Click here to view or print the PDF version of this newsletter. |
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The Council is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt global nonprofit organization established in the state of Colorado. |
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Welcome. We are excited to publish our first of many newsletters, offering Council for Military Spouse Club updates and helpful information in support of our mission to educate, train, and provide resources for military spouse clubs (MSCs) and their members so they can thrive.
The Council became a 501(c)3 nonprofit in February 2021 with just three founding board members, and now, we're a robust board of 25 military spouse subject-matter experts.
Our board members represent every branch of service, have military spouse experience ranging from 5-33 years, and live all over the world – 10 states and Guam, Japan, Germany, and Italy. The majority of our board members have received high-level volunteer awards as well as hold advanced degrees and/or certifications. We are truly a group of subject matter experts helping military spouse club leaders help their military spouses.
This past year, the Council worked to develop a strategic plan and content, launch membership to MSCs, and develop ways to engage and meet the needs of our members all over the world. We are working to address current issues in MSCs such as board and membership recruitment and diversification, understanding tax-exempt status requirements, and updating governing documents and procedures — just to name a few. We launched webinars on our website and soon will be hosting live virtual collaboration opportunities to elevate issues and develop a supportive global network.
In May, we’ve had in-person opportunities to present important topics to Military Spouse leaders. Co-Founder and Chief Diversity Equity & Inclusion Officer Julie Taufa’asau, Director Diversity & Belonging Vinny Toth and Director of Diversity - Nominations Teyaka Booker offered a thought-provoking talk on incorporating Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, & Belonging into MSCs at the Americans Working Across the Globe (AWAG) Leadership Conference in Germany. |
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Chief Executive Officer Carolyn Crissman and Chief Operating Officer Tracy Steele opened minds on strategic volunteering opportunities within every MSC at the Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year Week in Washington DC.
With May being a month of recognizing the Military Spouse, the Council celebrated the roughly 2,800 military spouses within our initial membership recruitment and all that they do for their communities. With the potential for Council membership to grow to over 400 MSCs, thrift shops, and gift shops worldwide reaching over 48,000+ military spouses, we aim to facilitate collaboration within this fierce community. We are proud to be a part of this network and honor this resilient community of military spouses.
We look forward to a productive summer working on behalf of spouses everywhere. |
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A meeting with the Council Board of Directors, above, and Chief Operating Officer Tracy Steele (left) and Chief Executive Officer Carolyn Crissman (right), below, at the Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year Week. |
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Launching membership in October, the Council has 20 member clubs |
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Get tips on how to wrap up the Club year and make the transition easy for the incoming and outgoing board members |
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The Council launches its Membership Portal, Glue Up, and a Facebook discussion group |
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| The Council Celebrates 20 Member Clubs |
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Since opening membership on October 21, 2021, the Council for Military Spouse Club has expanded to 20 member clubs as of June 2022, with others completing their application as the year wraps-up for many organizations.
“We’re excited to open membership to military spouse clubs across the globe,” Co-Founder, and previous Chief Executive Officer, and Chair Bobbie Collins said in October. “It’s a substantial first step towards gathering data and sharing resources about how military spouse clubs can be even more effective and efficient vehicles in military spouse support systems. I have yet to talk with a military spouse club leader who thought their club was perfect and didn’t need improvement."
"Compiling a board of directors full of subject matter experts who will vet and attest to best practices is a resource not found elsewhere. We are also excited to grow our membership and establish a use case for membership benefits which can be negotiated on an international level as opposed to one-off agreements with any given club.”
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***GOLD FOUNDING MEMBERS: *BRONZE FOUNDING MEMBERS: - Bavaria Community and Spouses' Club
- Pearl Harbor Submarine Officer's Spouse's Association
Members in order of application: - Fort Riley Spouses Club
- Team Seymour Spouses Club
- Ramstein Enlisted Spouses' Association
- Community Spouses' Club of Fort Benning
- Academy Spouses' Club
- Stuttgart Community Spouses' Club
- Pearl Harbor Officer Spouses Club
- Officer Spouses Club of Whidbey Island
- Daegu Civilian & Spouses Club
- Ramstein Officers' Spouses' Club
- Fort McCoy Spouse Club
- Sheppard Spouses' Club
- Fort Lee Area Spouses’ Club
- Kaiserslautern Landstuhl Spouses Association
- Fort Meade Spouses' Club
- Eielson Spouses' Club
- Offutt Enlisted Spouses Club
List as of May 31, 2022 |
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| Key Ways to Transition Club Success from 2021-22 to 2022-23 |
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- Record accomplishments and impact using the Council for Military Spouse Clubs Impact Statement Template. Provide these updated bullets to outgoing officers and chairs, and other volunteers, so everyone has specific and consistent data to help them professionalize their volunteer experience.
- Make introductions to key contacts. If your organization has standing relationships, have outgoing officers make introductions to the next leaders to help continuity. Relationships may be within the military community or external, like the manager of a donating company or a volunteer coordinator at a non-profit.
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- Compile and update account lists and passwords. Throughout the year, new accounts may have been created for online services, so make sure all the usernames and passwords are compiled in a safe location accessible to those designated for this information. If there are phone numbers and email addresses connected to those accounts, ensure those are also recorded and accessible to the incoming leadership. Double-check previously existing accounts to make sure that the username and passwords work.
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| How to Record Your Annual Results |
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Adapt our Annual Impact Statement to your organization, then track your data year to year. This will also help volunteers professionalize their MSC experience, which is important to those leaders using volunteer experience on their resumes. |
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| Board Spotlight: Vincent Toth |
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"There are two things that I advocate for within the military community," he said. "First, I always advocate for diversity, inclusion, and belonging within the military community. It is important that we are meeting people from all walks of life and giving the same opportunity. Having spouse groups that are more diverse help with the growth and inclusion." |
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"The second portion ties back to the first thing and that is the inclusion of the male spouse! We are so often forgotten about and I make sure that this is something I speak out about. This has always been something I advocate for and when I hear gender-centric verbiage I ensure I say something so everyone is feeling included."
Vinny is the current Operations Manager of the Marine Gift Shop in Okinawa, Japan. Prior to that role, he served as the Merchandise Manager for the store and held many other retail and sales roles.
Originally from Las Vegas, Vinny is currently virtually studying Business Administration at the University of Maryland.
To learn more about him, watch this video from the AFI Military Spouse of the Year program. |
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| Have Pride with inclusive language and practices |
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June is Pride Month.
As many celebrate across the globe, the Council encourages clubs to look for opportunities to make all spouses feel welcome in a MSC, regardless of their sexual orientation or their gender identity.
A great way to do this is to take a look at board documents, marketing, and events and ensure they all use or have inclusive language and practices. The Library of Congress's page on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month is a valuable resource providing information which can help equip individuals and organizations make their clubs even more inclusive and welcoming. |
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Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. Also called Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, this day is a time to focus on education and reflection on the path to emancipation and the steps that are still needed to achieve equality.
Juneteenth became recognized as a federal holiday in 2021. This year because June 19 falls on a Sunday, it will be observed on Monday, June 20, 2022.
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Celebrated on June 14, Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States on June 14, 1777, by resolution of the Second Continental Congress. Your organization can celebrate with this social media template. |
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| Don't Forget Father's Day |
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In the United States, Father's Day was founded by Sonora Smart Dodd and was celebrated on the third Sunday of June for the first time in 1910.
This year, it's on Sunday, June 19.
Happy Father's Day to those celebrating. |
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| New Membership Portal Opens |
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This month, the Council will begin inviting clubs to collaborate within a new membership portal hosted on the Glue Up platform. Glue Up is a membership and association management service, which provides a number of ways to collaborate with the Council and other military spouse clubs on key topics.
You/your club can subscribe to your preferred topics to get information delivered to your mailbox or login to the portal to ask questions, collaborate with others, or access member resources.
Member Clubs received their invitations to add members to the portal beginning June 6. Let us know if you do not receive your invitation. |
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| Connect with the Council on Facebook and LinkedIn |
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In June, the Council launched the Facebook group and opened it to all MSC leaders and volunteers with the goal of open discussion and collaboration. |
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| Tips to Make Social Content More Inclusive |
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- Make text accessible. Write clear and concise copy and define all acronyms. If putting text in graphics, also put the text in captions so those using screen readers – like visually impaired or spouses for whom English is a second language – can still benefit from the post. Use features like alt text, image descriptions and captions too.
- Be intentional with images. When selecting images to share, be purposeful about what you portray. For example, to convey inclusivity, select images that represent more than one gender, one race, or one family structure.
- Celebrate all cultures. As a celebration of all members of your community, commemorate heritage months and identity recognition days. (Here's a website to learn about specific heritage and history months.) Recognize important holidays and observances across the many religions and faiths in our country. Finally, find ways to celebrate cultures specific to your location.
Is there a unique way that your Club helps promote diversity, inclusion or belonging on social media? Share it in our Facebook discussion group, open to all spouses in a military spouse club. |
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| Club Spotlight: Fort Riley Spouses Club |
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In November 2021, the Council For Military Spouse Clubs welcomed Fort Riley Spouses Club as the first official member of the Council.
Founded as the OWC in 1953, the Kansas-based FRSC is a private, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization approved for operation on Fort Riley under Army Regulation 210-22.
Their goal is to be the premier social, philanthropic and mentoring organization in the area. They serve the military community by raising money to support local military programs while offering quality education and social opportunities for members. |
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In the year ending May 2022, the FRSC awarded over $45,000 in scholarships and grants with over 5,680 volunteer hours spread across board members and volunteers.
The FRSC partnered with the Geary County Food Bank in a new program called "Caring Baskets" to provide emergency relief and help combat food insecurity. Their Community Outreach included over 75 unique community contacts in service to connect and strengthen their community.
Congratulations on a great year, FRSC! |
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| How to Join the Council For Military Spouse Clubs |
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It is now easier than ever to join the Council for Military Spouse Clubs. Our improved membership application takes just 3-5 minutes for organizations to complete.
Membership, open to U.S. military spouse clubs operating worldwide, is free but donations are appreciated and accepted. |
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| Meet the Council's Senior Staff |
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The Council for Military Spouse Clubs' leadership team includes 10 Officers who run departments in collaboration with other directors. For a full list of Council leaders, and to read their bios, click here. |
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| Four Things To Do Before the Club Year Begins |
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Before our next issue, here are four things to put on your "to-do list". - Recognize your volunteers in all areas of the spouse club. There's no need for large gifts, a handwritten note can be well received.
- Make sure your departing board members fill out their After Action Reviews or other reports so their feedback can be taken into consideration.
- Set your new board up for success by holding an ice breaker with the new team so everyone gets to know each other.
- Share expectations upfront. Before the year begins, make sure your new board knows what is required for the board year including expectations for attendance and reports.
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Thank you for reading our first newsletter. If you have an idea for a future issue, or would like to contribute on behalf of your club, please email contact@councilformsc.org. |
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