Membership

How to Become a Member

Those eligible for active membership are women no less than 16 years of age who are blood descendants, lineal or collateral, of men and women who served honorably in the Army, Navy or Civil Service of the Confederate States of America, or gave Material Aid to the Cause. Also eligible are those women who are lineal or collateral blood descendants of members or former members of UDC.

Admission

Admission to the Organization shall be by invitation through a UDC Chapter.  The CA Division opening page lists the California Chapters and their general areas.  If don't live near one of these locations, please contact us anyway.  You can still join!

If you are interested in becoming a member, contact California Division directly by filling out this form.  (If you need to contact a particular officer of the Division, click on email below.)

If you are interested in UDC in another state, contact the main office by phone, mail or email:

UDC Memorial Building
328 North Boulevard
Richmond, VA 23220-4057
Telephone: 804-355-1636
hqudc@rcn.com
http://www.hqudc.org/

Required Proof of Eligibility

Proof of your ancestor's service to the Confederate States of America may be obtained, if available, upon request from one of the following sources.   After contacting and affiliating with a CA Chapter, the Chapter Registrar, as well as other Chapter members, will gladly help you do the research and proofs to facilitate actual membership.

1. UDC Business Office: From records of military service compiled from registered UDC applications and National Archives Compiled Confederate Service Records, upon request of UDC Chapter Registrar and payment of research fee.
2. Limited pension records are available from the UDC Business Office for a fee (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, South Carolina, and Tennessee).
3. State Departments of Archives and History, Confederate Records, if certified.
4. General Services Administration, National Archives and Records Service, 8th and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20408: http://www.archives.gov/research_room/obtain_copies/veterans_service_records.html
5. An authoritative publication: Photocopy of title page, name of author, volume, page number, year of publication, location of library. Provide certified copy of pertinent data relating to Confederate ancestor only.

A good place to start your research is to visit the National Park Service website, called the "Soldiers and Sailors Site,"  to see if your ancestor (if you already know who he is or know his unit) has a record on file:  http://www.civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/
If he was a Soldier (Cavalry, Infantry, Artillery) click on SOLDIERS.....if he served in the Navy, click on SAILORS.

Data from a tombstone is not acceptable as proof of military service but may be used as proof of birth and death dates. Proof of applicant's relation to Confederate ancestor must be established through birth, marriage, and death certificates.  The Chapter Registrar helps applicants with this process.

Dues

Local dues are determined by Chapter Bylaws, but include yearly Division and General per capita fees.  It averages about $40.00 per year.

If you are interested in joining, FILL OUT THIS FORM which goes to the Division Registrar.  It will be routed to the Registrar of the closest chapter you indicate.