South Shore Chapter

Last updated 12/4/2024
Address PO Box 215
City, State, Zip Weymouth, MA 02188-0005
Meeting Time 2nd Wednesday, dinner or as adjusted to accommodate speakers and activities
Meeting Place Fox & Hound, Quincy, other locations and Zoom
Council Website None
Basic information
Address PO Box 215
City, State, Zip Weymouth, MA 02188-0005
Meeting Time 2nd Wednesday, dinner or as adjusted to accommodate speakers and activities
Meeting Place Fox & Hound, Quincy, other locations and Zoom
Council Website None
Information President Membership Chair Webmaster
Name Robert Notch Peter Rapelye John Richard Power Jr.
Rank COL CPT COL
Service USA USA USA
Component USA USA USA
Retirement Status RET RET
Phone Number (502) 718-2380 (609)865-7432 (508) 660-1793
Email Address bobnotch@gmail.com pyrapelye@gmail.com powerplans@verizon.net
President
Name Robert Notch
Rank COL
Service USA
Component USA
Retirement Status RET
Phone Number (502) 718-2380
Email Address bobnotch@gmail.com
Chairman
Name Peter Rapelye
Rank CPT
Service USA
Component USA
Retirement Status
Phone Number (609)865-7432
Email Address pyrapelye@gmail.com
Webmaster
Name John Richard Power Jr.
Rank COL
Service USA
Component USA
Retirement Status RET
Phone Number (508) 660-1793
Email Address powerplans@verizon.net

Mission

The mission of the South Shore Chapter is to support the members of the uniformed services, currently serving and retired, and the veteran community. We provide support for service families and survivors, as well as supporting local veterans initiatives. We devote time at our meetings to stay informed about military and veterans organizations and activities so that we can support at both the state and federal levels. We also support the ROTC program at Northeastern University and the JrROTC programs at Taunton, Brockton and North Quincy high schools. Because Massachusetts is not the home of many active military organizations, our chapter is important for keeping awareness of the contribution of uniformed service members and veterans in front of the public.

Information on Joining the Chapter

Our chapter welcomes new members to our activities. Any person who has served as a commissioned or warrant officer in any of the uniformed components - Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, Coast Guard, Public Health Service or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is eligible for membership as well as any surviving spouse of an eligible member. The modest $25 dues for a calendar year cover the costs for chapter administration and ROTC and JROTC awards. The membership director is Peter Rapelye. He can be reached via email at pyrapelye@gmail.com. Auxiliary members (surviving spouses of members or officers eligible for membership) pay an even more modest $15 a year. Our auxiliary members are valued participants and we strongly encourage their continuance as part of their service. Wives of members are also valued participants and have often served as board members and officers. Come and join us at one of our monthly meetings!

Chapter Activities

Our meetings rotate between in-person and virtual meetings that focus on camraderie and a relevant speaker. They last about an hour. Our focus is current military affairs, benefits for retirees and veterans, programs to support those communities, and history of military operations and people. Chapter members volunteer to support community events such as Our Community Salutes of MA and Wreaths Across America. Four ROTC programs are supported with awards and monetary gifts. They are Jr ROTC programs at Taunton, Brockton and North Quincy High Schools and one senior ROTC program based at Northeastern University that serves NU, Boston College, Wentworth Institute, Suffolk University and other area colleges. We meet monthly on the 2d Wednesday at 5:00 PM. Eligible members are welcome to join us

Legislative Issues

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has perhaps the most robust set of laws in the nation in support of the military and veterans. That is due, in a large part, to the work of the Military Coalition in MA of which MOAA chapters and the State Council of Chapters plays an active role. We participate in having an active voice on Beacon Hill in all military and veteran related matters. We generally work to preserve the benefits available to military families and veterans.

General Information

South Shore Chapter meetings held the second Wednesday of every month. We currently alternate between virtual and in-person meetings. All members are invited via a monthly newsletter sent by email. One can participate in Zoom meetings from anywhere with Internet access and there is no charge. Connection links are sent via email. We move our in-person meetings to different locations to ease the travel burden equitably. Please join us at a meeting to try us out! We welcome new members and reach out to make it an enjoyable time for all. There is plenty of opportunity to speak out regarding matters of importance to you and we attempt to bring speakers that are meaningful to all our members. And sometimes we just have a good time!

About Our Chapter

The South Shore Chapter was founded over 45 years ago and has met in the Weymouth area since its formation. In 2023, the Chapter's geographical region extended to include Cape Cod. With this expansion, in-person meetings have shifted to a more central location near Duxbury and PLymouth. Since the COVID 19 pandemic we have met virtually and now provide a mix of meeting types. We enjoy a social period as we log in (BYOB), and a speaker . The chapter has about 25 members including currently serving officers, mostly from reserve components, retired officers and surviving spouses. At a typical meeting we will have 10+/- people attending. The chapter publishes a monthly email newsletter that announces the next meeting and provides for reservations, summarizes the past meeting and makes announcements. This is the primary means members are notified about meetings and receive other news of chapter importance.