April 14, 2006

Dear Compatriots,

For the past couple of years many of us have been viewing the developments at the national level of the SCV with growing alarm. From the toleration of known Klan supporters, neo-Nazis, and neo-secessionists, to the expulsion of good men like Earl Faggert, the national SCV seems to be moving from bad to worse.

Your camp leadership has decided that the time has come when the Camp can no longer ignore what is going on at SCV headquarters. Accordingly, at the April 4^th, 2006, Executive Committee meeting the Committee voted unanimously to approve the enclosed resolution, and to send it to the Camp members for a vote at the April 25^th camp meeting.

Because this is an important decision for the Camp to take, we wanted to give you time to review this resolution. We also urge all members to attend the meeting to present their views on this resolution. Unlike the national SCV, where criticism of the national Commander is now grounds for expulsion, your Camp leadership will always welcome every member’s viewpoint.

The Executive Committee feels strongly that the Camp needs to take a stand now against what is going on in the SCV, to show that we are worthy descendants of our Confederate ancestors. Thus your Committee urges you to attend the meeting and to vote to approve this resolution.

Resolution

This resolution was approved by a 4 to 1 vote margin by the members attending the 25 April 2006 Camp meeting

(Vote was 28 approving the resolution and 6 disapproving)

WHEREAS for many years one organization that has historically been charged with protecting the good name and reputation of the Confederate soldier has been the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc. (SCV); and

WHEREAS the Jefferson Davis Camp No. 635, Inc., a nonprofit corporation, affiliated with the Mississippi Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, located in Jackson, Mississippi, is the largest SCV camp in Mississippi, and for many years has loyally supported the SCV; and

WHEREAS the actions, omissions, publicity and image of the SCV invariably impact the members of Jefferson Davis Camp No. 635 by influencing the public’s impressions of the camp’s members and of the Confederate era; and

WHEREAS the members of Jefferson Davis Camp No 635 understand that one of the most serious threats to the good name and precious heritage of the Confederate soldier, and one of the biggest obstacles the Camp faces in making sure the general public shares the Camp members’ appreciation and admiration of their Confederate heritage and ancestors, is the unfortunate manner in which certain racist, white-supremacist and anti-Semitic groups have misappropriated and usurped Confederate heritage, symbols and history for their own lamentable purposes, creating a public perception that honoring our Confederate ancestors is an indication of racist or other extremist views; and

WHEREAS the tireless efforts of many individuals and associations, including this Camp, to refute and correct the unfair, inaccurate, biased, and ignorant distortions that attempt to connect our Confederate ancestors with the obnoxious, odious and repugnant ideas of certain contemporary racist persons and groups have been undermined and hampered by the unilateral attempts of fringe elements to infiltrate Confederate heritage groups, such as the SCV, and to subvert the same; and

WHEREAS it has been reported to the Jefferson Davis Camp that it has become the perceived policy of the national leaders of the SCV to tolerate persons in high offices in the SCV who have expressed racist views or sympathies, who have expressed sympathy with or refused to condemn white-supremacist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, have expressed sympathy with or refused to condemn neo-Nazi or anti-Semitic views, or who have espoused views disloyal to the United States of America; and

WHEREAS on all sides the members of Jefferson Davis Camp No. 635 hear reports of SCV members and elected officials being removed, suspended, or expelled without the proper procedures being followed, or without those members’ due process rights being respected, with the primary reason for such action being that these members or elected officials have criticized the national SCV leadership or refused to support the views of these leaders; and

WHEREAS the Camp has received numerous reports from reliable sources that lead this Camp to have reasonable cause to conclude that the national leaders of the SCV have embarked on a systematic course and policy of purging the SCV of any member who does not agree with the national leaders; and

WHEREAS the members of Jefferson Davis Camp No. 635 feel strongly that anyone expressing racist views or sympathies, white supremacist views or sympathies, neo-Nazi views or sympathies, anti-Semitic views or sympathies, who exposes disloyalty to the United States of America, anyone who refuses to recite the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, anyone who expresses or advocates any state seceding from the United States of America, anyone who is a member of the Ku Klux Klan or supports that organization, is a member of the Aryan Nation or supports that organization, should not be accepted into or allowed to remain a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans; and

WHEREAS it has been reported to this Camp that in recent years large numbers of SCV members in North Carolina were "suspended" or otherwise disciplined for calling for an end to racism in the SCV, or for expressing their views about the leadership of the SCV; and

WHEREAS recently the General Executive Council, the governing body of the SCV, has developed the unfortunate habit of advancing an individual named Kirk Lyons from North Carolina as the public image and representative of the SCV, has allowed Kirk Lyons to participate in its councils, and has financed the activities of this individual; and

WHEREAS Kirk Lyons appears to be viewed by third parties familiar with Mr. Lyons, as well as much of the general public familiar with him, as a white supremacist lawyer who has attended Ku Klux Klan events, and has affiliated with neo-Nazi groups and anti-Semitic groups; and

WHEREAS the SCV has never had persons with these types of backgrounds and associations in the SCV, and this Camp views such associations as disastrous to Confederate heritage, with ample potential to adversely affect other institutions dedicated to protecting Confederate heritage, such as this Camp; and

WHEREAS Jefferson Davis Camp No. 635 is absolutely certain that if Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee were alive today both would be the first persons to roundly condemn the views of racist groups, neo-Nazi groups, neo-secessionist groups, and anti-Semitic groups; and

WHEREAS organizations such as The League of the South and similar groups advocate views that are not compatible with this Camp’s ideas of loyalty to the United States of America, and the Commander of the SCV has appointed members of such groups to leadership positions in the SCV; and

WHEREAS the Jefferson Davis Camp No. 635 feels that the idea of a modern secessionist movement, espoused by groups such as the League of the South, is incompatible with the SCV members’ duties as citizens of the United States of American and is in direct contradiction with the admonition our revered leaders Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis gave to our ancestors to be good citizens of this country, and is incompatible with the sacrifices many of the descendents of Confederate veterans have made to protect the United States of America since 1865; and

WHEREAS as the representative of a large number of members of this nonprofit corporation the Jefferson Davis Camp has not only the legal and moral right to be told the truth about what the national leadership of the SCV is doing or has not done, for which purpose there is attached to this resolution a list of questions that this Camp wants the Commander of the SCV and the General Executive Council to answer in writing; and

WHEREAS this Camp views the matters set forth in this resolution to be vital to the future of the SCV and demands that the SCV Commander-in-Chief and SCV General Executive Council give this resolution their most serious consideration; and

WHEREAS the legitimate concerns and questions of this Camp are embodied in this resolution and the questions that are attached thereto, questions this Camp wants the Commander-in-Chief of the SCV and SCV General Executive Council to respond to as soon as possible, and

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Jefferson Davis Camp No 635 that its members register their strongest possible disapproval of the SCV’s association and toleration of people such Kirk Lyons, and any toleration by the SCV of groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, The League of the South and the Council of Conservative Citizens; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Jefferson Davis Camp No. 635 calls upon the General Executive Council of the SCV to disavow and terminate any association, patronage, or financial support of Kirk Lyons or the Southern Legal Resource Center, and to take prompt steps to terminate Mr. Lyon’s membership in the SCV in accordance with the procedures set up in the SCV Constitution, and to take the same steps in the case of any other person who is known to be or professes to be a racist, neo-Nazi, white-supremacist, anti-Semite, or neo-secessionist, or holds such views; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Jefferson Davis Camp No. 635 calls upon the General Executive Council of the SCV to pass a resolution expressively stating that membership in any organization such as the Ku Klux Klan or support for or sympathy with that organization is not compatible with membership in the SCV; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Jefferson Davis Camp No. 635 calls upon the General Executive Council of the SCV to pass and publicize a current resolution condemning the use of Confederate flags or symbols by any racist, white-supremacist, neo-Nazi, or anti-Semitic, group, and calling upon such groups to terminate their use of any Confederate flags or symbols immediately; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Executive Council of the SCV should immediately establish a written policy that no person can serve as an officer of the SCV in any capacity who maintains membership in or gives aid and encouragement to any racist group, white-supremacist group, neo-Nazi group, anti-Semitic group or neo-secessionist group; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be transmitted immediately to the Sons of Confederate Veterans Commander-in-Chief Denne Sweeney, and to the General Executive Council of the SCV, with a demand that prompt, complete and full answers to the attached questions be given in writing to the Commander of this Camp for transmittal to the camp members; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the Commander of the Mississippi Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Ed Funchess, with a demand that the Division Executive Council address this resolution at its next meeting, and inform this Camp whether or not it agrees or disagrees with this resolution, in whole or in part; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the Commander and Adjutant of every other camp in the Mississippi Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, with a request that their camp consider and pass a similar resolution.

SO ADOPTED AND RESOLVED by the members of the Jefferson Davis Camp No. 635 at its monthly meeting held on the 25^th day of April, 2006.

________________________________

Hubert Green, Commander

Jefferson Davis Camp No. 635

Sons of Confederate Veterans

1. Since Ron Wilson was installed as Commander-in-Chief, how many SCV members have been expelled or suspended from the SCV to date?

2. Who are the persons suspended or expelled, and for what reasons were they suspended or expelled?

3. Since Ron Wilson was installed as Commander-in-Chief, how many elected SCV officials at every level have been removed from office to date?

4. Who are the officials who were removed, and why were they removed?

5. Why was the SCV, a Mississippi corporation, merged into a Texas corporation?

6. Who was the lawyer that handled the legal work involved in merging the two corporations?

7. Who were the persons that incorporated the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc., a Texas corporation?

8. Why was not each member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc., a Mississippi corporation, given the right to vote on whether the corporation should merge with the Texas corporation?

9. What national office holders of the SCV, or staff members at both the division and national levels, are members of The League of the South?

10. What SCV officers, staff members, committee members or other officials sit on the Board of Directors of the Southern Legal Resource Center?

11. Is there any rule or regulation which forbids an SCV member from criticizing or voicing his opinion about any national leader or that leader’s actions at any time? If so, what does the rule say and when was it passed?

12. Have any SCV camps refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America? If so, what action has the General Executive Council taken against that camp?

13. How much money has the SCV, the General Executive Council, or any committee thereof, given to or paid to the Southern Legal Resource Center or to Kirk Lyons since August, 2002?

14. Has the SCV, the General Executive Council, or any committee thereof paid any court imposed fine or sanction for Kirk Lyons or the Southern Legal Resource Center? If so, how much and when was it paid?

15. What is the actual number of members of the SCV who have paid their dues for the current year?

16. Why was Anthony Hodges removed as Lt. Commander-in-Chief and what grounds? Was he given any notice of any charges against him, or given any opportunity to appear and defend himself? Was any information regarding his removal, the procedure followed, or the reason for his removal put in the Confederate Veteran magazine?

17. Why was John French removed as Executive Councilman of the Army of Tennessee and on what grounds? Was he given any notice of any charges against him, or given any opportunity to appear and defend himself? Was any information regarding his removal, the procedure followed, or the reasons for his removal put in the Confederate Veteran magazine?

18. Why was Mark L. Cantrell removed as Commander of the Army of Trans-Mississippi and on what grounds? Was he given any notice of any charges against him, or given any opportunity to appear and defend himself? Was any information regarding his removal, the procedure followed, or the reasons for his removal put in the Confederate Veteran magazine?

19. Has the current Chaplain-in-Chief made public statements approving the practice of slavery, stating that slavery was "biblically sanctioned?"

20. Why was an effort made to suspend or remove Past Commander-in-Chief Ralph Green as Newsletter Editor and Adjutant of the W. L. Cabell Camp No. 1313 in Dallas, Texas and on what grounds? Was he given any notice of any charges against him beforehand, or given any opportunity to appear and defend himself?

21. List the procedures that are supposed to be followed by the SCV Commander-in-Chief before he suspends or disciplines any SCV member and list the reasons that an SCV member can be expelled or suspended from membership?

22. Supply us with a complete set of audited financial statements for the SCV for the last fiscal year available, showing the amount of income, the sources of the same, the amount of expenses, the nature of the same, a complete balance sheet, showing the nature and amount of all assets and funds.

23. Has the national SCV or any committee of the SCV paid any sums as attorney fees or costs, or pledged or agreed to pay, any sums as attorney fees or costs, in the suit which the Mississippi Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, has filed against The Mississippi Division of the United Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc.?

24. Has the national SCV or any committee of the SCV offered any legal advice, or caused any legal advice to be rendered to the Mississippi Division, Sons of Confederate Veterans, in the suit the Division has filed against The Mississippi Division of the United Sons of Confederates Veterans, Inc,?

25. Has the national Commander-in-Chief of the SCV offered to suspend or expel from the SCV any member of the Mississippi Division that the Mississippi Division Commander Ed Funchess deems to be in conflict with his conduct of the Division’s operations?

26. Please state in exact detail why the Oklahoma Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans was dissolved, the reasons therefore, and the constitutional sections relied upon by the Commander-in-Chief for his authority to take this action?

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