Save the Sons of Confederate Veterans Status Report
As the August 2003 national convention of the Sons of Confederate Veterans approaches, we at Save the SCV (SSCV) feel that a report on the status of our activities and on the condition of the SCV is appropriate. For ten months, we have been trying to save the SCV from becoming permanently controlled by the League of the South (LoS) and the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC). Approximately forty members of these organizations are in leadership roles within the SCV. Our national leadership is encouraging this trend.
On November 16, 2002, after approximately six weeks of non-public meetings, the Save the SCV movement was launched in North Carolina with an initial mailing to eight-hundred camps and individuals, and activation of the website. We stated from the beginning that our intention was to identify those SCV leaders who have allied themselves with the League of the South and the Council of Conservative Citizens and vote them out of office at the next round of SCV elections.
Within several weeks, a counter-website was established at containing condemnations of Save the SCV, accusations that SSCV was somehow affiliated with Nazis, the liberal media, the Southern Poverty Law Center, communists, sodomites, scalawags, etc. A petition was circulated on the SCV leadership website and at camp meetings, calling for the expulsion from the SCV of all those who were active in Save the SCV. We were also condemned on the League of the South website.
The confrontation gathered momentum until after annual dues were received at national headquarters. Then, in late January 2003, using cover provided by the petition and the SCVleadership website, Commander-in-Chief (CIC) Ron Wilson struck back by having two veteran division office-holders fired; suspending eight camps, eight camp commanders and four brigade commanders; all in North Carolina (affecting 350 members in all). This action was taken immediately prior to the Division meeting at Roxboro, N.C. in order to prevent Save the SCV supporters from introducing resolutions and to keep them from voting at that meeting or at the upcoming convention. These suspensions effectively passed control of North Carolina to the four large radical camps: Charlotte, Albemarle, Morganton and Mt. Airy. Several of the suspended camps have recently purged their membership of SSCV supporters and are seeking to have their camp suspensions lifted; albeit with reduced memberships.
SCV Army of Northern Virginia Commander Charles Hawks was suspended by CIC Wilson then reinstated by the SCV General Executive Council (GEC) by a close vote. CIC Wilson then fired and replaced Hawks, ignoring the decision of the GEC. CIC Wilson, Kirk Lyons and their LoS/CCC faction have now introduced SCV Constitutional amendments that will limit the voting representation of past CICs and will allow the CIC to serve multiple terms in office. The passage of these two amendments at the Asheville convention will result in the purge of moderate General Executive Council members (those who reinstated Hawks) and the consolidation of the LoS/CCC faction’s control over the SCV for at least two more years; either through Wilson, Lyons or one of their clones. As the result of the radical takeover of the SCV, the Military Order of the Stars and Bars (MOS&B) will soon end its decades-long relationship with the SCV.
Save the SCV supporters attended two division meetings in North Carolina; the NC Executive Council meeting in Roxboro and the NC Division Convention in Wake Forrest. As in the case of the Memphis national convention two years ago when SCV member Gilbert Jones was subjected to shouts, insults and a barrage of thrown paper; the North Carolina conferences were marked by shouting, threats, and thrown paper anytime a Save the SCV supporter tied to participate. (The NC Division newsletter falsely characterized the Wake Forrest meeting to have been conducted in a gentlemanly manner.) SSCV supporters are not allowed to vote, speak or introduce resolutions. Meetings are now controlled by thugs who operate freely while the current SCV leadership turns a "blind eye."
As to Save the SCV, the camps in North Carolina that still publicly oppose the Wilson/Lyons regime will likely be voted out of the SCV at the August convention. Camps in Virginia, Alabama, Florida and elsewhere who support the goals of SSCV, are probably safe in the short-term: CIC Wilson wants everyone to believe that all of this is somehow only a North Carolina problem.
As the SCV continues to be directed toward extremism, the organization will find itself more and more isolated from mainstream America, and more and more in lock-step with neo-secessionists like the League of the South, and racists like the Council of Conservative Citizens. The tragedy of this is that a fine history-heritage organization, that still contains thousands of patriotic Americans, will be controlled by extremists and political hacks. The historically accurate story of the Confederate soldier will be sacrificed to modern political turmoil.