SCV Camp 1524 Commander's Column - Shine Like Stars as Members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans

 

A recent sermon at my church reminded me of the challenges we face collaborating with other compatriots as members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.  One of the frequent issues cited among camps is the interpersonal conflicts that often disrupt the good work we are trying to accomplish to further the Cause.  We sometimes lose site of the entire premise for being a part of the SCV as embodied in the Charge.  The sermon message pertained to Philippians 2:12-18 and instructed believers and their faith to “shine like stars” and similarly, when we gather with compatriots for SCV events and perform community service and outreach or recruiting events within our communities, we should strive to shine as positive lighthouses.  The core takeaway from Philippians 2:12-13 is to “let God’s work become visible in your life.”   Especially when we project to our friends and neighbors in our community, we need this to be in a positive light and highlight the great things the SCV does and what we are doing for the community in the way of service projects and donations and preserving historical vestiges including cemeteries and monuments.  We have used a poster exhibited in our recruiting booths to illustrate photos from school living history presentations and JROTC Hunley awards as well as cemetery maintenance and food drives and these have elicited statements of surprise from passers-by and potential detractors.   Put a spotlight on the positive things the SCV and your camp is doing. 

Those verses in Philippians also instruct believers to “refuse what dims the light.”   My takeaways from the sermon along these lines applicable to the SCV and camps is to curtail the complaining.  Minimize the grumbling and arguing – keep your eyes fixed on the Charge and why we are attempting to advance to Cause to honor our Confederate ancestors.  We are all volunteers in this organization and should respect the efforts of all compatriots and show humility in our interactions.  It is human nature to think our ideas, our way is best but we must strive to respect other perspectives and experiences and work together in a spirit of cooperation to further the Cause.  “Shine like stars, don’t whine like stars.”

The final message from the sermon pertained to Philippians 2:15-16 and the takeaway was to “live differently in a dark world.”  We are living in a dark and twisted generation.  Isiah 5:20 states, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.”  Today evil is framed as good and this is defined as “moral inversion or ethical deception”.  LGBQTXYZ is embraced as a normal alternative lifestyle.  Abortion is framed as personal choice and empowering women to have ultimate control of their body; they have lost sight of their bodies as a temple to the Lord and that another God-given human life is growing within them. Replacement of western cultures with third world migrants is presented as diversity, equity and inclusion.  Our vestiges to our Southern history and our noble honorable Confederate heroes are being desecrated, removed and destroyed.  Some of these are beautiful priceless works of art like the monuments which have graced the boulevards and parks in Richmond and Atlanta and other Southern towns.  We are attacked and denigrated as Lost Causers and slavery apologists.  But we know the truth of our Confederate ancestors’ struggle for independence and their brave defense of their homes and families in the face of insurmountable odds.  As SCV compatriots we should shine like stars, as examples of Southern gentlemen.  We must hold firmly to the Cause and be enthusiastic in advancing the Charge to a community which may be surprisingly unreceptive to the true history of the South, prepared to defend our ancestors virtues and the ideals which motivated them to secede from the Union and resist the tyrannical invading federal forces for four arduous years.

Upcoming Events for Confederate Compatriots

Upcoming Events for Confederate Compatriots  

 

Prattville Independence Day Parade – Saturday, July 4^th, 9am, Court and main St, downtown Prattville AL 

 

Prattville Dragoons July Camp Meeting – Thursday, July 9^th, 6pm Masonic Lodge, Prattville AL

 

SCV National Reunion – July 15-19, Griffin Gate Resort and Conference Center, Lexington KY

 

Dixie Butt Fundraiser/Distribution – Sat August 15^th, 8-10am, Herrod’s Chevron, Prattville AL

Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 at the Clanton Peach Jam Festival

Members of the Prattville Dragoons SCV Camp 1524 sponsored a recruiting booth at the Peach Jam Festival in Clanton on Saturday June 27th.  It was a warm summer day but the Dragoons had a successful event providing a few SCV membership applications and chatting with men who expressed interest with the goal to start a new SCV camp in Clanton.  Items from the camp stores were also sold including flags, car tags, caps and shotglasses emblazoned with the Confederate Battle Flag.  Members of Camp 1524 at the Peach Jam Festival included Adjutant Butler who led the effort, Quartermaster Delegar, 2nd Lt Wade and 1st Lt Grooms. 

Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Meeting for June 2026 - The Defense Works of Atlanta

SCV Camp 1524 held their June meeting at the Smokehouse Pit BBQ, in Millbrook and it was very enjoyable with great service from the staff, a nice room to hold our meeting and delicious BBQ and drinks. Of course, fellowship with compatriots was best including Brother Schwartz who kept everyone entertained prior to the start of the meeting with traditional songs on his trusty guitar. Chaplain Johnson opened the meeting with a benediction after which Color Sgt Leverette led everyone in the pledge to the US falg and salutes to the Alabama state and Confederate flags. Commander Waldo then read the SCV Charge to those gathered. 1st Lt Grooms presented Bill Myrick with an appreciation award for his many years of faithful service as the camp Quartermaster stating that brother Myrick had been the camp quartermaster since Appomattox!

Next Commander Waldo awarded Camp Treasurer John Dennis the Alabama Division Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest award for his outstanding service of going above and beyond his camp duties as Color Sgt, Treasurer, participation in all the camp activities and leading the care of Indian Hill cemetery. Commander Waldo discussed camp business and upcoming events and then turned the floor over to our guest speaker, Dr. Lawrence Krumenaker. Dr. Krumenaker holds a Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Georgia and attended Michigan State and Case Western. He is a professional astronomer, science educator, and writer. He gave a compelling presentation on the defense of Atlanta and the specific battle lines including the Outer Lines, the Inner ring defenses designed by Lenuel Grant and anchored by triangular forts called shoupades which were assembled to withstand the advance of Sherman's armies in 1864 to protect the city and citizens in and surrounding Atlanta. His presentation also showed remanants of these lines and forts and oftentimes the modern buildings and roadways constructed atop these obscuring any resemblance to those historic fortifications. It was a good comprehensive overview presentation of the defense of this key Confederate rail hub and city of Atlanta. Commander Waldo closed the meeting with the SCV Closing and Chaplain Johnson saw everyone off with an Invocation. Another enjoyable gathering of Camp 1524.

Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Members at the 103rd Alabama Division Children of the Confederacy Convention

Members of the Prattville Dragoons Sons of Confederate Veterans Camp 1524 Members attended the 103rd Alabama Division Children of the Confederacy Convention held at the Confederate Memorial Park in Marbury AL on Saturday June 13th.  Camp 1524 Adjutant Butler was on the reenactment color guard led by Brigade Commander Jeremy Boothe and they posted colors to open the Comvention.  Additionally, from Camp 1524, Commander Waldo, compatriot Crowley and his wife and compatriot Schwartz were also in attendance.  Following posting of the colors, the CofC Creed was recited and pledges and salutes made to the Christian, Alabama State, and Confederate flags.  A welcome to guests including UDC officers was made by President Waldo presiding over the Convention.  She also provided a President's report for activities completed in her chapter furthering the Cause undertaken during her tenure.  The Tuscaloosa chapter also provided a report for activities of that chapter from the last year.  Elections were then held and Camp 1524 Commander Waldo's son was announced as the new President for the coming year.  A wreath was laid at the cemetery there at Confederate Memorial Park and two volley salutes were provided by the reenactors as part of an honor guard for that ceremony.  Following, a luncheon was served with chicken nuggets, chili sauced meatballs, pasta salad, chips, brownies, cookies, fruit and a celebratory cake along with beverages for everyone in attendance.  The UDC Division President then presented a General Robert E Lee award to Ms. Bearden for her tremendous work with the UDC and the CofC and also presented the two graduating CofC members aging out with checks for their college checking accounts. It was a great 103rd annual Children of the Confederacy convention.  

Prattville Dragoons Camp 1524 Attend Alabama Division Sons of Confederate Veterans Reunion

Three members of the Prattville Dragoons attended the Alabama Division SCV convention in Athens AL on Saturday June 6th.  Commander Waldo was joined by compatriots Larry Spears and Tyrone Crowley as delegates for Camp 1524.  The Reunion started with greetings from representatives of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Order of Confederate Rose, Order of the Stars and Bars, and Children of the Confederacy. Commander Waldo's daughter brought those greetings from the CofC and was later named one of the three recipients of the Gen Joseph Wheeler scholarship.  After that, the Mechanized Cavalry rode up on their Harleys carrying the flags which were then posted in the hall.  Pledges and salutes to the flags was followed by a reading of the SCV Charge and a Benediction offered by the Division Chaplain.  Adjutant Hattabaugh welcomed everyone to the Reunion as his was the local host camp.  This was an election year so business consisted of a couple of amendments to AL Division consitutions which went unchallenged and then elections were held for the positions of Division Commander, 1st Lt Commandr and 2nd Lt Commander. Commander Hill ran unopposed for Commander as did 1st Lt Martin and 2nd Lt Jewellson also.  Following reports from the Adjutant and Treasurer and updates on Division projects including conservation of artifacts at the State Archives, the morning session concluded and we all enjoyed a lunch of fried catfish, fried chicken, ham, sweet potato casserole, green beans and corn with banana pudding and peach cobbler with sweet tea.  Awards were given out during the lunch hour.  Following lunch, Brigade meetings were held including elections of Brigade commanders. This was followed by a Last Roll Call for members who had passed away in the year since the last Reunion.  Then everyone sang Dixie and a closing Invocation brought the Reunion to a close. 

Prattville Dragoons SCV Camp 1524 Commander’s Column for June 2026 - Gerrymandering

     In the headlines recently are efforts to redraw congressional maps in multiple states across the country from California to the Carolinas.  The April 2026 Supreme Court decision reversed decades of racially motivated gerrymandering following the Voting Rights Act passage in 1965.  The SCOTUS ruling prohibited “unconstitutional racial gerrymandering, any use of race in legislative districting, only being justified to remedy specific, identified instances of past discrimination—and not simply to balance out partisan or racial demographics.”  (https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-supreme-courts-callais-decision-sets-new-framework-for-racial-gerrymandering)

The term gerrymandering entered American lexicon around 1812 following efforts in Massachusetts by the Jeffersonian Republicans “brazenly contorting districts into odd shapes to maximize (their) party’s gain. Even though the Jeffersonian Republicans received (a minority) 49 percent of the vote, they won 29 of the 40 seats in the state Senate.” (https://www.history.com/articles/gerrymandering-origins-voting)   Once the opposition Federalist party was in power, the districts were redrawn.  During Reconstruction, former Confederates were unable to vote for approximately a decade and only until they swore allegiance to the Union, so black Republican candidates were installed by carpetbaggers and dominated elections for this period.  Following this disenfranchisement and restoration of the Confederate veterans’ voting rights and gaining political power again, “Southern Democrats redrew districts to maximize their electoral advantage including “long stringy districts” to concentrate as many Black voters as possible into one district so that the rest of the districts would have a white majority.”  In 1874 South Carolina even had “introduced the first non-contiguous voting district”.  “Modern forms of gerrymandering continues and in some ways it’s politicians picking their voters as opposed to voters picking their politicians.”  This strategy is further illustrated by the New England states which are 100% Democrat in federal congressional seats but actually have up to 46% Republican voters in some of these states.

This period after “Reconstruction, from 1878 through 1896 saw the most aggressive use of gerrymandering, a period in which Democrats and Republicans were in close competition for national power and partisan loyalties were firm.”  Gerrymandering became more “effective, because with voting loyalties largely fixed, it was easier for mapmakers to draw districts to maximize their side’s representation and, more essential, because, with so few undecided or swing voters, the only way for parties to win national elections was to maximize the impact of their side’s votes, by shifting boundaries to distribute them efficiently.  In many ways, this late 19th-century era resembles today’s politics—closely fought national elections, intense partisan loyalties, and aggressive constitutional hardball tactics.”  (https://www.newamerica.org/insights/what-we-know-about-redistricting-and-redistricting-reform/where-we-have-been-the-history-of-gerrymandering-in-america/)  The late 1990s saw Republicans assume federal political power after decades as the minority conservative party.  “As the century waned, the two parties became more culturally and geographically sorted, congressional elections were increasingly nationalized, and the share of naturally competitive congressional districts declined steadily. Much of this was not because of gerrymandering, but rather due to Democrats abandoning rural America, and Republicans abandoning urban America.” 

Interesting to see the evolution of the political landscape and the transformations of the Republican and Democrat parties over the past 160 years.  The conservatism and gravitation toward the rural constituency of the antebellum South is no longer represented by the antebellum Democrat party and that of the Confederates and, the chasm has widened over the past few decades and election cycles.  The repercussions from these latest restrictions on gerrymandering will be interesting to see as to whether a shift in national political power and culture will result.