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Joining The Sons: The Admissions Process

At a recent Society event, several long-standing members asked about our admissions process, unsure about how to get someone started in the process and what is required. This summary will give an overview of the Sons’ admissions process.

Our admissions process has two distinct stages, 1) the initial Proposal stage, and then 2) the longer Application stage.

STAGE 1:

The Proposal for Membership phase is short. The form is only two pages long, and it is designed to provide three critical pieces of information: 1) the candidate’s personal biographical information (name, contact info, etc.), 2) the names of two member Sponsors (required for membership), and 3) details about the candidate’s “qualifying ancestor”, so we can make sure, first and foremost, that the candidate’s ancestor does, actually, qualify him for membership (details like name, rank, service record, etc.). Once this form is completed, it should be returned directly to the office. The office will contact the candidate’s Sponsors directly to coordinate them providing signed letters of support. Once this is all submitted, it is then reviewed and deemed eligible for endorsement by the committee, and then approval by the Board of Managers.

STAGE 2:

Once Stage 1 is complete (and approved), the Society office will notify the candidate they have been approved to proceed to Stage 2 of the process, the longer Application for Membership stage. This form requires the candidate to detail each and every generation that connects them to their “qualifying ancestor”. Each step will require proof documents (birth certificate, marriage license, death record, etc.) that clearly maps out the genealogical connection between the candidate for membership and their ancestor. At this stage, the candidate will be provided with clear and detailed instructions for what qualifies as a proof document, how it should be cited and provided, how the completed Application should be submitted, and what the next steps are. It is this step in the process that occasionally requires the assistance of a professional genealogist, but with technology being what it is, and general interest in genealogy and ancestry being at an all-time high, there are many online resources available that make this process much more consumer friendly.

Here are a few helpful tidbits of information that may help you in your decision to sponsor someone for membership:

FAMILY CANDIDATES (LEGACY):

If you are interested in sponsoring a family member for membership, someone who would be using your same “qualifying ancestor”, the process is much quicker and easier, mainly because your lineage (and mostly their lineage) has already been proven and approved. If so, contact the office (preferably via email) and ask for the Proposal for Membership form to be sent to you – to start the process. That’s basically all that is involved…the office handles everything else.

NON-FAMILY CANDIDATES:

If you are interested in sponsoring a friend (non-family member), the first step should always be to contact the office (preferably via email) providing the candidate’s name and email, so that a formal dialogue can be established between the Society office and the candidate. This way, all paperwork can be issued directly to the candidate, all instructions can be clearly defined by the office, and the candidate can ask any questions they may have.

LENGTH OF THE PROCESS:

The process can take as little as 1 month (for a legacy candidate), or at best 2 months for a non-legacy candidate (1 month for Proposal phase and 1 month for the longer Application for Membership phase), but on average, for non-legacy candidates, the process takes 3-6 months, which is mostly dictated by the candidate’s time taken to complete the paperwork.

PROFESSIONAL GENEALOGISTS:

If, after a candidate’s initial Proposal has been approved, they decide to seek the assistance of a professional genealogist to help with drafting their Application, the Society does have a few recommendations, but this will always be dependent on the genealogist’s availability, and the candidate will need to pay the genealogist directly for their services.

COST:

There are a number of one-time costs associated with joining the PSSR as detailed below. There is no cost for stage 1, the Proposal for Membership stage. However, when a candidate then submits their Stage 2 Application for Membership, they will also need to provide a check for $250, which covers the local Application Processing Fee ($50) and Genealogical Review Fee ($200). Finally, if the Application for Membership is approved and a candidate is provisionally elected a member, they will be required to pay an initiation fee, a new member processing fee, and finally either annual dues or a Lifetime Membership.

So, what are you waiting for?

If you have family members who may be interested in joining our ranks, it is a wonderful legacy to give to a son, a nephew, a grandson, etc. If you have friends who share our interest and passion for supporting the projects that we underwrite, or who are interested in the wonderful lecture series we have at our HQ at Historic Waynesborough, or who want to share in all things relating to the semi-quincentennial celebrations in 2026 and beyond – if they think they have a qualifying ancestor in their family lineage, contact the Society office and let us know. A simple email will get the process started, so CLICK HERE and we really look forward to hearing from you.