2026 Resolutions
Resolutions set to be voted upon at the 2026 National Convention
Resolution #2026-01
Subject: National Executive Committeeman Term of Office
Source: National Executive Board
WHEREAS, National Executive Committeemen serve as much with the National Officers as they do with their State Officers; and
WHEREAS, Most State Departments do not have a State Executive Committee Meeting between the State and National Conventions, thus it is basically irrelevant who the NEC is at that time; and
WHEREAS, Few State Departments even have an Executive Board during this time; and
WHEREAS, The AMVETS National Executive Committeemen serve from September 1 to August 31; and
WHEREAS, Most States prefer to send the outgoing National Executive Committeeman to the National Convention in the NEC role anyway; therefore be it
RESOLVED, that the following verbiage in quotation marks shall replace Article VI, Section 2 (b) of the Constitution: “With the exception of the National Executive Committeeman in those states that elect them, officers elected at the State Convention shall assume their duties on July 1st and shall remain in office until June 30th of the following year. With the exception of the National Executive Committeeman in those states that that appoint them, all appointments made by the Department Commander shall expire at the end of his term of office. The National Executive Committeeman, whether elected or appointed at the State Convention or appointed following it, shall assume their duties on September 1st and shall remain in office until August 31st of the following year.”; and therefore be it further
RESOLVED, that all NECmen currently serving shall serve until June 30th, 2027. NECmen whether elected or appointed at their State Conventions in 2027, or appointed following it, shall serve from July 1st 2027 through August 31st, 2028. Thereinafter, the NEC Term of Office shall be September 1st through August 31st.
Resolution #2026-02
Subject: PRO/Historian
Resolution #2026-02
Source: National Executive Board
WHEREAS, in the current version of the Sons of AMVETS Constitution we use the titles of Communications Director and PRO/Historian, whereas in the By-Laws, only the title of Communications Director is used, and
WHEREAS, it would be in the Sons best interest to use only one title for the same position; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the Sons of AMVETS Constitution Article VI, Section 3 shall be amended to use the title of Communications Director instead of PRO/Historian, and therefore be it further
RESOLVED, That any other instance of the titles of Historian, Public Relations Officer, PRO/Historian or any other similar title in the Constitution, By-Laws, Standing Rules or any other organizing documents of the Sons of AMVETS shall be amended to Communications Director, and therefore be it further
RESOLVED, That all forms of the National Sons of AMVETS using any of the above titles shall be amended to Communications Director.
Resolution #2026-03
Subject: Department and State District Change of Officers
Source: National Executive Board
WHEREAS, If a Squadron does not turn in its Change of Officers/Revalidation form prior to or at the State Convention they are put into suspension, and
WHEREAS, No such mechanism exists in the Constitution for Departments and State Districts, and
WHEREAS, It should be important to hold higher levels to the same standard as lower ones; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the following verbiage shall be inserted into the National Constitution as Article VI Section 6 (c) with all succeeding sections being renumbered.
Any Department that has not submitted their Change of Officers form to the National Department prior to the start of the Pre-Convention National Executive Committee Meeting shall be automatically placed on suspension and remain on suspension until the fully completed form is submitted. For purposes of National funding for that State Department’s National Executive Committeeman, if the Change of Officers form is submitted prior to the end of the National Convention, it will be considered retroactive to August 1st. ; and therefore be it further,
RESOLVED, That the following verbiage shall be replace the last sentence of the National Constitution, Article VII Section 2 (c):
Any State District that has not completely revalidated by July 15th shall be suspended until such time as they have completed all required documentation. No State or State District funding for that State District’s Commander or other officers shall be forthcoming until such time as they are in good standing.
Resolution #2026-04
Subject: Finance Committee Membership
Source: National Executive Board
WHEREAS, The Sons of AMVETS have been very fortunate to have had the services of PNC Larry Combs, PNC Daniel Briggs and PNC Richard Thibodeau in the position of National Finance Officer since 2005 providing much needed stability in directing our Finances, and
WHEREAS, the National Organizations finances are far more complicated than those of any state and have only gotten more complicated over time, and
WHEREAS, with the passing of PNC Combs in 2024, if something were to happen to PNC Briggs, the Immediate Past National Finance Officer would be someone who has not been a member of the National Finance Committee in over 20 years, limiting their usefulness and effectiveness, and
WHEREAS, the primary reason for including the Immediate Past National Commander on the Committee has been to ensure that if something happened to the sitting Finance Officer, there would be someone who would be prepared and have more current knowledge to immediately assume those duties, which is negated if the person no longer has that knowledge, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the following verbiage shall be added to the Sons of AMVETS Constitution, Article XI, Section 2 as clause c: “In the event that the person who would be designated as the Immediate Past National Finance Officer has not been a member of the National Finance Committee in any capacity in the last ten (10) years, the National Commander may appoint one of the last five Past National Commanders who do not already serve on the Finance Committee to serve on the Committee in place of the Immediate Past National Finance Officer. This section may also be applied if there are no living Past National Finance Officers who are also members of the Sons of AMVETS. At all other levels, a similar rule may be adopted if that Department, District or Squadron wishes to add it to their Standing Rules.”
Resolution #2026-05
Subject: VAVS Coordinator
Source: National Executive Board
WHEREAS, in the current version of the Sons of AMVETS Constitution and By-Laws the position of VAVS Coordinator is only used twice, once in Constitution, Article VI, Section 3 and again in Article IX, Section 2. Both instances are referring to the position being appointed by the Commander at the State and National level respectively: and
WHEREAS, in reviewing our CBL Documents going back as far as 2007 this remains the case: and
WHEREAS, It is important for every position at these levels to have job specifications laid out in the Constitution, therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the following verbiage shall be placed into the By-Laws as Article II, Section 8, with all following sections being renumbered:
SECTION 8 – VAVS COORDINATOR ON NATIONAL AND DEPARTMENT LEVELS
The Commander at the State and National levels shall appoint a VAVS Coordinator who must also be acceptable to the VAVS Program with the VA. He shall be responsible for keeping the Commander, Officers and the members of the Executive Committee at his level apprised of the Sons of AMVETS Standing on the VAVS National Advisory Committee and shall also be primarily responsible for maintaining and increasing the number of Sons of AMVETS VAVS Representatives in their area of jurisdiction. The VAVS Coordinator at both levels must maintain their individual accreditation with the VA throughout their term of office, and failing to do so is grounds for removal from office.
Resolution #2026-06
Subject: Mileage & Per Diems
Source: National Executive Board
WHEREAS, the National Organization has long striven to maintain strict financial controls; and
WHEREAS, neither the amount for per diems nor the amount for mileage has been increased since 2008; and
WHEREAS, the travel expense cap has also only been raised once in that same time; and
WHEREAS, general inflation since 2008 has been roughly 51.1%, meaning that if all 3 numbers kept up with inflation, mileage would be $.68 per mile, Per Diems would be $60.44 and the travel cap would be $793.28; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the National Standing Rules, Article I, Section a shall be amended to read “Providing funds are available within the approved budget, round trip coach fare between the Officer’s city of permanent address and the city where the meeting is being held, provided the fare amount does not exceed a cap amount of eight hundred ($800.00) dollars. Fare amounts exceeding the cap must be approved by the National Commander, prior to any fare booking.”; and therefore be it further,
RESOLVED, That the National Standing Rules, Article I, Section b shall be amended to read “Mileage at the rate of sixty-five cents ($.65) per mile of driving provided the total cap amount does not exceed the amount of eight hundred ($800.00) dollars per mileage trip travel.”; and therefore be it further,
RESOLVED, That the National Standing Rules, Article I, Section e shall be amended to read “Shall receive a fifty dollar ($50.00) per diem per day while on National Department business away from home.”; and therefore be it further,
RESOLVED, That this resolution shall not go in to effect until September 1, 2026 and shall not be construed to cover for any travel occurring prior to this same date.
Resolution #2026-07
Subject: Cover Badges
Source: National Executive Board
WHEREAS, The Departments of Florida, Massachusetts and Missouri have adopted the wearing of a cover badge to denote the sitting State Commander and Past Department Commanders and other states have at least looked in to it, and
WHEREAS, At least two Departments have taken to wearing their Commanders pins on the front or top of their covers, and
WHEREAS, the AMVETS many years ago adopted a uniform code in regards to the use of the Star shaped badge, and
WHEREAS, at least one National Commander wore his Past State Commander badge on his cover while he was sitting as the National Commander, and
WHEREAS, the Sons of AMVETS have long sought to emulate the AMVETS Organization, such as by the use of the titles Commander, Adjutant, Judge Advocate, Provost Marshal and more; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the following verbiage shall be inserted into the National Standing Rules as Section 2 (i) with all succeeding sections being renumbered.
The National Commander and National Provost Marshal shall wear a cover badge denoting their respective offices and signifying their respective authorities. The Commander shall hand his badge down to his successor at the Joint Installation of Officers ceremony at the end of the National Convention. The Provost Marshal shall hand that cover badge down to his successor following the Installation of Officers and prior to either leaving the Convention site.
(a) The Outcoming National Commander shall be furnished with a cover badge denoting this status at the Joint Installation of Officers ceremony held at the end of the National Convention. Each Past National Commander shall be responsible for the care and maintenance of their cover badge and may not receive a replacement or duplicate cover badge from the National Department, though may request a replacement or duplicate provided they reimburse the National Department.
(b) A cover badge when worn on the cover shall not be restricted or excluded in any way by Standing Rules Article III, Section 2 (h).
(c) All star-shaped badges shall be restricted from use by the Sons of AMVETS at all levels, and may only be used by members of the AMVETS Organization.
(d) Departments may choose to issue Cover Badges to their State Commanders and Past State Commanders. No such State-issued badge may be worn on the cover of a sitting National Officer or employee. Any State District may choose to issue cover badges, however such badges shall be identical to whatever form that is issued to a Past Department Commander in that Department (i.e. if Past Department Commanders in that Department are issued Silver/Rhodium, a State District Commander may only wear Rhodium and may not be issued a gold badge).
(e) No Past State Commander may wear a Cover Badge if such has not been approved by their Department. No State District Commander may wear a Cover Badge if that State does not allow their State Commander to wear one
; and therefore be it further,