President’s Welcome
Welcome to the Military Officers Association of Sarasota website. As you explore the pages, you will learn about the varied activities of the Association. With over 500 members, the MOAS is one of the largest, and most active, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) chapters in Florida. The Chapter is a MOAA 5 star chapter and its newsletter, The Sarasota Breeze, is consistently recognized as one of the best in the country. MOAS began as the Retired Officers Club of Sarasota in 1953. Affectionately known as ROCS, the Club changed its name to the Military Officers Association of Sarasota, Inc. in 2003 when The Retired Officers Association (TROA) changed its name to MOAA. MOAS actually represents who we are better than ROCS, as we have had former officers on our rolls for many years.
As you will glean from these pages, we meet at Michaels On East for lunch on the third Friday of each month, except December, when we hold our Military Gala. Luncheon programs run the gamut, including military oriented speakers, city and county officials, representatives of local organizations (e.g., Mote Marine Laboratory, Ringling School of Art and Design), health related programs, and entertainment programs (Sarasota Opera, Booker High School Visual and Performing Arts Center, etc.). In short, our monthly meetings provide something for everyone. You will be in good company, as attendance ranges from a high of 200 (when our "snowbirds" are here) to 100 during the low summer months. Not a luncheon person, then the YAHOOs will surely have something for you. The Young at Heart Officer Organization holds a wide variety of events. Whether it’s a Super Bowl or St. Patrick’s Day party, a kayaking trip, or a day at the Polo Matches, I am sure that you will find something of interest.
The MOAS is far more that a social club, although fostering camaraderie is certainly a major objective of the MOAS. We are active in local veterans’ activities, keeping our members up-to-date on legislative initiatives at both the state and national level. We are a member of the Sarasota County Veterans Commission and one of our members currently serves as the SCVC president. We participate fully in the Florida Council of Chapters of MOAA, and hosted the 2003 state convention. One of our recent presidents is currently the President of the FCOC and other chapter members have served in state positions as well. We look forward to hosting another state convention in the future.
Perhaps the most gratifying work of MOAS is the outreach work done through the Sarasota Military Officers Scholarship Fund, Inc. (SMOSF), a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. We grant $1,500.00 scholarships to the top applicants in each of the four Junior ROTC programs we support, provide a $1,500.00 merit scholarship available to any graduating senior in the greater Sarasota area schools (must be recommended by an MOAS member), support the Junior ROTC programs by funding special requests submitted by the schools, and support the county-wide High School Academic Olympics Program. For the past several years we have run a highly successful Support Our Troops program, and will continue the program as long as there is a need for it.
More information is available throughout the website. I encourage you to take a look at The Sarasota Breeze, where you will find specific information about current activities. Feel free to call me at (941) 927-0996 if you cannot find what you are looking for, or just to say hello and learn more about the Military Officers Association of Sarasota.