Forrest’s Escort The Official Newsletter of the Tennessee Division Sons of Confederate Veterans Fall/September 2012 Tennessee Division Keeping the Stephen D. Lee Charge and Honoring Our Ancestors During the Sesquicentennial. Above: Overlooking Fort Donelson during the TN Division Reunion in Dover Above: The 100 year re-dedication of the Confederate monument on the square in Lebanon. Above: Adjutant Martin Frost, Gene Andrews and Cmdr Mike Beck on the porch of the Nathan Bedford Forrest Boyhood home at the conclusion of Above: The Grand Ball during the SCV National the festivities enjoying a Mint Julep in the ―Toast in Reunion in Murfreesboro. With a gorgeous 20’ x 30’ Honor‖ to our beloved General and the Confederate Battle Flag flying during the entire four days. Soldiers. Fall September 2012 Tennessee Division S.C.V. Forrest Escort Page 2 Fall September 2012 Tennessee Division S.C.V. Forrest Escort Page 3 Urgent Notice 2012 IRS Annual Electronic Notice Filing Requirement- must be filed every year SCV camps with gross receipts less than $50,000 a year are not required to file an IRS Form 990 tax return; HOWEVER, beginning August 1, 2012, the day after the previous fiscal year ends, all camps are required to submit an annual electronic notice by December 15, 2012 . Your cooperation is requested as it is imperative that every camp complete this simple task. Shown below are some simple instructions to assist you in completing the IRS E Notice requirement: 1. Obtain your camp's tax ID number and copy it into your computer memory or have it written down and readily available. GHQ can provide this number to the camp if needed. 2. Go to this site and follow the instructions: http:// epostcard.form990.org/ Important Notice: You must register first, and then be patient and wait for the IRS to immediately send you a return email with a link for you to log back on line to actually complete the E postcard. If you use zip plus four put a dash in between the first five and last four digits. Extremely urgent information to regain your tax exempt status on the next page. Fall September 2012 Tennessee Division S.C.V. Forrest Escort Page 4 Procedures for Regaining Tax-Exempt Status Three years ago the IRS began requiring small non-profit organizations, and the local branches of larger non- profit organizations, to file an electronic tax return: http://epostcard.form990.org The IRS rule established regarding these filings, which we publicized by General Headquarters in the Confederate Veteran magazine, on the SCV Telegraph and on the front page of scv.org , providing instructions on how to file the E postcard, emphasized that these annual filings were mandatory and could only be accomplished online. In subsequent years the information regarding the filing was updated by an IRS pronouncement that any organization or local branch, under the Group Exemption Number of a national non-profit, that did not file at least once in the last three years would have its non-profit status revoked. Now that the three years time frame has passed since the e-filing for Form 990 was enacted, camps that have not filed the required form are receiving letters from the IRS stating that the tax exempt status has been revoked. SCV camps who receive this letter which would like to reinstate their tax exempt status will need to complete IRS Form 1023, which is essentially an application for recognition of Exemption under Section 501©(3). You may access this form at: http:///www.irs.goc/pub/irs-pdf/f1023.pdf This is a long form that requires patience to go through to complete the numerous entries required. The form stats that a $400 application fee is required; however, SCV Headquarters has been informed that this fee will be $100 for entities with less than $25,000 in annual revenue. The only way for a camp which has been notified by the IRS that it has lost its tax exempt status to regain its tax exempt status is to file Form 1023. We regret that there is no way for General Headquarters to assist in this matter. Chuck Rand Adjutant in Chief Fall September 2012 Tennessee Division S.C.V. Forrest Escort Page 5 Commanders Column It has been a busy summer for the Tennessee Division members. Thank you for making our events a great success. Looking ahead to 2013, the 150th calendar of events will be a busy time and will bring us commemoration all across the state as we continue to develop and work with state and local officials. Remember men, this is our time – seize the moment whether it is local or state programs you are a part of. Remember the charge! A huge Thanks also goes to Murfreesboro Camp #33 and the many others for their hard work in hosting a very memorable National SCV Reunion. This reunion was one that will be remembered for many years to come. It is now time to retire the Tennessee Division Echo on September 30, 2012 as we will now communicate by way of the Tennessee Division website. Every member wishing to use this new version must register. Go to www.tennessee- scv.org, click on the Member Area and register with your information. After registration, you can choose which topic you would like to join in. With this new technology, we can be more accessible to our membership with breaking news, calendar of events, and downloads of all types of information and documents. So I request all members register to keep up with events, topics and information all across the state. We are in preparation to release our 3rd in the series of our historical comic book with Forrest at Parkers Crossroads. This will debut at our Forrest Seminar October 19 & 20, 2012 at Parkers Crossroads Battlefield. Please register and come on down (registration form is in this issue). If you would like to pre-order your comic books now, please contact Jason Boshers so we can work out the details. The first issue is sold out. We do have copies of the second issue still remaining so get yours now. The Tennessee Division motorcycle tag will be available later this year. Please do not contact your local county clerk’s office, I will let the members know the date these tags will be available through our Division’s new communication site. This project has been a dream for many members for some time now and will soon be a reality for all Tennessee residents to purchase. This tag along with our auto tag will make possible the Tennessee Division to help preserve more Confederate items at the Tennessee State Museum with a portion of these sales going to this project and other projects across the state. “Get a Tag – Save a Flag” I encourage each member to help our Tennessee Division and SCV to grow, educate and preserve our heritage. We all have a talent if focused in the right direction as group can achieve many things – so get active! Mike Beck Tennessee Division SCV Commander [email protected] 423-312-1874 Cell Fall September 2012 Tennessee Division S.C.V. Forrest Escort Page 6 Calendar of Events October 19th and 20th: Forrest Seminar at Parkers Crossroads. See flyer on page 6. October 27th: Heritage Day, St Paul Church, Charlotte, TN. Hosted by W. H. McCauley Camp #260. See flyer on page 13. October 27th: Turkey Shoot, Murfreesboro Camp # 33. See flyer in newsletter. November 17th: Victorian Christmas Ball, St. Paul Church, Charlotte, TN. Hosted by the W. H. McCauley camp #260. See flyer on page 17. December 1st: Turkey Shoot, Murfreesboro Camp # 33. See flyer in newsletter. 2013 January TBD: Brigade Commanders and Officers Training Session April 26th and 27th: Tennessee Division Reunion in Chattanooga. Hosted by N. B. Forrest Camp #3 June 15th: Nathan Bedford Forrest Boyhood Home Celebration. July 17th thru 20th: SCV Nation Reunion in Vicksburg, Miss. http://2013scvreunion.homestead.com/ TBD : Sesquicentennial event in Chattanooga. More details coming in upcoming issues. The ECHO is leaving the building On September 30th, the ECHO will no longer be used and will be shutdown. The new way of communicating will be the bulletin board off the Tennessee Division Website. Use the website http://www.tennessee-scv.org/ and click on the Member Area. You will need to register before you can use. A Special Message Dear Fellow Tennessee Confederates: The Forrest Boyhood Home Committee would like to take the opportunity to thank the members of the Tennessee Division for your generous support of the Forrest Home through your financial donations on your annual dues additional gifts designation. With your help we are now going to be able to start on the restoration of the interior of the home. And of course, with your help in years past, we have finished weatherproofing the exterior of the buildings and giving every building an 1800’s look. We received numerous compliments on the home and grounds from the tours of the home during the Murfreesboro SCV National Reunion. Be proud of what you have done at the General’s home because about 90 percent of the labor on the home was done by Tennessee SCV compatriots. Even the skilled wood working restoration of the home and barn, paid for by your dues and donations, has been done by an SCV member, Mr. Elton Wentzel of Chapel Hill, Tennessee. So thank you again for your time, labor and financial donations. As Mt. Juliet’s most famous resident, Charlie Daniels, often proclaims, ―Ain’t it good to be alive and be in Tennessee!‖ Gene Andrews Forrest Boyhood Home Committee Fall September 2012 Tennessee Division S.C.V.