MCRA Newsletter Vol 1, Issue 1

WELCOME TO THE INAUGURAL EDITION OF THE MCRA NEWSLETTER. In this new age of communications it is important for our Association to keep up with current technology. It is my hope to provide the membership with a more dynamic Web site to keep everyone informed. In addition to the Web site, I hope to bring attention to matters affecting the membership on a regular basis through the use of the MCRA Newsletter to those who have provided an e-mail address. Those who wish to offer comments, suggestions of topical interest, etc. are welcome to speak up. I, for one, want you to know that the Board of Directors has resolved to prevent the fiscal irresponsibility that led to our financial crisis. Among other things we must establish proper accounting policies and procedures to prevent the dissipation of the Life Membership fund that had provided us with income to offset the loss of annual dues by the life members. As you read the following message from Colonel Bob Donahue, keep in mind that the Association has been through a rough storm. But we are determined to get back on the proper course for our membership and to return the organization to its role as a truly professional association of Reserve Marines. For those of you who are annual members, I ask you to renew your membership. Go to the Association Web site at www.usmcra.org where you will find a membership application form (Go to the JOIN MCRA menu button). Your dues will help us get past the financial mess left by the previous administration. Thomas "LPM" Howlett - Editor A word from our Acting President and Chairman of the Board Dear MCRA Members; Many members have been inquiring as to what has been happening within the Association and why no one has heard from us in such a long period of time. The short version is that Association went through a period of administrative mismanagement, fiscal irresponsibility and ineffective leadership. Consequently the Association is in dire financial straits. A small group of MCRAN's, dedicated to the preservation of the Association, has banded together in an attempt to "Right the Ship". Almost all have dug deep into their pockets or given untold man-hours to get us to this point. Now, we are reaching out to the rest of our members. If you are a Life Member, we ask that you donate at least $25-$50.00. For Annual Members, just renewing your membership will go along way to helping us achieve this year's goals. This past November, we contacted a third of our membership, via email, informing them, to a certain degree, of the difficulties that have transpired within the Association and some of the steps that were being taken to rectify our situation. In order to bring the remaining members up to date, I have included pertinent excerpts of that email: "With the departure of the former leadership, the Board of Directors decided that the Association would be best served by a headquarters near the nation's capitol. We are truly pleased to report that in a most heart-warming example of 'Marines taking care of Marines,' the Marine Corps League offered us interim no-cost space at their headquarters in Fairfax. We completed the move to that location at the end of August. Some staffing difficulties occurred earlier last year (2007) that caused real problems with keeping things current with membership, the Web site, sending out The Word, and the like. This is not a problem that will be solved easily or Quickly, but I think we are moving in the right direction now. We have begun the search for a highly skilled Administrative Manager to take charge of the new office and get it organized in a highly member-service and cost effective focused manner. In the interim Vern Leubecker has assumed, among his other duties, that of financial officer. Tom Green has been setting up the new office and is working on the database and Web site with our Webmaster while Joe Vowell is undertaking to renew our affiliations with our corporate sponsors." We held an Annual Meeting in October 2007 (vice a full conference) at the Bahia Resort in San Diego. The theme of the meeting was "Reunion" and it balanced "social" and "business" events, including the required general membership meeting where we addressed the mission and the Association's dire financial issues. We also renewed our bonds to each other, our corporate sponsors, the Marine Corps, our Marine Corps leaders and all our wonderful Reserve Marines." In March, we met with General Regner, Office of Legislative Affairs staffers and a number of corporate members, where several of the latter have pledged their support to MCRA for the upcoming year. Colonel Tom Howlett has stepped forward to assist our Webmaster in redesigning the Web site as well as developing the MCRA Newsletter. We are also hoping to be able to start publishing a form of The Word later in the year. Also, our Unit Awards Program has been reinstituted, and in August, we will be holding our annual Golf Tournament. Last but not least, we will be planning our "Crown Jewel" event, The Congressional Reception, for early next year. I admit this is an ambitious undertaking. Considering what has happened, I will also admit that the efforts to date will mean nothing if we are unable to regain your trust and confidence and convince you, our members, that this Association has a relevant purpose in its support of the Marine Corps Reserve and the Marine Corps Mission. I ask you again to help us in our endeavors. Sincerely, Bob Donahue - Acting President and Chairman of the Board