Christmas is our very special time of year. As a Christian in a God-based nation, like our ancestors, we celebrate the birth and life of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord died on the cross to free us of sin and provided the guarantee of everlasting life. Enjoy the feel of His Presence; Embrace His Love for you. Have a blessed and Merry Christmas! NO MEETING IN DECEMBER ********** ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. Please continue to pray for our compatriots Bob Gibson, Durham Milburn, Woody Woodard and Phil Turner. 2. Camp 91 received a Christmas Card from Ken “Sarge” Arvin, LT. Commander South, GA Division, SCV. The post script reads, “I would like to take a moment and thank all the men of the Thomson Guards, Camp 91 for your hard work in 2022. May you each have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” 3. Attend the January 24, 2023, camp meeting to learn about Confederate submarines. 4. Robert E. Lee birthday celebration in Jeff Davis Park, Fitzgerald, GA.
8. Lee-Jackson Banquet -- Hosted by the Millen, GA camp
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Stephens attended Franklin College and established a legal practice in his home town of Crawfordville, Georgia. After serving in both houses of the Georgia General Assembly, he won election to Congress, taking his seat in 1843. He became a leading Southern Whig and strongly opposed the Mexican–American War. After the war, Stephens was a prominent supporter of the Compromise of 1850 and helped draft the Georgia Platform, which opposed secession. A proponent of the expansion of slavery into the territories, Stephens also helped pass the Kansas–Nebraska Act. As the Whig Party collapsed in the 1850s, Stephens eventually joined the Democratic Party and worked with President James Buchanan to admit Kansas as a state under the pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution (which was overwhelmingly rejected by voters in a referendum in that state). Stephens declined to seek re-election in 1858, but continued to publicly advocate against secession. After Georgia and other Southern states seceded and formed the Confederate States of America, Stephens was elected as the Confederate Vice President. Stephens's Cornerstone Speech of March 1861 defended slavery. In the course of the war, he became increasingly critical of President Jefferson Davis's policies, especially Confederate conscription and the suspension of habeas corpus.[2]In February 1865, he was one of the commissioners who met with Abraham Lincoln at the abortive Hampton Roads Conference to discuss peace terms. After the war, Stephens was imprisoned until October 1865. The following year, the Georgia legislature elected Stephens to the United States Senate, but the Senate declined to seat him due to his role in the Civil War. He won election to the House of Representatives in 1873 and held that office until 1882, when he resigned from Congress to become governor of Georgia. Stephens served as governor until his death in March 1883. Source: wikipedia ********** Camp 91, Thomson Guards staffed a recruitment booth at the Warrenton Sportsman’s Festival on November 12. We collected $90 for the GA Division Legal Defense Fund, we collected 20 names of potential new members and we put forth a great public image. It was a very good day. Each potential new member from each of the three festivals is being sent the camp monthly Dispatch and a personal letter of invitation to dinner and a meeting. ********** At the November meeting, the Thomson Guards, Camp 91, Georgia Division recognized four members who recently joined the National Guardian Program. These men pledged to care long term for the gravesite of at least one Confederate Veteran. Nothing is more important than this in meeting our Charge. ********** At the November meeting Camp 91 welcomed two new members to the Sons of Confederate Veterans. We look forward to having these men in the Thomson Guards. Welcome! ********** *** Confederate Monument Cleaning *** Please see the Community Activities ********** COMMANDER’S POST A SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN’S VIRTUES Among the elements listed in the “Charge to the Sons of Confederate Veterans” is “the emulation of his virtues”. Emulation is to match. A virtue is a trait or quality that is deemed to be morally good and thus is valued as a foundation of principle and good moral being. Virtures are the basis for being a Southern Gentleman. However, often, the more one repeats a slogan like “The Charge” the more stale it becomes and one loses sight of its significance. We are a country founded on Christianity. Like our ancestors, as children, many of us were raised in the church and the Lord, through His Holy Word in the Bible, shared virtues with us; we don’t have to guess what is correct behavior. And, even for those who did not grow up in the church, old Southern society dictated certain behavioral norms. What are His virtues? The list includes: honesty, integrity, respect, honor, kindness, helpfulness, charm, charity, politeness, love, faith, loyalty, perseverance, stewardship, appreciation, etc. We love and honor our Confederate ancestors for these qualities. So, the next time you recite, “The Charge to the Sons of Confederate Veterans”, slow down and think of your own behavior. Are you emulating (matching) those virtues (qualities) that made him glorious and that we all cherish? Are you, as a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, the Southern Gentleman that others wish to emulate? Respectfully submitted: Tom Holley “In all my perplexities and distresses, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.” - General Robert E. Lee MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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