Southern Federation of Syrian Lebanese American Clubs Records

Title

Southern Federation of Syrian Lebanese American Clubs Records

Subject

Syrians--United States
Lebanese--United States
Arabs--United States
Emigration and immigration
Clubs

Description

Biographical/historical note

The Southern Federation of Syrian Lebanese American Clubs (SFSLAC), known as the Southern Federation of Syrian Clubs until 1938, was founded on July 4, 1931 as a resource for Syrian-Lebanese Americans. The founders included members of the L’Monar Club, the L’Fatette Club, the Austin Girls’ Friendly Club, and the Men’s Capitol Club. Delegates from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Alabama met in Port Arthur, Texas to put together a plan to fulfill the needs of the Lebanese American community. As described by Eileen Cook in meeting minutes during the 1980s, “the federation was founded on love, the love of our heritage, love of our forebearers, and love of the country we live in.”

The SFSLAC organized its first annual convention in 1933. Members of the SFSLAC remained committed through the end of the Great Depression and World War II, with founders consistently taking on influential roles. After the war, the SFSLAC began to fund scholarships, put together banquets, and collaborate with other Syrian Lebanese clubs. Since then, the SFSLAC has maintained annual and semi-annual conventions, board meetings, and monthly bulletins for its members. The purpose of the SFSLAC remains to maintain cultural traditions while upholding American values.

Scope/content

The Southern Federation of Syrian Lebanese American Clubs (SFSLAC) Records include convention and conference materials, meeting proceedings of the executive board and the general officers, reports and official bulletins, constitutions and bylaws, and materials of clubs affiliated with SFSLAC. The records date from 1933 to 2022 with a geographical scope consisting of the southern United States. The materials show the operation of SFSLAC as a resource for Syrian and Lebanese Americans with documents covering topics such as heritage, socialization, charity, and the nationwide distribution of information related to the community.

Arrangement

Series 1: Meeting Minutes and Agendas, 1946-2016
Series 2: Constitutions and Bylaws, 1935-2005 and undated
Series 3: Program Books and Handbooks, 1935-2022
Series 4: Official Bulletins and Documents, 1933-1990
Series 5: Affiliated Clubs, 1932-2013

Source

Southern Federation of Syrian Lebanese American Clubs

Publisher

Moise A. Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies

Date

1933-2022

Contributor

Peggy and Richard Karam
Processed by Amanda Forbes and Celine Shay, 2020-2021. Collection Guide written by Celine Shay, 2021.
Addition processed by Celine Shay, Rachel Beth Acker, and Laura Lethers, 2022 May-2023 April. Collection Guide updated by Laura Lethers, 2023 May.

Rights

The donor retains full ownership of any copyright and rights currently controlled. Nonexclusive right to authorize uses of these materials for non-commercial research, scholarly, or other educational purposes are granted to Khayrallah Center pursuant to U.S. Copyright Law. Usage of the materials for these purposes must be fully credited with the source. The user assumes full responsibility for any use of the materials.

Language

English

Identifier

KC 0060

Rights Holder

Southern Federation of Syrian Lebanese American Clubs

Collection Tree

This collection is a part of a larger collection that has been divided into more specific collections.