Another four weeks
have passed and it
is The Graybeards’
time again—time to
write something that
you will not even receive until about sixty
days from now. Only those officers and
directors involved in “copy” for The
Graybeards can fully recognize the extent
of the role this venerable publication has in
the Association. We are fortunate to be
served by a top-notch Editor-Publisher
team, one dedicated to veterans. Thank
you, Art Sharp and Dr. Gerald Wadley.
In last month’s issue there was a reprint
of the article by Jimmy Faircloth, For the
Good of the Order. No other single article
in any issue since 2003 has received as
many expressions of understanding and
support. In contrast, when it first appeared
in the May-June 2005 issue, not a single
comment was received. I hope this means
that the rank and file of the KWVA are
wearying of unnecessary conflict and are
anxious to get on with Founder Bill Morris’
vision for this organization.
This issue is the annual election issue.
Ballots are distributed in this issue in accordance
with the Bylaws and under the direction
of the Nominations/Elections
Committee. Active voting members who
experience any problems in receiving a
Ballot—to which they are entitled—should
contact the Chairman of the Committee.
His name and relevant contact information
are located across the page from where you
see these remarks. Please do not contact the
editor or publisher of the magazine, or the
President. Remember, the election is the
responsibility of the
Nominations/Elections Committee. On
election matters, the magazine staff, the
President, and all other members of the
Administration take our orders from the
Chairman of that Committee.
This year is an election of Directors.
Contrary to much of the heated and more
often than not unwelcome and uninformed
rhetoric, Directors are not part of the
Administration (unless appointed to a task
other than a Board Committee). I say this in
an attempt to head off any false impressions
being legitimately drawn from the
remainder of my remarks in this issue. As I
am writing (March 14, 2007), I do not
know who all the candidates are. I do know
the ones who I am supporting personally—
just as do many of you—and I will tell anyone
who asks, again just as will many of
you.
The remainder of this article deals with
the Administration. I recently attended a
thoughtful meeting where the
Requirements of a Successful Organization
were posited:
- a Mission that matters
- a Leadership that leads
- the Necessity of Training
- a unifying Strategy
- flexibility in execution
- Risk-taking execution of operations
- High Technology support and approach
We have a Mission tracing right back to
Founders’ Day—and it matters! (A copy of
our Mission Statement appears at the bottom
of this page.) I must acknowledge that
we seem to be the only organization on the
North American continent interested in
securing our blood-bought victory and
defense in Korea, which is part of our
Mission: Support a Free Korea.
However, I am proud that the International
Federation of Korean War Veterans
Associations (IFKWVA), our allies from
1950 through today, supports the same objective.
The Leadership of the organization has
led since July 2004. Indeed, that has been a
continuing source of conflict—it is change
and (we) older folks don’t like change! But,
change is going to happen, because death
and infirmity are inevitable and more probable
as we age. We can choose to accept
change and thus become a positive force in
the legacy of the KWVA, or we can curse
change and its agents and sully our own
images/reputations and places in KWVA
history after all the “Graybeards” are gone.
Training is a continuing weakness in our
association. It will be a critical and non debatable
requirement if we attain a
Federal Charter. And it will cost money.
There is no room for argument about training.
We have done what we could in the
past three years. It must get better.
Strategy is properly a function of the
Board of Directors (of which I am
Chairman). It is also a result of training
and longevity. Training money and a shortage
of capable members willing to run for
office as Directors—and officers—limit
the amount of effort we have been able to
spend on Strategies other than the campaigns
for a Federal Charter (since 2003)
and the care and maintenance of our
National Memorial (late in 2006).
We have exercised Flexibility in
advancing our Mission, even while trying
to catch up on years of neglect within the
organization. One example: members had
long been told—prior to July 2004—that
we had 300 chapters. The truth is that at that time we
had about 220 chapters. Reports and claims
of having more were false, leading the
Administration to coin the phrase
“Phantom Chapters.”
A similar situation existed in the matter
of the Departments. We have chapters
today which have only a few members of the KWVA. Many of these chapters are led
by non-members of the KWVA, including
Commanders/Presidents and other officials
who are not KWVA members or are
delinquent in dues. We have some
Departments in the same situations.
Obviously, Flexibility and Risk Taking
become limited when you are trying to put
together an organization on the go and
train it after years of neglect.
In the last of the requirements we have
been able to forge a High Technology compatible
and based membership and management
information system. One product
of this has been a world-class website useful
to all Korea and other veterans in the
US and overseas. In a similar vein, we
have a continually improving world-class
veterans’ magazine.
This is the state of the KWVA as I prepare
these thoughts. Future leadership is,
as always, in the hands of the members. VOTE.
National President, KWVA/US
Chairman of the Board
