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Thought we would send out a short newsletter just to bring you up to date on Council activities and provide a heads-up for future events.
The Council Board recently met and elected new Board members to replace outgoing Board members Jim Hamill and Mike McIntosh. I want to thank everyone who submitted nominations for the Board and I assure you we spent a great deal of time weighing each nomination. In the final analysis the Council officers recommended Bob Staples and Gary Lumpkin as new Board members and to re-nominate Lloyd Hardin for a new term on the Board. We had a great pool of nominations and we appreciate your help and suggestions. These new Board members will do a great job for the Council and I’m looking forward to working with them. We will have a chance to thank Jim and Mike for their service to the Coordinating Council during the annual meeting.
Your Coordinating Council continues to support Marine activities across the state in a variety of ways. Since my last newsletter we purchased tickets to the NCAA basketball tournament in OKC for the recruiters and Marines from F/2/14 and the Anti-Tank Training Company. We are currently trying to purchase tickets for the October 2005 Seattle Sonics and Houston Rockets game and we recently learned that the Anti-Tank Training Company in Broken Arrow will be having another predeployment family day in the near future. A number of Council members attended the dedication of the renovated Marine corner for the Fort Sill Marines and were delighted to see the quality of the worksmanship and enjoyed the camaraderie shared with the large number of Marines and soldiers in attendance. We also had the privilege of attending the first ever Joint Luncheon of the Women Marines Association (Heartland Chapter) and the Oklahoma Women Veterans Organization – what a great event with an impressive group of Marines and veterans.
I was unable to attend the Medal of Honor activities in Tulsa this past weekend but I understand that it went very well. Bringing General Cartwright and Col. Robert Modrzejewski in for the ceremonies speaks very well for the efforts of the Albert Schwab Detachment of the Marine Corps League and the hard work they put in on the ceremonies. Congratulations on a job well done.
As you may remember the Council supported the Young Marines organization in Norman last summer with money to send some of their outstanding young people to leadership schools. GySgt Adams is doing a superb job with this organization and is looking to the Council again to support this worthwhile training. He would like to expand the number of young folks who attend – the Marine Corps League is pitching in again and I’m certain the Council will also support this outstanding training, but we will probably still need some additional funds. If you would care to contribute directly towards this effort please let us know and we can make the necessary arrangements. Just for information we recently learned that we may soon have new Young Marines organizations in both OKC and Tulsa. The word is that the Norman unit is getting an unbelievable number of phone calls from parents looking for a unit for their kids to join. Norman is simply being overwhelmed with the interest.
The Council is supporting the efforts of the OU NROTC unit to select a Gunnery Sergeant Dan Daly award winner this year (recipient receives a $1000 scholarship and a large eagle trophy) for the Joint ROTC awards ceremony on 23 April. We have several Council members sitting on the screening board to select the most deserving Marine from those nominated by the NROTC unit.
Another effort by the Council is to establish a trust working in coordination with the OU Foundation and the NROTC unit that will provide adequate funding for the purchase of the 9mm Beretta pistol each year that is awarded to the Marine Honor Graduate from the OU NROTC. As you may remember, the “Commandant’s Award” was created and funded by Major General Hugh Hardy USMCR. The award includes not only the pistol, but a personal letter from the Commandant congratulating the recipient. Since MGen Hardy passed away two years ago the pistol purchase has been supported by individual Council members. In order to ensure this award continues into the future the Board elected to pursue the trust fund option. I’ll update you on this effort as we progress.
As you know last year the Council nominated Donald Dickey to the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame and we were thrilled with the recognition he received. We are once again in the process of nominating one of our deserving members to the Hall of Fame and look forward to attending the induction ceremonies in September. More on this later.
Welcome back to Major Steve Sims at the Anti-Tank Training Company. He spent the last few months in Iraq and just recently returned. In his absence Capt Jeep Morse filled in and did an outstanding job.
The University of Oklahoma’s Joint ROTC award ceremony is scheduled for 10:00 on 23 April at the University’s Union Meachum Auditorium. If you have never been to one of these you ought to attend one – they provide an outstanding opportunity to see the young men and women joining our services today and their recognition for outstanding performance.
If you haven’t heard yet, Major Kendall Martinez at the Recruiting Station is due to have his change of command in July. Don’t yet know the date, time, or location but will be getting the word out when we have more information.
The Coordinating Council’s annual meeting is scheduled for May 19, 2005. We will be sending out invitations shortly but for now just a heads up that it will be at the Petroleum Club North location. Please set aside that evening to join with your fellow Council members for some refreshments and fellowship. Start time will be around 6:00pm and we hope to be through no later than 9:30pm. Be looking for your invitation.
Another reminder that our Marine Corps Birthday luncheon is set for 4 November 2005. We do not have a location locked in yet, but I assure you we will pin one down before too much longer. Be sure to put this date down on your calendar and invite your friends to join us at this great annual event. See you there.
We will be conducting our annual membership renewal drive soon and I would like to remind everyone that while donations are not required to participate in the Council, we cannot exist without your generous support. Our contributions have been gradually declining over the past two years and I’d like to encourage you to contribute what you can so that the Council will be able to continue supporting our Oklahoma Marine community.
I’d like each of you to know that while your Council Board works very hard to accomplish the Council’s objectives, we never forget that whatever success we have is absolutely due to your generous and continued support. Once a Marine, always a Marine
Semper Fidelis,
Phil
E. Hughes
President
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