HOW TO BE A PAID-UP-FOR-LIFE AMERICAN LEGION MEMBER

Any existing member of The American Legion, in good standing, can apply for PUFL Membership, providing the member's post is in a department that participates in the National Paid-Up-J,ior-Life (PUFL) Membership Plan. (The Department of Kansas does not participate since it maintains its own plan.) To be in good standing, the member must have a valid membership card for the current year. After January I, a member is delinquent if dues for the current year are not paid, and would need to pay current dues before being eligible to purchase a PUFL. Should a PUFL member hold membership in a post whose charter has been cancelled and the member is unable to effect a transfer, then the unused portion of the original fee will be refunded. The same will apply in the case of a member whose membership has been permanently revoked by the post. Except as stated, no refunds of PUFL membership fees will be made.

A PUFL membership is based on two factors - the member's age at the time of purchase and the total dues ofthe post at the same time. The total dues of the post include the department and national per capitas and the amount of the annual dues retained by the post. The dues amount used to compute the cost may NOT be less than the sum of the department and national per capitas combined. The chart below shows the monthly payment for a PUFL Membership for any age and for most post dues. Pick out your age group (your age at last birthday) then find your post dues in the left-hand column and follow that line across to your age column to find the cost. For example, if the member's current dues are $25.00 and is 67 years old, the monthly payment would be $16.28. If the member prefers to pay in full, the total fee would be $586.00 (36 months x $16.28 rounded to the nearest dollar

 

 

*To pay the PUFL membership in full, calculate the total fee by multiplying the monthly payment by 36. If your post dues are not shown on the chart, please contact your Department Headquarters or call National Headquarters for assistance at 1-800-433-3318. Rates are subject to change.

THE APPLICATION FORM

The applicant fills out the top portion of the form, signs it, and submits it to the post adjutant. Payment by personal check or money order must accompany the application, unless the membership is being paid by an accepted credit card. The member must also provide a copy of his /her separation form (i.e. DD2l4) or current active duty military ID. The member can choose to either pay the entire fee or, if desired, pay through the Time Payment Plan (see back cover for Agreement), which allows monthly payments for a period of up to 36 months.

The post adjutant or finance officer must certify 1) the member is in good standing, 2) enter the last year for which dues are paid, 3) the member ID #, and 4) the dues amount used to calculate the lifetime fee. A copy ofthe member's separation form (i.e. DD214) or current active duty military ID must be attached to the completed application; if neither is available, a copy of the member's current driver's license !!illY be accepted. The PUFL application will not be accepted without the appropriate documentation or attesting to by Department Headquarters. NOTE: lithe member has paid dues in advance to the post, the dues amount may be deducted from the total fee, provided the PUFL application is received at national prior to January 1 st, the commencement of the new membership year. It is the responsibility of the post to ensure the dues are deducted prior to submitting the application and PUFL fee. This deduction should be noted on the front of the PUFL application, in the top margin.

After approval, the post adjutant or finance officer is to return the receipt to the applicant. The post is encouraged to make a copy of the application for its records. The post membership roster and any other personnel records should be marked to indicate the member has paid dues for life as of the date on which the application is signed, or has started the Time Payment Plan.