| The History
Silver
Wings was founded as Angel Flight at the University of
Omaha in 1952. Although similar organizations
could soon be found across
the country, Angel Flight was a national ideas
with many different names
and activities. In April 1957 representatives
from 16 groups met in New
York at the eighth annual conclave of the
Arnold Air Society to join their
purposes under a National Coordination Headquarters.
In the years that
followed, Angel Flight members worked to give
the organization a
professional service-oriented image, as well
as supporting AFROTC units on
each campus.
During the 1980s, the Executive Board of Directors approved a
petition to allow the local units of Angel
Flight to use the name ÒSilver
Wings on their local campuses to recognize
the growing diversity in the
organization. These flights were chartered
by the national Angel Flight as
Silver Wings or Silver Wings Society Flights.
At the 1995 National Conclave, the general assembly voted to amend
the Angel Flight National Constitution to
officially change the name of
the national organization to Angel Flight-Silver
Wings (AnF-SW). Local
chapters were allowed to choose either Angel
Flight-Silver Wings, Angel
Flight, or Silver Wings although they were
nationally known as Angel
Flight-Silver Wings. Use of society
as part of the Angel Flight-Silver
Wings name was dropped to avoid confusion
with the Arnold Air Society,
which is often referred to as The Society.
In 1996 the chapters approved a resolution to redefine the mission
and objectives of the national organization
and further diversify its
membership. This legislation moved the organization
into the role of a
collegiate advocacy group. All chapters chartered
following this
legislation are known as Silver Wings and
function as a civilian
organization which emphasized the leadership,
citizenship, and development
of professional skills. These changes were
finalized at the 1998 National
Conclave when the general assembly voted to
officially change the name of
the organization to Silver Wings. |
