Membership Director : Irene Graham

Irene Graham has served the Florida Legion for many years and knows all of the ins and outs of the Membership Program. Have questions or comments? Contact Irene at the Department HQ using the contact information above, or shoot her an e-mail through the Contacts Page

Post 400 Director : Jasmine Shipley

Jas is our second in command when it comes to the Membership Department. She can answer most of your Membership questions and point you in the right direction for the ones she's not sure of. Jasmine is also the liaison for Post 400, so questions concerning Post 400 should be directed to her. She too, can be reached through the Department HQ, or through Contacts Page

What does membership in The American Legion mean? Membership in The American Legion is membership in America. "Get Involved" is our motto. It is also the primary reason why more and more dedicated veterans continue to devote their lives to their country. It is the background of involvement that creates and supports the feeling of camaraderie which makes The American Legion the nation's largest and fastest growing organization of wartime veterans. Membership is the livelihood of The American Legion. Without the members there would be no Legion programs. Without members we would have no voice on Capitol Hill. Without members there would be no accomplishment in assistance and support to veterans, their families, the community, state and nation. We must offer every eligible veteran the opportunity to be a part of this great organization.

The American Legion Department of Florida is beginning a new Membership Program.  Signing up new members is simple!  First, verify the candidates eligibility, this can be done with either a valid Military ID, for active duty candidates, or with a DD-214 Form for non-active duty veterans.

Once eligibility has been confirmed, fill out the Membership Application (AVAILABLE HERE) and collect the candidate's annual dues.  Submit the Membership Application, Dues and a photocopy of the eligibilty forms to you Post Officer.  It is ultimately the responsibility of the Post Commander or Post Adjutant to verify eligibility and money received.

POST OFFICERS:

Complete the Membership Payment Form (AVAILABLE HERE) and submit it to the Department HQ with the Membership Card (DO NOT STAPLE FORM TO CARD), and dues for each new member signed up between July 1, 2009 and May 19, 2010.  The Recruiter will receive $5.00 for each new member payable by check at Fall Conference in November of 2009 and again at Department Convention in June 2010.  Members whose membership has lapsed DO NOT QUALIFY AS NEW MEMBERS.

Please be sure to keep a copy for your records.

PUFL

The Paid-Up-For-Life (PUFL) program changed as a result of National Executive Committee Resolution 8 passed during the Spring Meetings, May 6-7, 2009 (AVAILABLE HERE). See the attached PUFL brochure for the new rate chart and the new required forms for all new PUFL applications. (PUFL Brochure AVAILABLE HERE)

New rates are effective October 1, 2009. All PUFL applications being submitted at the current rates must be received at National by September 1, 2009.  This gives time to process the applications under the current system before the new rates go into effect.  No PUFL applications will be accepted on the old forms after the September 1st cut-off.

The Time Payment Plan, which currently allows up to 12 months to pay, has been extended to a 36-month payment period.  This is a big benefit of the new plan. The rate chart on the application has been changed to show monthly payment amounts instead of the full payment due.

Instead of the 10% minimum deposit that is currently required, the member must only include the first month’s payment, as noted on the rate chart.  If the member chooses to pay more than the minimum deposit, the remaining balance will be divided into 35 additional payments, which will decrease the amount of the monthly payment. National will continue to forward payment coupons to the member once the application has been accepted and processed. A new option has been added to give the member the opportunity for automatic monthly credit card billing.

Members may still pay the full amount at the time of application.  To calculate the total cost of a PUFL membership, the member (or post officer) will need to find the monthly payment on the rate chart and multiply it by 36.  PLEASE NOTE: The total fee must be entered on the front of the application, regardless of whether the member is paying in full or choosing the Time Payment Plan.

Beginning October 1, 2009, all PUFL applications must be accompanied by a copy of the member’s separation form (DD214 or similar) or a copy of their current active duty military identification. If neither is available, provide a brief explanation and include a copy of the member’s current driver’s license. The PUFL application will not be processed if eligibility documentation is not provided and will be returned to the Department Headquarters for resolution.

Member’s who choose to participate in the Time Payment Plan must complete the Participation Agreement on the back of the application.  Any forms received without a signature will be returned to the department for correction.  This new form is procedural change from the current system.

Your Department will be shipped a supply of the new PUFL brochures for immediate use as soon as they are received from the printers.  In addition all the forms will also be on www.legion.org by August 7th.  Also next week, we will forward a computer fill-in form to you for your use. We ask that you use all available means of communication to publicize the impending changes and the cut-off day of September 1st, as well as the October 1st effective date of the new application and rates.

We understand that these are fairly significant changes but they’re necessary in order to keep the PUFL program viable.  Thank you for your patience during this transitional period.  If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact PUFL Processing at 317-630-1221 or 1-800-433-3318 and ask to speak to Sarah Dillard or contact Internal Affairs.

See you in Louisville, Jack Querfeld, Director, Internal Affairs