A Message from Commander In Chief Anthony Hodges
Wednesday, February 23, 2005
Compatriots:
In fulfilling its duty to the SCV, its members and applicable state law governing corporations, your General Executive Council (GEC) has taken forthright action under extraordinary circumstances. Faced with a chief executive officer, (CIC Denne Sweeney) who repeatedly violated the SCV Constitution and governing state corporate law, the GEC faced the unpleasant task of having to make disciplinary review of CIC Sweeney's conduct.
As provided in the SCV Constitution and acting with advice of independent legal counsel, a meeting was properly called at the request of three members of the GEC. Notice was timely provided to all GEC members, and the meeting eventually took place on Wednesday evening, February 16.
CIC Sweeny actively discouraged members of the GEC from attending any meeting concerning his conduct or actions. A quorum being present that evening, the specific actions of CIC Sweeney were then reviewed, including:
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The unlawful attempted suspension of two designated directors of the SCV corporation, and again attempting in Concord, NC, to unlawfully suspend five additional designated directors in an attempt to "manufacture" quorum;
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The deliberate interference with called meetings, by declaring them "illegal," and by canceling the telephone conference code for one such meeting in order to prevent the review of his actions and conduct;
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Instituting a harassing investigation of an elected GEC member to the point of his resignation (ATM Councilman Lucas), and then unlawfully and improperly attempting to appoint a replacement GEC member without following the constitutionally-specified process for such an appointment;
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Instituting harassing official investigations against myself and AOT Councilman French because of our belief in supporting the two suspended designated directors and questioning the legality of those suspensions;
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Declaring a false quorum at an attempted GEC meeting in Concord, NC, with only 9 GEC members present in violation of the SCV Constitution and governing statutory law and attempting to act on business and member discipline, nevertheless;
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The continuing abuse of power, specifically the power and threat of "suspension", towards other members and officers;
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The creating and maintaining of a hostile work environment with regard to working with members of the board of directors, including his misuse of the publications and other communications avenues of the SCV; and
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His unilateral breaching of an agreement previously entered into between the corporation and a director in settlement of a lawsuit in Maury County, Tennessee.
After reviewing the above and other items, the GEC acted in the best interests of the SCV and voted to remove Denne Sweeney from the office of Commander-in-Chief/Chief Executive Officer, along with three of his appointees. By action of the SCV Constitution, I automatically succeeded to this current office, as CIC/CEO. Other necessary supporting actions involving SCV operations, accounts, and processes were also authorized during the meeting, including the voiding of all actions taken at the purported meeting (for lack of legitimate quorum) at Concord, North Carolina in December 2004.
On the next day, acting in the same spirit of cautious determination, the SCV filed a legal action in the Chancery Court of Maury County, Tennessee. The GEC sought legal approval and enforcement of its findings and determinations. The actions taken by the GEC at the meeting of February 16, and the legality of the meeting itself, were approved by the Chancery Court in connection with the SCV's application for a Temporary Restraining Order.
We ask for your prayers, support and patience during this time of mandatory action. Never before have we faced such an atmosphere of intimidation and recrimination in the SCV, in which members, officers and GEC members have been suspended or threatened with suspension or expulsion for little or no reason. Our pride in history and heritage has become, for a few, a facade masking anger, resentment and an apparent desire to browbeat the SCV into a new direction, one with politically ideological path determined by a select few. The face of the SCV which this shows to the public is all too much like that portrayed by our detractors. Be very skeptical of the shrill voices of contentiousness which are currently being heralded. I am a 35 year member of the SCV and have been "fighting the fight" for Confederate Heritage since grade school.
I and the SCV Staff are more dedicated than ever to the true mission of the SCV – preserving the honorable memory of the Confederate soldier and his Cause. We still need your help in that regard, and in our efforts to return the SCV to an organization committed to reasonable conduct, a precious heritage and the rule of law.
I sincerely believe every SCV member can separate the Wheat of Truth from the Chaff of Chaos.
Yours in the Bonds of the Old South,
Anthony Hodges
Commander-in-Chief,
Sons of Confederate Veterans