chaptersinaction Moving Legislation
During the 2010 Council Presidents’ Seminar, council and chapter leaders visited with their congressional representatives and asked them to support MOAA’s key legislative initiatives.
A
pril saw yet another suc- cessful Council Presidents’ Seminar. Each year, council
and select chapter presidents from all 50 states and Puerto Rico visit Alex- andria, Va., for events that highlight their contributions to the association. The week is the payoff of our chapter system’s grassroots support of the as- sociation’s legislative agenda. MOAA board and staff members
and council and chapter leaders inter- act all week, which reinforces the idea that we are a team and gives our coun- cil leaders a view from the national
department heads and participate in a cross talk, where leaders share ideas and tell MOAA staff what’s on their minds. Many of the best ideas the na- tional association receives come from its council and chapter leaders. And we get important feedback to help us gauge the effectiveness of our efforts to support the chapter system. The key to the success of Storming
the Hill is selecting a few important issues that affect servicemembers, briefing council and chapter presi- dents, and sending them to call on their own state representatives and senators. The result is a noticeable spike in cosponsorship of important bills. No other group of MOAA mem- bers has this kind of impact in helping the association achieve its goals. This department’s main story,
association perspective. Attendees also meet many government, military, association, and private-sector lead- ers. A day is set aside for leaders to listen to updates from key association
“Leaders Gather in Virginia,” high- lights the Council Presidents’ Semi- nar, held annually in Alexandria for the past 13 years. This signature event demonstrates MOAA’s commitment to its chapter system and leaders. The seminar gives council and chapter leaders a hands-on role in achieving MOAA’s legislative objectives and trains leaders in chapter management. Each time we do this event, we work to make it better and provide added value to attendees.
ON THE ROAD: This month, Col. Barry Wright, USA-Ret., deputy director of MOAA’s Council and Chapter Affairs, will visit chapter members in North Carolina. Go to MOAA Calendar, page 68, for dates.
3 8 MI L I T A R Y O F F I C E R J U LY 2 0 1 0 This signature event is an invest-
ment in the association’s chapter system and is critical to keeping the system strong and in touch with MOAA. If you’ve considered joining MOAA’s chapter system, now is the time to do it. Visit
www.moaa.org/ chapters/locator.
— Col. Lee Lange II, USMC-Ret. Director, Council and Chapter Affairs
Leaders Gather in Virginia
C
ouncil and chapter leaders traveled to Alexandria, Va., in April for MOAA’s annual
Council Presidents’ Seminar. The highlight of the seminar was when participants teamed up with mem- bers of the national staff and board of directors to lobby their congressional representatives on the Hill. Teams asked legislators to support several of MOAA’s key legislative initiatives, including authorizing a 1.9-percent military pay raise for 2011. Teams also asked congressional
leaders to help end the Survivor Benefit Plan/Dependency and In- demnity Compensation offset for military survivors, expand concur- rent receipt eligibility for disabled- servicemembers’ pay, and support legislation that would ensure
PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT
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