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.

Two Ways to Support MOAA Charities

Show your support for MOAA Charities — The MOAA Foundation and the MOAA Scholarship Fund — by purchasing a limited-edition MOAA “Charitee.”

All proceeds directly support The MOAA Foundation’s and MOAA Scholarship Fund’s programs and services. Get your T-shirt today at this link. 

You can also participate in MOAA Charities’ annual Day of Giving by making a tax-deductible donation to The MOAA Foundation and/or the MOAA Scholarship Fund to fuel the life-changing programs both charities provide. Click here to donate. 

Learn more about the work of The MOAA Foundation and the MOAA Scholarship Fund by visiting charities.moaa.org.

Tips for Meeting With Your Legislators

Start preparing now for upcoming August congressional recess meetings with your elected officials.

Every year, lawmakers return to their home states and districts for a monthlong recess. This year, they are scheduled to be back home from Aug. 5 to Sept. 6. Council and chapter leaders are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to meet with their elected officials to help further MOAA’s legislative objectives. Your voice is essential because legislators want to hear from you, their constituents. Schedule a visit and meet face-to-face. Some elected legislators might even welcome an opportunity to address an entire chapter.

Preparation is key to a successful meeting. Here are some tips:

• Familiarize yourself with MOAA’s positions on significant issues that might arise. Visit MOAA’s Legislative Action Center to find details about legislative campaigns, contact information for elected officials, pre-formatted letters to lawmakers, and much more. If this is your first time visiting the action center, you might see a prompt to fill out a sign-up form. You will need to complete this step before you can send messages to Congress.
  
  
• Make sure a legislator understands the purpose of a visit before a meeting. Every lawmaker deals with a wide variety of legislative issues and cannot be expected to be an expert on every one of them.
  
  
• Become acquainted with the legislator’s local office staff, especially those with responsibility in areas of interest to MOAA members. Don’t consider it a put-down if you don’t get to visit a legislator in person. They are busy and rely on staff for advice.
  
  
• If a meeting with a legislator involves a chapter visit, reserve time for a question-and-answer period. Provide a legislator with advance notice of the kinds of questions or issues he or she should be prepared to address during a visit. Key questions should be prepared in advance and given to designated chapter members to ensure the session is productive.

To stay up to date on advocacy news, visit MOAA's Advocacy News page.

Surviving Spouse Corner: A Trip to Remember — the 80th Anniversary of D-Day

A surviving spouse reflects on her recent cruise with MOAA Vacations.

By Nora Durham, Surviving Spouse Advisory Council member

On June 6, I had the pleasure and honor of being present on the beach in Normandy, France, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. We were there to pay homage to all our servicemembers who paid the ultimate price that fateful day and to recognize all who fought so hard.

I experienced this memorable event as a passenger on a MOAA Signature Cruise, traveling on the Seine River from Paris to Normandy. This cruise, organized by MOAA Vacations, was designed specifically for MOAA members, family, and friends. The attention to detail — from food to sights — set this MOAA cruise apart from other cruises I have taken.

I had not realized how much I missed the military camaraderie until I was shoulder-to-shoulder with the elite of the elite. Approximately 200 uniformed services veterans, spouses, surviving spouses, and guests were on this cruise. Military service was our common thread: The war stories that were as fresh as the day they happened, the acronyms DoD personnel used to confuse the enemy, and hearing over and over, “Where did you serve?” when meeting someone for the first time.

The visit to the beaches of Normandy, without a doubt, was cathartic for many of us. A quiet reverence overcame our group just knowing we stood where the carnage took place 80 years ago. Beautiful monuments have been erected to honor the military personnel who fought there and their memory. One was engraved with the following message: “To the memory of the heroic dead of the 90th Infantry Division, U.S. Army, 6 June 1944-9 May 1945.”

Back on board the ship, we shared our thoughts about our experience with our old and new friends. To cap it off in a style for which our military is famous, we had an impactful ceremony on the upper deck spearheaded by MOAA Board Chairman Gen. Gary L. North, USAF (Ret). His focus was on those who gave their lives for peace. He honored their memory with the eloquence of his heartfelt words.

The ceremony ended with taps, and we then each tossed a white rose in the Seine. Those 200 white roses floating in the water signified the deep connections we have with our fallen military. It was a trip and experience I will remember forever.

I, along with three friends, have already signed up for the MOAA Cruise for a Cause 2025: Burgundy and Provence, Lyon to Arles, Sept. 14-21, 2025. Proceeds from this cruise support the uniformed services and veterans communities through MOAA Charities. I hope you will join me!

Read past Surviving Spouse Corners.

Upcoming Events

Monthly Chapter Leader Virtual Roundtable: Join us July 25 at 7 p.m. Eastern for a discussion about chapter health. Join here at the time of the meeting (Meeting ID: 973 5819 4667; Passcode: 245574). Please note that based on your feedback, we have transitioned to the Zoom platform for these events. You may access recordings of previous roundtables, including our June 27 roundtable on generational recruiting, at this link. 

Did You Know?

Starting a MOAA chapter is easier than you think. The minimum requirements are: (1) have at least 10 national MOAA members, with at least two members willing to serve leadership positions, (2) produce written bylaws, (3) establish a chapter bank account for electronic funds transfers, and (4) provide to national MOAA a membership roster with each member’s name and MOAA ID number. Additional requirements can be found in the Council and Chapter Policies and Procedures Guide.

The Council and Chapter Affairs team can help invite prospective members to your event. MOAA will automatically send an Electronic Support Message (email blast) to national MOAA members in the chapter catchment that are not chapter members to promote an upcoming chapter visit. As a reminder, MOAA affiliates can request a speaker from national MOAA who will provide an overview of the organization and be available for a leadership meeting. Councils are eligible for a visit annually, and chapters are eligible every two to three years. When filling out the chapter visit request form, select "I agree" when prompted, and we will send an email message to potential chapter members to help promote the event.

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 Lake and Sumter Counties (Fla.) Chapter presented $3,000 to Villagers for Veterans, a nonprofit that ensures “veterans receive assistance in healing, a return to normalcy, and an independent lifestyle.” The funds will help pay for food and other amenities needed for daily living for residents of Ashley’s Cottage in Fruitland Park, a transitional home for women veterans. Read more.

The Star Fort (S.C.) Chapter is partnering with the City of Greenwood to recognize local veterans with banners on lamp posts for two weeks preceding and after Veterans Day. The double-sided vinyl banners include a photo of the veteran in uniform and their service branch and war/conflict served in. Learn more about the program.

The Whidbey Island (Wash.) Chapter recently presented awards to two junior officers, one from Sea Command and one from Shore Command. The recipients — Lt. Paige L. Brigham, Avionics Division officer, Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron, and Lt. j.g. Cameron Kinley, tactical watch officer, Theater Undersea Surveillance Command, Pacific — received from the chapter a glass engraved plaque and a challenge coin. In addition, the Oak Harbor Navy JROTC commander and five of his cadets performed the colors and a rifle drill at the event.

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:

• July 16, Grand Canyon (Ariz.) Chapter, Gail Joyce, MOAA board of directors
• July 17, Tennessee Council of Chapters, Dena Kilgore, Council and Chapter Affairs (CCA) 
• July 18, Stones River (Tenn.) Chapter, Dena Kilgore, CCA
• Aug. 3, New Hampshire Chapter, Capt. Frank Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Aug. 4, Mount Rainier (Wash.) Chapter, Dena Kilgore, CCA
• Aug. 5, Iowa Chapter, Capt. Frank Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Aug. 9, Lincolnland (Ill.) Chapter, Capt. Frank Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Aug. 16, Northwest Arkansas Chapter, Capt. Frank Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Aug. 18, Ohio Western Reserve Chapter, Capt. Frank Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Aug. 21, Conejo-Simi Valley (Calif.) Chapter, Capt. Frank Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Aug. 22, Pensacola (Fla.) Chapter, Gen. Gary L. North, USAF (Ret), MOAA chairman of the board
• Aug. 24, Contra Costa (Calif.) Chapter, Capt. Frank Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Aug. 27, West Alabama Chapter, Dena Kilgore, CCA