36 USC Ch. 2303: VETERANS OF WORLD WAR I OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, INC.

From Title 36—PATRIOTIC AND NATIONAL OBSERVANCES, CEREMONIES, AND

Organizations Subtitle II—Patriotic and National Organizations Part B—Organizations

CHAPTER 2303—VETERANS OF WORLD WAR I OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, INC.

 

§230301. Organization

(a) Federal Charter.—Veterans of World War I of the United States of America, Incorporated (in this chapter, the "corporation"), is a federally chartered corporation.

(b) Place of Incorporation and Domicile.—The corporation is declared to be incorporated and domiciled in the District of Columbia.

(c) Perpetual Existence.—Except as otherwise provided, the corporation has perpetual existence.

 

§230302. Purposes

The purposes of the corporation are patriotic, fraternal, historical, and educational, in the service and for the benefit of veterans of World War I, and are—

(1) to provide for the veterans of World War I an organization for their mutual benefit, pleasure, and amusement which will afford them opportunities and means for personal contact with each other to keep alive friendships and memories of World War I and to venerate the memory of their honored dead;

(2) to cooperate to the fullest extent and in a harmonious manner with all veterans' organizations so that the best interests of all veterans of all wars in which the United States has participated, and the widows and orphans of deceased veterans of those wars, may best be served;

(3) to stimulate communities and political subdivisions into taking more interest in veterans of World War I, the widows and orphans of those deceased veterans, and the problems of those veterans and their widows and orphans;

(4) to collate, preserve, and encourage the study of historical episodes, chronicles, mementos, and events pertaining to World War I;

(5) to fight vigorously to uphold the Constitution and laws of the United States as well as the individual States of the Union and to foster the spirit and practice of true Americanism;

(6) to fight unceasingly for our national security to protect Americans from enemies within our borders, as well as those from without, so that our American way of life is preserved;

(7) to fight to the utmost all those alien forces, particularly forces such as communism, whose objectives are to deny our very existence as a free people; and

(8) to do any other act necessary and proper to carry out the purposes of the corporation.

 

§230303. Membership

(a) Eligibility.—Eligibility for membership in the corporation and the rights, privileges, and designation of classes of members are as provided in the constitution and bylaws of the corporation. However, an individual who did not serve honorably in the Armed Forces of the United States during the period beginning April 6, 1917, and ending November 11, 1918, is not eligible for all classes of membership.*

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§230306. Exclusive right to name, seals, emblems, and badges

The corporation and its subordinate divisions have the exclusive right to use the name "Veterans of World War I of the United States of America, Incorporated". The corporation has the exclusive right to use, and to allow others to use, seals, emblems, and badges the corporation adopts.**

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* The Congressional Charter granted to the Veterans of World War 1 of the USA, Inc. in 1958 was amended in 1963 to expand the definition of membership:

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1) Regular Members: Persons serving in the Armed Forces of the United States during World War 1;

2) Legacy Members: Descendants who can establish a direct lineage to a regular member; and

3) Auxiliary and Honorary Members: Persons who contribute to the organization in an operational or administrative capacity. These are  non-voting members.

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Note: Since all regular members are deceased, no one exists to admit present day applicants to membership.

Therefore, the U.S. Army VEF may  act as custodian of the charter, to keep alive its memory and traditions, but not actual ownership of the organization. That would require an act of Congress.

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