Commandant Search Meeting

Please join this Zoom meeting to discuss the upcoming election of Department officers and the future of the Department Commandant position.

Current Status
• The positions of Senior Vice Commandant, Judge Advocate, and Adjutant/Paymaster are tentatively filled, pending the Commandant’s election.
• My current term as Department Commandant is one two-year term, which concludes at the Q2 2026 Department Meeting, per the bylaws.
• While I am open to a second term, I believe the role must have clear purpose, shared responsibility, and defined support.

Purpose of the Meeting
This meeting will focus on:
• Clarifying the expectations and responsibilities of the Department Commandant.
• Defining how the membership and Department officers support that role.
• Discussing officer progression and sustainability to prevent burnout and ensure continuity.
• Identifying actionable steps to improve support to all detachments.

Key Discussion Points
Please consider the following prior to the meeting:
• The Commandant role should not be filled simply by availability; it requires commitment and capacity.
• The Commandant should be able to attend at least two meetings at each detachment.
• Department officers should not hold conflicting detachment leadership roles (e.g., Detachment Commandant or Paymaster) to avoid divided focus and burnout.
• There should be a planned officer progression (Jr Vice → Sr Vice → Commandant) to sustain leadership continuity.
• If the Commandant position is unfilled, National will assume oversight, which may create additional challenges.
• Department leadership should be distributed across detachments. Currently, multiple officers come from the same detachment, which can negatively impact that unit.
• Ideally, each detachment provides at least one Department officer.
• While I appreciate the positive feedback I’ve received, I recognize that not all detachments have received the level of support they deserve.

Desired Outcomes
By the end of this meeting, we aim to:
• Establish clear expectations for the Department Commandant role.
• Agree on how the Department and detachments will support that role.
• Identify a sustainable leadership structure and officer progression plan.
• Determine next steps for the upcoming election cycle.

I look forward to an open and productive discussion on what the membership expects from the Department Commandant—and how future leadership can best support the needs of all detachments.

For the Zoom information, please contact Cody Dumont at mcl_cody_dumont@melcara.com