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

Commemorating Volunteer Appreciation Month

A note from Capt. Erin Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), senior director, Council and Chapter Affairs.

Dear MOAA volunteer leaders: Thank you for all you do in your local and/or virtual communities for our association. We appreciate you more than we can ever express, and the Council and Chapter Affairs team, in particular, is ever so honored and pleased to know you and work with you on a daily basis. View a personal thank-you message recorded at the end of April -- Volunteer Appreciation Month -- by MOAA President and CEO Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, USAF (Ret), below, or at this link. Please share the message with your leadership teams as desired.

MOAA’s Best Communicators

Congratulations to winners of 2021 Col. Marvin J. Harris Communications Awards!

The 2021 Col. Marvin J. Harris Communications Awards were comprised of two categories: print or electronic newsletters and websites.

Councils and chapters received 179 five-star awards and 44 four-star awards.

A list of winners (including a printable PDF download) is available MOAA.org/Harris-2021. Congratulations to MOAA’s top communicators!

Don’t Miss Out on the Opportunity to Earn Advertising Revenue

Would you like to earn $100 for your chapter by including an advertisement in your newsletter for MOAA Insurance Plans? The last day to take advantage of the annual insurance advertising program is May 31. Enroll by emailing michele.armesto@mercer.com following the instructions found at this link.

Recognize Your Chapter Leaders — It Contributes to Retention and Leader Succession!

The deadline is approaching to nominate your chapter’s surviving spouse liaison and legislative chair/liaison for national MOAA awards.

Nominations for the Colonel Steve Strobridge Legislative Chair/Liaison Award and the Surviving Spouse Liaison Excellence Award are both due by June 1. 

The Colonel Steve Strobridge Legislative Chair/Liaison Award recognizes one MOAA council or chapter legislative chair/liaison who has demonstrated superior service in support of the national and/or state legislative agenda. Download the full award criteria and nomination form.

The Surviving Spouse Liaison Excellence Award is presented annually to a surviving spouse liaison who is a member of MOAA and who has made outstanding contributions to a MOAA council or chapter in support of surviving spouse members. Download the nomination form and instructions.

We Want to Highlight Your Chapter in Military Officer

The October issue of Military Officer will include expanded coverage of MOAA council and chapter activities. Email high-resolution photos as .jpg attachments with caption information and short articles about your affiliate’s activities — community-service projects, advocacy efforts, fundraisers, award ceremonies, etcetera — so we can showcase your hard work. Send submissions by June 25 to Contributing Editor Blair Drake at blaird@moaa.org.

ROTC/Junior ROTC MOAA Medal Update

Due to COVID-19-related shipping challenges, ROTC/Junior ROTC medals are now expected to be available in the MOAA Store in late May 2022. We regret the impact on our chapters that support and recognize ROTC and Junior ROTC programs throughout the U.S. 

Did You Know? Resources for MOAA Brand Awareness

Using the Correct MOAA Logo and Seal: MOAA’s logo and seal are an immediate representation of the association’s brand. Is your chapter using the correct versions in your communications? Find guidelines in MOAA’s online brand book and download the graphic files for versions of the logo and seal.

Planning a Retiree Appreciation Day or a Recruitment Event: MOAA would like to send you handouts for your table at these events. Send us a request at MSC@moaa.org, provide the subject of your event (i.e., recruitment, special event for surviving spouses, etcetera), the approximate number of attendees, and the date of your event; we will do the rest. Your package will include MOAA’s publications, copies of the most current MOAA magazine issues, MOAA enrollment cards, and other brochures and handouts for your audience.

Surviving Spouse Corner: A Month of Remembrance

By Pat Green, MOAA Surviving Spouse Advisory Council member

May is a month with many special events and memories. For some, it means graduations or wedding showers. For gardeners, seedlings are fulfilling their promise; perennials are blooming; and the scent of lilacs and peonies enter the home as windows are finally opened. For children, it’s the promise of lazy summer days or the opening of the community pool. For schools, it’s the month of awards and scholarships. For the family, it’s the appreciation of mothers. My May memories are of Mother’s Day and Memorial Day traditions.

When I was young, we had a lovely tradition of women and girls wearing corsages and men wearing boutonnieres to church on Mother’s Day. In my family, we made our own. If you wore white flowers that meant your mother was dead. Colored flowers signified your mother was living. Nearly everyone wore flowers on Mother’s Day.

After church, we changed into our work clothes and went to the graveyards. We cleared away dead leaves and weeds, overturned the earth in front of the headstones, and planted flowers and watered them so they would be blooming when we came to visit the gravesites on Memorial Day.

Memorial Day usually meant a parade through town. Afterward, there was often a picnic. We always visited the graves of our loved ones and shared memories of them. Flags were placed at the gravestone of each veteran.

Today, still, there are many commemorative ceremonies. I usually go to the national cemetery where my husband and many of our friends are buried. The American flags are beautiful, lining every street and positioned at each headstone. The music is inspiring, and the speaker’s message is notable.

May is a month for remembering those we’ve lost. There is an atmosphere of sadness, patriotism, and pride. I’ve known sorrow, we all have, but I can’t imagine the grief of a Gold Star Mother in May. Remember her in your prayers on Mother’s Day and hold her in your heart on Memorial Day.

Read past Surviving Spouse Corners.

Get Newsletter Content From National MOAA

Need some content to supplement your chapter’s newsletter? The White Label Newsletter Template includes information, articles, and helpful tips from national MOAA that already are formatted for inclusion in your newsletter. The content is updated every month to ensure you are receiving timely, relevant information.   

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 Southeastern NC Chapter sponsored a veterans’ breakfast at the University of North Carolina Wilmington on April 21. Members helped cook pancakes for the veteran students and got a tour of the campus’ new Veterans Hall.

The Indian River (Fla.) Chapter organized a Neil Diamond Tribute Concert in March to benefit the American Gold Star Mothers of Indian River County. The event raised $8,700, which will help fund critically needed recovery and support programs for those suffering from PTSD.

The Northeastern Wisconsin Chapter raised over $97,000 at its 8th Annual Veterans Benefit Golf Outing. After expenses, the chapter will distribute $95,000 to several military or veterans’ organizations, including the Northeast Wisconsin Veterans Court Mentorship Program, the Outagamie Veterans Court Mentorship Program, the Sheboygan Veterans Court Mentorship Program, the Fox Valley Veterans Council, the 4th H.O.O.A.H Wisconsin, Camp American Legion, and Old Glory Honor Flights.

Upcoming Events

Monthly Chapter Leader Virtual Roundtable: Join us May 26 at 7 p.m., Eastern time, for a discussion about media exposure and the special chapters feature in the October Military Officer magazine. Click here at the time of the meeting.

Find a complete list of Council and Chapter Affairs events online.

National MOAA Travel Schedule

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

Please note: We are aware of the uncertainty surrounding the resurgence of the COVID-19 virus. We are still planning to execute scheduled chapter visits and continue to schedule visits as requests come in. Our rule of thumb at this point (subject to change) is to make the visit only if all required/appropriate safety measures are in place AND the traveler is fully vaccinated and comfortable with the trip. Chapters with scheduled visits are requested to inform Council and Chapter Affairs of the local conditions and safety requirements one week prior to the visit.

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

• May 10, Minnesota Chapter, St. Paul, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), director, Council and Chapter Affairs (CCA)
• May 11, Public Health Service Virtual Chapter, Karen Ruedisueli, director, Health Affairs, Government Relations
• May 11, Susquehanna Chapter (Md.), virtual, Gail Joyce, MOAA board of directors (BoD)
• May 14, Pennsylvania Council of Chapters, Harrisburg, Capt. Jim Carman, USN (Ret), vice president, Council/Chapter and Member Support
• May 15, North Shore and Chicago Chapter, Arlington Heights, Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, USAF (Ret), MOAA president and CEO
• May 15, Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter, Brown Deer, Kathy Partain, vice president, Membership and Marketing
• May 16, Keystone Capital (Pa.) Chapter, Camp Hill, Capt. Jim Carman, USN (Ret), vice president, Council/Chapter and Member Support
• May 16, Southern Nevada Chapter, Las Vegas, Gail Joyce, MOAA BoD
• May 18, Blue Ridge (Ga.) Mountains Chapter, Murphy, N.C., Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), director, CCA
• May 19, Willow Grove (Pa.) Chapter, Willow Grove, Capt. Erin Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), senior director, CCA
• May 20, Piedmont Virginia Chapter, Farmville, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), director, CCA
• May 20, Southeastern New England (R.I.) Chapter, Newport, Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), senior director, CCA
• May 24, Paul Revere (Mass.) Chapter, location TBD, Capt. Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), senior director, CCA
• May 24, MOAA Annapolis Chapter (Md), Annapolis, Capt. Jim Carman, USN (Ret), vice president, Council/Chapter and Member Support and Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), director, CCA.
• June 2, East-Iowa Chapter, Waverly, Capt. Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), CCA
• June 2, Iowa Council of Chapters, Waverly, Capt. Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), CCA
• June 2, Seattle Chapter, Seattle, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• June 3, Northwest Region Leadership Workshop, Tacoma, Wash., Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA; Capt. Jim Carman, USN (Ret), vice president, Council/Chapter and Member Support; and senior MOAA staff.
• June 7, New River (N.C.) Chapter, Boone, Col. Dan Merry, USAF (Ret), vice president, Government Relations
• June 8, White River (Ind.) Chapter, Carmel, June 8, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• June 9, Florida Council of Chapters Convention, West Palm Beach, Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, USAF (Ret), MOAA president and CEO; Capt. Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), CCA; and senior MOAA staff.
• June 9, South Alabama Chapter, location TBD, Lt. Col. Ernest Robinson, USMCR, MOAA BoD
• June 11, New Jersey Lakes and Pines Chapter, Joint Base McGuire-Dix, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• June 12, Genesee Valley (N.Y.) Chapter, Canandaigua, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• June 13, Northeast Mississippi Chapter, Tupelo, Capt. Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), CCA
• June 14, Admiral Arleigh Burke (Colo.) Chapter, Boulder, Col. Stevan Richards, USAF (Ret), MOAA BoD
• June 14, Great Plains (S.D.) Chapter, Sioux Falls, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• June 17, Black Hills (S.D.) Chapter, Rapid City, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• June 18, Dayton Area (Ohio) Chapter, Fairborn, Col. Peter K. Kloeber, USAF (Ret), MOAA BoD
• June 23, Central Virginia Chapter, Keswick, Lt. Col. Walt Smiley, USA (Ret), MOAA BoD
• June 23, Northeast South Dakota Chapter, location TBD, Capt. Erin E. Stone, JAGC, USN (Ret), CCA
• June 28, French Creek Valley (Pa.) Chapter, location TBD, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA