Sons of The American Legion, Detachment of Texas

Detachment Membership Chairman's Report

September 22, 2026

Dear Sons,

The 2026 and 2027 Membership Reports as of 9-22-2026 are now posted on the membeship page on the website. For 2026, we had 6,096 paid which is 99.12% of our National Goal 6,150 with 18% New and 82% Renewals.

For 2027, we have 1,685 paid which is 27.23% of National Goal 6,189. We should all think about doing Buddy Checks to show our Sons we care.

Please know that October 14, 2026 is the date set for our Membership 35% 2027 Goal. Our Squadrons must get 481 Sons renewed to be on target. Please focus on Renewals.

We still have squadrons who have not certified and have not received their 2027 S.A.L. Member ID Cards. How can we promote membership without our 2027 Member ID Cards?

Sincerely - Lewis Elam - TX Detachment Membership Committee Chairman

September 16, 2026

Dear Sons,

The links to Texas Detachment's membership reports for 2026 and 2027 are posted on the membership page below my report link.

We currently 6,094 paid for 2026 which is 99.09% of National Goal 6,150.

FYI - Only 2026 RENEWALS are allowed for 2026. But we are in 2027 and we are TRANSMITING Renewals (RETENTION) and Recruited (NEW).

As of 9-15-2026, we have 1,524 Paid for 2027 which is 24.62% of National Goal 6,189. The next National Goal is 35% on October 14, 2026. We need 642 paid Sons to do it.

We still have 48 Squadrons who are NOT certified (COO). This is required to get your Members' 2027 SAL ID Cards. Please check if you have not received your 2027 SAL ID Cards.

Be sure your Squadron uses the correct Certification of Officers form which is on our SAL website.

Go to https://www.saltexas.org and select DOWNLOADS then pick ONLINE FORMS.

I recommend using the Certification of Officers (COO) Word Document. Complete then save and send a copy to Adjutant Kevin Winkelmann at knwink@msn.com .

Attached is the list of Uncertified Squadrons that are known at this time. Please get your Squadron's COO sent to ADJ Winkelmann if not done yet. It has to be our SAL COO form; not the Legion's Certification.

Sincerely - Lewis Elam - TX Detachment Membership Committee Chairman

September 4, 2026

The CERTification is for 2025-2026 and is not for the 2027 Membership Year.

As of 9-1-2026, we have 6,089 Paid Members, which is 99.01% of our 2026 National Goal of 6,150.

The 2027 Membership Report will be reported once National has published their 2027 SAL Membership Report for all Detachments in several weeks.

Please note that the Report now has the RECruiting (new members) and RETention (renewals) data. Some Squadrons need help keeping their Sons. The Legion has set 90% Plus as the RETention Goal.

We have lost more than a thousand Sons for 2025-2026. A recent article from National called "The Last Mile" about Top Down Communication made a strong argument that we must reach our Blue Caps "every Son".

We must "Take the Time" to Buddy Check all of our Squadron Members.

Currently, we have Squadrons who have not CERTified and do not have their Members 2027 ID Cards. 2027 Dues are needed. All Certified Squadrons should have their Officers 2027 Dues paid soon. All Membersshould be paid before January 1st, 2027. Early Bird Membership can help. Also, there are Membership Awards that we should be aware of.

I trust that our Officers, Committees, and Leaders will provide their time and skills to encourage programs to continue our Son's Legacy and Service.

Sincerely - Lewis Elam - TX Detachment Membership Committee Chairman