Cookeville SCV newsletter receives international award

Called the 'Highlander Dispatch,' the publication is produced by Dillard-Judd Camp 1828 and edited by David C. Daniels who also serves as the camp's adjutant.

The Highlander was the silver recipient of the S. A. Cunningham Award for Outstanding Newsletter presented at the recent 107th International Reunion of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, held in Memphis.

This is the third award bestowed on the Dillard-Judd Camp this year, the first having been Tennessee Division Camp of the Year, awarded in April at the state reunion.

The second award was bestowed on the Highlander Dispatch newsletter as the top newsletter in Tennessee. Currently there are more than 750 active camps internationally and 60 camps in Tennessee.

The S. A. Cunningham Award is based on pre-determined criteria by the international headquarters of the SCV and is judged by an independent panel of non-SCV journalists.

The SCV is the direct heir of the United Confederate Veterans and is the oldest hereditary organization for male descendants of Confederate soldiers. Organized at Richmond, Va., in 1896, the SCV continues to serve as an historical, patriotic and non-political organization dedicated to insuring that an accurate history of the 1861-1865 period is preserved.

The SCV has ongoing programs at the local, state and national levels which offer members a wide range of activities. Preservation work, marking Confederate soldiers' graves, historical re-enactments, scholarly publications and regular meetings to discuss the military and political history of the War Between the States are some of the activities sponsored by local units, called camps.

In addition to belonging to an organization devoted to commemorating and honoring Confederate soldiers, members are eligible for other benefits. The programs of the SCV range from assistance to undergraduate students through the General Stand Watie Scholarship to medical research grants given through the Brooks Fund. National historical symposiums, reprinting of rare books and the erection of monuments other projects endorsed by the SCV.

The SCV rejects any group whose actions tarnish or distort the image of the Confederate citizen or soldier or his reasons for fighting or may impart dishonor upon any race, creed or religion. Attending this year's reunion from the Dillard-Judd Camp were David E. Curtis, Camp commander, and David C. Daniels, both of Cookeville.

Membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans is open to all male descendants of any veteran who served honorably in the Confederate armed forces. Membership can be obtained through either direct or collateral family lines. The minimum age for membership is 12.

* Anyone interested in information or membership in the SCV may contact the Dillard-Judd Camp at (931) 537-3300 or write P.O. Box 205, Cookeville, TN 38503-0205.

Ed Butler holds the office of Heritage Defense chairman for the Tennessee Division and is Color Guard sergeant for Dillard-Judd Camp 1828 of the SCV in Putnam County.

Published August 17, 2002 6:59 PM CDT

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