The American Legion Dept. of NC: Department Background

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Department of North Carolina

DEPARTMENT INFORMATION - WHO WE ARE

The American Legion is a nation wide organization of veterans of the armed forces of the US who served during designated war-time periods. The organization received it's corporate charter from the US Congress in 1919. The national headquarters is in Indianapolis, Indiana with local posts existing in cities, towns and hamlets across the nation and the world.

The organization is comprised of 55 Departments, one each in the 50 states with additional departments in the District of Columbia, France, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. Individual Departments can have additional levels between themselves and the posts.

The Department of North Carolina is subdivided into 5 Divisions with a Department Vice Commander (often called Division Commanders) who has the responsibility for the districts under their charge. In addition, each Division is sub-divided into 5 Districts. Each district is led by a District Commander and Vice Commander.
The governing body of the department is the Department Convention which is convened each June. The convention is comprised of delegates from each of the posts in the department.
Between Department Conventions the legislative and administrative power of the department is held by the Department Executive Committee. This committee (D.E.C.) is comprised of the Department Commander, the 5 Department Vice Commanders, the 25 District Commanders, the Department Judge Advocate, the Department Chaplain, and the Department Historian.

There is also a Department Administrative Committee that consists of 1 member from each of the 5 divisions. The members of the Department Administrative Committee are appointed to staggered, 5 year terms. The committee has authority to deal with certain standard items of department business between meetings of the DEC.