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.

Advocacy Update Video Series

Every week, MOAA's advocacy leaders and other experts discuss issues of importance to members and the uniformed services community. Watch the latest entries at this link, check out the Advocacy Update playlist for older entries, and subscribe to MOAA’s YouTube channel for even more videos. Register at MOAA’s Legislative Action Center to engage with your lawmakers on some of these critical topics.

Recruiting Tip: Publicize the Benefits of Joining

MOAA chapters offer their members opportunities to get involved in their communities, make an impact on legislation, and form lasting relationships. But not all potential members know about these benefits of chapter membership.

Consider listing the reasons to join your specific chapter on your website and in your newsletter along with your membership application. If you need help getting started, here are some ideas to include:

Make yourself heard. MOAA’s chapters provide critical grassroots support for MOAA’s national legislative agenda. Chapter members let their legislators know what’s on their minds and open doors for MOAA’s legislative team in Washington, D.C.

Give back to the community. Chapter members are MOAA’s ambassadors in their communities, supporting countless programs that make a difference in the lives of others. These members continue to “never stop serving” and are giving back in the truest sense.

Expand social opportunities. MOAA chapters sponsor interesting programs and opportunities to interact with civic, political, military, and business leaders on issues important to members.

Network with fellow officers. Chapters include second-career servicemembers in the work force and retired servicemembers who have contacts in their communities that can be valuable to transitioning officers.

Stay informed. Chapter newsletters, websites, and meetings provide you with the latest information on local, state, and national issues, as well as changes to military benefits.

Influence state legislation. Most states have a council of chapters that unites chapters in the state. These councils, and independent chapters in states without a council, often lobby for and pass state-level legislation that affects military members and their families, such as exempting military retired pay from state income tax or increasing funding for state veterans programs.

Find camaraderie with a purpose. MOAA chapters unite active duty, former, and retired officers from every branch of service, including National Guard and Reserve, as well as surviving spouses. These centers of camaraderie give you a chance to connect with other members with similar backgrounds and interest and develop lasting friendships.

Surviving Spouse Corner: Join Our Virtual Chapter

The Surviving Spouse Virtual Chapter offers opportunities for learning, camaraderie, and information sharing.

By Gail Joyce, chair, Surviving Spouse Advisory Council, and MOAA board member

The Surviving Spouse Virtual Chapter needs you, and you need the Surviving Spouse Virtual Chapter if you are a surviving spouse or a surviving spouse liaison. The only requirements are to be a surviving spouse or a surviving spouse liaison, and a member of MOAA. There are no dues.

MOAA now has six virtual chapters -- affinity groups offering opportunities for camaraderie, solving problems, and sharing information.

Our virtual chapter provides a place for surviving spouses and surviving spouse liaisons to learn important information, share ideas, and form new relationships with friends who share a common bond. A member recently commented that she got the most useful and important information from this group that she could not find other places.

We meet once a month on the third Tuesday of each month; however, we do not meet in November or December due to busy holiday schedules.

[RELATED: Engaging Surviving Spouses for Membership Growth]

Once you join, you will receive a notice each month with a link for joining the meeting. In odd-numbered months, beginning with January, meetings are more formal, with an agenda and a guest speaker. Some of the topics covered this past year were working with the VA, downsizing, Everplans, and MOAA Vacations.

In even-numbered months, meetings are more informal and are primarily for information sharing. In both meetings, there is always the latest information provided about important advocacy issues that affect spouses, surviving spouses, and families.

In addition, there is a book club that meets once a month on the third Monday of the month. Books are chosen by the participants and include both fiction and nonfiction. 

[RELATED: Are Your Personal Documents Ready for an Emergency?]

The Surviving Spouse Virtual Chapter, chartered in 2018, began with 10 members and has grown to 250 members from almost every state — but not all 50 yet. Florida and Texas lead the way with the most members, but we have some states with no members, such as Rhode Island, West Virginia, Louisiana, Nebraska, Iowa, and Wyoming. I challenge anyone from a state not represented today to join the chapter by our next meeting in September.

For additional information or to join, contact mssvc02@gmail.com or find us on MOAA.org. Here, you can also find links to critical advocacy issues and helpful resources and benefits.

As many members have noted, one of the biggest benefits of joining this virtual chapter is the camaraderie and friendships with so many others who share their problems and concerns. So, don’t delay — join today! I promise you will be glad you did.

Read past Surviving Spouse Corners.

Access to Military Installations by MOAA Chapters

National MOAA regularly receives inquiries from council and chapter leaders regarding the policy for veterans service organizations, such as MOAA, to gain access to military installations for recruiting and organizational branding purposes. To quote from the most recent DoD guidance on this topic, base commanders must provide access “for the purposes of providing VA-accredited representation services to transitioning servicemembers … and for providing services to service members and families.” Examples of services include (but are not limited to) scholarships, spouse education, career opportunities for transitioning servicemembers, and troop and family member recognition.

Many chapters have found the most successful path to gaining access to military installations is through relationship building with the installation commander and his/her immediate staff. Relationship building activities engender trust and can lead to a mutually beneficial relationship for the base, the local military community, and the local MOAA chapter. Contact the Council and Chapter Affairs team at chapters@moaa.org if you need more information.

Join MOAA for the 2024 Annual Meeting

MOAA’s 2024 Annual Meeting of the Membership is Oct. 25 in Alexandria, Va. Visit MOAA.org/annualmeeting for details and to register.

Did You Know?

MOAA Membership for ROTC Cadets and Midshipmen: Third- and fourth-year ROTC students are eligible for MOAA membership. When recruiting these advanced ROTC students, try to obtain a personal email address, rather than a “.edu” email address, which might expire when the student graduates and begins their military service.  

Guidance About Partisan Political Activities: MOAA and its affiliates must take care to avoid engaging in partisan political activities. National MOAA has helpful information for members, leaders, and affiliates about prohibited activities, guidance on dealing with divisive issues, and more. Read more.

MOAA Logo Usage

Is your chapter using the correct MOAA logo — with the registered symbol — in your newsletter, on your website, and in other documents? By using this logo, your chapter not only stays consistent with MOAA’s brand, but it also ensures your chapter qualifies for entry in the Col. Marvin J. Harris Communications Award contest. Find the correct logo to download and review MOAA’s brand book.

Upcoming Important Events, Dates, and Deadlines

Sept. 26: Monthly chapter leader virtual roundtable, 7 p.m. Eastern. The topic is new chapter dues payment portal familiarization. Join here at the time of the meeting. (Meeting ID: 919 7227 4838; Passcode: 108949)

Nov. 15-16: In-Person Workshop for Western Region Volunteer Leaders, Reno, Nev. This in-person workshop includes council and chapter presidents, membership chairs, legislative chairs/liaisons, and surviving spouse liaisons from AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, OR, UT, WA, and WY and up to two officers from virtual chapters who live in the region. Registration is expected to open later this month.

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 Susquehanna (Md.) Chapter is holding its annual Veterans Day Poster and Essay contest for Harford County Maryland public schools, including private and homeschooled students. This year, will be the fourth consecutive year for the contest. In addition to members of the chapter, the planning and execution committee includes members of Harford County Public Schools and the Harford County Public Library. The committee establishes a veteran-related theme each year. The poster contest is focused on elementary and middle school children and asks students to create a work of original poster art that best symbolizes the theme. The essay contest is focused on high school students. Students write an essay of no longer than 800 words to best illustrate the theme. Cash prizes are awarded to the top three winners in each grade category and the winners also receive a chapter challenge coin. All participants receive a certificate of participation.

Members of the Northwest Arkansas Chapter gathered recently for a special luncheon at Mess Hall 45 in Fayetteville, where they presented the manager, Leslie Gunter, with a chapter Certificate of Appreciation. Mess Hall 45 is renowned for its excellent sandwiches and other entrees, but the restaurant also recognizes veterans and first responders in a unique way. Their pictures are posted on all the walls of the establishment. It’s a virtual wall of American heroes.

National MOAA Travel Schedule

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

• Sept. 4-6, Northwest Florida Chapter, Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret), MOAA president and CEO
• Sept. 5, Greater Birmingham (Ala.) Chapter, Col. Theodore J. Janosko, USA (Ret), MOAA board of directors (BoD)
• Sept. 5, Central PA Chapter, Capt. Frank Michael, USN (Ret), Council and Chapter Affairs (CCA)
• Sept. 11, South Shore (Mass.) Chapter, Virginia “Gail” Joyce, Surviving Spouse, BoD
• Sept. 13, George C. Marshall (Va.) Chapter, Capt. Paul J. Frost, AFC®, USN (Ret), Financial and Benefits Education/Counseling/Veteran Services
• Sept. 15-17, New York State Council of Chapters Annual Convention, Maj. Gen. April Vogel, USAF (Ret), vice president, MOAA Government Relations, and Capt. Frank Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Sept. 16, Valley-Ridge (Calif.) Chapter, Maj. Sharron A. Mackey, USAF (Ret), BoD
• Sept. 17, West Georgia Chapter, Dena Kilgore, CCA
• Sept. 18, Northeast Florida Chapter, Capt. Jim Carman, USN (Ret), vice president, Council/Chapter and Member Support
• Sept. 18, Ancient City (Fla.) Chapter, Capt. Jim Carman, USN (Ret), vice president, Council/Chapter and Member Support
• Sept. 19, Catawba Valley (N.C.) Chapter, Dena Kilgore, CCA
• Sept. 21, Fort Campbell (Ky.) Chapter, Capt. Frank Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Sept. 23, Upper Cumberland (Tenn.) Chapter, Capt. Frank Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Sept. 25, Suncoast (Fla.) Chapter, Capt. Jim Carman, USN (Ret), vice president, Council/Chapter and Member Support
• Sept. 25, Clearwater (Fla.) Chapter, Capt. Frank Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Sept. 26, Lehigh Valley (Pa.) Chapter, Col. Charles W. Anderson, USMC (Ret), BoD
• Sept. 28, Sumner (Tenn.) Chapter, Col. Jim O’Brien, USAF (Ret), executive vice president and COO
• Oct. 3-4, Captain Cook (Alaska) Chapter, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Oct. 3-5, Georgia Council of Chapters Convention, Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret), MOAA president and CEO, and Dena Kilgore, CCA
• Oct. 9, Central Ohio Chapter, Dena Kilgore, CCA
• Oct. 10, Portsmouth Area (Va.) Chapter, Virginia "Gail" Joyce, BoD
• Oct. 14, Oregon Council of Chapters, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Oct. 15, Augusta Chapter and Georgia Council of Chapters, Dena Kilgore, CCA
• Oct. 16, Yuma (Ariz.) Chapter, Col. Peter K. Kloeber, USAF (Ret), BoD
• Oct. 16, Mojave Desert (Calif) Chapter, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Oct. 16, MOAA Uniformed Services Nurse Advocates Virtual Chapter, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Oct. 17, Palm Springs (Calif.) Chapter, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Oct. 17, Hilton Head Area (S.C.) Chapter, MOAA, Col. Theodore J. Janosko, USA (Ret), BoD
• Oct. 19, Superstition Mountain (Ariz.) Chapter, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Oct. 21, Colonel Billy Jones (Miss.) Chapter, Dena Kilgore, CCA      
• Oct. 24, Huntsville (Ala.) Chapter, Capt. Paul J. Frost, AFC®, USN (Ret), Financial and Benefits Education/Counseling/Veteran Services
• Oct. 26, Kansas Council of Chapters, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Oct. 27, Wichita (Kan.) Chapter, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Oct. 29, Cimarron Chapter and Oklahoma Council of Chapters, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA
• Oct. 31, Maryland Council of Chapters, Capt. Frank J. Michael, USN (Ret), CCA