BYLAW CHANGES
• Auxiliary Members and Life Auxiliary Members Voting Rights
Under MOAA’s existing bylaws, there are six classes of members: members; Life Members; auxiliary members; Life Auxiliary Members; honorary members; and cadets and midshipmen. The bylaws currently provide that only members and Life Members are entitled to vote (Article III, Section 5). Similarly, only members and Life Members may serve on the board of directors (Article VIII, Section 1). The auxiliary member category was created as a separate membership class when the association bylaws were modified in 1975. Article III, Section 2(c) of the bylaws identifies auxiliary members as widows and widowers of MOAA members (or those who would have been eligible for membership). Life Auxiliary Members are widows and widowers of deceased Life Members or any widow or widower of any deceased individual who would have been eligible for membership who pays the prescribed life auxiliary membership fee. Article III, Section 5 excludes auxiliary members and Life Auxiliary Members from voting, and Article VIII, Section 1(a) excludes them from being elected to the board of directors. The current auxiliary membership population is 60,145, or 17
percent of the current MOAA members. Of that total auxiliary population, 42,645, or 70 percent of them, are Life Auxiliary Members. Auxiliary members have a record of distinguished service and leadership in MOAA. It recently was reported to MOAA’s board of directors that 116 of 410 MOAA chapters had an auxiliary member on the chapter’s board of directors, and 15 of the 35 MOAA councils had auxiliary members on the council’s board of directors. MOAA’s Council and Chapter Policies and Procedures Guide provides regular or auxiliary members can fill chapter officer positions and auxiliary members also can fill leadership positions on their boards and standing committees.
RESOLUTIONS
• Resolution No. 1 — The Constitution and Flag Whereas, the Constitution of the U.S. is the foundation of the freedoms enjoyed by all Americans and the document all officers have solemnly sworn to uphold, and Whereas, the Constitution establishes the principles that have provided for the defense of the nation, and under which the nation has enjoyed a peaceful and democratic succession of leadership for more than two centuries — a success unmatched in the history of the world, and Whereas, the flag of the U.S. is the symbol of our great nation, whose very colors represent the bloodshed by the first defenders of our country to ensure continued freedom for their descendants, and Whereas, subsequent generations of members of the uniformed services of the U.S. have continued to draw inspiration from the flag in performing selfless acts of valor and sacrifice to carry on that heroic legacy, and Whereas, for years it was against federal law to desecrate the flag, and Whereas, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned that long-standing federal law, and Whereas, Congress has under consideration a proposed constitutional amendment that would enable the U.S. Congress, in concert with the president, to enact laws to prohibit desecration of the flag of the U.S., and Whereas, such an amendment would require ratification by three- fourths of the states, therefore be it Resolved, that the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) direct its efforts to inculcating and stimulating respect and loyalty for the Constitution and the flag of the U.S. and to promoting wider understanding of their symbolic and inspirational aspects and of the gallantry and sacrifice of generations of members of the uniformed services of the U.S. who have upheld the principles for which these symbols stand, and be it further Resolved, that MOAA support congressional action to pass the proposed amendment so that the issue may be referred to the 50 states where the people may exercise their will, and be it further Resolved, that MOAA, through its chapters, sponsor efforts to educate America’s schoolchildren on the origin and meaning of the flag, the importance of patriotism and proper respect for the flag, and the protocols for its display and disposal.
• Resolution No. 2 — National Defense Whereas, providing for the common defense, as mandated by the Constitution of the U.S., requires a combat-ready armed force capable of immediate action to deter and, if necessary, decisively defeat threats to our vital national interests and security, and Whereas, the direct attack on our homeland Sept. 11, 2001, requires greater response to and preparation for domestic and foreign threats, and Whereas, the world remains a volatile and dangerous place, with threats that pose continual challenges to our international relationships, and Whereas, the U.S. continues to be the leader of the free world, with the resources, including military forces, to help preserve peace and promote freedom, and Whereas, recruiting and retention are the backbone of our all- volunteer force, and Whereas, today’s already-overtaxed military forces are being strained even further to meet increasing mission requirements since Sept. 11, 2001, with significant adverse effects on the quality of life of servicemembers and their families and with potentially serious implications for retention and readiness, and Whereas, service families often are left without their sponsors, adequate and timely institutional support for these families (e.g., medical, commissaries, exchanges, and morale, welfare, and recreation) is critical to morale and retention, and Whereas, current force levels have proven insufficient to meet the needs of sustained warfare, and Whereas, aging weapon systems must be replaced with next- generation systems, and Whereas, the defense budget continues to be a low share of the national economy and projected to decline further, therefore be it Resolved, that the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) continue to support a strong national defense capability, with careful attention to the changing world scene and threats to U.S. interests and security, and be it further Resolved, that MOAA continue to encourage service in the all- volunteer force in the interests of ensuring a strong national defense capability, and be it further Resolved, that MOAA support sustaining a defense budget and defense policies that will provide for:
The guide also provides auxiliary members should have the same voting rights in chapter matters as all other members. In 2011, the chair of MOAA’s board of directors appointed an ad
hoc committee to study auxiliary member voting rights and board membership. After conducting extensive research and conducting discussions with national as well as council and chapter leadership, the committee concluded auxiliary members should be granted voting rights and be authorized to compete for membership on MOAA’s board of directors. The committee noted that, in the eight years the Auxiliary Member Advisory Committee (AMAC) had been in existence, the contributions of those auxiliary members merited special recognition for their depth and breadth as repeatedly evidenced by the AMAC’s presentations at board meetings. In addition, and most important, the ad hoc committee recognized the contributions of auxiliary members’ increasing leadership presence in chapters and councils across the country. On Oct. 28, 2011, the board of directors approved the ad hoc committee’s recommendations and directed that the matter be submitted to MOAA’s membership as a proposed change to the MOAA bylaws. Accordingly, the board recommends the following changes to the
MOAA bylaws: Article III, Section 5 be amended to read: “Members, Life Members,
auxiliary members, and Life Auxiliary Members shall be entitled to vote upon any matter properly submitted to the membership for vote.” Article VIII, Section 1 be amended to read: “There shall be 36
directors of the association, composed of individuals who are members, Life Members, auxiliary members, or Life Auxiliary Members of the association. They will be apportioned from the services as follows: Army, eight; Navy, eight; Air Force, eight; Marine Corps, three; Coast Guard, two; Public Health Service, one; NOAA, one; and five at large without regard to service affiliation.”
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