What I'd Like to See at Grand Rapids...

I hope that our area is unique in this respect, but we have had a small group of posers enter our ranks as regular MCL members and they have brought along their friends. Unfortunately, these individuals have assisted each other in attaining some of the highest ranks in both the department and the MODD. To say that this situation is costing the MCL members (both active and potential) would be an understatement. What I would like to see changed at the national level, would be a modification of the by-laws which would require any detachment, regional or department officer (whether newly elected or re-elected or appointed) to forward a verifiable copy of their qualifying 214 to national for evaluation before they assume office (this change would not apply to those who have already done so). Clarifying the rules to only allow full memberships to those who have earned their EGA's has been well received but it doesn't address the problem of those who have Bravo Sierraed their way into leadership positions. The fact that properly qualified members will cover for these characters is difficult for me to comprehend.

I'd like to chat more about this with you, but I'm getting ready to leave for the Marine Corps League's Northeast Division Conference.
But....just to let you know, I haven't come across anyone who's on the National level that would be a poser.....they are ALL true Marines!

Re-read the thread. Nowhere does it state that there are any posers at the national level.

My point remains this: I doubt that it has ever been the MCL's intention to elevate those who never earned their EGA's to positions of authority over those who have. This has led to a situation locally in which a badly disabled Vietnam Marine was slandered, illegally suspended and otherwise shamefully treated by a league officer who simply never made the grade as a Marine or Corpsman. Therefore, I would like to apply the league's clarified requirements for full membership to all officers at the local, department, and regional levels. By doing this, we will hopefully be able to prevent the type of situation we have here. Again, I can only say that I hope ours is an aberration but if it can happen here, it can happen elsewhere.

My bad, I misunderstood you.
Hopefully, you can get a delegation to go to the National Convention in Grand Rapids in August and you can bring this issue up on the floor.

No problem, I tend to be a bit wordy. Due to a variety of factors, we have a high percentage of retired Marines in our area and the vast majority avoid the league due to the issue I described, but this didn't prevent us from forming an informal social network. It disappoints me that some of the most productive members of other local veterans organizations should instead, be serving the league. I am convinced that MCL recruitment would be a lot easier if we were able to improve the league's image locally. We do have a growing number of M-A-L's and it would be most likely these who would attend.