Sons of Confederate Veterans

The Sons of Confederate Veterans, Inc. (SCV) is a fraternal lineage society headquartered in Columbia, Tennessee that is open to any male descendant of those men who served honorably in the Confederate States armed forces. It is a 501(c) organization dedicated to ensuring that the memory of their Confederate ancestors remain alive and untarnished. The organization is committed to educating others about the South's role in the American Civil War and preserving Confederate monuments, graves, and artifacts. It is not affiliated with any other organization and categorically rejects any person who advocates the overthrow of the United States government or is knowingly a member of any hate group.

History
The Sons were organized at Richmond, Virginia in 1896 at the Convention of the United Confederate Veterans (UCV). Initially the Sons were charged with assisting these Veterans during reunions and ensuring the true history of the Confederacy and its struggle be accurately documented. The Sons continues to grow as an historical, patriotic, and non-political organization dedicated to ensuring that a true history of the 1861-1865 period is preserved. It is driven by the Charge given to the Sons by General Stephen D. Lee. That Charge is as relevant today as it was 116 years ago:


 * "To you, Sons of Confederate Veterans, we submit the vindication of the Cause for which we fought; to your strength will be given the defense of the Confederate soldier's good name, the guardianship of his history, the emulation of his virtues, the perpetuation of those principles he loved and which made him glorious and which you also cherish. Remember, it is your duty to see that the true history of the South is presented to future generations!"


 * Lieutenant-General Stephen Dill Lee

Organization
The Sons have the minimum organization needed to be consistent with its long-term survival and adherence to its original goals. Each Camp makes most of the decisions necessary for its existence and to carry out its programs. The higher levels of the organization exist to assist the camps, to implement policy and to serve as a clearinghouse for ideas. Structurally, the organization is centered on the camp and its support with the other layers of responsibility as outlined below.

National

The members acting through elected delegates govern the Sons. The General Headquarters is located at Elm Springs, near Columbia, Tennessee. An Executive Director, who is a paid administrator of the organization, manages the Headquarters staff. The General Executive Council serves as the board of directors to govern the organization between conventions. Our elected and appointed national officers have the responsibility to oversee the operations of the total Sons organization.

Departments

To make it easier to manage and support the geographical area that is covered by the national organization, the country is broken down into three Departments that are called the Army of Northern Virginia, the Army of Tennessee, and the Army of Trams-Mississippi. Again, to manage this level of the organization, officers are elected and aides are appointed who have oversight for their respective Departments.

Divisions

Within each Department are several state level organizations called Divisions that are generally in geographical proximity to one other. Each state having five camps is known as a Division. The Commander-in-Chief may also form a provisional division where a state or territory has at least two Camps. Divisions have a set of officers and aides to help manage and support the organization at this level. The division organization has responsibility for all camps in a particular state. The Division Executive Council is responsible for exercising the authority of the Division between division conventions.

Brigades

In divisions with a large number of camps where management and support is difficult, intermediate organizations known as brigades may be formed. Brigades are established to even out the workload, assist the Division Commander, and to provide quicker assistance and support for all camps. As an example a Division may be divided into an appropriate number of brigades, each complete with its own officers and aides. An example might be the Northeast, Northwest, Middle West, Middle East, Southeast and Southwest.

Camps

The backbone of the Sons is the individual Camp. Some may be as small as to have only seven members (the constitutionally required minimum), while many average forty members. Some camps have the same name and number of a previous Sons camp that may have existed in the same area in the preceding years. New Sons camps may request the assignment of the name and number of a former Sons Camp if it expects to serve the same general area as its predecessor. Otherwise, the Camp may choose any name that will relate the camp to the community it serves or to the Camp's proposed activities. General Headquarters will assign the Camp with a number.