President’s Page
I wish to extend to you all a very
Happy New Year greeting as I begin my term as your new President!
The Board of Directors for the Southern Maine Chapter continues to work
hard on your behalf as our Chapter and MOAA begin what promises to be a
very challenging time ahead.
MOAA is entering a year in which the Military is under attack as a
result of deep budget cuts that are coming. Our Commander and
Chief and his advisors are primed to slash the Defense Department’s
budget to a point that it could well affect the security of our
nation. Included in these proposed cuts are decreases in benefits
for both active duty and retired service members. If these cuts
are actually made, it will threaten the Military’s ability to retain
the people necessary to carry out its mission. Please read all
you can about these proposals and
New Officers Sworn in at November Brunch
The new Officers were sworn in and began their new terms. In
addition, the Chapter was briefed by members of the color guard, Sea
Scouts from the Portland area. The Sea Scouts have agreed to post
the colors for the Chapter at all Quarterly Meetings this year.
Bruce Poliquin to Address Chapter in February
Happy New Year to the 353 members of
the Southern Maine Chapter, MOAA. Our first quarterly meeting of
2012 will be a traditional luncheon at the Woodlands Club, complete
with dessert for all and flowers for the ladies.
Our guest speaker for February will be the Honorable Bruce L. Poliquin,
Maine State Treasurer. Readers may note Mr. Poliquin was slated
to speak to our Chapter last quarter but due to an unavoidable
conflict, he was forced to cancel out at the last minute. He was
most apologetic for the inconvenience and has graciously accepted our
invitation to try again this quarter. He will be covering a range
of topics of interest to all Mainers, including taxes and the financial
health of our State. You will have a chance to ask questions as
well. This surely will be an opportunity you don’t want to
miss. See you at the Woodlands on February 11th.
Welcome Aboard
On behalf of the Southern Maine Chapter, we would like to extend a very warm “Welcome Aboard” to our newest members:
Col James G. Collins, USMC, and his wife, Barbara, from Woolwich
BGen Donald L. McCormack, USAF, and his wife, Diane, from Windham
CPT Dale William Midgley, USA, and his wife, Claudette, Kennebunk
LT Jennifer Tyll, USN and LT Christopher Tyll, USN from North Yarmouth
CWO 5 Darrell Stevens, ARNG and his wife Courtenay from South China
Welcome to you all! We appreciate your interest and
support. We look forward to meeting all of you at our next
quarterly meeting on February 11th at the Woodlands Club.
Col Rob McAleer, Membership Chair
Military Ball
As you read your Newsletter in the depths of winter’s ice-cold grip,
perhaps thoughts of spring and a Military Ball might brighten your mood
or least bring back fond memories. Your MOAA Chapter is planning
to hold a Military Ball on Saturday evening, June 2, 2012 from 6:00 pm
to 11:00 pm. Members of the Southern Maine Chapter of MOAA are
invited to attend with a guest. The Ball will be held in the
function room of the Maine Military Museum located at 50 Peary Terrace,
South Portland. Dress for the Ball is business formal with an
option to wear a military uniform if that is the preference.
Activities during the evening will address a broad range of
interests. We will begin with a cash bar cocktail hour operated
by the adjoining VFW Post 832. A catered buffet will follow by
Personal Touch Catering. Perhaps the key to a successful Military
Ball is the music. Music for your listening and dancing pleasure
will be provided by ‘Ocean Sol,’ a jazz quartet with vocalist.
With
Electronic Copies of the Newsletter
Are you still receiving your Quarterly
Newsletter via the U.S. Mail? With the growing number of members
who have access to the Internet and e-mail, we are again encouraging
members to sign up to receive your Newsletter via e-mail. One of
our largest yearly costs is related to the printing and mailing of the
Quarterly Newsletter, which amounts to approximately $2,000 each
year.
The electronic copy, distributed by our faithful Webmaster, Rob
McAleer, is fast, convenient, and best of all, costs the Chapter
nothing! With the cost of First Class stamps going up again this
spring, won’t members who currently receive the printed version of the
Newsletter seriously consider opting for the electronic
version? We recognize that some members will wish to
continue to receive the hard copy version, especially if you do not use
a computer or e-mail and that is fine. You will find your
Quarterly Newsletter in the mailbox around the second week of January,
May, July, and October each year.
Simply e-mail Rob McAleer, mcaleer1@gwi.net and we will make the change for you. Rob will notify you by e-mail when the next edition is available for you.
Martin’s Point Health Care Update
Congress passed and the President signed the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. Language in the Act affects
eligibility for membership in the US Family Health Plan. The
legislation will prohibit – on or after 1 October 2012 –
TRICARE-eligible beneficiaries who are enrolled in Medicare from
joining the Martin’s Point plan. New members who enroll in the US
Family Health Plan on or after this date will have to disenroll once
they become eligible for Medicare (age 65). Current members are
grandfathered, so they may remain with the program regardless of
Medicare status.
The President just signed a new national military strategy as
well. The strategy begins the Defense Department reductions that
follow withdrawal from Iraq and
the drawdown of American forces in Afghanistan. The Defense Department must
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President's Page (cont)
contact our senators and congressmen about doing everything possible to defeat them.
Our Chapter’s newly elected slate of
Officers and Board Members have already begun work to address these
critical issues. Please don’t hesitate to contact any of us with
any concerns or suggestions that you may have. And, you are
invited to attend our Board meetings. Except when a holiday
intervenes, the Board meets the second Monday of the month from
September through June. The meetings are held at the Maine
Military Museum, 50 Peary Terrace, South Portland. Hope to see
you at our February Luncheon at the Woodlands!
James A. Vollkommer, Colonel, USAF (Ret.)
President
Chapter Dues 2012
It’s that time of year again. You will find a copy of our Annual Dues letter by clicking on dues form.
Once again the Board of Directors has voted to keep annual dues at
$15.00. Any members who have joined since October 1, 2011 are
considered paid for 2012. By my records, that would mean LTs
Jennifer and Chris Tyll, BGen Donald McCormack, Col James Collins, CPT
Dale Midgley and CWO 5 Darrell Stevens. Please note on the dues form
that there are a couple of new questions having to do with a Military
Ball in June and applying for Emeritus Membership status in the
Chapter. Also, Auxiliary Members (Surviving Spouses) are not
required to pay dues, but any contributions by those members or our
regular members are very much appreciated. During these tough
times it is gratifying to see how many of our members are able to dig a
little deeper to help with the Chapter’s initiatives.
Please take time to fill out the form and send it back to our PO Box 2145, South Portland, Maine,
04116-2145
mailing address with a check payable to “Southern Maine Chapter,
MOAA.” The sooner you get around to doing this, the less likely
it will get lost in the shuffle and we won’t have to bug you with a
follow-up letter or phone call
Thank you all in advance for your support.
Col Rob McAleer, Membership Chair
Member Emeritus Status
The Board of Directors voted to establish a new category of membership
for our Chapter at the December Board of Directors’ meeting. To
qualify, a current Chapter member must be age 90 or older as of January
2012. Emeritus Members will no longer have to pay yearly dues,
currently $15 per year. It should be noted, however, members will
have to keep current with National MOAA dues as there is no link
between dues paid to National MOAA and Chapter dues. National
MOAA Life Membership remains separate from Emeritus Membership within
the Chapter.
How do you sign up for Emeritus Status? Simply indicate on the
Dues Renewal Form on page 7 that you are eligible for this new category
of membership. Membership Chair, Rob McAleer, will make the
notation on the membership database. You will not be required to
pay yearly dues from that point on. As always, donations to help
defray the costs of running Chapter programs (ROTC, veteran assistance,
etc.) are always welcomed and encouraged.
LTC Scott Berry
Editor
Military Ball (cont)
emphasis on the Military aspect of a Military Ball, we are fortunate that there is a
very interesting collection of military items on display at the Maine Military
Museum and Learning Center. The director of the Museum, Lee Humiston, will provide Guided tours during the evening.
The price of admission to the Military Ball is $100.00 per couple.
To help us with the planning for the Military Ball with respect to the
number of attendees, please check the appropriate box indicating that
you will attend with guest on the enclosed 2012 Membership Dues Renewal
Form on page 7 and return the renewal form with your 2012 dues no later
than February 12, 2012.
LTC John T. Ham
1st Vice President
Heads Up, Pay Date Change from DFAS
Members should have received
notification from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)
that a change in the 2011 National Defense Authorization Act requires
DFAS to process your retired pay by the first day of the month.
When that day falls on a weekend or national holiday, the pay date is
moved to the previous day. In 2012 you will receive 12 pay
checks. However, in 2011, because January 1st is always a federal
holiday, your December 2011 pay will have been sent to your bank on
December 30, 2011, meaning you will actually receive two deposits in
December 2011. This will result in 13 pay checks for 2011 instead
of the normal 12, which may increase your tax liability. This
will be noted on the 1099-R you will shortly receive from DFAS for 2011
Income Tax purposes. For more information contact DFAS Retired
Military Pay, P.O. Box 7130, London, KY 40742-7130.
LTC Scott Berry
Editor
Martin's Point Update (cont)
shrink its 2012-2021 spending by $450 billion. Some of that
saving will have to come from personnel programs, so we can expect to
hear more in the next few weeks about DoD proposals to raise the cost
of TRICARE programs for military beneficiaries. The impact is
likely to fall most heavily on “working-age” military retirees who are
not in Medicare.
Dan Wasneechak and Bill Hall will attend the annual Military Health
System conference in Washington later this month. They will
report back to the Chapter membership on what they learned at the
conference.
Col Bill Hall
Secretary
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Military Officers Association of America 
