Proceedings One Hundred Thirty-Fifth Annual
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PROCEEDINGS ONE HUNDRED THIRTY-FIFTH ANNUAL NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT SONS OF UNION VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN HOTEL SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS AUGUST 11 THROUGH 14, 2016 ONE HUNDRED THIRTYFIFTH ANNUAL ENCAMPMENT SONS OF UNION VETERANS OF THE CIVIL WAR PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN HOTEL SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS AUGUST 11 THROUGH 14, 2016 TABLE OF CONTENTS 135th Annual National Encampment First Session 1 Roll Call of National Officers 1 Opening Ceremony 3 Rules of the Encampment 4 Recognition of Military Service 5 First Encampment Credentials Committee Report 6 Appointment of Encampment Committees 6 Welcome from Assistant Director, Illinos Department of Veterans Affairs 8 National Officer Reports 9 Welcome of the Commander-inChief of MOLLUS, Captain James A. Simmons 30 Continued National Officer Reports 32 National Standing Committees Reports 34 135th Annual National Encampment Second Session 41 National Awards to Individuals (See General Order #31) 41 Continued National Standing Committee on Vision and Planning Report 54 National Constitution & Regulations Committee Report 59 National Special Committee on Fundraising 92 National Special Committee on Restoration of Rank 94 National Special Committee on Dual Membership 96 135th Annual National Encampment Third Session 100 Visitation from the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic 101 Scholarship Awards 103 Membership Awards to Camps and Departments (See General Order #31) 104 Department Reports and recommendations 105 Visit of the Commander-in-chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans 110 New Business 111 Memorial Day and General Order #20 117 Initiation Ceremony of a new Brothers Patrick and Shawn McConnell 138 Budget Requests for funding 140 Nominations and Ellections of National Officers 145 Installation of National Elected and Appointed Officers 146 Closing Ceremony 153 Appendix 1 - Consolidated Reports of Officers and Committees 154 Appendix 2 - General Orders of the Commander-in-Chief 271 Appendix 3 - Attendees of the 134th National Encampment 296 Appendix 4 - Past Commanders-in-Chief 300 Appendix 5 - National Encampments of the S.U.V.C.W. 305 Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War 135th National Encampment, August 12, 2016 Eugene G. Mortorff, Commander-in-Chief The officers and members of the 135th Annual Encampment of the National Organization Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War will now come to order. Color guard, post the colors. Having been posted, we will move on. I appoint the following Brothers as Encampment Officers. Brother Adam Gaines will be the Guide. Is Brother Robert Heath here? You will be the Guard. Brother Kent Melcher will be the Parliamentarian. Everyone give him a hand. This is his first time doing that for us. Encampment (applause). Eugene G. Mortorff, Commander-in-Chief We want to get him as much encouragement as we can. Guide determine if all present are entitled to remain. Color Bearer, please assist on the right. And if I could have a member of the Credentials Committee please come up and see me, when you get a chance. Adam W. Gaines, National Guide Yes. Adam Gaines, National Guide. All members are entitled to stay. Eugene G. Mortorff, Commander-in-Chief Thank you very much. Is Brother Crane in the room? Brother Crane, if you’d please stop over and see Brother Orr, it would be appreciated. Brother Davis, National Secretary, please call the roll of the officers of the Encampment. Jonathan C. Davis, National Secretary Johnathon Davis, National Secretary. Commander-in-Chief, Eugene G. Mortorff. Present Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief, Donald L. Martin. Present Junior Vice Commander-in-Chief, Mark R. Day. Present National Treasurer, Richard D. Orr. Present National Quartermaster, Danny Wheeler. Present Council of Administration member, Edward Norris. Present Council of Administration member, Walter Busch. Present Council of Administration member, Brian C. Pierson. Present Council of Administration member, Donald Shaw. Present Council of Administration member, Donald Darby. Present Council of Administration member, Tad Campbell. Present Banner Editor, James Pahl. Present Executive Director, David Demmy, Senior. Present National Aid-de-Camp, Aaron Taylor. Present National Organization Expansion Officer, Loran Bures. Present National Chaplain, Jerome Kowalski. Present National Chief of Staff, Michael Paquette. Present Parliamentarian, Kent Melcher. Present National Civil War Memorials Officer, Walter Busch. Present National Color Bearer, Robert Heath. Present 1 Assistant National Counselor – Blue Book, Assistant National Secretary, Department-at-Large and Assistant National Treasurer, James Pahl. Present Assistant National Counselor and Assistant National Secretary for Proceedings, Donald Darby. Present National Eagle Scout Certificate Coordinator, James Lyon. Present National GAR Highway Officer, Peter Hritsko. Present National GAR Records Officer, Dean Enderlin. Present National Graves Registration Officer, Bruce Frail. Absent National Guard, Justin Dorsey. Absent National Guide, Adam Gaines. Present National Historian, Robert Wolz. Present National Liaison to the Cathedral of the Pines, Pearley Mellor. Absent National Liaison to MOLLUS, Jeffry Burden. Absent National Member-at-Large Coordinator, Alan Russ. Absent National Patriotic Instructor, Jeffrey French. Absent National Signals Officer and National Webmaster, James McGuire. Present Assistant National Treasurer, Max Newman. Present Assistant National Treasurer, David McReynolds. Present Washington D.C. Representative, Lee Stone. Present Assistant National Webmaster, backup, Joshua Claybourn. Present Assistant National Webmaster, Quartermaster Store, Ken Freshley. Present Now the Past Commander-in-Chiefs. Tad D. Campbell, 2014-2015. Present Ken L. Freshley, 2013-2014. Present Perley Mellor, 2012-2013. Absent Donald D. Palmer, Jr., 2011-2012. Present Brad Schall, 2010-2011. Present Leo Kennedy, 2009-2010. Present David V. Medert, 2008-2009. Absent Charles E. Kuhn, Jr., 2007-2008. Present James Pahl, 2006-2007. Present Donald E. Darby, 2005-2006. Present Stephen Michaels, 2004-2005. Present Kent Armstrong, 2003-2004. Absent Robert E. Grimm, 2002-2003. Present George Powell, 2001-2002. Present Edward Krieser, 2000-2001. Present Danny Wheeler, 1999-2000. Present Andrew Johnson, 1998-1999. Absent Richard Orr, 1997-1998. Present Keith Harrison, 1994-1995. Present Allen Moore, 1993-1994. Present Elmer Atkinson, 1992-1993. Absent Lowell Hammer, 1991-1992. Absent Reverend Richard Partington, 1987-1988. Absent And Gordon R. Bury II, 1986-1987. Present Commander, roll of Officers are called. 2 Eugene G. Mortorff, Commander-in-Chief Brothers, upon what principles is our Order founded and what duties do we inculcate? Encampment (in unison) FRATERNITY, CHARITY, AND LOYALTY. Eugene G. Mortorff, Commander-in-Chief Brothers, we meet again as Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War in annual session to review the work of the past and to plan for the future. May our conduct and our deliberations be marked by mutual tolerance and fraternal courtesy, ever keeping in mind our duty to our county, to our Order, and to ourselves. Chaplain Kowalski will invoke the Divine blessing. [three raps, ***] Jerome W. Kowalski, National Chaplain Our Heavenly Father, the high and mighty ruler of the universe who looks down upon the government of men, we earnestly ask Your favor to bless our native land and preserve in purity and integrity its free institutions for all coming time. Bless our Order. Grant that it may long exist that it may continue to be an instrument of great good to all. Give us willing hands and ready hearts to carry out properly its principles and objects. Keep green in our minds the memory of those who sacrificed so much that the life of the nation might be preserved, and deal with them and in all things with Your special mercy. Give us your aid in conducting the business for which we are assembled and so bless us that charity and justice, peace and harmony shall remain and flow from us. If you agree with me, say amen. Encampment AMEN. Eugene G. Mortorff, Commander-in-Chief Brothers, the acting National Patriotic Instructor, Kevin Martin, will now lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Color Bearer, present the colors. Encampment (in unison) I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. Eugene G. Mortorff, Commander-in-Chief By virtue of the authority invested in me as Commander-in-Chief, I hereby declare the 135th Annual Encampment of the National Organization Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, duly opened for the transaction of such business as may legally and properly come before it. The Guard will admit all Brothers qualified to enter. [one rap, *] Eugene G. Mortorff, Commander-in-Chief The first thing I’m going to do today is have a special guest come up and say a few words to us. If I could please have Ryan Todd come up from the Department of Kansas. You can come up here if 3 you like. Ryan Todd, Department of Kansas Well, it’s a pleasure to be here today with all of my fellow Brothers here of the SUVCW. I’m from Churchill Camp #4, Lawrence, Kansas. I’m just going to speak to you about the good deeds that Camp #4 has done in the state of Kansas. I’ve been a part of the SUVCW for five years with my father, Mike Todd. And I’m also a part of the Third Kansas Light Artillery and the 9th Kansas Calvary. I’ve been participating with him for those five years too. And hope that I keep on going. For those five years with the SUVCW, we’ve been partaking with living history events in the Douglas County area of Lawrence, Kansas. With the help of my SUVCW group, I’ve put on a living history event for hometown schools, Baldwin City, Kansas, and set up a living history event for those students there. And ran around about three hundred students through that event every year and been going strong ever since. We’ve also been working with the Douglas County Boy Scouts and have been putting on for three years a living history event at the Black Jack Battlefield Nature Park and been doing that for about three years now.