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From: "Al Peterson" <>
Subject: Re: [SUVCW] membership longevity (thread off of "We still llhavelots of wor...
Date: Thu, 1 May 2008 08:32:09 -0700
References: <c29.34d2fac6.354a92e5@aol.com><8CA79A49354C6C8-1208-CE1@MBLK-M26.sysops.aol.com><773c85270805010630o688f670el25be2d7f559c1cd8@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <773c85270805010630o688f670el25be2d7f559c1cd8@mail.gmail.com>


Brother Ernie, just wanted to inform you that I sent an E Mail to Chloe
Morrison of the Chattanooga Times Free Press last night and gave her a lot
of information about the "real" Memorial Day, how it happened to be, and the
problems we are experiencing today of not remembering or knowing what and
when Memorial Day is.

Let's see if she responds.

Regards

Al Peterson

-----Original Message-----
From: [mailto:] On
Behalf Of Ernest Everett Blevins
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 6:30 AM
To:
Subject: Re: [SUVCW] membership longevity (thread off of "We still ll
havelots of wor...

Being in Kentucky the SUVCW should have a big push in 2009 which Kentucky
has already started heavily working on the bicentennial for Lincoln. I was
up there in Kentucky for the National Council on Public History conference
last month and they really pushed it. Kentucky camps should contact the
Kentucky Historical Commission and ask about their mobile display which is
set up for Lincoln. its small and very focused on his Kentucky life but for
what you can pack into a self contained 18 wheeler display its good. See if
the SUVCW can link into it. I know they are parked for most of amonth with
the State Fair -- what an opportunity.

Ernie Blevins
List Administrator
Commander Kennesaw Mountain #3

On Thu, May 1, 2008 at 9:15 AM, <> wrote:

> The membership projections are very encouraging.? I too had been a life
> long student of the civil war, having come of age during the 1960's
> bi-cintenneal events.? My first contact was as a boy scout, hiking some
> trails at Perryville, Ky (Dug Road and Dry Canteen one the paths of the
> union the other the rebels coming into the battlefield).? Their was a
> ?re-enactment - about dozen men in a motley collection of clothing and
> firearms "re-enact" the Battle of Perryville, Ky -- I suppose each soldier
> "represented" a Brigade or more considering the numbers involved in the
real
> battle.? There wasn't any camps, nor sutlers, nor any flags that I
remember
> either.? The cemetery on the grounds was in bad shape, and their were
quite
> a lot of wire fences and modern things around.? SUVCW?? No, I did not
> discover that until about 10-15 years ago myself, someone who knew
someone,
> knew that I was interested in the Civil War and was a "re-enactor" as
well,
> heard that there was a group forming -!
> -This new camp grew, we now have a Department.? I am still in the camp,
> having "grown" as well, held I suppose every office at one time or another
> and even a few state offices as well --associated with fellow camp
brothers
> who have been Dept. Commander and on the National scene as well?. Our camp
> and the one in Cincinnati, jointly hosted a National?Encampment
(Cincinnati,
> OH) in Ft. Mitchell, KY and are working on the upcoming Louisville, KY
> encampment on the horizon as well.? Our camp was instrumental in starting
> the James A. Ramage, Civil War Museum and Battery Hooper Park in Ft.
Wright,
> KY. as well as instrumental in?parades, events, monuments and dedications.
> ?Today, the Perryville Battlefield is in historical and pristine
condition,
> has more than doubled its size, held national events, etc.? I am sure
things
> like this are repeated all over the country with many camps.? There are so
> many positive stories to tell.
>
> F. C. & L.
> Bernie O'Bryan, Camp Commander Nelson-Garfield Memorial Camp #3, Dept. of
> Kentucky, SUVCW??
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
> To:
> Sent: Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:28 pm
> Subject: Re: [SUVCW] membership longevity (thread off of "We still ll have
> lots of wor...
>
>
>
>
> In a message dated 4/30/2008 8:31:42 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> writes:
>
> Where I am coming from is this. I have been studying the Civil War
> diligently for 32 years and only first heard of the Sons after 29 years.
> I
> was stunned that an organization such as this could elude me for so long.
> Now of course Sons seem to be popping out of the woodwork every time I
> turn
> around. At first I thought I simply was not looking in the right place.
> What was really the case is I was not looking period. Never having heard
> of
> it why should I look. This is something I have heard from others that
> have
> recently joined as well. So I am forced to wonder at why it is that I
> could
> travel to battlefields all over the mid west and east, read extensively
> and
> talk to round tables without bumping into something...somewhere.
>
>
>
> Brother McMillin:
>
> Your observations and questions do not surprise me. Please allow me to
> express some unwritten history of the Order and give a glimpse to an
> answer to
> your question.
>
> You did not hear of the SUVCW by design. At least a design that existed
> for
> many years and has been slowly erased over the past 20 - 25 years.
>
> Let me take you back to Remembrance Day 1986 in Gettysburg. A small
> group
> of Brothers were appalled at a conversation we overhear between 3 PCinC's
> all
> of whom have answered their final muster call. The essences of that
> conversation was 1) those younger than themselves did not have personal
> knowledge of
> the Comrades of the GAR and therefore had no understanding, appreciation
> or
> desire to "keep green the memory" for we had no memory, 2) the Order
> would die
> with them for the above reasons, 3) they did not want and did not support
> any recruitment program they liked the small good old boys club where the
> PCinC's ran the show for eternity. Needless to say this development was
> the
> sole
> topic of conversation at the banquet that evening and the topic of many
> telephone calls during the ensuing months. Not all the PCinC's had this
> attitude
> for there were some who had never personally know the members of the GAR.
> They served out of a sense of duty to their ancestors and the deeply held
> desire to honor their forefathers through membership and service to the
> Order.
> We
> were determined that no matter what it took, we would not let this dire
> prediction come to pass. An informal plan took shape and was put in
> place over
>
> several years. Without going into a lot of detail, it worked. We are
> still
> here. Yes, we need to do more and we need to make ourselves better
> known.
> But let's look at where we have come from. In 1988 when I became
> National
> Treasurer and Jim Lyons became National Secretary, we scoured the records
> which
>
> were given to us. We had been claiming a membership of 2500 +/-. In
> reality,
> when the paper camps were removed and deceased Brothers dropped, we had
> less
> than 1500 living breathing Brothers. From this we have grown to 8,000
> members. More than a 500% increase in Brothers in 20 years and have
> added the
> Departments of Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee (includes Alabama), Texas,
> Oklahoma,
> Nebraska, Kansas and soon Georgia and South Carolina and North Carolina.
> Expanded the Department of Wisconsin to include Minnesota, Department of
> Maryland to include Virginia and the Department of Colorado and Wyoming
> to
> include
> Utah and Montana. If we can continue this pace, we will have 40,000
> members
> by mid century and have a real chance to have Departments covering every
> state. (With the chartering of the two new Departments, only Mississippi,
> Louisiana, Arkansas, New Mexico, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, North
> and
> South Dakota are not part of a Department) Is this sufficient? No. But
> is
> isn't all that bad either considering that most hereditary organizations
> are
> experiencing drops in membership.
>
> Remember the SUVCW is a camp up organization not national down. If you
> have
> ideas, express them. Get yourself appointed to Department and National
> Committees. Run for elected offices. You are the SUVCW not some
> mythical
> National organization. The consensus of the Brothers is the direction we
> go.
> Above all be a delegate and attend Department and National Encampments.
> If you
>
> have standing credentials by virtue of your past service, exercise your
> right
> to participate in the encampments. The SUVCW needs your participation;
> your
> ideas; your zeal.
>
> Ok enough pontification for tonight.
>
> Rich Orr
>
>
>
> **************Need a new ride? Check out the largest site for U.S. used
> car
> listings at AOL Autos.
> (http://autos.aol.com/used?NCID=aolcmp00300000002851)
> The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) list received the
> blessing
> of National in July 2007. It was established in January 2007 to assist
> in
> disseminating information and seeking assistance to members, associates,
> and
> potential members who have an interest in the SUVCW, GAR, the people and
> events
> of the period of the War Between the States.
>
> The opinions expressed and information provided in messages are those of
> individuals and are not necessarily the official opinions, views or
> beliefs of
> any Camp, Department or National SUVCW.
> -------------------------------
> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
>
> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body
> of
> the message
>
> The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) list received the
> blessing of National in July 2007. It was established in January 2007 to
> assist in disseminating information and seeking assistance to members,
> associates, and potential members who have an interest in the SUVCW, GAR,
> the people and events of the period of the War Between the States.
>
> The opinions expressed and information provided in messages are those of
> individuals and are not necessarily the official opinions, views or
beliefs
> of any Camp, Department or National SUVCW.
> -------------------------------
> To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
> with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes
> in the subject and the body of the message
>



--
Ernest Everett Blevins, MFA . Blevins Historical Research
110 Evergreen Way . Villa Rica, Georgia 30180
. 770-456-1876

Historic Preservation Consultant -- Historical and Architectural Research --
Genealogical (Family) Research -- Preservation Planning and Documentation --
House History

Member: American Planning Association, New England Historic Genealogical
Society, Sons of the American Revolution, Sons of Confederate Veterans, Sons
of Union Veterans, and member of numerous other lineage and heritage
societies.
The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) list received the
blessing of National in July 2007. It was established in January 2007 to
assist in disseminating information and seeking assistance to members,
associates, and potential members who have an interest in the SUVCW, GAR,
the people and events of the period of the War Between the States.

The opinions expressed and information provided in messages are those of
individuals and are not necessarily the official opinions, views or beliefs
of any Camp, Department or National SUVCW.
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in
the subject and the body of the message

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