Prattville Dragoons January Camp Meeting - Part 1

The Dragoons, SCV Camp 1524 held their first camp meeting of the year on Thursday January 9th at the Shoney's on Cobbs Ford Road in Prattville AL.  Chaplain Tom Snowden started the program with an invocation.  Color Sgt Brent Jenks led everyone in the pledges to the United States, State of Alabama and Confederate flags.  Commander Stuart Waldo then read Stephen D. Lee's Charge to the Sons of Confederate Veterans.  Announcements included the recognition of special guests including three ladies, wives of camp members present.  Suzelle Josey who is a candidate for the Alabama Senate District 30 was also present and greeted people and distributed nice calendars to everyone before the meeting commenced.  The upcoming local and state events were then announced including Professor David Bridges book signing at the First White House on Jan 16th, the Semple Camp's Lee-Jackson Banquet on Jan 17th, the First White House Robert E. Lee birthday party on Jan 20th, the Alabama Division Robert E.Lee commemoration at the state capital on Jan 25th, the Shelby County 196th Birthday and Historical Society 40th Anniversary celebrations at the Columbiana Old Courthouse on Feb 2nd, the Stephen D. Lee Institute Lectures in Chattanooga on Feb 7-8th, the Billbrook Mardi Gras parade on Feb 22nd and, the Alabama Division EC Meeting at Bucks Place in Prattville on March 1st.  He was absent due to illness but we recognized Commander Larry Spears who recently joined the SCV Alabama Division Guardian Program where members adopt a gravesite of a Confederate veteran to maintain it.  The Excel plat of the Prattville Oak Hill Cemetery would be a good electronic document to submit to the Guardian Program for archiving once this is completed. Commander Waldo and Communications Officer Tyrone Crowley then gave a brief accounting and report-out for the successful and enjoyable Dragoons Christmas Social.  The highlight of the first portion of the program was the initiation of two new members into Camp 1524 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, David Gatch and Forrest Waldo.  David is a close friend of our Reenactment Liaison Paul Whaley and Clinton Forrest Waldo is the son of the camp Commander and a student at Auburn University. Membership certificates and SCV lapel pins were provided to these new members following swearing in by the camp Commander and Chaplain.  The Guest Speaker for the meeting was the Dragoons Sam Reid who gave an informative presentation on the Emancipation Proclamation, describing slavery's early age, when it was practiced all over the world and throughout the New England states and taken for granted, the conditions at the time of the Emancipation Proclamation, and the effects of that proclamation in the North and South and misconceptions of its purpose.The SCV Closing was then read by Commander Waldo and Chaplain Snowden closed the meeting with a Benediction.  The meeting was well attended and a good start to the New Year.

Chaplain Snowden Swearing in New Camp 1524 Members

New Dragoon David Gatch

New Dragoon Forrest Waldo