SCV Poll

[major bill]

As I have zero Confederate, driving 3 or 4 hours to meetings is not something I would be interested doing.

 

[archieclement]

As I have zero Confederate, driving 3 or 4 hours to meetings is not something I would be interested doing.

Why I never joined a SUV.

I have some Union ancestors, but no camps near. Also why not SCV anymore, local camp I belonged to moved further away, think may be disbanded now, and really didn't seem worth driving over an hour to one. Though next closest camp would been William T Anderson camp

 

[donna]

I guess I will answer other as my husband is member of SCV. He has Confederate ancestors.

I am member of the UDC and have Confederate ancestors.

He has held office in his Camp but now just belongs to the National Camp.

I have held several offices in my Chapter in Florida. I am Recording Secretary now. I did hold office in Chapter I belonged to when lived near Cincinnati.

I changed my membership to Florida when moved here.

 

[archieclement]

Has anyone belonged to both a SUV and SCV camp? If so, was there much a difference between the two?

 

[Library Lady]

If there were young people who were interested but the elders of the local camp didn't share those particular interests, could the young ones start another camp in the area or would they be stuck having to drive a long distance to an established camp that was more aligned with their interests? If the latter, is it a surprise that the young ones might not remain interested?

 

[East Tennessee Roots]

I could join both SCV and Sons of Union Veterans. As a boy beginning a lifelong interest in the "late unpleasantness", I remember the pride in being told I had ancestors on both sides. I try to avoid any partisan leanings.

 

[tony_gunter]

Indeed never said otherwise.......but it wasn't the confederacy running the Mississippi state government to 1978.....which was what I had replied to......if complaining of Mississippi policy postwar until 1978.....that's over a 100 years of US and 0 confederate.......

.

There are two kinds of people in this world:

1) Those who can extrapolate from data.

 

[Andersonh1]

I am a member of the SCV and have been since 2015. I enjoy being a part of the local camp and have made a number of friends there. I've made friends in other camps too, some through these very boards. Our camp meets every month, we fly our flags, listen to someone speak about different topics related to the war, and many of us do outside projects related to caring for the graves of Confederate veterans. The camp also runs the Confederate museum in Greenville, something the city tries to downplay, having taken down any and all directional signs in recent years. I see the organization as preserving Southern history as best we can in this day and age, which is why I joined in the first place.

I think it's important to do what we can to preserve and promote all American history. There's definitely a movement today to divorce Americans from their past, and that doesn't seem healthy at all to me. I'm a Southerner, from South Carolina, and my family has been here or in North Carolina since before there was a United States, so Southern history is first and foremost of interest to me. But it's all important and it all contributes to our identity as Americans.

 

[archieclement]

There are two kinds of people in this world:

1) Those who can extrapolate from data.

Indeed and those who are blind to data......certainly if they don't realize there was no Confederacy to be responsible for anything during the period

Certainly don't see data supporting either union or confederate heritige groups were running entire states for over century.

 

[archieclement]

I am a member of the SCV and have been since 2015. I enjoy being a part of the local camp and have made a number of friends there. I've made friends in other camps too, some through these very boards. Our camp meets every month, we fly our flags, listen to someone speak about different topics related to the war, and many of us do outside projects related to caring for the graves of Confederate veterans. The camp also runs the Confederate museum in Greenville, something the city tries to downplay, having taken down any and all directional signs in recent years. I see the organization as preserving Southern history as best we can in this day and age, which is why I joined in the first place.

I think it's important to do what we can to preserve and promote all American history. There's definitely a movement today to divorce Americans from their past, and that doesn't seem healthy at all to me. I'm a Southerner, from South Carolina, and my family has been here or in North Carolina since before there was a United States, so Southern history is first and foremost of interest to me. But it's all important and it all contributes to our identity as Americans.

Your camp sounds more what I thought it would be with "listen to someone speak about different topics related to the war". Unfortunately wasn't case with camp I belonged to. I expected a mix of historical presentation along with cemetary preservation. But meeting was typically small carry in, then farmer loafing non ACW.......then mabye a 10 min meeting not really covering anything, except mabye a cemetary clean up in fall or spring.

 

[Andersonh1]

Your camp sounds more what I thought it would be with "listen to someone speak about different topics related to the war". Unfortunately wasn't case with camp I belonged to. I expected a mix of historical presentation along with cemetary preservation. But meeting was typically small carry in, then farmer loafing non ACW.......then mabye a 10 min meeting not really covering anything, except mabye a cemetary clean up in fall or spring.

I've visited several other local camps, and given my presentation on black Confederate newspaper stories at them, and they all seem to run the same way as my camp: the meetings generally consist of a meal, camp business and a speaker. You may have just been unlucky to find one that was run differently!

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

They are right about it being an old fart thing.Younger people show little or no interest. Sad.

There are more interested younger folks who would get involved, if said old farts wouldn't be so hostile in my experience.

They usually want it to stay a private club. It got terrible during COVID for some odd reason. Unfortunately…

 

[MWood1841]

But it's all important and it all contributes to our identity as Americans.

All well said and stated

 

[7th Texas Mounted Rifles]

There are more interested younger folks who would get involved, if said old farts wouldn't be so hostile in my experience.

Same thing with the VFW - the organization is DYING because the older crowd and policymakers seemingly want to keep it 'the way it always has been'.

There is a MASSIVE pool of OIF/OEF combat vets - the younger demographic just have no interest in the canteen alcoholism and retelling of the same old war stories crowd.

The VFW does some amazing things - but they desperately need to modernize. There have been attempts at the national level for moving in that direction, but much too slowly - and they didn't start until they had already hemorrhaged a massive amount of members. At this rate, they will not be able to right the ship.

That is a tragedy.

 

[archieclement]

There are more interested younger folks who would get involved, if said old farts wouldn't be so hostile in my experience.

They usually want it to stay a private club. It got terrible during COVID for some odd reason. Unfortunately…

That was problem with camp I belonged to IMO.

First it was a start up camp for anniversary, so had no track record or history....

Second it seemed mainly formed by a old guy and small clique of friends, even most the cemetary stuff they wanted to either run or do themselves........the rest were apparently just to pay dues.......

So after the anniversary and newness wore off, and loss of members who weren't included in doing anything, it seems it faded away...........

 

[Pollaco]

There are more interested younger folks who would get involved, if said old farts wouldn't be so hostile in my experience.

They usually want it to stay a private club. It got terrible during COVID for some odd reason. Unfortunately…

I don't like to brag but I feel we went our way to be nice.Some youngsters just don't much care to be in the company of "old farts"

 

[Pollaco]

Oh. And History is not their thing either

 

[tony_gunter]

Indeed and those who are blind to data......certainly if they don't realize there was no Confederacy to be responsible for anything during the period

Certainly don't see data supporting either union or confederate heritige groups were running entire states for over century.

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

I don't like to brag but I feel we went our way to be nice.Some youngsters just don't much care to be in the company of "old farts"

That's actually a falsehood that is way overstated.

There's a LOT of younger folks who'd love to be in the presence of older folks. The problem, and don't be offended, is the current crop of older folks as a whole. (But there are exceptions!)

Myself and many I know absolutely LOVED the older WW2 and Korean War era generations, they were kind and offered so much wisdom to learn. They were fun. They obviously weren't the best parents, case in point, what came after (that applies to my generation's raising unfortunately) but as grandparents and mentors they were above and beyond great. I guarantee any "greatness" my generation performs, it'll be by folks influenced by them. They just had more time in retirement they didn't have when raising their youngins!

Generations that came after have an extreme arrogance towards us and towards the world in general. I know I have to deal with it every single day just in the workplace. They're convinced of their own superiority and the inferiority of younger generations. We've no time or wish to be around such messes. I have to experience so much outright discrimination while having to clean up their mess everyday. Too many have an excellent work ethic, but terrible attitude no wish to even do the job as it needs to be done, keep up with the times, and fail to realize they've become a problem. In the workplace and elsewhere. And too many are desperate to hold on to their world and power over it. Don't believe me? Just look at the Federal Government!

I just feel terrible for the folks of my generation who've not been exposed to the generations that are almost gone. They tend to have little direction in comparison to others who did, and crave that direction, with baby boomers and on in general looking down on us. That negativity is reaping too much destruction in society now…

 

[Rusk County Avengers]

And apologies to the older, I've no wish to offend, only say what needs to be said in hopes someone will think on it.

And I speak so bluntly as I have to suffer what I've mentioned EVERY DAY of the week, and thankfully the influence of my WW2 era grandparents and mentors, and not to pay myself on the back, I hate that, but have an analytical mind.

My tact may be lacking, but I guarantee it needs to be said. Not just for keeping the memory of history alive, but also just society's health.

EDIT- I also say what I've said as a "Millennial" who got almost ZERO teaching, raising, and so forth from his "Baby Boomer" parents, who had every opportunity too, and got taught everything and received affections that they should've done from his Depression survivor grandparents. Also love of history from them.