Penn State's Veteran Organization (PSUVO), the nation's oldest continuous college veteran's club, will soon learn whether it can remain a university-affiliated organization, said Director of Unions and Student Activities Stan Latta.

This summer, the group will receive a notice and annual re-recognition packet containing a decision on its status, which is being questioned because of the group's dwindling membership.

Once the packet is received, Latta said, the club will have until the third week in September to submit a letter of appeal to the Office of Student Affairs. According to the 2004-05 Policies and Rules for Student Organizations, appeals are granted in cases where "new evidence is discovered after the decision was made, procedures were not followed, or the sanction is not justified."

Latta said university policy states that an organization has to have a minimum of 20 members to be recognized as university-affiliated.

PSUVO currently has just four members -- one student member -- down from 15 last year and 40 members a decade ago, but finance officer Matthew Ryan (junior-finance) said membership has declined because most of its members are in Iraq.

"There is a wave of deployments for reservists and national guardsmen, as they continue to support operations in Afghanistan and Iraq," Ryan said.

However, Latta said there are exceptions to the 20-member rule.

"It could be based on how many veterans are at the university," he said. "They can appeal the fact that they don't have enough members and if it were a reasonable request, our staff would approve it."

Bill Ames, a 1999 Penn State graduate, has been a driving force behind keeping the group together. He said the decline in the group's membership is partly because many prospective members are on active duty.

Ames said the group was created in 1968 to support Vietnam veterans returning to Penn State, and said it is important that it remain in tact for veterans of the current war in Iraq.

"Very soon there will be a gigantic influx of veterans returning from overseas, and they will need our support," he said. "They need to know there
is something to come back to."

Ames said the organization needs three more student officers to fill its executive board if it wants to keep its affiliation with Penn State.

"Even social members would be helpful -- they don't have to be veterans or in the reserves," he said.

Ames said PSUVO organizes the annual Veteran's Day ceremony at Old Main, participates in Toys for Tots, helps with the annual VFW blood drive, marches in the annual Homecoming parade and sets up alumni tailgates at all home football games.

Ryan said the group would continue to operate next semester, regardless of university status.