August 1

S.C.V. WILL SURVIVE!

Back on July 26th CBS News, Eye on America, aired a segment on the SCV. I have contacted the Commander-in-Chief and received his permission to reprint his official comments on this airing, they are as follows. Editor

By Edwin L. Deason, Commander-in-Chief

Many of you are aware of the special airing by Dan Rather and CBS on the political climate of the SCV. We have known about it, and been working on it since Monday, thinking it would be aired on Monday July 29th. It was discovered today that it would be moved to Friday, July 26th. My team of PR specialists laid out a plan to counter the airing on the 29th. That plan is now academic in that CBS has moved the date.
Lynda Moreau, our press expert, has been at IHQ since yesterday and there has been almost continual contact with her, my Chief of Staff, Chief of Heritage Defense, LtCiC, PR Chairman Ron Castell as well other members of the PR committee and members of the GEC.
I would like to spell out our attempts to stop or reduce any negative press that might arise from the 5:30 PM CST program but I am afraid that would be leading the fox to the chicken house.
My greatest disappointment is CBS would develop any program about the SCV without first approaching the Commander-in-Chief for comments. This is not acceptable for any media to do without an official statement from our headquarters. We have made repeated attempts to contact the producer of the program and no return has been received. Another disappointment, as equally disturbing, is that one of our members would take it upon himself to bring to the attention of CBS what he thinks is dirty laundry. This
is not acceptable and a little washing detergent (called an election) would have cleansed the minor stains.

With the CBS airing at 5:30 today I am not sure this is the last we will hear. They may still have another segment to air on Monday and we are prepared. No doubt the local press will seek us out at Memphis possibly starting Monday throughout the end of the convention. We must be careful what we say. We must also be aware that when we return to our homes following convention the local press in your community may have an equal interest. Again we must be careful with our comments.
We are a one hundred and seven-year-old organization and the world leader in preserving our Southern heritage. We will exist another 107 years.

OPINION of the EDITOR

Any person within the SCV organization that speaks against the SCV to the press without first clearing your comments through the appropriate international channels should be removed from the membership of the SCV.
As a former subscriber to the SCV ECHO I have found that some members are more concerned with feathering their own egos and furthering their agendas rather than fulfilling the charge of Stephen D. Lee.
My reason for joining the SCV was to protect my ancestors reputation and to further the impartial history of the Confederacy. This should be our only mission.
I have recently returned from the International Reunion in Memphis, Tennessee and am enclosing a synopsis of the happenings on page 6 of this newsletter.
The Dillard-Judd Camp and its member's sponsored, hosted and attended 65 events in the past reporting year and has done its utmost to honor our ancestors and to perpetuate the factual reason that the Confederacy existed and the War occurred.
Even though we were not recognized with a national award, the Dillard-Judd Camp will continue our work and we too … shall survive.