Military Officers Association of America
Southern Maine Chapter
Activities
As can be seen by the activities detailed below, the Chapter is engaged in three principal areas.
* As Mainers, we believe that the State is a great place to live and an excellent alternative retirement destination. We also believe that there are things that can be done within the State to make it even more attractive and welcoming to the overall military retiree population. We are working within our Chapter and with other military organizations to help bring about the changes we would like to see.
* We have activities and programs that are in direct support of our members and serve to meet their interests. We believe these efforts are a critical part of helping to maintain contact with each other and meet our own unique needs.
* Because of our common background, we recognize that there is a culture of community service among our membership. In recognition of this, we have programs underway that are designed to enhance the opportunities for our members to provide support whenever and wherever appropriate.
The activities discussed below are helping to maintain the vitality of our Chapter. As the demographics of our organization change we fully expect to develop other areas of effort.
Tax Relief:
The Chapter worked in coordination with other military organizations for the approval of a State Income Tax exemption that resulted in a $6000 Pension Income Deduction. This "Deduction" did not effect retirement pensions, but does reduce the reportable pension income for tax purposes by $6000. We are currently planning to expand this effort. Based on our belief that the military retiree community is economically beneficial to the State of Maine, we are in the process of developing the empirical data to prove that there are fiscal benefits to be gained by the State by making it a more desirable option for retirees.
Troops to Teachers:
The State of Maine has a very demanding process for the certification of its teachers. The Troops to Teachers Program is predicated upon the belief that many former military personnel have skill sets and experiences that are well suited to the teaching profession. We are working with the appropriate State Department of Education to determine if there is a way that those skills and experiences can be accounted for in an expedited certification process. There is always a need for good teachers and we are hopeful that we can help meet that need.
Summer Camp:
The Chapter and individual members donated a total of $1000 to support a summer camp run for the children of the State's deployed National Guard Troops. This was both a rewarding effort and a great example of how the Chapter is well suited to assist with the needs of its members and related organizations.
TOPS:
One of the greatest challenges facing transitioning officers is that of finding employment opportunities. That process can be especially challenging in Maine. The Chapter's members have contacts throughout the region and Jack Berman is leading the TOPS effort to help with the placement of our newly retired members.
Quarterly Newsletter:
We publish our own newsletter as means of corresponding with our membership. The paper provides information about upcoming events, updates regarding current efforts, and insight into various issues that are of concern to all of us. It has proven effective in keeping our membership informed and connected with one another.
Non-Profit Status:
We have worked for and were recently officially approved as a non-profit organization. This status will be of significant benefit to our overall operations and will provide us with certain advantages that we would not otherwise have had.
While MOAA leads the overall legislative issues effort, our Chapter also plays an active part. We are in regular direct contact with our elected representatives to Washington to ensure they are aware of our concerns regarding various issues and to determine what the representatives' positions are on the issues. We pass related information to our membership via the newsletter and email to ensure they are aware of the issues and have the means to express their own views to the representatives. The debate regarding concurrent receipt of disability benefits and retired pay is an example of an issue where the chapter has been heavily involved.
ROTC/JROTC Recognition Program:
Maine Maritime Academy --
MIDN 1/C
Robert
Stinson, USNR
Officer
Candidate
Edward Hood, USN
Cadet Ryan
Dougherty
-- Shown below receiving his award from LCDR
George Rothweiler, USN (Ret) on 6 May 2003.
Bangor
High School
Cadet Marcu Preyer
Cadet Bradley Blanchette
Cadet Christopher Huff
Hermon High
School
Cadet Captain Cassi Chaloult
Cadet Captain Rosa Cachu
Cadet MSG Alexander Burke
Lewiston
High
School
Massabesic
High
School
Sacopee
Valley
High School
Nokomis
Regional
High School
Legacy Program:
Currently, our primary sources of income are the annual membership dues and the voluntary donations of our members. While that has been sufficient to fund our present level of operations, we are looking at ways to raise that level. Some local chapters have established "Legacy Programs" that provide an effective way for members to designate a portion of their estates as a contribution to an endowment program managed by the chapter. These programs have proven to be very successful and allow chapters to establish significant scholarship programs. We are now looking within our membership for someone with the technical legal/financial background to help us get this program started.