Christmas and New Years are now behind us and I pray that you all had a safe and memorable holiday season. I am excited about 2019 because good things are on our horizon. As many of you know by now, we have a new Executive Director. Sir Joe Terry is not just our new operational head, he is one with a resume’ of success within NCOA. For years he led the Dragon Hill Chapter in Korea to multiple Large Chapter of the Year awards. He is a member of the Knights of the Square Table and is familiar with that body of leaders within the association. He has also sat on the International Board of Directors and most recently has been the Membership Director for NCOA. He knows NCOA from top to bottom and can use that experience to return us to a leadership role within the Veteran Service Organizations.
NCOA is changing and with those changes we will have many opportunities to be more than just a veteran organization that looks after the quality of life for our enlisted forces and their families. We can become the model for all other veteran service organizations as we move forward. Legislation and advocacy has always been an important piece of who we are and that will now get stronger as our Legislative Director has a single area of tasking without having to split his time and attention on multiple areas of responsibility. This will better serve you!
We are examining our branding to clarify who we are to ensure that our current and potential members as well as potential corporate sponsorship know who we are.
We are updating all of our governing policies, By-Laws and procedures to match the world around us as opposed to when they were written over 60 years ago. It is important that the audience that we are trying to attract can identify with who we are and what we are trying to accomplish.
Most if not all of you have been deployed while in the military away from home and or family. This is a hardship that most who haven’t served in the armed forces will never be able to understand. It is a sad matter when the greatest and most powerful nation in the world sends troops overseas to locations without access to simple basic things like access to hygiene items. That is one place where NCOA can step up and help our brothers and sisters in harm’s way. I can tell you for a fact that there are bases out there where if it wasn’t for NCOA and family members, the troops wouldn’t even have a bar of soap to wash with or tooth paste to brush their teeth. That’s not all of our bases, but if it is just one, that is too many!
It is as reality that a lot of our members are not affiliated with a local chapter and are considered members at large. There are members out there with skills to help us with this recovery and there are even members who would be willing to be part of an active chapter if one popped up near them. The beauty of our current situation is that chapters don’t need to meet in a building. They can meet on line via SKYPE or Facebook Live Feed to name a few options. If you have some time and want to be part of our re-emergence, contact headquarters and something can be worked out.
If you have any ideas or suggestions, either contact headquarters or contact me at chairman@ncoausa.org 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