Recent news from The MOAA Newsletter. View previous editions of Council and Chapter News here. Send updates about your affiliate’s activities to chapters@moaa.org for possible inclusion in future editions.

MOAA Database Transition Timeline and Impact

As a reminder, the transition of MOAA’s database began March 31. Council and chapter leaders do not have access to the Committee Module or NRT Report as of April 1 until on or about April 22.

MOAA members received this update on MOAA’s system upgrade and how this might impact their access to information during the transition. This message also explains how this transition will impact logging into MOAA.org, with the “email of record” replacing usernames when accessing online accounts. Members should contact the Member Service Center if they have multiple emails on file with MOAA to determine the email of record. Passwords will not change under the new system, and access to MOAA's Legislative Action Center will not be affected. Further instructions on using the new system will be available in the coming weeks.

Participate in the Spring Advocacy Event from Home

MOAA members from across the nation will join association leaders and staff April 17 on Capitol Hill for Advocacy in Action, meeting with lawmakers and their staff about three key issues affecting the military community. You can take part in the effort from home by registering for the Legislative Action Center and sending messages to your elected officials on the issues. Learn more about Advocacy in Action at www.moaa.org/aia.

Council and Chapter Leaders East Region Workshop May 17-18

Council and chapter presidents, membership chairs, legislative chairs/liaisons, and surviving spouse liaisons from Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, as well as officers from the virtual council and virtual chapters who reside in these states, will be invited to participate in an onsite Council and Chapter Leaders Workshop May 17-18 in Greenville, S.C. This workshop will provide an important forum to receive updates and ask questions of MOAA leadership; attend breakout sessions on chapter management, legislative training, or surviving spouse liaison training; and afford networking opportunities with fellow volunteer leaders. An invitation and registration link will soon be sent to those officer positions listed above.

Don’t forget that the next virtual Council and Chapter Leaders Workshop is scheduled for Aug. 14. While targeted toward experienced leaders, participation will be open to those interested in participating.

Surviving Spouse Corner: We Need Your Voice on Legislative Issues

You can easily contact your elected officials with a valuable tool from MOAA.

By Capt. Kathy Thorp, USN (Ret), MOAA Surviving Spouse Advisory Council member and national MOAA board of directors member

There is a quote from Helen Keller: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

This sums up the vital importance of each of us taking the time to contact our members of Congress to share our testimony and our personal stories on the current issues relating to surviving spouses as well as other veterans’ and military family issues.

National MOAA advocates on the Hill monthly, and once a year, council and chapter leaders come to Washington, D.C., for Advocacy in Action, focusing on several key issues. 

What can you do to be a part of this excitement of advocacy? You can get involved very easily, from the comfort of your home. Often due to where we live, our physical limitations, and our work and family schedule, it’s nearly impossible to travel to Washington, D.C., to meet with lawmakers. The good news is MOAA has a valuable resource to make it easier for us to advocate throughout the year: the Legislative Action Center.

In the action center, MOAA posts top issues with a description of each. You can pick and choose what affects you the most, or you can select all the issues that are listed. Once you register for the Legislative Action Center, you can send a pre-formatted letter to your representative and senators on the issue. All you need to do is either add your personal story or just add your signature. Once it’s completed, hit the send button, and the letter is automatically sent to your lawmakers.

Try it out today — it only takes five minutes. Every call, every email, and every visit to Congress helps to bring to the forefront issues affecting surviving spouses, veterans, and military families. The more our voices are heard, we CAN make a difference!

Read past Surviving Spouse Corners.

Did You Know?

Copyright Guidance: National MOAA has compiled a presentation outlining photo usage guidelines for councils and chapters, which contains best practices to avoid copyright infringement. Download the slides here (PDF).

Promoting MOAA Charities: Councils and chapters can use these newsletter inserts to encourage their members to support MOAA’s two charities: The MOAA Foundation and the MOAA Scholarship Find. Download the inserts here.

Upcoming Events

Monthly Chapter Leader Virtual Roundtable: Join us April 25 at 7 p.m. Eastern for a discussion about marketing. Join here at the time of the meeting. (Meeting ID: 936 3206 9259; Passcode: 505140). Please note that based on your feedback, we have transitioned to the Zoom platform for these events. 

From the Field

MOAA chapters give back to their communities through fundraising efforts, community- service projects, scholarship programs, and other initiatives. Here are some recent activities.

The Northwest Arkansas Chapter started a new program last year in which they have bimonthly breakfast meetings at Village Inn Restaurant during the months between their chapter dinner meetings. The breakfasts have been a large success and continue to grow in popularity; every new breakfast results in a new record attendance. The chapter has achieved two additional outcomes from these bimonthly events. First, the Village Inn Restaurant has paid $100 to the chapter for an advertisement in the chapter’s bimonthly newsletter. Second, the breakfast is open to prospective members, and four have joined MOAA and the chapter at these breakfasts.

The Mahoning and Shenango Valleys (Ohio) Chapter recently hosted leaders of Veterans’ Outreach at a chapter meeting. Chapter members learned about the work of Veterans’ Outreach, a nonprofit organization that provides direct aid, resources, and services to veterans in need. The chapter also presented a donation of $1,000 to the organization.

The Prince George's County (Md.) Chapter celebrated Black History Month during a February chapter meeting with guest speaker Herbert Harris Jones III, the son of a Tuskegee Airman and founder of a charter airline headquartered in the Washington, D.C., area. Jones shared with chapter members stories about his family and his father's efforts to create and operate the International Air Association. 

National MOAA Travel Schedule

Here are the councils and chapters MOAA leaders will be visiting over the next few months.

Contact the associated chapter if you would like to attend any of the following scheduled visits:

• April 7, Western Connecticut Chapter, Redding, MOAA President and CEO Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret)
• April 26, Colorado Council of Chapters, Loveland, Dena Kilgore, Council and Chapter Affairs (CCA)
• April 27, Kentucky Council of Chapters, Fort Knox, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• April 30, Greater Baton Rouge Area (La.) Chapter, Baton Rouge, Dena Kilgore, CCA
• May 3, Arizona Council of Chapters, Surprise, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• May 9, North Carolina State COC, virtual, Dena Kilgore, CCA
• May 12-15, Florida Council of Chapters Convention, Daytona Beach, MOAA Board of Directors Chairman Gen. Gary North, USAF (Ret), and Capt. Jim Carman, USN (Ret), MOAA vice president of Council/Chapter and Member Support
• May 14, Southeast Idaho Chapter, Pocatello, Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• May 18, New Mexico Council of Chapters, Alamogordo, Col. Peter K. Kloeber, USAF (Ret), MOAA board of directors
• May 18. Southern (N.Y.) Tier Chapter, Binghamton, Col. Myles B. Caggins III, USA (Ret), MOAA board of directors
• May 18, Oklahoma Council of Chapters, Norman, Lt. Col. Aric J. Raus, USA, MOAA board of directors
• May 21, Greater Granbury (Texas) Chapter, Granbury, Dena Kilgore, CCA