From the ACOA President

Welcome

Happy 2013 everyone!  Can you believe that this year is the 60th birthday for ACOA?  Wow, who knew we have been around that long?  The first ACOA by-laws were submitted and accepted by COA in 1953.  This just shows that ACOA continues to grow stronger and stronger throughout the years.  This can be seen by our 2012 COA membership drive.  ACOA earned the title of the ‘Best Net Overall Increase’ amongst all the COA branches.  Congratulations and please continue to recommend officers join this worthwhile organization.
 
ACOA hosts many wonderful events and one of our most well known is the Anchor and Caduceus Dinner.  The bar is set so high every year, but each dinner just gets better and better.  Thank you to all of the officers that attended the 2013 dinner.   It was a wonderful evening and I enjoyed meeting new officers and getting reacquainted with those officers I have not seen in a while.   We had great speakers that were informative, engaging and inspiring.  I kid you not - my husband was taking notes while RADM Giberson was speaking!!

During the dinner, I had the honor of presenting the 2012 Officer of the Year award to LCDR Zewditu Demissie.  LCDR Demissie is extremely deserving of the award and has done so much to support ACOA.  So, if you see her, please tell her thank you.  The Silent Auction was also a highlight of the dinner.  ACOA raised $1920 for the COF Dependent Scholarship Fund.  Thank you to the companies and officers that contributed to the successful Silent Auction.  I had a very happy husband this year because he finally won the flight lessons after loosing out last year.  Can you say competitive!?

Another exciting announcement at the dinner was the big reveal of our new ACOA logo.  The Logo Subcommittee worked very hard to bring the membership three different designs for you to vote on.  It seems as though the vote was popular because more people voted on the logo than we had vote on electing our most recent Executive Committee!!  Hmmm, might need to work on that for this fall.  I will put that on my list of things to do.
 
To top off the night, the DJ played music to get officers on the dance floor.  After a couple of missteps, I was finally able to get MOST of the moves to the line dances.  Let’s just say I had fun doing it and I am glad there is no photographic evidence of me attempting to dance.  I would like to thank all of the officers that were brave enough to get out on the dance floor with me!!  I must admit that I was sore for weeks after that energetic work out.  I look forward to seeing YOU on the dance floor next year.
 
ACOA has so many opportunities for you to volunteer this year.  Look to see which committee interests you and volunteer for an activity.  Before you know it, you might be volunteering for several committees like LCDR Demissie and then, who knows, you might win the 2013 Officer of the Year.  Come on, get involved!!

Until Next Time…

- LCDR Jamie Mutter              

Announcements

Please make sure you check back often for updates!!!!
  

• Give-a-Life Program

  The Atlanta Commissioned Officers Association proudly supports the "Give-a-Life" program. This Corps-wide campaign provides a life giving opportunity for everyone.

  The first ACOA event in support of the "Give-a-Life" program is encouraging Officers, family members and friends to make the commitment to be an organ donor by signing an organ donor card.

  Organ and tissue transplantation gives hope to thousands of people with organ failure, and changes the lives of many others. Possible donations include heart, lung, liver, kidneys, pancreas, small bowel, corneas, ligaments, and bone. The need continues to vastly outnumber supply. The latest statistics show there are 111,736 patients waiting for organ transplants (with many more needing tissue or corneal transplants). Over 60,000 of those patients are described as multi-cultural and 1,785 as pediatric patients. Over 28,663 transplants occurred in 2010. However, there were still over 111,000 people on waiting lists.

  As members of the world’s foremost public health institution, we are confident that many of you have already individually taken the steps needed to be a donor; however, there are undoubtedly many others who have not – usually for a reason as simple as an absence of opportunity. But the COA, ACOA, and partners would like to take this campaign a bit further. We recommend that every officer sign a donor card, as well as talk to his or her family members and neighbors, to recruit them to make a similar commitment.

  Where do you get a donor card? A card and a brief survey can be found at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/OperationGiveALife. The last page of the document has a printable version of a donor card that you and your friends and family can use. That same card can be copied and used in community-wide registration drives. The signed card should then be permanently carried in the donor’s wallet or purse.

  As an enthusiastic partner in the "Give-a-Life" campaign we thank you for your support and commitment to the first ACOA event of the "Give-a-Life" campaign, the organ donor card.

  Sincerely,

  LCDR Jamie Mutter
  ACOA President