The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is a patriotic and educational organization, similar to the Grand Army of the Republic. It was founded on November 12, 1881 and incorporated by Act of Congress August 20, 1954. The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War is the legal heir to and representative of the Grand Army of the Republic.

Dues are $35/year due each January 1st. There are two basic classes of membership: Hereditary Eligibility (Member & Junior) and Non-hereditary Eligibility (Associate)

To be a Member (and Junior Member): You must be a male descendant, 14 years of age (6 to 14 for Juniors), who:

• is directly descended from a Soldier, Sailor, Marine or member of the Revenue Cutter Service (or directly descended from a brother, sister, half-brother, or half-sister of such Soldier, etc.) who was regularly mustered and served honorably in, was honorably discharged from, or died in the service of, the Army, Navy, Marine Corps or Revenue Cutter Service of the United States of America or in such state regiments called to active service and was subject to the orders of United States general officers, between April 12, 1861 and April 9, 1865;
• has never been convicted of any infamous or heinous crime; and
• has, or whose ancestor through whom membership is claimed, has never voluntarily borne arms against the government of the United States.

To be an Associate Member: Men who do not have the ancestry to qualify for hereditary membership may become Associates if they:

1. Demonstrate a genuine interest in the Civil War; and
2. Can subscribe to the purpose and objects of the SUVCW

Although an Associate is not required to meet the lineage requirement of a Member, he is still subject to the second and third provisions of hereditary eligibility. An Associate may vote and hold any office except those of Commander-in-Chief, Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief, Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief, National Secretary, National Treasurer and Commanding Officer of the Sons of Veterans Reserve. Associates may not exceed one-third of the total membership of the Camp at the time of election.

A Membership Application can be found at: http://suvcw.org/ftp/app60fi.pdf. This must be printed on your printer, completed, and mailed to:

Mark Kemp, Secretary-Treasurer
220 Middleview Drive
Ringgold, GA 30736

Also, of interest to those individuals who "want to wear the blue suit" is the Sons Of Veterans Reserve.

The Sons Of Veterans Reserve (SVR) is the ceremonial uniformed military element of the SUVCW. The SVR consists of a General Staff and several military districts across the nation. The SVR is overseen by the National Military Affairs Committee of the SUVCW. SVR elements participate in ceremonies, parades, living history programs, and re-enactments. All Members and Associates are welcome to join the SVR; however, SVR membership is contingent upon maintaining SUVCW membership.