(A) The officers, the enlisted personnel, or the officers and enlisted personnel or support groups of an organization or unit of the National Guard of South Carolina may organize themselves into a corporation for social purposes and for the purpose of holding, acquiring, and disposing of that property, real and personal, which the military organizations may possess or acquire. The corporation may not engage in business and may not be required to pay a filing or license fee to the State.

(B) These organizations may include:

(1) enlisted, officer, or all-ranks clubs;

(2) family support groups;

(3) auxiliary organizations;

(4) service branch organizations;

(5) battalion, brigade, or unit fund organizations; or

(6) other such organizations that provide support to personnel and their families.

(C) Organizations incorporated pursuant to this section are exempt from filing returns with the South Carolina Department of Revenue to the same extent they are exempt from filing returns with the Internal Revenue Service.

(D) The corporations may raise funds and provide services, if retained funds are used for unit support, eleemosynary causes, or charitable purposes within their charter. The organizations may use armory or National Guard facilities, if there is no expense to the government. When any area of National Guard facilities is used, the National Guard and State shall have access to that area as needed or practical, and the use of that area by the corporation is not exclusive. Any sale of alcoholic beverages must conform to the limitations of sales under other provisions of law, except that sales within the unit, and not for profit, do not require licensing by the State.

(E) The Adjutant General and the Secretary of State shall coordinate and make provisions to standardize applications for incorporation. Incorporation may not be made under this article without the approval of the Adjutant General and the State Judge Advocate. All accounts and documents of the corporation organized under this article must be available for inspection and review by the Adjutant General.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 44-11; 1952 Code Section 44-11; 1950 (46) 1881; 1964 (53) 2241; 2005 Act No. 37, Section 1; 2011 Act No. 46, Section 6, eff June 7, 2011.

Effect of Amendment

The 2011 amendment inserted the subsection identifiers; inserted subsection (C); in subsection (E), in the second sentence, substituted "Incorporation may not" for "No incorporation may"; and made other nonsubstantive changes.