Title 36Patriotic and National ObservancesRelease 119-73

§220102 Purposes

Title 36 › Subtitle Subtitle II— - Patriotic and National Organizations › Part Part B— - Organizations › Chapter CHAPTER 2201— - UNITED SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, INCORPORATED › § 220102

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Create a voluntary civilian organization so Americans can help meet the religious, spiritual, social, welfare, educational, and entertainment needs of men and women in the Armed Forces, at home or overseas. It must help keep service members’ morale, raise money to run the organization, work with groups like the YMCA, YWCA, National Catholic Community Service, Salvation Army, National Jewish Welfare Board, Travelers Aid, and similar agencies, help those groups take part and get financial support, and coordinate their programs.

Full Legal Text

Title 36, §220102

Patriotic and National Observances — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The purposes of the corporation are—
(1)to provide a voluntary civilian agency through which the people of this Nation may, in peace or war, serve the religious, spiritual, social, welfare, educational, and entertainment needs of men and women in the Armed Forces, within or without the territorial limits of the United States;
(2)to contribute to the maintenance of morale of men and women in the Armed Forces;
(3)to solicit funds to maintain the organization and accomplish its responsibility;
(4)to accept the cooperation of, and provide an organization and means through which, the National Board of Young Men’s Christian Associations, the National Board of Young Women’s Christian Associations, the National Catholic Community Service, the Salvation Army, the National Jewish Welfare Board, the Travelers Aid-International Social Service of America, and other civilian agencies experienced in specialized types of related work, which may be needed adequately to meet the particular needs of the members of the Armed Forces, may carry on their historic work of serving the religious, spiritual, social, welfare, educational, and entertainment needs of men and women in the Armed Forces and be afforded an appropriate means of participation and financial assistance;
(5)to coordinate their programs; and
(6)other consonant purposes.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 22010236:1302.Dec. 29, 1979, Pub. L. 96–165, § 2, 93 Stat. 1268. Before clause (1), the word “objects” is omitted as included in “purposes”. In clause (4), the words “and to accept the cooperation of individual citizens in accomplishing its purposes” are omitted as unnecessary because of clause (1) of this section.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

36 U.S.C. § 220102

Title 36Patriotic and National Observances

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73