SAL memberships ahead of last year’s pace
The Sons of The American Legion achieved 46.7 percent for this fourth Sons membership target goal for the 2013 membership year as of Dec. 12. Son’s membership currently stands at 164,935 members, which is 13,667 ahead of last year. As of now, 33 detachments achieved the 10 percent membership target goal.
The next SAL membership target date is Jan. 16, which will be the 60 percent membership target goal.
Meanwhile, the winter edition of the SAL National Update newsletter is being processed and should be mailed within the next week. More than 325,000 newsletters will be mailed across the country.
The second SAL Renewal Postcard mailing for 2013 is scheduled to be mailed in late January, following this membership target date. We expect to mail more than 150,000 Sons postcards to members nationwide for this second renewal mailing.
In other news:
Operation Comfort Warriors: A delegation from the Public Relations and Fundraising Divisions met with rodeo steer wrestler and Sons of The American Legion member Trevor Knowles at the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas last week. Trevor wears the Operation Comfort Warriors patch and pledged a portion of his corporate earnings to OCW.
Public Relations staff members on Dec. 14 presented Amazon gift cards to some patients at Bethesda and gave away door prizes at a steak dinner for wounded warriors at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
American Legion Baseball: The 2013 American Legion Baseball Rulebook is currently being updated and is scheduled to go to press shortly after the first of the year. There will be 9,500 books printed and distributed to registered teams.
Samsung Scholarship materials being prepared: Americanism and Children & Youth (ACY) staff is updating the 2013 informational CD-Rom that will be sent to The American Legion Boys and American Legion Auxiliary Girls State directors in January regarding the Samsung American Legion Scholarship. The CD-Rom contains the updated scholarship application, judging criteria, a sample press release for announcing scholarship finalists, etc.
Military Commitment Certificate of Commendation: Emblem Sales recently developed a Military Commitment Certificate of Commendation available to Legion posts to provide to students having made a commitment to enter the military after high school. ACY staff is in the process of creating a flyer to announce and promote availability of the certificate to Legion departments, as well as to school educators and administrators. The new Military Commitment Certificate of Commendation may be viewed here.
National Emergency Fund: The Internal Affairs Division processed 50 claims from American Legion Family members following Superstorm Sandy. Overall, $55,000 has been given to Sandy victims. The fund currently stands at just over $3.1 million.
Membership and DMS Program: The current 2013 traditional membership total is 1,628,355, which is 81 percent of the 2013 goal (up from 79 percent last week). The 75 percent target date was met by 51 departments.
Nov. 9 was the last DMS mailing mailed. Based on the three DMS mailings this year, we have acquired:
DMS acquires:
- Prospects: 77,564; Expires: 46,620; Total: 124,184 (up from 122,349 a week ago)
- 2013 goal - 210,000; percentage of goal: 59.14 percent (up from 58.26)
- Current renewal rate for 2012 DMS Members: 39.87 percent (75,623 of 189,685 new 2012 members)
On-Line Renewal Activity: 2013 Membership Year On-Line Renewals (since July 1): 144,394. Up from 139,694.