History

Sons Emblem Meaning

• The design of our emblem was taken from the emblem of our parent organization, but is oval in shape so as to be easily distinguished.

• The star in the center represents our county, and the five points of the star represent the five-point program of The Sons of The American Legion.

• The sun in the background represents The Sons of The American Legion and the rays represent the loyalty of its membership.

• The blue of the emblem, like the blue of our flag, stands for justice.

• The two stars in the blue border stand for freedom and democracy.

• The wreath below the star is in memory of our comrades; and those of our fathers who willingly gave their lives for their country.

• The ten points of the emblem represent the ten ideals of every Legion son.

History of The Sons of The American Legion

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.