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Sons of the American Legion – Post 452

Sons of American Legion EmblemThe Sons of the American Legion is a very active group at Legion Post 452.

This chapter was founded November 1st 1990 with 48 members. Currently there are 95 members. The Sons currently run the Friday night softball league which is a wooden bat league. 15 years ago, the Sons installed lights and fencing on the ballfield. The Sons also built the pavilion and the storage pole barn.

The group is headed by Paul Graf.

The group sponsors the various baseball and softball league games and provides a safe and clean environment for baseball fans and players in the community to enjoy one of America’s favorite pastimes

Here is a brief history of the Sons of the American Legion

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 325,000. 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 individuals 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.