For the fourth consecutive year, the Cape Fear Chapter was awarded a MOAA 5-Star Levels of Excellence Award. This is an extraordinary achievement of which all chapter members can be justifiably proud.

Chapter President Chavez will attend the MOAA Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona in November 2018 to accept the 5-Star medallion on behalf of the chapter. Congratulations to all!

Congratulations to us for repeating as MOAA communication awards winners in 2017. Our chapter was awarded a 5-Star COL Marvin Harris Communication Award for its website “www.cfmoaa.org”, and a 5-Star Award for its eNewsletter “Gram of Info” for 2017. This is the fifth consecutive year we have received this distinction for our communications platforms. All of us may be justifiably proud.

The Cape Fear Chapter conferred Honorary Membership upon the Honorable Nat Robertson, Mayor of Fayetteville at the general membership meeting on May 26, 2017.

In the history of the chapter, honorary membership is a courtesy that has been extended to every Mayor of Fayetteville.

President Chavez presented Mayor Robertson with a framed Honorary Membership Certificate, an engraved chapter coin mounted on a coin lock, and a chapter hat as tokens of our appreciation and respect.

The newly elected Cape Fear Chapter officers for the 2-year term beginning January 2017 were officially installed in a ceremony during the traditional biennial Installation Dinner held at the Fort Bragg Iron Mike Conference Center on 20 January 2017.

COL (Ret) Jeri Graham member of the MOAA Board of Directors administered the oath of office to: COL (Ret) Juan Chavez, President; COL (Ret) Stan Dodson, 1st Vice President; COL (Ret) George Blanc, 2nd Vice President; LTC (Ret) Marty Williams, 3rd Vice President; LTC (Ret) Dennis Franken, Treasurer; and, LTC (Ret) Don Gersh, Secretary.

As our nation observes the USO’s 75th anniversary of service to our nation’s military this year, it presents an opportunity for our Chapter to rededicate our efforts in support of USO activities here in Fayetteville and Fort Bragg.

The CFC Board of Directors has been exploring ways of getting more of our chapter members actively involved in service projects in support of our military and their families here at Fort Bragg with the goal of promoting chapter cohesion, esprit de corps, and a sense of purpose and self-fulfillment.

The only chapter members who are actively engaged in chapter activities on a regular basis are a small number who serve on the board of directors and special staff, plus a dozen or so USO volunteers. We have not had much success in encouraging the other 95% of our members to get involved other than attending an occasional meeting now and then. Other MOAA chapters have undertaken projects such as adopting a VA health facility or nursing home, a military museum, and the like, to get their members actively engaged in a chapter-sponsored endeavor.

USO volunteerism is by no means new to our chapter, since the USO center at the Fayetteville Regional Airport opened in November 2011 a small number of our chapter members (11 to 14) have volunteered their services as USO stewards at the airport lounge. The number has remained relatively constant, with only 12 currently serving. We would like to inject new energy into this program by perhaps increasing that number to 50 or more; not unrealistic when one considers that we have close to 300 members, plus approximately 250 spouses. (Approximately 50% of our current volunteers are husband-wife teams.)

The Fayetteville Airport USO Center is behind security on the second floor of the airport. The center is 100% operated by volunteers who have gone through the badging process and are dedicated to keeping the center open, available and a comfortable center for our traveling military and their families. At this time, the USO needs dependable volunteers who are willing to commit to at least 8 hours per month serving in the center. There is also a dire need for volunteers to work at the Fort Bragg USO Center located in the Soldier Support Center at Fort Bragg.

If you are interested, please complete the initial steps at http://www.volunteers.uso.org/ and then, email Beverly Jackson at Send email to get your application process moving forward. Please let Beverly know that you are a member of the Cape Fear Chapter, MOAA.

For the third successive year, the Cape Fear Chapter was awarded a MOAA 5-Star Levels of Excellence Award. This is an extraordinary achievement of which all chapter members can be justifiably proud.

Chapter President Chavez will be attending the MOAA Annual Meeting in Arlington, Virginia in October 2016 to accept the 5-Star Streamer on behalf of the chapter. Congratulations to all!

The Cape Fear Chapter conferred Honorary Membership upon Drew Brooks, Military Editor of the Fayetteville Observer at the general membership meeting on July 29, 2016.

Mr. Brooks was honored for his sustained outstanding support of the Cape Fear Chapter for the past three years.

President Chavez presented Drew with a Honorary Membership Certificate, plus an engraved chapter coin mounted on a coin lock as a token of appreciation.

Our heartfelt thanks are extended to the following chapter members who so generously contributed to the Global War on Terrorism Memorial fund drive. The chapter was successful in raising $25,000 in 6 months from personal donations, thus fulfilling its pledge to help fund a long-overdue and much deserved memorial to our military men and women who have sacrificed so much in the war against global terrorism since 9/11.

Contributors: Al Alvarez, Tim Atkinson, Rudy Baker, Eli Ballard, Matt Barker, Larry Bass, Ron Bean, Bill Bell, Dave & Tammy Beshlin, George Blanc, George Bond, Mark Boyatt, Bobby Breece, Charlie Brindel, Bruce Brown, Bob & Elizabeth Bunce, Steve Byrnes, Juan Chavez, Ken Chavis, Dave Cheney, Dan Connelly, Maria Cory, Jerry Croll, Tad Davis, Tom Delahunty, Stan Dodson, Tom Donnelly, George Dudley, Clark Ecklund, Ron Elrod, Carl Flanagan, Dennis Franken, Bill Freccia, Bob Garman, Don Gersh, George Glann, Tom Glockzin, Jeri Graham, Chris Grates, Mark Hayden, John Hazlett, Mac Healy, Sam Higdon, Ralph Hinrichs, Alex Hodges, Al Howe, Ike & Pat Isaacson, Carol Ivey, Frank Jaks, Tom King, Earl Klinck, Hank Larsen, Art Macaltao, Steve Mannell, Steve McDavid, Dan McNeill, Dot Miller, Joe Nagel, Tim Newton, Ron O'Brien, Chester Oehme, Charles Pimble, Rick Porter, George Quigley, Deogracia Quinones, Art Rodriguez, Al Rose, Dean Russell, Brian Scott, Ed Seemer, Jon & Casey Sheets, Tom Shipp, Henry Simpson, Arlie & Ingrid Smith, Bob Smoot, Phyllis Streit, Barry Swift, John Szoka, Harold Thacker, Earl Thieme, Ed Thomas, Robert Tiffany, James Volkmann, Dave Vroom, Bob White, Jim Wilde, Marty Williams, Emilie Williams, and Drew Ziegler.

For the third year in a row, the Cape Fear Chapter was awarded two Colonel Marvin J. Harris Communications Awards, one for its Website (www.cfmoaa.org) 5-Stars, and another for its Electronic Newsletter (Gram of Info) 5-Stars. All chapter members should give themselves a pat on the back. Way to go!

The Cape Fear Chapter conferred Honorary Membership upon two long standing supporters at the annual general membership meeting on November 21, 2015.

Mr. Stephen R. LaHam (top photo), President and CEO of Anfinsen Plastic Molding and Assembly, Inc. of Oswego, Illinois was honored for his substantial monetary support of our annual fundraising golf tournament. Mr. LaHam, a staunch patriot and keen supporter of our military, has been the top monetary donor year after year for several years standing.

Mr. John "Mac" Healy, President and CEO of Healy Wholesale, Inc. of Fayetteville was recognized for his generous material support of our annual golf tournament for several years. Mac followed in the footsteps of his late father, Fritz Healy, also a Honorary Member of our Chapter for many years.

Both gentlemen were presented with Honorary Membership Certificates, engraved chapter coins mounted on coin locks, and chapter hats by President Chavez.

Every year, MOAA’s affiliates compete to receive a four- or five-star Levels of Excellence Award. The very best councils and chapters receive five-star awards, while above-average councils and chapters receive four-star awards.

It is a pleasure to announce that the Cape Fear Chapter was selected as a 5-Star Chapter for 2015, congratulations to all of you.

Leaders from winning affiliates will receive special streamers at MOAA's 2015 annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., Oct. 30-31, I will be there in person to accept our award.

MOAA National recently announced the results of the 2014 Colonel Marvin J. Harris Communication Awards contest and our Chapter repeated as winner of the best chapter web site and winner of the best chapter electronic-newsletter (“Gram of Info”) in Category III. We may all be justifiably proud of our continued excellence in communications technology.

A proclamation was issued by Chapter President Chavez designating the top senior ROTC scholarship awarded each year as the “Meinhardt Scholarship” in honor of Colonel (Ret) and Mrs. Harry P. Meinhardt.

The proclamation, first of its kind in the history of the chapter, was read and presented to the Meinhardts’ at the March 6, 2015 general membership meeting to recognized their extraordinary patronage of the chapter’s ROTC Scholarship Program over the years.

A copy of the proclamation as well as a letter of acknowledgement from the Meinhardts' are at the download bar below the photo.

We welcome Chaplain (Colonel) Gregory K. Williamson, US Army, Retired as the new Senior Army Instructor at Lumberton Senior High School in Lumberton effective 13 February 2015. He lives in Fayetteville with his wife Jackie; they have two grown sons, Aaron and Isaac, who also reside in the Fayetteville area with their families. Colonel Williamson joined the chapter and he looks forward to attending some of our meetings. We wish him the best of success in his new job.

Colonel Williamson replaces LTC (Ret) Neil Harper who stepped down after one year at LSHS.

Chapter President Juan Chavez, 3rd Vice President Bill Dadek, and Secretary Don Gersh, attended the annual symposium. (Photo at right, L to R: Bill Dadek, VADM Ryan, Juan Chavez, Don Gersh)

Colonel Chavez: “This was the first leaders' symposium I've had the privilege of attending since I took over the chapter and I'm glad I did. I was impressed with how well the symposium was organized and executed. The opportunity to interact with other chapter leaders and share problems, solutions and ideas was most beneficial; we all learned from each other how to improve our chapters. I’m thankful that two of my directors were able to accompany me and share the experience. I wish my entire board of directors could’ve attended, but we were limited to three. The professionalism exhibited by the MOAA National leadership and staff in their presentations and interactions made one proud of being associated with such a top-notch organization.”

MOAA's chapter system includes 34 state councils and 412 chapters nationwide. Each year MOAA holds the Chapter Leaders' Symposium in one of four regions, moving from east to west across the country.

The Cape Fear Chapter leaders joined 240 council and chapter leaders and their spouses from seven state councils and more than 90 chapters in MOAA’s Southeast region. Participants met with other council and chapter leaders and key members of the national staff and board of directors.

Leaders attended general session and breakout workshops the following day, where they discussed membership challenges, shared best practices, and brainstormed new ideas. Membership chairs discussed how to recruit and retain more members, while council and chapter presidents and vice presidents reviewed management techniques. Council and chapter legislative chairs and liaisons attended a special workshop focused on grassroots advocacy and legislative affairs.

“Our council and chapter leaders play extremely vital role in MOAA’s overall success. From grassroots advocacy to community service, they make it happen,” President of MOAA Vice Adm. Norb Ryan, said. “This is a valuable way for us to listen and learn from each other about how to lead our chapters and make them more effective for their members and their surrounding communities. These chapter leaders work hard, and we want to do all we can to help them with their responsibilities,” he concluded.

Other than serving in one of the five elective positions, there are many other ways chapter members can serve and make meaningful contributions. We are in dire need of volunteers to help carry the load of operating the Chapter in an effective and efficient manner. The majority of the positions/jobs listed only require a commitment of a few hours a month of your time and most of the work can be performed from or in your home. Any member or their spouses may participate. Some of the positions listed below are currently filled, but having a replacement in queue to understudy would be ideal.

If anyone is interested in volunteering for one or more of the positions listed, please call our Secretary Don Gersh at (910) 484-4545, or email at Secretary@cfmoaa.org.

Executive Board and Special Staff Appointive Positions:

Surviving Spouse Liaison Officer (surviving spouse preferred)

Personal Affairs Officer

Newsletter Editor

Assistant Newsletter Editor

Assistant Secretary

Webmaster

TOPS (The Officer Placement Service)

On-Going Committees:

ROTC and Scholarship Committee

Personal Affairs Committee

Newsletter Editorial Committee

Legislative Committee

Programs Committee

Publicity Committee

Sponsorship Sales Committee

Membership Committee

Information Dissemination Committee

Membership Directory Committee

TOPS (The Officer Placement Service) Group

Special Purpose Committees and other programs:

Nominating Committee (on election years)

Golf Tournament Committee

Honor Guard Member

ROTC Awards Presenter

USO Volunteer