We had a good start into the New Year with a very successful Lee-Jackson Banquet on Thursday, January 13^th, at Sconyers Bar-B-Que Restaurant. Our banquet was well attended by camp members and visitors from other SCV camps, and also the ladies of the United Daughters of the Confederacy. We appreciate very much those visitors attending our banquet and supporting our camp. Our speaker was Pastor John Weaver from Fitzgerald, Georgia. Pastor Weaver is the Past Chaplain-in-Chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans national organization. He spoke on "The Death of Stonewall Jackson" and extolled the Christian virtues of Generals Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson and Robert E. Lee.

I gave three awards to well deserving members at the Lee-Jackson Banquet. I awarded Lt Commander Ron Udell my annual Commander’s Award for his faithful service to the camp. For those members that attend camp meetings regularly and are active in the camp, you know that Ron is involved in everything with the camp and represents us at other camps’ functions. He has performed the duties of his office way above and beyond what was required and asked of him. Terry Bowers was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation for his diligent work in recording the minutes of the camp meetings and for his work as Webmaster on the camp’s website. Terry does an excellent job of constantly adding new items and keeping our website up to date with current information. And Lee Herron was given a Certificate of Appreciation for his outstanding job as Treasurer. Lee has been a tremendous help to me during my first term as commander and does an exceptional and meticulous job in managing the camp’s finances.

I sincerely appreciate the efforts and hard work of all members and officers throughout the past year, and for making 2004 another successful year for the camp. Looking back over the past year we’ve made a number of significant accomplishments, which I highlighted at our Lee-Jackson Banquet.

The new officers for the 2005 – 2006 term were installed at the banquet. I want to thank the officers that served during the previous term for the work they’ve done and for their contribution to our camp’s progress over the past 2 years. As commander I was fortunate to have worked with this fine group of men.

My first term as commander has been quite a learning experience, to say the least. I’ve learned a lot about the SCV, the Southern Cause we strive to defend daily, and the character of the people of which I’ve been involved with during this time. I’ve enjoyed working with my fellow camp members during these last two years and I’ve developed many close friendships during that time. It has truly been a privilege and an honor to serve. Working together, we’ve seen significant improvements in the camp and membership growth. I’m certainly looking forward to the next two years, and the future of the camp greatly depends on what we do during this crucial time.

At the December 9^th meeting two new members that recently joined the camp, Jerry Grigsby and Tommy Daniel, were presented their SCV membership certificates and were administered the membership pledge.

Thursday, December 2^nd – Sunday, December 5^th, 2004 - Battle of Waynesboro: The re-enactment took place at a historic site located near Stone Brier Plantation in Southeastern Burke County.

Saturday, December 11^th, 2004 - Marched in Christmas Parade in Harlem, GA

Saturday, December 18^th, 2004 - Magnolia Cemetery Workday for cleanup of Confederate sections

Saturday, December 18^th, 2004 - Camp #158 set up two booths at the Barnyard Flea Market to sell Confederate memorabilia, recruit new members and do living history presentations.

Announcements

Saturday, February 5, 2005 - Annual Alexander H. Stephens Birthday Jubilee: Keynote Speaker is Pastor John Weaver, Past Chaplain-in-Chief of the SCV. Bar-B-Que will be served at 11:00 a.m., with the speaker to follow at the completion of the meal. The cost is $7.00 per adult and $5.00 per child. This event will take place inside the Alexander H. Stephens State Park in Crawfordville, Georgia, at the group shelter near the Ranger's office.  A brief memorial service will be held at
the Stephens' gravesite 15 minutes after the completion of our keynote speaker. For additional information, please contact Woody Highsmith 706-860-3396 or highreb@usa.net

Sunday, February 6, 2005 - Sergeant Berry G. Benson Camp #1672 Sons of Confederate Veterans, the Berry Benson United Daughters of the Confederacy Chapter #2584, and the Jeanie Benson Children of the Confederacy Chapter #884 cordially invites you to attend a service commemorating the birth of Sergeant Berry Greenwood Benson, CSA. The service will be at 2:00 p.m., at the Benson family plot in Sunset Hill Cemetery on Alta Vista Avenue in North Augusta, South Carolina. Re-enactors are needed to serve as honor guard and fire a black powder salute.

Directions to Sunset Hill Cemetery: After crossing the 13th Street Bridge into North Augusta, make a left turn off of Georgia Avenue at the first traffic light onto West Buena Vista Avenue. Go six tenths of a mile and take a right on Alta Vista Avenue. The entrances to the cemetery will be about two tenths of a mile on the left.

Thursday, February 10^th – The next SCV Camp #158 Meeting will be at Sconyers Bar-B-Que Restaurant, at 7:00 p.m.

B/G E. Porter Alexander Camp #158 Website: http://www.eporteralexander.homestead.com/Index.html

Georgia Division SCV Homepage: www.georgiascv.com

SCV International Head Quarters Website: www.scv.org

2005 Confederate History Calendars & 2005 Civil War Navies Calendars will be available at the next camp meeting. The calendars are $12.00 each. These calendars sell for $15.00 in the SCV Catalog + $3.50 shipping & handling. $12.00 is an excellent price for these very attractive calendars.

SCV Camp #158 T-Shirts will be available for $12.00 each ($13.00 for size XXL).

Camp #158 Business Cards: If anyone needs camp business cards to give out for recruiting or for inviting guests to the monthly camp meetings, cards can be picked up at the next meeting.

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? –

Take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. - Joshua 22:5

Every man to whom God hath given riches and wealth, and hath given him power to eat thereof, and to take his portion, and to rejoice in his labour; this is the gift of God. - Ecclesiastes 5:19

For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. - Galatians 6:8

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? - Mark 8:36

To sit back hoping that someday, someway, someone will make things right is to go on feeding the crocodile, hoping he will eat you last--but eat you he will. - Ronald Reagan

"We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission; which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the stage of rule by brute force." - Ayn Rand, "The Nature of Government"

"Nothing fills me with deeper sadness than to see a Southern man apologizing for the defense we made of our inheritance. Our cause was so just, so sacred, that had I known all that has come to pass, had I known what was to be inflicted upon me, all that my country was to suffer, all that our posterity was to endure, I would do it all over again.'' President Jefferson Davis, Confederate States of America

Treasurer Lee Herron provided the Camp Finance Report.

2005 – 2006 Camp Election Results as reported by Ernie Franklin:

Membership Applications – None received

Membership Initiation - New members Jerry Grigsby & Tommy Daniel were presented their SCV membership certificates and also recited the membership pledge as administered by Adjutant Carl T. Miller, Jr.

Adjournment

-- President Jefferson Davis

Wig Wag - January 2005 Edition