Membership Services

 

MEMBER SERVICES COMMITTEE

Mission Statement:

Develop and support activities which encourage active participation and long-term membership in the Chapter.

Responsibilities:

1. Establish and maintain a program for “welcoming” new members and their spouses.

2. Support a system to keep contact with members.

3. Provide casualty assistance services.

4. Coordinate with the Membership and Program Committees with the objectives to:

   • Ensure a smooth transition from “recruit” to “member.”

   • Provide recommendations on Chapter events, activities, and programs.

Principal Functions:

• Welcome Aboard Program:

• Assign Sponsors for new members

• Prepare “Welcoming” letters for the Chapter President’s signature

• Host orientations for new member and spouse/significant other (e.g., tea, brunch, etc.)

• Establish a pool of “Greeters” for Chapter events

• Sunshine activities:

• Regularly contact with members—particularly those who do not, or cannot, attend Chapter activities.

  • Cards to ill members and spouses

  • Assistance in finding transportation to attend Chapter functions.

• Personal Affairs:

• Provide information to the membership to help in planning for their survivors.

• Train Service Representatives to make casualty assistance calls and provide assistance to survivors.

• Send condolence card to primary next of kin.

• Furnish casualty assistance services and support.

• Ensure that those survivors eligible for Auxiliary status are assisted in the transition.

• Inter-committee Coordination: Coordinate with the:

  • Membership Committee to ensure a smooth transition to active membership.

  • Program Committee to make recommendations on programs for Chapter meetings.

  • Public Affairs Committee for providing information for public dissemination.

• Other Functions: Perform such other responsibilities and functions as may be assigned by the Chapter President and Executive Board in support of the Committee’s mission.

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COMMITTEE COMPOSITION

MEMBERSHIP SERVICES COMMITTEE

[NOTE: The following is subject to approval of the Executive Board per Section 2.e of Article X of our Chapter’s By-laws.  This Section states in part: “Subject to the approval of the Executive Board, any standing committee may be comprised of two or more subcommittees…”]

Organization:

The Membership Services Committee is a Standing Committee which is chaired by a Chapter member who is :

• Eligible to serve, or is serving, on the Chapter’s Executive Board, and Appointed by the Chapter President.

• The Committee as a whole is comprised of the:

  • Chairperson,

  • Members specified by the Chapter By-laws (Currently, Article X, Section 2.c specifies that the Immediate Past President, Auxiliary Representative, and the Service Representatives are members of this Committee).

  • Such other Chapter members and spouses of Chapter members as needed to perform the responsibilities and functions of this Committee.

• The Membership Committee will include three subcommittees. For the present time, the Committee as a whole will perform the responsibilities and functions of the first two subcommittees with an “activated” third subcommittee—i.e., the “Services Subcommittee.”

  1. Retention Subcommittee.

2.Personal Affairs Subcommittee.

3.Services Subcommittee.

Primary Subcommittee functions:

The Committee Chairperson shall apportion and assign Committee responsibilities and functions to the subcommittees.  In general:

• The Retention Subcommittee will perform those responsibilities and functions essential for:

  • Assisting new members and spouses in being welcomed and encouraged to participate in Chapter activities, and

  • Encouraging continued involvement in the Chapter.

• The Personal Affairs Subcommittee will perform those responsibilities and functions essential for helping members and spouses:

  • Obtaining and providing information about preparing for end of life matters, and

  • Providing casualty assistance in those matters related to military service.

  • Performing “sunshine” activities on behalf of the Chapter.

• The Services Subcommittee will perform those responsibilities and functions essential for:

  • Keeping contact with members and spouses unable to regularly attend Chapter meetings and activities.

  • Distributing information and surveying members and spouses on matters of significant interest to the Chapter.

 Staffing:

• Since the Committee as a whole will perform the responsibilities and functions of the Retention and Personal Affairs Subcommittees, and the Chairperson, Immediate Past President, Service Representatives, and the Auxiliary Representative are already designated as Committee members, no additional staffing in this regard is expected at this time.

• The Staffing of the Services Subcommittee includes:

  • The Subcommittee Chairperson who also serves as the Call Coordinator.

  • Volunteer members and spouses.

Position Descriptions:

Chairpersons, including chairpersons of Subcommittees: Will perform the usual and traditional functions of chairing a committee or subcommittee to include:

• The Committee Chairperson is responsible for:

  • Keeping the Chapter President and Executive Board informed in a timely matter on all matters of interest to the President and the Board—particularly those issues and matters which may require action by other Chapter committees formal decision at some current or future time.

  • Ensuring all committee and subcommittee administrative matters are performed and completed in a timely manner.

• Subcommittee Chairpersons are responsible for assisting the Committee Chairperson in fulfilling committee responsibilities to the Chapter President and Executive Board.

Immediate Past President:

• Serves as the principal advisor to the Committee

• Acts as Committee Chairperson when the primary Chairperson is unable to temporarily perform assigned duties and responsibilities (e.g., traveling, sick, etc.).

Surviving Spouse Representative:

• Keep informed about MOAA and Chapter policies, guidance, and other matters and information related to spouses, widows and widowers and other survivors which might affect Chapter members.

• Based on the above, advise the Chapter President, Membership Services Committee, and Executive Board on any recommended actions to be taken.

• Serve as the Committee’s representative to the Chapter’s Programs Committee to recommend and advise on programs and activities which might be of particular interest to auxiliary members as well as other programs and activities in support of retention of all members.

• Assist as co-host for orientation of new Auxiliary members’.

• Assist in making Casualty Assistance calls when the presence of the Auxiliary Representative might be particularly helpful.

 Services Representatives:

• Keep informed about the respective Service’s policies, guidance, and other matters and information related to active, reserve component, retirees, veterans, and their families which might affect Chapter members.

• Based on the above, advise the Chapter President, Membership Services Committee, and Executive Board on any recommended actions to be taken.

• Assign sponsors for new members

• Serve as hosts for new members’ orientation.

• Assist with preparing and mailing cards for illness and death

• Assist in making Casualty Assistance calls—particularly on Service-unique matters and issues.

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INFORMATION for NEW MEMBERS

of the

COLUMBIA RIVER CHAPTER, MOAA

 

Purpose:  Help new members become familiar with several of the key programs and activities of the Chapter.

About the Chapter:

• Columbia River Chapter supports the goals and programs of the Military Officer Association of America (MOAA). The Chapter is a IRC 501(c)19 War Veterans Organization.  Among the Chapter’s primary activities are:

  • Supporting local community events in conjunction with national holidays, and honoring veterans and their survivors.

  • Keeping members informed about legislation affecting active duty personnel, veterans, retirees, and their dependents and survivors.

  • Providing four scholarships—3 at Clark College and 1 at Washington State University-Vancouver.

  • Providing assistance and financial support for programs directly aiding deployed service personnel and their families remaining in the area.

  • Supporting the local Fisher House, and the VA Transplant Lodge helping families of veterans receiving care at the VA medical facilities.

  • Providing events and guest speakers of interest to our members and spouses.

  • Providing social activities and opportunities for comradery.

  • Providing information for end of life planning, and casualty assistance for survivors.

• Columbia River MOAA Foundation (CRMF) is a subsidiary of the Chapter which administers the funds in support of the Chapter’s scholarship and charity programs. The CRMF is an IRC 501(c)3 public charity.  Donations are tax deductible.

Meetings:

Held very month except July & August.

See Events page for time, date and location, Spouses are always invited and welcome.

Members are notified/reminded by email prior to meetings, with date, time, place and speaker information, as well as cost. Note. If your email changes, please notify membership services, our chapter secretary, and/or our chapter president so we can keep your contact information up to date. Contact information for these individuals can be found on the front page of every chapter newsletter.

New Member Welcome:

The new member “Welcome” is a semiannual casual social hosted by the Chapter’s Executive Board.  The welcome event is usually held within the first two months of the calendar year, and the second event is usually held in September.  A new member will receive a written invitation approximately 2 weeks before the event.  Spouses are also invited.  The goal is to provide an informal opportunity for the new members to meet the Chapter officers, and for the officers to likewise get to know the new members.

“Keeping Connected” Program:

Approximately twice a year (October and April/May) representatives of the Chapter will call each member.  Calls are not made for the purpose of solicitation.  Purposes for the calls are to:

• Keep in contact with members—especially those who are unable to regularly attend our Chapter meetings and other activities.

• Confirm that member is receiving the Chapter newsletter.

• Ask if the member has any updates in their contact information (and if they have an alternate contact in case of health issues).

• Ask if the member has any administrative matters or questions with respect to their MOAA membership that a member of the Executive Board might be able to assist.

• Ask if there is something new, or more, the member would like the Chapter to consider as a program or activity.

Chapter Newsletter:

The Newsletter is usually published at least 6 times a year between the end of August and June of the following year.  The newsletter includes contact information for the Chapter officers; information on a variety of topics of interest to veterans, retirees, and surviving spouses; legislative information and contacts; and schedule and descriptions of upcoming Chapter events.

Special Note:

The Chapter does not usually schedule any activities between mid-June through the end of August.  A combination of Chapter calls and the newsletters published in late spring and late summer/early fall provide communications’ links to help keep our members informed and ensure our members have opportunities to convey information and requests to the Chapter Executive Board before and after the summer break.