It is indeed my pleasure to report on the ‘State of the Association’ as it reflects one of our finest and most progressive years since Hurricane Katrina.  I’d like to present this address in the order of a timeline so you may better visualize the significance of this years’ address.

March 2011:   

We set in motion a plan, prepared and managed by several of our members, to move WAVA into its new home at Jackson Barracks, with the support of the Active Battalion and MG Bennett Landreneau, the Adjutant General of the Louisiana National Guard.

We welcomed Fred Muhs as the new Editor of the newsletter.  And what a fine job he has done

April 2011:      

We moved to Jackson Barracks and conducted our first meeting in the WAVA Room.  It was quite an austere environment, but for the most part we knew instantly it was the right thing to do.

We organized our Planning Committee which replaced the old Building Committee.  Their number one responsibility was the establishment of requirements for the WAVA Room along with acquiring the funding required.  Additionally, the Planning Committee would be tasked with the management of the facility.

May 2011:       

We received our first furnishings, fixtures, and equipment for the WAVA Room.  There was no stopping us now.  We were well on our way to creating our new home.

We held our first Annual Spring Seafood Dinner Social.  It was a huge success.  We were host to more than 165 Guests, great food, and several new members.

We initiated our current recruiting drive.

We participated in the 1/141, Change of Command Ceremony from LTC Champagne to MAJ Finney at Jackson Barracks.

June / July 2011:   

We continued the improvements to the WAVA Room with additional furnishings and IT equipment, room dividers and new pictures and decorations.

September 2011:   

We held our first Annual BBQ Dinner.  It too, was a huge success.  Again we were host to more than 150 Guests, we picked up six new members, and we implemented our new Socials SOP.  The first of several to come, hopefully creating continuity to our social events.

October 2011:

We participated with the 1/141, Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony at Metairie Cemetery.

We participated in the 1/141, Annual Pass in Review at Jackson Barracks.

November 2011:    

We participated in the Change of Louisiana’s Adjutant General from MG Bennett Landreneau to BG Glenn Curtis at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana.

December 2011:    

At our Annual General Membership Meeting and BOD elections we bid a fond farewell to COL (Ret) Ed Benezech, Jr. after 46 years of continued service to our association and COL (Ret) Jordan Jones.  Both BOD members decided to step down at the end of their terms and we welcomed LT Anthony LaNasa and Fred Muhs as new members to the BOD.  We also acknowledged three members with our Member of the Year Award;Jay Castagnetta, Renda Besson and Joseph Whitman.

We completed the first DRAFT of the rewritten By-Laws.

In general the association has made significant progress over the past year in the area of recruiting new members.  We haven’t experienced a boom in membership of this magnitude since the ‘90s.  We replaced all of the Information Technology equipment (computer, all-in-one copier/printer/fax/scanner, and internet access) for the WAVA Room.  For the first time that I know of we have true property accountability in the form of a property book, and automated files [both historical and operating] which were all lost due to Hurricane Katrina.

We published SOPs insuring continuity from one event to another, and will continue with additional SOPs in the future.

We streamlined all of our meetings insuring more social time is built into our events as well as the time needed to conduct business, as needed.

Our relationship with the Active Battalion remains one of mutual respect and friendship and it is as great as ever as we’ve occupied our facility.  I’d like to, just one more time, thank them for all of the assistance provided since we’ve moved into THEIR building.

All of these accomplishments were not without our moments of loss.  This year the association has lost far too many long time members and supporters.

It has indeed been a banner year for WAVA and with your continued support 2012 will prove to be another great year for the Washington Artillery Veterans Association.

Try Us!

Ronald R. Besson

President, WAVA

rbesson527@bellsouth.net