PICKENS COUNTY — Thanks to a recent change in the bylaws of the American Legion, the Legion’s Auxiliary Club — often referred to as the world’s largest women’s patriotic service organization — isn’t just for women anymore.
During The American Legion’s 101st National Convention, delegates approved changes to the constitution and bylaws to replace the word “wife” with “spouse,” as related to membership for the American Legion Auxiliary (ALA).
Applications for new potential members began Sept. 1.
Although The American Legion itself was chartered by Congress, the Legion itself created the ALA and for that reason, the ALA operates as a separate corporation and does not need congressional approval for an eligibility change, explained a spokesperson for the organization.
The American Legion’s bylaws have always set the eligibility requirements of the ALA, they said.
Which raises the question: Why the need for the change?
“In 1920, veterans were almost 100 percent male so the ALA was formed as the organization for the spouses of the veteran — those spouses just happened to be women,” they said. “Today, an estimated 16 percent of enlisted people and 18 percent of officers are women, who may be married to a non-veteran. To keep the ALA as the organization that supports spouses of the veteran, we need to change the ALA’s definition from ‘wives’ to ‘spouses,’ thereby updating the organization to represent the changing makeup of the military.”
AL officials said the change is expected to help ALA membership.
“Think about female spouses who are alone as their husband is deployed. They have the ALA to lean on,” they said. “Who can the male spouse rely on? With this eligibility change, now male spouses who are ALA members can receive the same support while their wives are deployed.”
And as far as the ALA calling themselves the “largest women’s patriotic service organization?” Well that’s an easy fix as well. Because according to AL officials — they simply won’t anymore.
The change to Article XIII now reads as such:
The American Legion recognizes an auxiliary organization, known as The American Legion Auxiliary.
Membership in The American Legion Auxiliary shall be limited to the:
(1) grandmothers, mothers, sisters, spouses, and direct and adopted female descendants of members of The American Legion; and
(2) grandmothers, mothers, sisters, spouses, and direct and adopted female descendants of all men and women who served in either of the following periods: April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918, and any time after December 7, 1941, who, being a citizen of the United States at the time of their entry therein served on active duty in the Armed Forces of any of the governments associated with the United States during either eligibility periods and died in the line of duty or after honorable discharge;
(3) grandmothers, mothers, sisters, spouses, and direct and adopted female descendants of all men and women who were in the Armed Forces of the United States during either of the following periods: April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918; and any time after December 7, 1941 who served on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States during either eligibility periods and died in the line of duty or after honorable discharge; and
(4) to those women who of their own right are eligible for membership in The American Legion.
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