MESSAGE FROM THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

 

The purpose of this message is to notify members, camps and divisions
that they should not participate in much-publicized attempts by Lt.Commander-in-Chief Anthony Hodges to establish a legal defense fund to sue the Sons of Confederate Veterans.  Commander Hodges has been
officially notified by the SCV to cease and desist in these efforts, as attempts to sue the SCV over the recent suspensions of GEC members are extremely premature. The administrative remedies automatically granted by the
Constitution have yet to be employed. The two members of the GEC named in Commander Hodges' letter, PCIC's Hawkins and Orlebeke, were legally suspended by the Commander-in-Chief, in compliance with the provisions of Article XIV, Section 5 of the SCV Constitution.  Both officers will be able to appeal their suspensions to the next General Convention in Nashville. The fact that they are seeking  to gain reentry by filing a law suit against the SCV is abundant proof  that they have no desire to explain the causes of their suspension to the membership at large.  Five other suspensions of GEC members were automatically lifted on the day following the December 18, 2004 meeting. These suspensions were for attempting to boycott the GEC meeting in order to prevent the GEC from conducting important business. This course of action follows SCV precedent based on suspensions legally conducted at the 1998 Annual Reunion by then Commander-in-Chief Peter W. Orlebeke. PCIC Orlebeke was suspended after an investigation into allegations that he voted a camp at the Dalton Convention of which he was not a member. PCIC Hawkins was suspended in order to avoid a derivative lawsuit, to be filed on behalf of over 100 members of the SCV, calling for his removal from the GEC due to his law license being suspended by the Missouri
Supreme Court after he stipulated to serious ethical allegations. Any member, camp or division that participates in this fundraising will be effectively funding both sides of the lawsuit, since the proposed legal action against the SCV will be defended by SCV dues money. All members  are urged to avoid participating in this "legal defense fund" before learning all the facts, since legal action is certainly not appropriate before the suspended GEC members in question have had the rightful and automatic appeal of their suspensions. Rather than participate in a legal action that is certainly premature, and arguably frivolous, members are urged to wait until after the Nashville Convention before making a final decision about participating in any legal action.  Jumping into this action now deprives the SCV of valuable  resources of money and time, and further deprives the membership of their constitutionally granted right to sit in judgment of these suspended members.  Ultimately, the fate of these GEC members should be decided
by the membership of the SCV, not by a court.
Denne A. Sweeney
Commander-in-Chief