As We Begin 2012 . . .

Hope you had a great Holiday and wish you a prosperous New Year. Our Chapter year has come to an end marking another great year for us. We start our new year with our new Officers, Directors and Chairpersons. With their experience and your support we plan to make 2012 another great year for our Chapter. Watch the Sunbeams and our website for updates on what we have accomplished and what’s coming up. Another source for county veterans’ news is our Marion County Veterans Council email system from Henry Ince. If you would like to receive this information send him an email (hwince@cfl.rr.com ) and ask to be added to this system.

 

As we are starting our new year I would like to remind everyone that our Chapter dues are now due. In order to be more cost effective we will not be sending out notice envelopes so please take a moment and send in your dues.

 

At the State and National levels there continues to be much discussion on programs and proposed legislation that impacts the future of our great Nation and often will directly impact each of us. All of us need to be a part of this discussion. Many of these important items have been and will continue to be highlighted on our website to help keep you informed. Each of us needs to insure that our members who do not have computers know of these proposals. As the debit crisis discussions unfold we need to stay informed and help MOAA in defending these issues. Thanks to all of you, we are able to support National MOAA in speaking for a strong national defense and representing the interests of military officers at every stage of their careers.

 

Again on behalf of myself and all those you have chosen to lead our Chapter this year, thanks for your confidence and support and please continue to provide your knowledge and opinions to us so that together we can continue the great work of our Chapter.

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Happy New Year, Ladies,

 

The distaff committee was formed to facilitate the assimilation of women as equal members of KOS. Now that Bonnie Morris is a Board member and Betty Hayes is the Secretary, I’d say we’re assimilated! The committee has evolved into a discussion group about matters of particular interest to KOS women. We meet in the Elks Club small conference room at 10 AM on KOS meeting days.You are all welcome. We especially miss the KOS+ regulars who don’t attend the KOS meetings. Come see us.

 

Among other things, we’re now talking about the February fashion show. See the fashion show article below and volunteer yourself and/or your spouse as a model or helper. We’ll have lots of fun in February, so be sure to come whether or not you want to help.

 

We have also discussed an informal brunch bunch as a way of seeing each other outside the meetings. If you would be interested in that, come to the distaff gathering at 10 AM on January 5, or call me at 347-8760.

 

Sharon Murry

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The Kingdom of the Sun Chapter, MOAA (KOS) was chartered as a corporation on 13 April 1976 by the State of Florida. In our charter, we agreed to promote the aims of MOAA, as described below, and in addition included a charge to perform services considered by our Board of Directors to be beneficial to the local community. This means we also agreed to be an independent, nonprofit, politically nonpartisan organization. Thus, our status as a tax-exempt veterans organization precludes us from intervening directly or indirectly in any political campaign on behalf of, or in opposition to, any candidate for public office. While we may advocate issues, we may not advocate the election or defeat of particular candidates or political parties.

Our members may not use KOS e-mail, mailing lists, or its gatherings to advocate political or religious positions. In addition, your board has established standards over time so that KOS chaplains follow established military standards, requiring that chapter prayers or newsletter articles avoid promoting a specific religion. We have also established publication standards to ensure a non-biased and legal content in our Sunbeams publication.

In terms of our promise to be beneficial to our local community (which I will define as Marion County), KOS does very well. We can be proud of our scholarship, ROTC, Operation Stuff the Bus, Kiwanis Camp, Veterans Park, and many other efforts. We should certainly continue in this vein. But I think of our chapter as mainly an “officer’s club.” I see us as a social and professional group that also carries out community service projects, not the reverse.

While we may tease each other about the relative merits of our particular branch of service (like during our Army/Navy game event), we must treat all branches of service equally. While we may have earned a specific rank or status during our military careers, KOS Members are equal in status, with equal voices in determining how the chapter should be run.

We have been trained in the military to recognize and respect our differences, and to be gentlemen and ladies, if only by “act of Congress”. We can joke about that phrase, but, if we do it right, KOS can be one of the few safe havens from the strife and seriousness of the “outside world” that we have.

MOAA was founded as The Retired Officers Association (TROA) in 1929 to provide assistance and advice to military officers in general. At the beginning of WWII, TROA’s leaders reorganized and expanded the organization, moving to Washington, D.C., in 1944 with a membership of 2,600.

On January, 2003, the organization changed its name to the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). Now headquartered in Alexandria, VA, its membership is open to active duty, National Guard, Reserve, retired, and former commissioned and warrant officers of the following uniformed services: Army (USA), Marine Corps (USMC), Navy (USN), Air Force (USAF), Coast Guard (USCG), Public Health Service (PHS), and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admininistration (NOAA). The Board of Directors may also offer Honorary Membership to officers of allied, uniformed military services.

MOAA’s purpose has grown to include career transition assistance, member products, military benefits counseling, educational assistance to children of military families, and strong involvement in military professionalism activities. It is currently the nation’s largest and most influential association of military officers. MOAA is the leading voice on compensation and benefit matters for all members of the military community. We should all be proud of the respect gained by MOAA in our nation’s capital as a voice for military personnel in general.

MOAA is an independent, nonprofit, politically nonpartisan organization. With about 370,000 members from every branch of service, it is a powerful force speaking for a strong national defense, and represents the interests of military officers at every stage of their career. While MOAA does advocate a strong national defense, it does not, as an association, become involved in matters pertaining to military strategy or weapons systems of the various services. While permitted by law to lobby, its status as a tax-exempt veterans organization precludes it from participating in political activities.