Our Shared
Vision
Presented by Dr. T. Y. Hiter at the 2011 Reunion
The GEC met in
Chickamauga to
take a hard look
at who we are and
where we’re going
We know exactly why we
exist: to fulfill our Charge:
 “To you, Sons of Confederate Veterans,
we will commit the vindication of the
cause for which we fought….”
 We believe in God, home, family, heritage, duty,
liberty, freedom, self-determination, self government,
patriotism, truth and self-defense.
 That the Confederacy was founded upon these same
things.
 That most Southerners today still admire and seek
these things today.
 That education and training can achieve these things.
 That our actions can make a difference in achieving
these things.
 We have a threefold mission:
 First, to develop and implement strategies for
sustained growth;
 Second, to train our leadership and educate our
members to reclaim our Southern Heritage and our
American Liberty; and
 Third, to proclaim to the world the truth concerning
the War for Southern Independence and the
Confederacy.
 These three parts are co-equal and must be
accomplished simultaneously, starting immediately.
When there is no
vision, the people
perish
For ourselves,
For our families, our
Churches, our schools,
and
For the SCV!
An organization of southern
men, 50,000 strong by the time
of our 2016 reunion, that knows
itself to be, and is widely seen
by others as the pre-eminent
authority on Southern heritage
and American liberty.
 First, we developed a list of 12 key areas of
SCV operations and asked ourselves hard
questions about what we’re doing in them
 Next, we surveyed all our Division
Commanders, Lieutenant Commanders,
and Adjutants on these issues
 And then, we consolidated all their ideas
and analyzed what they had to say
 1. Education
7. Funds Management
 2. Training
8. Technology
 3. Properties Management 9. Public Relations
 4. Marketing
10. Risk Management
 5. Budget and Finance 11. Camp Development
 6. Growth
12. Fund Raising
And there are two ways to go
about it.
The first way would be for us,
the elected leadership to
come up with a plan and put
it out to you all for implementation.
The other way is to enlist
every single one of you to be a
part of this complete
overhaul of how we run this
organization!
 We’ve already identified the problems.
 Next, we’ll meet with the leadership,
including Division officers to set GOALS and
OBJECTIVES
 Then, Division Commanders will meet with
Camp Commanders to make sure they clearly
understand those GOALS and OBJECTIVES
 Camps will then meet to choose strategies and
set measurable outcomes for each of them
 Camps will report on a regular basis on
completion of each GOAL and OBJECTIVE.
 National HQ will assist in every way we can. We’ll
put together on-line training; we’ll assemble
mobile training teams to visit Divisions; we’ll
fine-tune whatever isn’t working. We’ll keep you
informed all the way along.
 And, we’ll achieve our VISION!
Our vision is of an
organization of southern
men, 50,000 strong by the
time of our 2016 reunion, that
knows itself to be, and is
widely seen by others as the
pre-eminent authority on
Southern heritage and
American liberty.
Your help.
Your support
And your ideas
 1. Education





7. Funds Management
2. Training
8. Technology
3. Properties Management 9. Public Relations
4. Marketing
10. Risk Management
5. Budget and Finance 11. Camp Development
6. Growth
12. Fund Raising
But …,
Education (two needs)
Training
Marketing
Public Relations
Growth
More than 1/3 of our Camps and
Divisions report having no
education programs or do not
know what they have. Nearly
2/3 report having no speakers
bureaus.
GP 1
Only 1/3 of our Camps and Divisions
have officer training programs. More
than ½ report having no organized
“pass-down” programs for new officers.
Fewer than ½ know what is available
from international HQ to help them,
and more than 2/3 do not involve
Brigade Commanders in officer GP 2
training.
Two-thirds of our Camps and
Divisions report having positive
relationships with local media, but
only a small fraction report using
any media except newspapers and
newsletters to enhance their
activities and events.
GP 3
 19 of 22 respondents reported that
they do not use the SCV PR
manual, or else did not answer the
question, at all. 2/3 report having
no Camp or Division PR plan and
1/3 report receiving positive press
coverage less than twice in the past
GP
4
year.
One half of respondents report
at least one of the following as
prime reasons for low retention:
bickering, not a welcoming
environment, or a failure to
involve new members. Only ½
thought GHQ was helpful. GP 5
 Fewer than ½ of our Camps and
Divisions report working in public
schools; only slightly more than
half work in private schools, and
fewer than 1/3 report working in
home schools.
GP 6
Right here;
Right now.
 Talk this VISION up. It’s a big
challenge, but we can do it!
 Participate, when your Division and
Camp Commanders ask you to gather
and provide input
 Believe what we think you believe.
Believe in the Charge.