MARINES;

Legal definitions of due diligence read something like "due diligence is a measure of prudence, activity, or assiduity, as is properly to be expected from, and ordinarily exercised by, a reasonable and prudent person under the particular circumstances; not measured by any absolute standard but depends on the relative facts of the special case." In other words, to a potential acquirer, due diligence means "making sure you get what you think you are paying for."

Why mention due diligence?  We are all volunteer Marines helping Marines in an orderly fashion, following specific rules. 

Here it is: you have taken on a position of responsibility, no one can fulfill that responsibility for you so if you are not up to the requirement for your particular position in the League, then give it to someone who wants to and cares enough to help.  Personally I am not a “Status Quo” commandant, I see the Department of California as the future National leaders and I am not satisfied that all our Detachments cannot commit to supporting this position.  We have several plans, some already in progress to give California Leaguers the opportunity to aire out any displeasure and suggest changes to help strengthen our position with National.

The most effective approach is to make sure every detachment has a representative on the national scene as a delegate at National Conventions. 

The BIG PLAN

Next year National Convention will be held in Boston, MA where we need to show our real strength.  To do this we propose to charter a bus to transport our total delegation.  One member from each detachment must be a paid registered delegate in attendance, in order to cast all delegate votes from each detachment.  I will expand this at Staff.

The delegates for National are determined on a 15/1 ratio, for every 15 paid voting detachment members the Detachment is allowed one voting delegate or alternate.

Each member of each detachment donate each meeting to a pool to be used to send one member from each detachment to the National Convention w/lodging and transportation paid by the pool collection department wide.  This will give us a 100% detachment representation at National. We plan to charter a bus and pick up, transport to Boston with stops along the way for R&R and return to original pick up points after the convention, this will be a traveling vacation/Convention plan.  Note the person completing the trip from each detachment will be the luck of the draw, only consistent contributors will be eligible.  The average Charter will seat 44 passengers.

Accomplishment of this plan will require due diligence on behalf of the leadership (movers and shakers) of each and every detachment.

Rationale:

Poor showing at National has never allowed the Department of California to exercise its full voting capacity nor near capacity and leadership potential.  It is imperative that we step forth and take our earned, not deserved, position of national leadership.  By virtue of our available Marine population demographics we can and shall be a major driving force in the Marine Corps League. We have constantly been bombarded by the fact that New York and Pennsylvania control National voting.  With the lack of attendance from California it is easy to see why.  We have a need to look at our locals and encourage them to attend local Detachment, Department, meetings, conferences and conventions.

Semper Fidelis

Robert W. (Bob) Sennett
Commandant
MCL, Department of California