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SQUADRON
OFFICERS
Commander - Mark Cox,
464-2895
Adjutant - Bill Van Meter,
527-1323
1 st Vice - Jay
Riviere
2 nd Vice -
Jerry Livingston, 527-1323
Finance - Bill Van Meter,
527-1323
Sgt. at Arms - Tom Catania
Judge Advocate - Josh Wooten
Historian - Open
Chaplain - Bill Grant,
563-3225
Liaison - Frank Heather,
563-0383
Past Commander - Pete
Shaffer
Preamble
to the S.A.L. National Constitution
Proud
possessors of a priceless heritage, we male descendants of veterans
of the Great Wars, associate ourselves together as "Sons of The
American Legion" for the following purposes:
To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of
America; to maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate a true
spirit of Americanism; to preserve the memories of our former
members and the associations of our members and our forefathers in
the Great Wars; to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the
community, state and nation; to combat the autocracy of both the
classes and masses; to make right the master of might; to promote
peace and good will on earth; to safeguard and transmit to posterity
the principles of justice, freedom and democracy; to consecrate and
sanctify our friendship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness; to
adopt in letter and spirit all of the great principles for which The
American Legion stands; and to assist in carrying on for God and
Country.
The Sons of The American Legion was
created in 1932 as an organization within The
American Legion. The S.A.L. is made up of boys and
men of all ages whose parents or grandparents served in the United
States military and became eligible for membership in The American
Legion. Together, members of The American Legion, The American Legion Auxiliary and the
Sons of The American Legion make up what is known as The Legion
Family.
All three organizations place high importance on
preserving our American traditions and values, improving the quality
of life for our nation's children, caring for veterans and their
families, and perhaps most importantly, teaching the fundamentals of
good citizenship. Sons have always assisted Legionnaires with
Legion Family programs. Our Family boasts a combined total
membership of nearly 4.2 million members. This year, Sons
attained an all time high national membership of over 315,000. The
largest Detachment, Pennsylvania, has over 38,000 members. Trophies
and awards are given to Detachments and Squadrons for the largest
membership and the largest increase in membership.
Just as each Legion post determines the extent of its service to
the community, state, and nation, each S.A.L. squadron is permitted
flexibility in planning programs and activities to meet its own
needs. The S.A.L. has study programs recommended for younger
members. One such program, called "The Ten Ideals," teaches
the elements of patriotism, health, knowledge, training, honor,
faith, helpfulness, courtesy, reverence, and comradeship. If a
member completes the Ten Ideals program, he is eligible to continue
with another program called the "Five-Point Program of
Service." This program covers patriotism, citizenship,
discipline, leadership, and legionism.
Sons focus on much more than just membership. At all levels, Sons
support The American Legion in promoting a wide variety of programs.
Sons assist their Posts in other activities such as Veterans
programs, Veterans Administration home and hospital volunteerism,
Children Youth projects, and fund raising. In just the past
ten years, Sons have raised more than a million dollars for The
American Legion Child Welfare Foundation. Members
have volunteered over 223,900 hours to date in 2007 in Veterans
Hospitals throughout the country and raised over $915,688 that has
gone directly to VA hospitals and VA homes for a variety of items
including TVs, radios, medical equipment, and clothing for the
patients.
There are many men who are members of, both, The American Legion
and the Sons of The American Legion. Often, these indivduals started
out as young members of the Sons. Then, when they were old enough to
serve the military, they also became eligible to join The Legion.
Such individuals are known within our organization as dual
members.
The Sons of The American Legion is one of many organizations that
sponsors and supports the Citizens Flag
Alliance, a coalition formed to secure flag
protection legislation through an amendment to the U.S.
Constitution. S.A.L. volunteers work to establish local networks by
having petitions available and handing out informational material.
They alert their communities to the importance of respect for the
flag and they encourage flag education programs in schools and other
local organizations.
Learn more about the Sons of The
American Legion: http://www.sal.legion.org
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