in memoriam - Fleet Reserve Association

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT
80 th NATIONAL CONVENTION, FRA
31 OCTOBER – 3 NOVEMBER 2007, CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS
Shipmate National Officers, Past National Officers, Regional Officers, Past Regional Officers and Shipmates. It is
my pleasure and distinct honor to submit my annual report as the FRA’s National President.
I was installed as National President on 23 September 2006 at the conclusion of the 79th National Convention in
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. Previous to that I served as FRA’s National Vice President from 1 October 2005 to 23
September 2006 and as FRA’s National Financial Secretary from 1 June 1997 to 1 October 2005 retiring from FRA
employment on that date.
Those sixteen years were the highlights of my life and FRA membership, however, serving these past thirteen plus
months as FRA’s National President climaxes any expectations that I may have had concerning this office. Throughout
this Association wherever I traveled I received great hospitality and encouragement from the membership of
FRA and the LA FRA. For all of this Sandy and I want to express our sincere thank you!
It has been my pleasure to visit branches and shipmates in each of the nine regions this year as NP and last year as
NVP. Inasmuch as Sandy and I are full time rv’ers (do not have a house) we were able to travel throughout the regions
and visit as many branches as was possible.
Attached to this report is a ‘National Vice President’s Travel Schedule’ showing the places I have visited this last
year as NVP and a ‘National President’s Travel Schedule’ showing the places visited this year as NP. These are attached
so they will be a part of the permanent record of this convention.
Additionally, thanks to the convention delegates at the 79th Convention authorizing the travel money. I was able to
travel to the overseas Pacific branches in Japan, The Republic of the Philippine Islands and Guam. This was the first
time an incumbent NP was able to visit many of the overseas branches and I can tell you all of the branch members
did appreciate the visit of a NP – it made them feel a part of the FRA. Hopefully money can be authorized in future
years so a NP can again visit those shipmates. Attached to this report is NPSL 7-07 which reported on the trip along
with comments/questions generated from the shipmates there. All of their questions and comments have been addressed
by the National Headquarters Staff. Some were not to their satisfaction due to governmental and legal issues,
but each one received a response.
My travels throughout the Association have been very rewarding. All of the branches that I have visited are keeping
with the Principles of the Association and most are involved within their local community with a highway clean up,
Little League, Boy and Girl Scouts, NJROTC, community activities and many, many other projects too numerous to
mention. To all of the branches I have visited – I thank you for the hospitality received – to the Ladies Auxiliary
Units that provided those delicious snacks, lunches and dinners – “I say keep up the good work” – all were certainly
appreciated and thank you.
On the negative side, I am very concerned with the future of our FRA. Without exception, all of the branches I visited,
the members who are attending the meetings and holding offices – a very large majority are in their late 70's,
80's and low 90's. Ten years from now the high end of that spectrum will not be here and within the next few years
the low end of that spectrum will have joined the Staff of the Supreme Commander. My question to you, who is going
to keep the branches going and who is going to hold the required offices? There are no younger shipmates in the
fold, except in a handful of branches.
Within the next several years, I believe FRA will have fewer than 75 branches and the majority of our membership
will be in the Membership-at-Large Rolls.
Shipmates it is imperative that each one of us recruits members for the FRA – do not leave it for someone else to do.
Additionally, we must curtail the suspension of our members – members who have been members for 25 plus years
are not renewing their membership. Membership is the life blood of the great Association and without members, we
are not going to be able to continue.
NP-1