SCV Responds to MLK Statue on Stone Mountain

Sons of Confederate Veterans Georgia Division        PRESS RELEASE            SCV RESPONDS TO ATTEMPT TO PLACE MLK STATUE ON STONE MOUNTAIN                    (ATLANTA - October 12, 2015)    The Georgia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans responded today to the proposal by the Stone Mountain Memorial Association to erect a monument to MLK, former black civil rights activist.  This decision by the Stone Mountain Memorial Association is wholly inappropriate in that it is an intentional act of disrespect toward the stated purpose of the Stone Mountain memorial from its inception as well as a possible violation of the law which established the Stone Mountain Memorial Association and charged it with promoting the mountain as a Confederate memorial. The Venable family, which owned Stone Mountain in the early 1900's, leased the face of the mountain to the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1916 for the purpose of creating a carved memorial to the Confederacy.  The UDC contracted Gutzon Borglum, who later sculpted the Mount Rushmore carving; after the work was halted due to a disagreement with Borglum, the carving remained unfinished for several decades.  As the state began to discuss interest in reviving the memorial project as a state project, the Venable family deeded the land to the Stone Mountain Confederate Memorial, Inc. in 1956.  Two years later, in 1958, the state of Georgia purchased Stone Mountain; and the General Assembly created the Stone Mountain Memorial Association expressly to maintain the mountain and all adjacent property as a Confederate memorial and complete a portion of the original design for the carving. The act of the General Assembly which created the Stone Mountain Memorial Association specifically states the park, including both the mountain and all adjacent property, is to be maintained and operated as a Confederate memorial (OCGA 12-3-191).   The erection of monuments to anyone other than Confederate heroes in Stone Mountain Park is in contradistinction to the purpose for which the park exists and would make it a memorial to something different.  The park was never intended to be a memorial to multiple causes but solely to the Confederacy.  Therefore, monuments to either Michael King or soldiers of any color who fought against the Confederacy would be a violation of the purpose for which the park was created and exists. The opinions of the park's current neighbors and opponents are of no bearing in the discussion. Furthermore, the erection of a monument to anything other than the Confederate Cause being placed on top of Stone Mountain because of the objections of opponents of Georgia's Confederate heritage would be akin to the state flying a Confederate battle flag atop the King Center in Atlanta against the wishes of King supporters.  Both would be altogether inappropriate and disrespectful acts, repugnant to Christian people. For more information about the Sons of Confederate Veterans or any of this year's planned events to commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the War, contact the Georgia SCV at 404-271-8473 or online at www.GeorgiaSCV.org        END RELEASE    * Permission to reprint this release is granted.

Ray McBerry Enterprises | P.O. Box 1263 | McDonough | GA | 30253

Politics & Our Tax Exempt Status

Compatriots,

From time to time I hear different discussions concerning what the SCV or UDC can or cannot do as a 501(c)3. The following link from the IRS is to inform each member the answer the question above. I would encourage you to share this with your members and members of other heritage organizations. Please learn the law and use it to your advantage.

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/501c3_polcampfaqs.pdf

Deo Vindice!

Charles Kelly Barrow
Commander-in-Chief
Sons of Confederate Veterans
@scvcic
www.scv.org

SCV Headquarters Working Diligently to Process Mail Requests

Gents,

I've received word from SCV Headquarters that they are beginning to make some headway processing new member applications and renewal of dues payments.  With all the recent activity regarding our beloved Confederate Flag and all things Confederate, membership is up dramatically.  Headquarters has been absolutely swamped.  Last week, they just began to process September mail, so you can see the mountain of mail they are working through.

PLEASE BE PATIENT... this is a problem, but a "good problem."

Thank you very much.

Darrell Maples - Cmdr.

MO Division - SCV

SCV Telegraph - Federal Attacks on our Heritage

SCV  Telegraph Compatriots, Even after the despicable removal of the flag from the South Carolina soldier's monument, the onslaught against our heritage continues, both locally and in the halls of Congress.  Currently, there are two separate measures being considered, one in the House, and the other in the Senate. The House bill would outlaw the display of any Confederate flag on our soldier's graves in certain national battlefield parks.  The Senate proposal would reduce the amount of federal highway funds given to any state which issues specialty license plates displaying our flag.  Both of these bills face uphill battles to be enacted, but the fact that either of them have been proposed and are actually being considered should be alarming.  Follow the links below for more specific information on the status of these proposals. It is suggested that our membership needs to "carpet bomb" our various representatives in Congress -- particularly southern Republicans -- with emails, phone calls, and letters expressing our outrage at these proposals.  Further, those of you who plan to attend the upcoming national reunion in Richmond should, if possible, plan a side trip to Washington and pay a personal call on your representatives.  Well spoken words conveyed in person can have a disproportionally large effect.  It's time to step up, and do your part! House Bill Update Senate Bill Status OFFICIAL SCVNEWS POST SCVNews and SCV Telegraph are Copyrighted 1999-2014, Sons of Confederate Veterans. The SCV Telegraph Mailing List is for Official SCV Use ONLY.

Sons of Confederate Veterans | PO Box 59 | Columbia | TN | 38402

Sons of Union Veterans' Resolution on Confederate Battle Flag

Sons of Confederate Veterans July 3, 2015          PRESS RELEASE            SONS OF UNION VETERANS' RESOLUTION ON THE CONFEDERATE BATTLE FLAG            (ATLANTA - July 3, 2015)    In 2000, the annual national Encampment of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War passed the below resolution regarding their position on the Confederate Battle Flag.  These men are the descendants of those Union soldiers who fought on the opposite side of the field from our brave forefathers in grey.   In light of the current attack upon our beloved Flag, the re-publishing of that resolution is timely.  It reads as follows...       GENERAL ORDER NO.26 SERIES 2014-2015 SONS OF UNION VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR Display of the Confederate Battle Flag By the authority vested in me as Commander-in-Chiefof theSons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, the National Constitution and Regulations, and National Policies, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1:  Recently many individual Brothers, Camps, Departments and the National Organization have been contacted regarding the position of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) on the display of the Confederate Battle Flag. Section 2:  The SUVCW already has an official position on file regarding this issue, as adopted by the 119th National Encampment. As the National Encampment is the supreme governing body of the SUVCW, and as no subsequent National Encampment has revisited this issue, the SUVCW's official position remains the same. Neither the Commander-in-Chief nor the Council of Administration has the authority to amend the position. Section 3: For clarity, the official position of the SUVCW regarding the display of t he Confederate Battle Flag is included in this order, as follows: RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT DISPLAY OF BATTLE FLAGS OF THE CONFEDERACY 119TH NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT OF THE SONS OF UNION VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR LANSING, MICHIGAN AUGUST 19, 2000 A resolution in support of the display of the Confederate Battle Flag. WHEREAS, we, the members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, condemn the use of the confederate battle flag, as well as the flag of the United States, by any and all hate groups; and WHEREAS, we, the members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, support the flying of the Confederate battle flag as a historical piece of this nation's history; and WHEREAS, we, the members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, oppose the removal of any Confederate monuments or markers to those gallant soldiers in the former Confederate States, and strongly oppose the removal of ANY reminders of this nation's bloodiest war on the grounds of it being "politically correct;" and WHEREAS, we, as the descendants of Union soldiers and sailors who as members of the Grand Army of the Republic met in joint reunions with the Confederate veterans under both flags in those bonds of Fraternal Friendship, pledge our support and admiration for those gallant soldiers and of their respective flags; THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that we, the members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War in 119th Annual National Encampment, hereby adopt this resolution. Dated in Lansing, Michigan, on this nineteenth day of August, in the year of our Lord Two thousand. SUVCW General Order No. 26, Series 2014-2015 Section 3: Individual Brothers, Camps and Departments shall be mindful of the official position of the SUVCW when addressing issues involving the Confederate battle flag. It is recommended that inquiries about the SUVCW's official position be directed, without further comment or elaboration, to the Order's website (http://suvcw.org/flagres.htm) where it can be read in its entirety. The foregoing General Order is proclaimed this 25th day of June in the year of our Lord two thousand fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of Ameri ca the two hundred thirty-ninth, in the City of Gilroy, County of Santa Clara, State of California. Tad D. Campbell, PDC Commander-in-Chief           For more information about the Sons of Confederate Veterans or any of this year's planned events to commemorate the Sesquicentennial of the War, contact the Georgia SCV at 404-271-8473 or online at www.GeorgiaSCV.org        END RELEASE    * Permission to reprint this release is granted.

Ray McBerry Enterprises | P.O. Box 1263 | McDonough | GA | 30253

Commander in Chief's Statement on Hate Groups Using Our Flag

The Sons of Confederate Veterans has learned that a North Carolina Chapter of the Ku Klux Klan has been granted a permit for a protest rally, scheduled for July 18, 2015 on the South Carolina Statehouse grounds.  The 30,000 members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans vehemently oppose and denounce this hateful and divisive event.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans has a strictly enforced "hate" policy.  Anyone with ties to any racist organization or hate group is denied membership.  Any member developing ties to these organizations will be immediately expelled. Prohibited organizations include the Ku Klux Klan, American Nazi Party, the National Alliance, or any organization expressing racist ideals or violent overthrow of the United States government.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans is an historic heritage organization, founded in 1896.  Our duty is to protect and preserve the history and heritage of the Confederate soldier, of many ethnicities.  This duty was given to us by the Confederate Veterans themselves, and was given to no other group. We are the direct descendants of those men.

Our ancestor's Battle Flag makes no distinction about race, creed or religious affiliation. We stand unequivocally against hate groups for their desecration of those symbols that reflect the best in us: our Christian Cross, our United States Flag, and our beloved Saint Andrew's Cross, the flags of our courageous ancestors.

Recent actions by opportunistic special interests have compounded the horrific actions of these hate groups by further dividing black and white Southerners of good will and long standing brotherhood. We stand with all   good-hearted Americans in strongly condemning "race haters" of any ilk.

Charles Kelly Barrow

Commander-in-Chief
Sons of Confederate Veterans
@scvcic
www.scv.org

Commander in Chief's Statement on Church Burnings

The Sons of Confederate Veterans is very concerned with the stories of recent burnings of Christian churches in our beloved South.  We strongly condemn any acts of violence or vandalism against houses of worship and their parishioners.  That the recent acts of violence seem to be targeting churches with large black memberships, and occurring in the South, is deeply disturbing to us.  We join all Americans in condemning any acts of arson or other acts of violence against all churches and their members and any message of intimidation that such actions might imply.

The Sons of Confederate Veterans is a heritage preservation organization dedicated to preserving the memories and heritage of our Confederate ancestors who fought and, in many cases, died during the War Between the States.  We condemn all acts of racial violence.

We stand with our Christian brethren of all races when their houses of worship are attacked and assaulted. If local law enforcement and fire marshal investigations determine that any of these churches were intentionally  burned or damaged by arson or other malicious acts, we will stand with our Christian brethren and fellow Americans and support wherever we can the efforts of local law enforcement to catch and punish the culprits.

Charles Kelly Barrow
Commander-in-Chief
Sons of Confederate Veterans
@scvcic
www.scv.org

SCV Telegraph- Annual Book of Reports Now Available

SCV  Telegraph     Compatriots, For those of you who are interested and were unable to attend the recently concluded reunion in Charleston, our annual Book of Reports has been made available to electronically.  Just follow this link to get your copy: 2014 Book of Reports  Doug Nash Adjutant-in-Chief OFFICIAL SCVNEWS POST SCVNews and SCV Telegraph are Copyrighted 1999-2014, Sons of Confederate Veterans. The SCV Telegraph Mailing List is for Official SCV Use ONLY. DO NOT reply to this message. SCV Telegraph mailing list http://scv.org/maillistSubscription.phpp

Georgia SCV Division News

Sons of Confederate Veterans July 28, 2014         GEORGIA DIVISION NEWS           ACTION REPORT FOR THE GEORGIA DIVISION        Men of the Georgia Division and friends, Thanks to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the battle to preserve our Southern Heritage is alive and well!  Like the Georgia Division, our compatriots in other Divisions are engaging the enemies of our heritage in their own efforts.  It is, indeed, a good day to be a member of the SCV! 1. Washington & Lee University.  Most of you undoubtedly have already heard that the current president of W&L ordered the removal of the Confederate flags from Lee Chapel in response to the "demands" of six students who hate Southern symbols.  Initial investigations indicate that the students may have enrolled at W&L for the express purpose of soliciting attacks upon Confederate connections with the school.  This weekend, the SCV sponsored a rally at the University with plenty of Confederate flags to protest the removal and to demand that they be restored.  The call has also been put out for those who wish to see the flags returned to call and email the leadership at the University; apparently school officials have commented that they expect the disapproval to die out and go away shortly.  If you'd like to voice your opinion to the contrary, below are the contacts that would like to hear from you as often as you have time to communicate with them. 2.  Texas SCV License Plates.  In case you missed our press release from this past week, the Texas Division was denied their request for their own specialty plate like we have here in Georgia by the Texas DMV; and a federal judge handed down a decision against them in their court case. Fortunately, though, a judge on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the federal district judge's decision and has ruled in favour of the Texas SCV.  The current attorney general in Texas has said that he intends to appeal the appeal (yes, that's right); he is a Republican candidate for governor and seems to believe that it will win him votes with minorities who hate Southern heritage in Texas.  Nevertheless, the outcome of the appeal court decision means that the SCV has won the right to have a specialty plate in every single state where a court battle has ensued.  Rebel yells to the Texas Division! 3.  Ringgold Battleflag Lawsuit.  It has been six long years ago since the Georgia Division and local then-commander Tom Poteet filed suit against the City of Ringgold to have the Confederate battle flag returned to the Depot as part of the memorial to the soldiers from the War, just as it was originally designed and put in place at its inception.  The city had voted to replace the battle flag with the Hardee Corp flag, which was one of the flags at the Battle of Ringgold Gap, after some of the usual suspects complained about our battle flag. The case was scheduled to have been heard this past Friday but has been delayed likely until the first week of November.  I joined Tom Poteet at the city council meeting two weeks ago as he proposed a settlement agreement that was both reasonable and should have been acceptable to both parties; he proposed that since the 34-star federal flag flies opposite the Confederate flag pole at the memorial, the Second National flag of the Confederacy (our national flag at the time) should fly.  I spoke on behalf of the Division after Tom and stated that it is the desire of the Division to have the battle flag of the common soldier, represented by the St. Andrews Cross, returned to the memorial but that we felt that Tom's suggestion was something that we could accept if the City agreed as well.  The City Council may still decide to accept the proposed settlement before our court date; otherwise we will be going to court to demand the return of the battle flag.  After making a Freedom of Information Act records request, we discovered that the taxpayers of Ringgold have now been forced to pay in excess of $45,000 in legal fees for the decision of the city council.  It is quite possible that once enough taxpayers in Ringgold find out how much of their money is being spent in legal fees to defend an already unpopular act anyway, the city council may change their mind.  Hats off  and many thanks to SCV member and attorney Martin O'Toole for the many hours that he has spent on this case on behalf of the Division, most for which he has never even billed us.  Thanks to the efforts of our local camp commanders near Ringgold, I have had the opportunity to conduct two media interviews for us this past week, one with the Catoosa Times and one with the Chattanooga Times. 4. Online Grave Registry.  Our Division online grave registry is now up and ready for us to add the graves of your Confederate soldiers in the counties served by each of our camps.  Please email your date, preferably in an Excel spreadsheet to your brigade commander or directly to myself at RayMcBerry@aol.com.  Since getting our registry online, we have received an offer from a compatriot in another Division to possibly build a website for our data which is more appealing to the eye; we hope to have something new for you to see soon.  5. Communications.  Camp commanders and adjutants, please begin at once preparing a spreadsheet to send your brigade commander which will include a roster of all your members, plus their phone numbers and email addresses for everyone that has one.  We are working to modernize and make more efficient our ability to communicate with all of our members. Your help is essential in this effort to make us a more effective organisation in the fight for our Southern Heritage. 6.  Renewal Time.  You should receive your renewal forms sent out in the mail within the next week or two.  Please assist your camp adjutant by getting them turned in as soon as possible.  Division Adjutant Tim Pilgrim has spent a great deal of time making sure that these go out to help with our retention; let's make good use of it.  The Georgia Division is working hard for the Cause of our heritage; it is impossible to continue without YOU! 7. Georgia Division Youth Camp.  The EC will begin comparing potential sites for next summer's youth camp here in Georgia at our meeting in September.  We are inviting ALL MEMBERS to send the names and locations of potential camps for us to rent for a week to Brigade Commander Don Newman who is collecting and collating the information.  Please let him know of any possible camps near you even if you don't have any details about them.  Don's email address is donnewman0601@comcast.net There are a lot of positive things going on in your Division.  I challenge everyone to jump in and find something to do!  For Georgia First, Ray McBerry, Division Commander Georgia Sons of Confederate Veterans

Ray McBerry Enterprises | P.O. Box 1263 | McDonough | GA | 30253

Georgia Division Announce Statewide Radio Campaign

PRESS RELEASE            SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS ANNOUNCE GEORGIA RADIO CAMPAIGN       (ATLANTA - March 27, 2014)  The Georgia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans announced today a statewide radio campaign for 2014 featuring 60 second radio commercials.  Each of the commercials highlights a different event or prominent person of the War for Southern Independence from the year 1864 as part of the ongoing Sesquicentennial commemoration of the War; and all of them tell the story from the Southern view, focusing on an accurate historical portrayal of events of the time instead of the recent historical revisionism currently portrayed by so much of the news and entertainment industries today. Division officials revealed today that the spots are running on a variety of radio stations across Georgia which blanket approximately 90 percent of the state geographically.  The predominant genres of the stations selected for inclusion in the first quarter buy are country music and conservative talk radio.  The Georgia Division has already earmarked funds for continuing the statewide radio campaign throughout the 2014 calendar year.   Exactly 150 years ago, Georgia was one of the primary focuses of the War during Sherman's infamous "March to the Sea."  Many of the radio commercials produced for this radio campaign feature the heroic stand of Southern soldiers defending Atlanta and the rest of Georgia, as well as stories of such well-known events as Andersonville's POW camp.  The historical segments are sure to be controversial to some as they provide historical facts which have been intentionally obfuscated in recent years.   Additionally, the war crimes of William Tecumseh Sherman's army are brought to light, reminding native Georgians and newcomers alike of the atrocities committed by federal troops as they invaded Georgia, committing rape, murder, and pillage among the civilian population. The first eleven commercials of this statewide campaign are available for listening or download HERE.        For more information, please call 404.271.8473 or contact the Georgia Division SCV online at www.GeorgiaSCV.org       END RELEASE    * Permission to reprint this release in its entirety is granted.

2017 Reunion Bid Deadline Extended

2017 Reunion Bid Deadline Extended

 

    Camps, Brigades or Divisions interested in hosting the 2017 national reunion have until March 31, 2014 to contact either Joe Ringhoffer, Chairman of the Convention Planning Committee, or James Patterson, committee member, to state their desire to submit a bid.

 

    The guidelines for hosting the SCV Reunion can be found on SCV.ORG under Forms and Documents titled National Reunion Guidelines at the web address below, or can be obtained by contacting the aforementioned individuals.

http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=0013aE9mKEQ7kjO7KQdOhz33ritGb7dqAc9Q1xo7KAz6cWXDgKl_2DJ3EvFH5j00wbn5y80gv_VhVcJJbyOdST_aezE-IdLSRvtMzMOn7AJBGWDJiHZIJW4YzVWUSNIFFeiVUWdihPambyCU5e9CkHULUHJelzpitGG0t5OL1TjT-_Pwx12CZXeHSXCqFJMnJHBdCgJyVgrGMlNW6Rj9ycwD-NkmTdh8t3tw0GNkszjHX4=&c=z9MpsSjto_CriHt3GrbMsXER4qWSfM-qbI8FZP_z7SeH2B_XlDbFfw==&ch=aoHfWWQSXTkWOyo9-O9QDsfNVaaFMc5vVaCcMmu8n-aDXM6OkSiTKA==

 

    Formal bids are due by April 30, 2014. After the bids are submitted the Committee will review the bids and address any questions to the bidders. Questions regarding details of the bid and what should be submitted should be directed to Chairman Ringhoffer or James Patterson.

 

The bid that will be awarded the 2017 Reunion will be selected at the 2014 Reunion in Charleston, South Carolina.

Joe Ringhoffer                   James Patterson  

ringhje@aol.com             mboroscv33@aol.com 

251-402-7593                      615-812-0206