Dear MOAA Member, Time for Grassroots Support These days, there’s a lot of talk about changing our earned benefits – and not for the better. It’s time to push back. Providing grassroots support for MOAA’s legislative goals has long been an important goal for chapter members. And chapter members’ support has played a big part in many of MOAA’s legislative wins during the last 10 years.  Legislators listen to chapter members who are their constituents. Some chapter members have personal relationships with legislators that national MOAA will never be able to duplicate. This gives chapter members a great opportunity to let legislators know how they feel. Contact your legislators in their state or district offices, and find out where they stand on the proposed changes to military retirement and our earned benefits.   More importantly, stay informed. Read MOAA’s weekly Legislative Update. Many of you do that right now. If you don’t, sign up online. Next, read Washington Scene and mail in the tear-out letters and legislative postcards in Military Officer magazine. Respond to legislative alerts, and get other chapter members to do the same. Doing these things will help MOAA protect the earned benefits of all servicemembers. Col. Lee Lange II, USMC-Ret. Director, MOAA Council and Chapter Affairs Department

Chapter Highlights

Communications Awards Coming

The deadline for submitting entries for the Col. Marvin J. Harris Communications Awards Contest is Feb. 1, 2012. The annual competition recently was renamed to recognize Harris, who retired from the Air Force, for the 15-plus years of outstanding service he provided to both military and civilian audiences while serving as MOAA’s director of Public Relations. Harris retired on June 10, 2011.

Submissions will be based on communication efforts for the 2011 calendar year. Council and chapter leaders should submit only one entry packet, which can contain a maximum of three entries in seven different categories of competition. The seven categories of competition are listed on the checklist, which should be filled out and included with your submission. You can download a copy of the checklist here. 

Junior ROTC and ROTC Awards

Presenting MOAA Junior ROTC and ROTC awards helps chapters gain exposure in their communities and allows members to recognize outstanding high school and college cadets. Learn more about the awards program here.

Send Us Your Officer Updates

This is the time of year when many chapters elect new officers. If you recently elected new officers, let us know who they are. We need this information so MOAA can get updates and information to the right people in your chapter.

Instructions for updating your officer roster can be found here. Guidance also can be found on page 68 of MOAA’s Council and Chapter Policies and Procedures Guide, or e-mail your new officer roster to Mary Newman at chapters@moaa.org. 

Need a Council or Chapter Flag?

Every council and chapter should have a MOAA flag for use at meetings and other functions. Over the years, some chapters have misplaced their flags or now have flags that need to be replaced. We have identified a source for flags and other items for your chapter. For information on cost, payment, layout, and design, click here.