On December 13th we will celebrate the birthday of the first militia formed 385 years ago in 1636 in what is now known as Massachusetts. Happy Birthday National Guard. December is a busy month for most Americans. December 7th is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, a day that sparked our official entrance into World War 2. Winter officially begins on December 21st and Christmas Day is December 25th. I pray that all of you have a blessed Christmas, the day that we celebrate the birth of Jesus, and a day where families often gather around for some quality family time. December 31st is New Year’s Eve, but it also marks the official end of WW2 some 75 years ago.
As 2021 will soon come to an end, we have a decision to make. We must ask ourselves if all of the divisive affairs going on in the world around us are going to chain us to the tracks of the past or are we going to choose to get off of that track and make something that we can all feel good about and proud of going forward. Life is full of choices, some good and some bad. As fellow noncommissioned officers and petty officers and family members of same, we need to finish 2021 strong and go into the New Year with the hope for a better tomorrow.
I will be honest; I lost my wife of 41 and a half years to start this year and am ending the year with a growth in my throat. Despite this loss and the hurdles I face, I am encouraged by my friends, family and my Lord. As I mentioned earlier, life is a series of choices. I am choosing to believe that the glass is half full. NCOA devised a Five Year Strategic Plan to grow with and based on the positive reception given by those in attendance at our annual conference, I am convinced that we are on the right track. I know that there are a lot of untapped resources out there in NCOA land. Each of you can make a choice to help us and be part of a winning team making our communities and our association better or we can stay bogged down by the burdens of the past. Which track do you choose?
Finally, for Christmas this year I am going to gift a membership to NCOA to a worthy person. You can do the same and help our association grow. Who knows, next July your name could be drawn and you could receive one of the $250 gift cards. A one year auxiliary membership is only $20 and a regular membership is only $30. That is cheap compared to most other veteran organizations!
If you have any ideas or suggestions, either contact headquarters or contact me at retiredveteran89@outlook.com and I can assure you that your leadership will take note.
Strength in Unity & Leadership By Example,
MCPO (SCW) Terry M. Haines
Chairman, International Board of Directors