Updated:
02/19/2008 02:48 PM
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HISTORY of the SONS |
The establishment of the Sons of The American Legion as a
non-political, non-sectarian civilian organization was
authorized by action of the 14th National Convention of The
American Legion in Portland, Oregon, September 12-15, 1932.
Back in 1939, the SAL was riding the crest and had a
numerical size of about seven percent as large as the parent
organization. The Sons organization seemed destined to
grow even larger, but looming on the horizon was World War
II. With the passing of time, thousands of young men
suddenly found themselves old enough to be in the Armed
Services.
Many of the Sons never returned from World War II and those
that did found that their service made them eligible to join
the ranks of The American Legion itself, which, in 1942
opened the door to returning World War II veterans.
Membership in the Sons of The American Legion dropped from a
high of 72,633 in 1939 to a low of 5,631 in 1953. Many
factors caused the lean years for the SAL program. The
former Sons, now veterans of World War II, had no children
in the immediate postwar years. Housing shortages...a
nation on the move...the G.I. Bill that sent thousands of
veterans back to school...and the Korean War that put
reservists back in uniform were some of the contributing
factors
However, by 1963, enrollment had climbed to nearly 17,000.
In noting this renewed growth, the National Executive
Committee, in regular meeting assembled in Indianapolis, IN
April 30 to May 1, 1964, passed Resolution 22, urging that
the SAL program "be encouraged and implemented by internal
promotion and increased public recognition through the
National Headquarters staff and the various Departments of
The American Legion." Approval was given for the Sons
to conduct their first National SAL Workshop during the
Legion's National Convention in Dallas, TX in 1964.
In noting the need for a small national body to give the SAL
program national direction and stimulation, the Legion's NEC
gave its approval to Resolution 60 at its May 8-9, 1969
meeting in St Louis, MO. Resolution 60 created a Sons
of The American Legion Committee, consisting of four members
and a chairman. Two of the members were from the ranks
of the SAL, while the chairman and the other two members
were American Legionnaires.
After conducting a long and detailed study of the over-all
organizational structure of the SAL, the Sons Committee
reported that there was a "definite need for a National Sons
of The American Legion Organization and the updating of the
National Constitution and By-Laws of the SAL, as approved by
the Legion's NEC back in May, 1933 and subsequently
amended."
The Legion's National Executive Committee at its May 3-4,
1972 meeting in Indianapolis gave its approval to Resolution
13, creating a National SAL organization under the full
supervision and control of the Legion's NEC, thus opening
the door for the Sons of The American Legion to hold their
first National Convention in Chicago, IL in August, 1972.
Resolution 13 also rescinded in its entirety the old SAL
Constitution and By-Laws, as adopted back in 1933.
The American Legion's National Executive Committee at its
spring meeting on May 2, 1973 gave approval to Resolution 21
origination from the Legion's Internal Affairs Commission.
The Resolution established a procedure for handling matters
originating from SAL National Conventions and SAL National
Executive Committee meetings. All actions of the Sons
of The American Legion National Convention and/or NEC are
reviewed by the Legion's Internal Affairs Commission.
The Internal Affairs Commission then affixes to its report
to the Legion's NEC an addendum in digest form listing all
such actions together with a statement setting forth the
Internal Affairs Commission's disposition of each action.
Unless specific contrary action is taken by the Legion's NEC
with respect to the addendum items, the disposition
recommended by The American Legion's Internal Affairs
Commission becomes the disposition of the NEC.
At its fall meeting in Indianapolis on October 17-18, 1973,
the Legion gave its approval to Resolution 15, abolishing
the National SAL Committee created by Resolution 60 by the
Legion's NEC in 1969. Residual responsibilities of the
National SAL Committee are now assigned to the Legion's
National Internal Affairs Commission. |
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