportation to monthly chapter meetings. Harms says he’s thankful to be part of a MOAA chapter again. He knows he can count on chapter members for their support. “The cornerstone of MOAA is personal relationships,” says Harms. “We take care of each other.”

PHOTO: SEAN SHANAHAN

At the Heart of the Chapter System

Although February is in the heart of winter, one often thinks about Valentine’s Day and all that goes with it. In my travels to chapter and council meetings, I can’t help but notice an indispensable resource, some might even say the “heart,” of our chapter system: our spouses. Spouses add so much to our association, both at the local and na-

tional levels. Just as most of us did while on active duty, we rely heavily on their support and involvement to make our chapter and council sys- tem smoothly and successfully function. We also have grown to count on their support for legislative initiatives at the national level. At the community level, most chapter initiatives couldn’t work with- out the support and involvement of spouses. In many of our chapters, it is a member’s spouse who holds chapter office and is a leader making things happen. If you think about it, this just makes sense considering spouses often were the ones juggling the demands of kids and a job while supporting the servicemember, sometimes while the servicemem- ber was deployed around the world. Many chapters, depending on their size and membership, have changed their bylaws to allow and support spouses’ active involvement. We encourage this effort, as we recognize our spouses play a vital role in our success. Our surviving spouses (formerly known as auxiliary members) also

have contributed to the success of our local chapters and national MOAA’s goals. These individuals are tremendous resources, which many chapters are recognizing formally, bringing surviving spouses into leadership positions. These individuals add so much to our association. We need to continue reaching out to include them in our chapters and association programs. In all of my interactions with chapters and councils, I have consis-

tently witnessed surviving spouses filling key affiliate leadership posi- tions and doing a great job. I tend to find the chapters and councils that are wise enough to use all of their “resources” are often some of our most successful. In today’s environment, we need all the members of our team involved. So if you are a surviving spouse and a chapter of- ficer asks you to serve in a key leadership position such as the surviving spouse liaison, I strongly encourage you to say yes. This February, let’s stay connected with all of our members. I hope to see you at your next local chapter meeting.

— Col. Barry Wright, USA (Ret), Director, Council and Chapter Affairs

FEBRUARY 2016 MILITARY OFFICER 43