The Ellenboro Fair
From: hk.edgerton@gmail.com
For five days I would along side Commander Jim Kennedy and other members of the Rutherford Rifles Camp 2044 of the Sons of Confederate Veteran attend the Ellenboro Fair in Ellenboro, North Carolina for the second year running.
In September of 2011, the Sons were initially denied a booth and a presence at the Fair, because the Principal of the Ellenboro School that benefits from the Fair had so many reservations about offending his community, having the Sons and their Flag there. After a stern conversation from the Sons attorney Kirk D. Lyons of the Southern Legal Resource Center; the powers to be would agree to allow the Sons a table and space.
The results this year would mirror the previous. We would spend a considerable amount of time posing for pictures, listening to people brag about their ancestors who had served in the Confederate army, recruiting for membership in the Sons organization, answering a great deal of questions, and accepting the love that would come our way as so many thanked us for being there once again.
As the last night of the Fair began to come to and end, I would feel somewhat sadden that I would not see so many of these wonderful folks again until next year, and then I would be reminded by Commander Kennedy that I had promised so many of these folks that I would be the guest speaker at the Camps October 11, 2012 Camp meeting, and to make things even better, at that moment, a young Black man would ask of me, could he wave my flag? I was glad that as General Lee's (the Honorable David Chaltas) Color Sgt., he was not there because I might have lost my job. And it got even better as a young baby boy would come over to me and tug at my pants and give me a big hug as the very same Principal across the way would be caught looking at this show of love. God bless Commander Jim Kennedy and the Sons for having me in the county of my dad where the Christian Cross of St. Andrew is still welcome by the people who call themselves Southern.
HK Edgerton
