Midwest Division IA, KS, MN, MO, ND, NE, SD

11 February 2020

To: National Commandant, Dennis Tobin National Sr. Vice Commandant, Johnny Baker National Jr. Vice Commandant, Warren Griffin

Commandant’s Council - Mid-Winter 2020 Report

Department records received from the Department of indicated the roster strength for 2019 at 558 members and 82 unpaid with 374 Life members. 2018 roster listed 597 members with 74 unpaid. Department of Iowa has 9 Detachments. 990, ROI LMA all in except for 507 Siouxland Detachment. Department Paymaster attempting to get them current.

The Department of Kansas strength listed at 355 with 29 unpaid, 202 Life members. 2019 roster listed 355 members and 39 unpaid. Department of Kansas has 7 Detachments, all are 100% regarding 990’s, ROI, Sec. of State Not–for-Profit and Life Member Audit. The Department of Kansas maintains its own Department Roster and is current from the time the Paymaster receives the Transmittal, ROI, 990 LMA Notice of Death transmittal information. All H-AD members have been moved to a section consisting of only H-AD members. The Department attempts to have all members active in detachment activities to keep them interested. All involved in the electronic era, Facebook, http://www.mcleaguekansas.com.Twitter, local newspaper and radio & TV advertisements for prospective member to make contact. Let them know we are here for them. Least successful program would be to have a detachment do nothing as a functioning unit. The Department and several Detachments have a Marine 4 Life representative and to date no new members have come from this attempt to gain new members. Al members at large in the state have been contacted offering the opportunity to have the member rejoin a detachment. To date no MAL has chosen to re-join a detachment.

Department of has 14 detachments and according to the National roster of 2020, indicated 557 paid members and 81 unpaid, with 414 Life members. The 2019 roster indicated 561paid with 101 unpaid and 396 Life Members. Several Detachment reportedly are revoked by the IRS for 990 failures and several revoked by the state for failure to register as Not-for-Profits. Department Commandant and Paymaster notified of the failure to comply with required reporting concerns. Minnesota added one new detachment the Leathernecks # 1463

Department of Missouri has 21 detachments and the 2020 roster indicated 1,070 paid and 199 unpaid, the 2019 roster indicated a total of 1,094 paid and 217 unpaid with 695 Life members. 13 of 21 detachment are current with 990 filing 5 detachment are not listed as current with the Not- for-profit status and 3 were revoked by the State of Missouri for not filing. 9 of 21 detachments listed as filing their LMA. This may not be accurate as the status may not have been reported to Department. One new Detachment SSgt Eric Summers #1473, Poplar Bluff, MO chartered November 3, 2019.

North Dakota listed 4 detachments, 2020 Roster indicated a strength of 74 with 80 unpaid, 19 Life members. 2019 roster indicated 92 members and 60 unpaid with 16 Life members. Problems are being worked out due to a failure of the Department Commandant to follow the Bylaws of the Marine Corps League, causing four Department Officers to resign their positions. New officers have been elected and attempts to get all detachments current are underway.

Department of has 5 detachments, the 2020 roster listed a total of 227 members, 69 unpaid, 97 listed as Life Members. on the 12-31-2019 roster a total of 209 members with 73 unpaid, 91 Life members. No information received as to the status of the 990’s Not-for-Profit or LMA.

Department of has 8 detachments and listed on the 2020 roster as having a strength of 276 paid members, 42 members unpaid with 163 Life members. The 2019 roster listed 240 paid with 43 unpaid, 164 Life members. One new Detachment, Lewis And Clark Leathernecks #1475 chartered November 10, 2019.

The Midwest Division listed a total on the 2014 roster as having 4,191 paid members, 136 overdue and 1,935 Life members, however, listed on the National roster for the Midwest Division for the time periods, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012 also listed the Life member strength as 1,935 for each of those years. 2016 roster of 12-31-2016 listed the Division strength as 3,373 paid, 1,937 Life members and 617 as being overdue members.

• Comparison for the Midwest Division, time period 12-31-2018 through 01-13-2020:

PLM PAID TOTAL PAID UNPAID

• 2019 1,941 1,207 3,148 607 • 2020 1,964 1,153 3,117 582 +23 -54 -31 -25

134 Members at Large listed on the 04-13-2018 “MAL” roster for the Midwest Division.

The Midwest Division remains to have a large number of unpaid members, some of the problems occurred due to a failure to understand the partial membership payment time period, Members renewed and thought they were current when National received the renewal the amount was credited to an unpaid voucher making the member remain as overdue. Several members indicated they will not renew due to the continued confusion with renewing their memberships. The R/I entry has not worked as intended. The Midwest Division is waiting for the new National Database to come online. This should improve the accuracy of information and the ability to update and maintain an accurate record of members. Death of current members continues to outnumber the recruitment of new members; we must do better with recruitment of new members.

The Midwest Division is growing, the Departments of Missouri, Minnesota, and South Dakota grew by one new detachment each during 2019. To give a prospective new member the ability to contact a local detachment, the MWD requested updated contact and meeting information from Division Detachments and forwarded the information to National so they may update the contact information on the National Locator page. In checking the listed contact telephone number or contact person it was found that over three quarters were out of date for phone number and in a few cases the contact person was deceased. The contact information must list the member that will be available and able to answer the questions presented by the prospective member.

Respectively submitted,

Semper Fidelis,

Harvey L. Harris National Vice Commandant Midwest Division 149 SW Meadow LN Topeka, KS 66606-2235 785-640-6077

[email protected]

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