March 14, 2008
Happy Easter, Navy Leaguers! Next week, we host the Sea-Air-Space Exposition, the premier Maritime Exhibition in the world! As a Navy League member, you can attend at no charge. We hope to see many of you there.
If you have questions or comments about the following information, please contact the Member Service Center at service@navyleague.org or 800.356.5760. Thanks! Bill Waylett
Featured Sections:
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Sea-Air-Space Expo begins next week
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May Board of Directors' Meeting
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Voting Assistance for Citizens Living Overseas
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IRS Form 990N Now Available
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Public Relations
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Membership
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Development
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Legislative Affairs
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Announcements
1. Sea-Air-Space Exposition Begins Next Week
The Navy League hosts the largest Maritime Exhibition in the world, the Sea-Air-Space Exposition. This event has been held for over 50 years! This year, we are at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, in Washington, DC, from March 18-20, 2008. Featured speakers include:
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The Honorable Ike Skelton, Chairman, House Armed Services Committee
(March 18 Luncheon) -
The Honorable Gordon England, Deputy Secretary of Defense
(March 19 Luncheon) -
Admiral William J. Fallon, USN, Commander, US Central Command
(March 19 Dinner) -
The Honorable Donald C. Winter, Secretary of the Navy
(March 20 Luncheon) -
Admiral Thad W. Allen, USCG, Commandant of the Coast Guard
Seapower & Security Seminar (March 18 - 10 a.m.) -
General Robert Magnus, USMC, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps
Seapower & Security Seminar (March 18 - 10 am) -
Admiral Gary Roughead, USN, Chief of Naval Operations
Seapower & Security Seminar (March 18 - 10 am) -
The Honorable Sean Connaughton, Maritime Administrator
Seapower & Security Seminar (March 18 - 10 am)
A complete list of speakers and the entire SAS Program can be found here.
2. May Board of Directors’ Meeting
In accordance with action taken by the Board of Directors in November 2007, National President Mike McGrath has announced that a second meeting of the Board of Directors’ has been scheduled this year for May 22-24 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. Given the strong sentiment expressed by the Directors to return to two meetings annually, the President is counting on your attendance at this meeting. Additionally, all Directors are reminded that they must not miss two consecutive meetings to be eligible for reelection. Make plans now to attend this meeting. Online registration is now available on the BOD Meeting website. Additionally, details on the meeting, as well as the necessary registration and hotel reservation forms, were published in the March issue of Seapower magazine.
3. Voting Assistance for Citizens Living Overseas
The Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act ("UOCAVA") was enacted by Congress in 1986. The UOCAVA requires that the states and territories allow certain groups of citizens to register and vote absentee in elections for Federal offices. In addition, most states and territories have their own laws allowing citizens covered by the UOCAVA to register and vote absentee in state and local elections as well. The Overseas Vote Foundation, or OVF, is the sole 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to assisting the UOCAVA community, both military and civilian, in registering to vote and in receiving the requested ballot. Overseas voters can register to vote through the on line registration system which can be accessed on the OVF website. Voters can also download a substitute ballot in October if they haven't received their ballot from the local office.
4. IRS Form 990N Now Available
The IRS has announced the e-Postcard Form 990N is now available. The following information is required to file your e-Postcard for your council (Due date is May 15, 2008):
Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Tax year ending date
Legal name and mailing address
Other names the council is known by (DBAs)
Name and address of principal officer
Website address for the council (if available)
The following steps must be followed:
1. Go to the IRS Exempt Organization Index page.
2. Select the “Annual Electronic Filing Requirement for Small Exempt Organizations – Form 990-N (e-Postcard)” link.
3. In the “How to File” BOX, click the “here” link.
4. The filing system is being managed by a third-party vendor, the Urban Institute; when prompted, select “Leave IRS Site” to go to the landing page for the e-Postcard site.
5. Register a Login ID and create a password (Step 1) as either an Exempt Organization (NLUS council) or a Preparer at http://epostcard.form990.org; the ID will be sent to the registered email address.
6. Login to the “Step 2: Create your Form 990-N (e-Postcard)” using your Login ID and password.
7. Complete the two-page e-Postcard form; help screens are available for each line entry.
8. When the form is complete, click the “Submit Filing to IRS” button at the bottom left of the page.
9. You’re done!
5. Public Relations
Mackie Awards
This is a reminder that there is still time to submit your newsletters and websites for the Mackie Awards. The deadline is March 31. Visit the Navy League website for awards criteria and submission instructions. For more information, contact Janet Mescus, Sr. Dir. of Communications, at 703-312-1557 or jmescus@navyleague.org.
We have received Mackie Awards submissions (in the newsletter category) from the following councils:
| Atlanta Metropolitan | Oak Harbor |
Bakersfield |
Pacific Merchant Marine |
Cape Canaveral |
Sacramento |
Coastal Carolina |
San Diego |
Lake Washington |
St. Augustine |
Massachusetts Bay |
|
We have received a Mackie Awards submission (in the website category) from the St. Augustine Council. Thank you!
Public Relations Recognition Program Awards
PR Recognition Program Awards submissions are due to National Headquarters (Attn: Public Relations) no later than March 31. The PR Recognition form is available on the website.
We have received a PR Recognition Program Awards submission from the Atlanta Metropolitan Council. Thank you!
Sea Services Awards
The Navy League annually recognizes active duty and civilian members of the sea services at its National Convention. Nominations for Sea Services Awards are due by March 31. For details regarding these awards, please click here.
6. Membership
Life Member Escrow checks have been mailed to councils and 2007 Fourth Quarter rebate checks are now on their way. Since this is the first time we have run the reports through the new database system, we are asking that Council representatives take the time to carefully review your checks and rosters to ensure that you received the correct amount ($5 for each Life Member). There seems to be some confusion about who is eligible for rebates and Life Member escrow payments, so here are some guidelines:
- As specified by Board action and spelled out in the Ops Manual, Councils will only receive a Life Escrow payment for those individuals who became Life Members after April 1984.
- If your council had less than 25 members, you will not receive rebates or Life Escrow payments.
- If we did not receive your 2006 Annual Report by December 31, 2007, your council is not eligible to receive rebates or Life Escrow Payments for 2007.
- If you haven’t done so already, you need to get your 2007 Annual Report to us no later than March 31, 2008 to be eligible for First Quarter rebates. You can still submit a 2007 Annual Report AFTER that date to be eligible for subsequent quarterly rebates and Life Member escrow payments at the end of the year.
- If you are not receiving quarterly rebate checks, that’s a good indication we don’t have your Annual Report. We will also continue to provide Area and Region Presidents with periodic updates on the Councils that have (or have not) submitted one.
- Be sure to keep a copy of your annual report. Reports that don’t reach headquarters for some reason must be resubmitted.
If you find a discrepancy, send an email to David Smith (dsmith@navyleague.org) with the name and ID number of the person you feel has been incorrectly excluded. We will research and correct the record, if necessary, or let you know what we found. Anytime an error is identified in the favor of the council, a check will be issued to correct the mistake.
7. Development
Please check your mail in the coming days for a letter from Joe Donnell, National Vice President for Development. His message emphasizes that now, more than ever, we must invest in building up a stronger maritime force and communicate the Navy League’s commitment to educating our fellow citizens and policy makers on this critical issue. We need your financial support to allow us to continue to advocate maintaining a superior Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and U.S.-flag Merchant Marine. Thank you for considering making a tax-deductible donation – of any amount – to the Navy League. Your generosity is very much appreciated.
8. Legislative Affairs
Teleconference Training
The previously announced Grassroots Legislative Initiative training session by teleconference was arranged for the Southern Region to allow their Council VPs for Legislative Affairs to get started on making their calls before the Region Meeting in July. An incorrect teleconference number was published in the last Council Alert. We apologize for the error. Because most Region Presidents (RPs) are planning to provide this training at their region meetings in the next 3-4 months, please contact your Region VP for Legislative Affairs (RVP LA) if you need to conference into the March 19th session. Your RVP LA (or Region President if there is no RVP LA in your region) will provide the materials, teleconference number and password if he/she is persuaded that you need the training before your region meeting. This workshop will focus only on Presentation One (shipbuilding).
Region VPs for LA are:
Region |
Region VP for LA |
Telephone |
|
Empire |
Bill Evanzia |
516-333-5879 |
|
Florida |
Dave Sullivan |
386-447-4714 |
|
Great Lakes |
Bobby Ferguson |
847-844-9025 |
|
Liberty |
Bill Keller (RP) |
216-226-4456 |
|
Lone Star |
Jack Ritter |
512-454-4233 |
|
Mid-Atlantic |
Jim Offutt (RP) |
703-691-4894 |
|
Midwest |
Norm Besheer (RP) |
816-941-2370 |
|
New England |
Mike Slein |
401-847-7201 |
|
Northwest |
Carol Meteney |
360-876-5744 |
|
Pacific |
Nora Feuerstein |
808-596-2448 |
|
Pacific Central |
Don Hale (RP) |
408-997-3282 |
|
Pacific Southwest |
Dan Dufresne |
858-740-8181 |
|
Rocky Mountain |
Dan Branch |
303-499-0337 |
|
South Atlantic Coast |
Don Giles |
770-509-3772 |
|
Southern |
Tom McGuire |
601-693-9292 |
9. Announcements
1. Council Education Theme for March
Spring is a good time for councils to participate in community-sponsored events to promote the Navy League. Booth displays are available for council use by contacting T.J. Morgan in Membership Services at 1-800-356-5760 ext. 1573. Supply is limited and usage is “first come, first served.”
2. IRS Form 990 (long form)
The IRS has announced a revised Form 990. Non-profit organizations with more then $100,000 annual gross receipts file form 990. You may review the revised form here. The revised form will be used for Tax Year 2008, which will be filed in 2009.
Member Services
service@navyleague.org
www.navyleague.org