The Belo Herald
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The Belo Herald Newsletter of the Col. A. H. Belo Camp #49 July 2013 * Vicksburg & Gettysburg Commemorative Edition This month’s meeting features a Camp Discussion : Race and Culture in the South: The SCV Perspective. The Belo Herald is an interactive newsletter. Click on the links to take you directly to additional internet resources. Col. A. H Belo Camp #49 Commander - Kevin Newsom Adjutant - Stan Hudson 2nd Lt.Cmdr - Mark Brown Chaplain - Rev. Jerry Brown Editor - Nathan Bedford Forrest Contact us: http://belocamp.org [email protected] http://www.facebook.com/BeloCamp49 Follow us on Twitter at belocamp49scv Texas Division: www.texas-scv.org Have you paid your dues?? National: www.scv.org http://1800mydixie.com/ Come early (6:30pm), eat, fellowship with http://www.youtube.com/user/SCVORG other members, learn your history! Commander in Chief Givens on Twitter at CiC@CiCSCV Thursday, July 4th: 7:00 pm La Madeleine Restaurant 3906 Lemmon Ave near Oak Lawn, Dallas, TX *we meet in the private meeting room. All meetings are open to the public and guests are welcome. Commander’s Report Compatriots, July 2013 is the 150th anniversary of Gettysburg and The Fall of Vicksburg. I encourage you to study these two events' impact on the course of the war. And the impact of that war on our current situation. Most Americans spend the 4th of July sitting on their duffs, getting drunk, and eating until they explode. I refuse to partake in such gladatorial diversions. I challenge the members of this camp, as well as all others who read this, to do the same. Instead of trying to forget or distract ourselves from reality, let's instead take a good, hard look at what's going on around us. Our next meeting features a roundtable discussion on race and culture in the South. This subject has been described as "too controversial" by some. I disagree with that wholeheartedly. Our beloved Southland has always been a patchwork of different cultures and traditions. There are noticeable differences amongst these cultures; but there are also common threads that bring these different subgroups together. At our next meeting we'll be discussing both the differences and the common threads. All discourse will be honest; all discussion will be respectful. As always, Belo Camp is a free speech zone. We welcome everyone to come and speak their mind. Come join us on the 4th and let your voice be heard! Kevin Newsom Commander Belo Camp 49 Dallas Texas SCV 214-422-1778 [email protected] Chaplain’s Corner The Majority Rules. It has been said and often repeated that, "One man and God is a majority." This is true, since God alone is a majority. God has never needed great numbers to accomplish His purpose. Consider the story of Gideon as told in the book of Judges, chapters six through eight. The land of Israel was being oppressed by great hordes of Midianites and Amalekites. Under God's direction, Gideon sent out a call to arms throughout Israel, but only 32,000 responded. God told Gideon that it was too many, and the number was reduced to 10,000. Again, God said it was too many and ultimately reduced Gideon's force to a mere 300 men. Gideon and his small band were victorious, and the vast army of the oppressors were totally destroyed. The point is, that without God 32,000 Israelite soldiers would not have been nearly enough. But with God, 300 was a majority, and the majority rules. In his first letter to the church at Corinth, Paul writes, "God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." (1 Cor. 1: 27b) Then in verse 29, he explains why: "That no flesh should glory in His presence." Again, God alone is a majority. Today, the Sons of Confederate Veterans face many challenges. We are challenged to recruit and retain members. Something that should be a priority to each of us. We are challenged to carry out the Charge delivered to us by General S.D. Lee over a hundred years ago, which should be our defining characteristic. And this we will do. But like Gideon, we are confronted by great hordes of oppressors. There are many who would tarnish the memory of our brave and noble Confederate fathers and deny them their honor, and who would reduce our proud Southern heritage to a legacy of shame. And perhaps as Gideon, we may wonder how we can be successful against the determined forces that beset us. But, we can succeed if we put our faith and trust in God, and seek His guidance and direction, because God is a majority, and the majority rules. Bro. Len Patterson, Th.D 1941-2013 Compatriots: I regret to inform you of the death of Edward Davis ,44,on June 14. Edward was a member of the Litchfield #132 Camp “IN ALL MY PERPLEXITIES AND in South Carolina. He was the son of Phil Davis, Guardian DISTRESSES, THE BIBLE HAS NEVER Chairman Tx Div. Please keep Phil and his family in your FAILED TO GIVE ME LIGHT AND prayers. STRENGTH.” - Johnnie Holley, Cmdr.Tx Div -GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE The June meeting was a “full house” with four new members inducted and an outstanding program by author and historical researcher Jonathan Davis. John Rowles, Kyle Sims, and John White were our guests. Compatriot Charles Heard and Jonathan Davis have collaborated on projects and made this outstanding program available to us. Camp Commander Kevin Newsom proposed constitutional amendments to the Camp Constitution. These proposed amendments were designed to streamline the process and place the power with the individual members. Paul proposed changes in the proposed amendments: Under Article VI, the annual meeting should be held in November, in lieu of the December meeting, which is our Christmas Party. Also, under Article VIII, three members of the Executive Committee should constitute a quorum. The proposed amendments and the two changes in the proposed amendments passed unanimously by a vote of the members present. Mark Brown gave a report about the Sam Davis Youth Camp. Our future depends upon our youth, and they need to learn the truth about the causes of the war. The camp includes lessons on dancing and history and culture, as taught by speakers such as the Kennedy twins. Mark made a motion to sponsor a participant for the sum of $250.00. Kevin seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously by a vote of the members present. Edward asked a question about recruiting at the national level, to which Kyle responded. Kyle stated that national provided “top- down” direction on recruiting, which was ultimately controlled by the individual States. Marc suggested that everyone pledge at least one new member during the upcoming year, in order to double our membership. Kyle suggested a contest for the person who can bring in the most members. He also stated that national will issue the “Dixie Award,” in recognition of the person who brings in at least five (5) new members. Edward suggested that we recruit our family members, who will not have problems establishing their lineage. Jonathan Davis presented an intriguing program about Bonnie and Clyde, whose careers and activities closely paralleled those of Jesse James and Quantrill’s Raiders and whose ancestors fought in the same theaters of war. JONATHAN DAVIS was born in Evansville, Indiana. In the early autumn of 1993, he made the acquaintance of Marie Barrow when they both worked on a documentary concerning the Barrow Gang. From that time until her passing in early 1999, Marie and Jonathan worked on several Barrow-related projects, such as the manuscript and the nationally-publicized auction of Clyde's death shirt and other family items. Jonathan has also appeared on several national programs concerning Bonnie and Clyde. He currently resides in Dallas, TX. "I had known Marie since autumn, 1993, after both of us had worked on a documentary titled Remembering Bonnie and Clyde. She brought in the “death shirt” and other items to be photographed for this program. I watched her being interviewed and was impressed by the story she had to tell. A few days afterward, I sent Marie a small thank-you card with a note telling her how much I enjoyed meeting her and that if I could ever be of assistance, she should call. I didn’t expect a response, but shortly thereafter, Marie called and asked to meet with me, and thus began one of the richest and most interesting times of my life." --Jonathan Davis New Member David Hendricks. David read a message that was given to him by his mother. The message was written by Isaac Avery, and the original is currently found in the North Carolina Museum of History. The message was written by Avery while he lay dying at Gettysburg. It was written by use of a stick dipped in his own blood. Col. A.H. Belo stood behind Avery as he wrote this message. Thirty-five year old Colonel Isaac Erwin Avery was the grandson of Waightstill Avery, the fiery Revolutionary War hero who served as the first attorney general of North Carolina. As General Robert F. Hoke's senior colonel, Isaac Avery was thrust in command of Hoke's brigade at Gettysburg because Hoke had been badly injured and narrowly missed losing his left arm in the fight near Chancellorsville two months earlier. As the afternoon of July 2 wore on at Gettysburg, Major General Jubal Early instructed the small brigades of Hoke and General Harry Hays of Louisiana to attack the heavily fortified enemy positions on East Cemetery Hill-then considered the most strategic position for Union General George Meade.