Prattville Dragoons Camp Meeting for March 2014 - Part 1

The Dragoons held their monthly camp meeting on Thursday March 13th at the Shoney's on Cobbs Ford Road in Prattville.  A reminder calling service was used for the first time with good success a number of members indicated it served it's intended purpose and prompted their attendance; thirty people were present.  Chaplain Tom Snowden opened the meeting with an invocation and Color Sergent Brent Jenks led those congregated in pledges to the US, Alabama and Confederate flags.  The Charge to the Sons of Confederate Veterans was then recited.  Special guests included Butch and Pat Godwin, Charles Kee and George Denmark from Selma who were recognized for their generous efforts in felling some old trees at the Mt.Zion cemetery keeping these from damaging Confederate grave markers and saving the Dragoons considerable expense in alternate service providers. Recognition certificates were presented to these fine compatriots by Communications Officer Tyrone Crowley and Commander Stuart Waldo.  Adjutant Wayne Sutherland was also recognized for his tireless work digitizing the Prattville Oak Hill Cemetery grave plat into an Excel spreadsheet for permanent archiving and for use at the annual flag setting to commemorate Confederate History and Heritage Month.  As our special guests and the featured speaker were driving from some distance, the agenda was revised to allow these portions of the program first and allow for their departure before the business portion of the camp meeting.  Upcoming events were announced followed by the elections for the slate of camp officers.  Reports from the Commander, Communications Officer and Treasurer were then presented.  Additional announcements included an invitation for camp WWII or Korean War veterans to be recognized by the UDC at the upcoming Confederate Memorial Day program at the Alabama State capitol on April 28th.  Personalized embroidered dress shirts were offered for sale from Sew Fine Embroidery of Tallassee.  Included with the agenda was a flyer for "Defend with a Ten" initiative encouraging everyone to donate to the legal struggles to preserve the Confederate parks in Memphis from revisionist activists seeking to remove monuments and even graves and rename parks in that city in an attempt to diminish the honorable history of the Confederate defenders there. The SCV closing followed by a Benediction offered by Chaplain Snowden concluded the camp meeting.