GA Division SCV Leadership 2008

We all are members the Sons of Confederate Veterans to honor our Heritage and our Confederate Ancestors. We do that in many different ways, whether being through memorials services, placing Confederate grave markers, taking care of Confederate cemeteries or placing new and repairing existing monuments. Some do it by displaying and promoting our Confederate heritage and symbols by placing flag poles, marching in parades, providing educational materials and programs, participate in living histories and manning booths. These are just a few of the things we do to honor and defend the good name of our ancestors against those who would try to destroy it.

We all have different interest in the way we choose to honor our Heritage, and all of these activities in our opinion are important and essential in our struggle. We are a volunteer organization, and like many other organizations, we don’t always agree with each other. That’s alright because we are all of Southern blood and it’s in our nature to be independent and strong minded. That’s why we debate issues among ourselves, and then we vote to decide. At the end of the day, we must come together to do what is in the best interest of our Heritage.

During the last two years, we all have watched the mood of the Georgia Division deteriorate. It has deteriorated to the point that some feel we now have two distinct sections of the State, and we seem to have lost our direction. Various Heritage battles, membership rights, and our Constitution/By-Laws have been ignored by members of the current leadership; this must come to an end.

We feel that it’s time for us to come back together and re-establish the reason we are in the Sons of Confederate Veterans. We need to get back to up-holding the Charge, treating every Compatriot with the respect that he deserves, and carry the fight to those who would denigrate our Confederate forefathers and our Heritage.

For these reasons I have decided to stand for the position of Georgia Division Commander once again to bring back unity and direction to our Division.

I’m not the only Georgia Division member who feels this way and is willing to take this stand. I would like to offer the Georgia Division a positive slate of Division wide officers for my administration as follows:

These are fine men of our Division, that many of you know who have served our Division honorably for a long time. They are all personal friends of mine and all are capable of providing strong and positive leadership to the Georgia Division membership.

1. Establish a Georgia Division Public Relations Committee to stand ready to communicate items of SCV interest to the appropriate media for publication.

2. Structure two different Georgia Division email lists. One for members who ONLY want to see and post announcements, including timely minutes of our EC meetings. The other list would include all the same announcements, but would also allow liberal discussion between members.

3. Push for the true history of the South to be taught in public and private schools. We want the Georgia Division to provide copies of “The Other Side of the Coin” a Southern View of History, WBTS frequently asked questions, etc. to be made available to all levels of secondary and post secondary schools.

4. Insure that internal Georgia Division problems will be handled within the Division. Only after utilizing ALL avenues as outlined in our Constitution and By-Laws should other bodies be contacted.

5. Appoint a committee to study the feasibility of opening a WBTS Confederate store/Division Headquarters, in a highly visible location. We believe this could be a money maker and a huge advertisement for our organization and our heritage.

6. Endeavor to put a copy of Pastor John Weaver's CD "The Truth Concerning the Confederate Battle Flag" into the hands of every Georgia legislator; all Georgia radio, TV and print media; and all Georgia school principles, history teachers and school board members.

7. Reinstitute the Flags over Georgia, locating the Flags of the Confederacy in many more high profile areas around the Division.

8. Insure that the recruiting signs, that are available to all individuals and Camps, are placed and our toll free number is always active.

9. Increase membership and retain those already with us by establishing an inactive “Reserve” roster to continue to keep in contact with past members.

10. Set up a genealogy links to our division website to make finding and verifying Confederate Veterans easier for potential members.

11. Re-establish the Robert E. Lee march, held in downtown Atlanta, on the day we hold the celebration of his birth.

12. Establish and maintain a good working relationship with the State Legislature and all levels of government.

13. The SCV should be interesting and fun for our younger members. We will look for methods to make this happen.

These are a few of the things we would like to see put into action in the Georgia Division. We feel it's time to put the Division back into the hands of the membership, therefore we ask for your support in June at our Division reunion in Villa Rica. We welcome your input on these and other projects of interest to you. Please read this message to you Camp at your next meeting.

Ray "States' Rights" McBerry Endorses Former Commander Jack Bridwell for Ga Division Commander

Fellow Compatriots of the Georgia Division,

Approximately a year and a half ago, I made a phone call to previous Division Commander Jack Bridwell to seek his counsel about running for division commander in 2008 because I had SCV members from across the state asking me to do so in order to restore the activism for our heritage that the Georgia division previously had under the leadership of Commander Bridwell. Jack encouraged me to do so and has since spoken in support of my running to many of you reading this message. After speaking to Jack and Al Medcalf, my own Camp commander, I made the decision to run for Division commander. My decision to do so was based upon the simple truth that, in the opinion of many of us in the Division, the leadership that is now running the Division has nearly destroyed all of the work that was accomplished by the Division under the leadership of Commander Bridwell; and Jack, at the time, expressed to me that he did not wish to run for re-election at the Division level.

Since announcing my candidacy for Division commander, I have received emails, phone calls, and letters from scores of you who have been campaigning on my behalf around the Division. Additionally, the SCV leadership from outside of the Division have expressed concern about the current leadership here in Georgia; and I have already been sent endorsement statements from such respected men within the SCV outside of Georgia as Past Commander-in-Chief Denne Sweeney (who worked to thwart a coup attempt by the same kind of grannies at the national level that has taken over here in Georgia), Clyde Wilson (Dean of the SCV's national Stephen D. Lee Institute), Donnie Kennedy (author of the national best-seller The South Was Right!)... as well as Pastor John Weaver (Past Chaplain-in-Chief of the SCV National organization) from right here in Georgia.

As many of you know, Commander Jack Bridwell has been through many trying times in the past couple of years, especially very recently. Through the course of these recent events, Jack and I have had a number of phone calls to discuss those events, as well as the crisis of the Georgia Division.

During these conversations, Jack has indicated to me that he feels a strong sense of responsibility to run for Division commander at this time. Since my greatest desire, too, is to see the Division restored and see those who are timid about activism for our Cause removed from leadership roles, I have told Commander Bridwell that I am willing to step aside from campaigning for Division commander if he is willing to be a candidate. He wishes to do so; and, as of this moment, I am officially rescinding my candidacy for Division commander and am whole-heartedly endorsing Jack Bridwell for Division Commander. I believe, with all sincerity, that this is in the best interest of both our Division and Brother Jack; and I have pledged to support him in any way that he wishes, to the best of my ability, when he is elected.

I wish to thank the many compatriots of the Division who have been supporting my campaign for Division commander to this point but trust that you will understand that my greatest desire is simply what is best for our Division.

I prayerfully hope that you, too, will join me in congratulating Commander Bridwell on his decision to come out of "retirement" and stand as a candidate to lead us once again as GA Division commander!

For Georgia First,

Ray McBerry

Camp 1449; Thomaston, GA