LAKEVIEW POLICEMAN HONORED BY MICHIGAN SCV CAMP

[Excited today to bring you this story from the Major General Patrick Ronayne Cleburne Camp #2257 out of Grand Rapids, MI. Many thanks to Cmdr. Jim Perkins (Camp #2257) for sending this in.]

LAKEVIEW POLICEMAN HONORED BY LOCAL SCV CAMP

-submitted by James D. Perkins-

     Thursday, August 18th has been designated as Law Enforcement Appreciation Day by the National Headquarters of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a heritage group that honors the citizen soldiers who served honorably in the War for Southern Independence (i.e. Civil War) during the years 1861-1865. SCV Commander-in-Chief Thomas V. Strain has recently  issued General Order 2016-01, which is stated below:

     Hence, we the Major-General Patrick R. Cleburne, Camp 2257 of Western Michigan, would like to honor and personally recognize Lakeview Police Chief Darin Dood, for his dedicated service to his community. For the past ten years, Darin has held the position as Chief and has worked tirelessly to make the police department stronger and more efficient. "I have always had a desire to fix things, leave them better than when I found them. When I took on the role as chief of police in Lakeview, I brought that mentality to the department," replies Dood.

     In addition to surrounding himself with a "solid staff," Chief Dood has been able to secure local grants and successfully collaborate with the Village Manager to budget in ways that have allowed the department the means to acquire equipment, safety gear, and computers in police cars. Furthermore, Chief Dood emphasizes that "community involvement is a priority."

     With today's political climate being as it is, Darin states that "there are many sad things going on in our country today (not only in the law enforcement arena) and they seem to be typically blown out of proportion by the media." Chief Dood also adds that the stories presented to the public are most often based on "partial facts and then questions posed as 'what ifs', getting citizens to question everything." The ensuing uproar and chaos that results leads Dood to observe that "it seems to me that common sense is becoming less and less common," however, "despite these things, our community seems to be different."

     Since Darin has been chief, he has noticed that there is a general "out-pouring of law enforcement support," and notes that following the murder of the police officers in Dallas, Texas, "our office was brought sympathy cards and cupcakes to honor our loss." Needless to say, Chief Dood and his staff were gratified and impressed by this support, and credits this partially due to his agency's involvement with community. "Talking to people on the street, going to football games, and working in the schools makes us one with the community, and thus "breaks down the us versus them mentality," states Dood.

     It is quite obvious that Chief Dood is passionate about his job, and when one looks at his background, it is no great surprise. From an early age he "grew up wanting to be a police officer" in Jenison, Michigan where he enjoyed watching television shows such as, Chips, Hill Street Blues, and NYPD Blues. "I had a strong desire to fight crime and to help people, and these television series made it look so easy, fun, and full of action," recalls Darin. Nevertheless, following his public school and post graduate years, Dood tried his hand at other pursuits, including business management as well as a painting contractor, but eventually it was his childhood dream of being a policeman that drove him to return to Grand Rapids Community College at age 26 to pursue a career in law enforcement.

     Today Chief Dood is grateful for the support received daily from his wife, Brandy and sons, Cameron and Brennan "for always being my solid ground to come home to every day." As Dood thoughtfully points out, many interruptions and inconveniences accompany his duties as police chief on a consistent basis, and his family has been understanding and supportive in times of his absence, phone calls that come during dinner, and the frequent early morning emergencies that he must respond to. Furthermore, Darin notes that often his sons must deal with "mean spirited" social media comments, regarding peer judgment of necessary duties carried out by the police force. "My family seems to always find the strength to shield all of that drama which had nothing to do with them, which I never take for granted," replies Chief Dood.

     For the past ten years, Lakeview Village police Chief Darin Dood has devoted his life to serving the community of Lakeview, and during these ten years has continued to strive for excellence through improvement of methods for hiring police staff; collaboration with the village government in order to secure better equipment; and by improving relations with citizens and students. We as citizens of the Lakeview area are very fortunate that Chief Darin Dood works for and with us daily, and certainly can be thankful that he has "always had a desire to fix things, and leave them better than when I found them." Thank you Chief Dood and we are very much honored to honor you, Sir.  

Camp #1321 News: Cmdr. White Stepping Down After 25+ Years

Last Monday (May 30, 2016), at the Johnson's Island Memorial Day event, Cmdr. Stanley T. White announced publicly that he will not be seeking reelection after serving as Camp #1321's leader for more than a quarter century. His tenure at the camp's helm will end at 12:00 a.m. on August 1st, which is when officers to be elected at the June 18th meeting will officially take office.

It was in 1988 when White, then Commander of the Sgt. B.F. Foley Camp #1448, began working to reactivate the Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321 (Dearborn, MI) after a six-year period of inactivity. With a zeal & level of commitment reminiscent of that possessed by Cmdr. Jerry Moore (Camp #1321's founder & 1st Commander), Cmdr. White has worked tirelessly to keep the SCV's presence in the Great Lakes State going for nearly three decades.

Cmdr. White has never been one to take much credit for all that he's done, always giving credit to the camp. Besides serving as Commander for Foley Camp #1448 (prior to 1989) & Semmes Camp #1321 (since 1989), Cmdr. White has also previously served as 2nd Lieutenant Commander for the Army of Tennessee.

It has been said to me by many that Cmdr. White has been the face of the SCV in the state of Michigan for more than a quarter century. It is highly likely that had it not been for his efforts, the SCV would not currently have a presence in this state. We are blessed to know that once his tenure ends as Camp Commander he will still remain a member of the camp and will serve on the camp's Executive Committee as a Past-Commander of the camp.

More will certainly be written here about our long-time leader between now and August 1st. It is this author's hope that all members of Camp #1321 will make it out to our June 18th meeting & picnic to join Cmdr. Stanley White at his last meeting as Commander of Camp #1321.

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms
Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321 (Dearborn, MI)
Army of Tennessee, Sons of Confederate Veterans

Memorial Day 2016 @ Johnson's Island

On Monday, May 30, 2016, the Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321 (Dearborn, MI) commemorated Memorial Day at the Confederate Stockade Cemetery on Johnson's Island in Marblehead, OH. Nine camp members made the trip down, and counting members' family & friends, about 30 of us were in attendance to honor the nearly 300 Confederate soldiers & officers who are buried therein.

Following our arrival between 9:30 - 10:00 AM, flags were placed at all of the 206 marked graves, as well as at the Confederate Cross of Honor commemorating all Confederate soldiers buried there, the two memorial markers honoring ladies of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, and next to the two modern monuments that list the names of all who are believed to be interred there. Prior to our arrival, flags had already been placed next to "The Lookout" monument, and those were left in place out of respect to whoever had placed there.

Shortly after the placement of the flags, a memorial service was held.
The order of the ceremony was as follows:

Welcome & Opening Remarks - Cmdr. Stanley White
Opening Prayer (The Lord's Prayer) - SAA. Jonathan McCleese
Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. Flag - 2nd Lt.Cmdr. George Calder
Salute to the Confederate Flag - 1st Lt.Cmdr. Darron Williams
Singing of "Dixie" - SAA. McCleese
Placement of Officer's Jacket at "The Lookout" Monument
Poem ("Only a Soldier's Grave") - Cmdr. White
Memorial Address & Closing Prayer - SAA. Jonathan McCleese

Compatriot Welch, SAA. McCleese, Cmdr. White, & Compatriot T. Watson

After the conclusion of the service, members of the Camp remained at the cemetery throughout the early afternoon, paying our personal respects to our brave heroes and talking with members of the public who stopped by throughout the day to pay their respects. Visitors included residents of the island & tourists, all of whom were very appreciative of the Camp's efforts to honor the brave men buried there. One island resident said that she'd never seen the cemetery decorated so nicely.

To all of the compatriots, their family members & friends, and all of the visitors who came to pay their respects on Monday - THANK YOU! I also would like to give special thanks to the Johnson's Island Property Owners Association for their kindness to the Camp. 

1Lt.Cmdr. Williams, Cmdr. White, Compatriot Welch, & SAA. McCleese

Below are some more images from our day at Johnson's Island. I want to thank compatriots Steve Panther, Travis Watson, & Zach Welch for donating some of their photos to the Camp Archives and for granting their permission to share them here.

SAA. McCleese placing the Confederate Naval Officer's Jacket at "The Lookout" monument.

Compatriot Travis Watson as he pays his respects to the fallen POWs.

The inscription on the side of "The Lookout" monument's granite base.

Compatriot Zach Welch

Cmdr. Stan White & his lovely wife

Compatriot Steve Panther

Cmdr. Stan White exits the cemetery.   Cmdr. White has been leading Confederate Memorial services here at Johnson's Island for more than a quarter-century.

A Heavenly scene looking out from the cemetery toward the waters of Lake Erie.

UPDATED: Memorial Day Event Set for Johnson's Island, May 30th

[Image: Camp #1321 Archives; "The Lookout" Monument at Johnson's Island, 1989]

 Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321 (Dearborn, MI) will be observing Confederate Memorial Day this year on Monday, May 30, 2016 (the same day as "national" Memorial Day) at the Confederate Stockade Cemetery on Johnson's Island, near Sandusky, OH. (You can see Cedar Point from the cemetery.) We hope all who are able will make it out for this, our most important event of the year.

It is our intention to place flags at the 206 marked graves, and also at 'The Lookout' monument. Flag placement will begin right around 10 a.m., with a small memorial service taking place shortly afterward to honor the hundreds of Confederate Prisoners of War interred at the site.

For those planning to attend:
- There is a toll booth to get on to the island. The cost is $2.00 (two dollars) in coins or paper money with a machine to accept the money, which then opens the gate. Bring quarters and one dollar bills.
- Please bring a small cooler with something to eat and drink for yourself and guests attending with you. Most of us are bringing some lunch meat, bread - basic sandwich stuff.
- If you require outdoor seating, feel free to bring a lawn chair.
- At this time it appears as though we will have access to the Johnson's Island Property Owners Association (JIPOA) Clubhouse, located right near the cemetery. This will provide us a place to use the restroom, and shelter from the elements if weather is an issue.

Our Camp has observed Confederate Memorial Day at Johnson's Island numerous times in the past. In 1995, our camp was instrumental in getting the Veterans Administration to restore the statue, 'The Lookout,' that stands guard over the cemetery.

Between 1862-1865, the U.S. Federal Government confined more than 10,000 Confederate military personnel (mostly officers) at a military prison facility on Johnson’s Island. All that remains of this POW Camp today is the Cemetery.

Some sources say that more than 300 Confederates died while interred here. Originally the graves were marked by simple hand-carved wooden markers, but over time these deteriorated. In 1890, the 206 old, worn markers that could still be found & read were replaced with marble headstones. Recent efforts using ground-penetrating radar have located 267 graves in and around the cemetery boundaries.

Camp #1321 Goings On (May/June 2016)

[Image Credit: The Michigan Camps of the SCV, 2015]

Spring has sprung here in Michigan, though the past day or two some might think the spring has unwound, as here in southeastern Michigan we saw some very light sleet and snow flurries on the third Sunday in May! Despite the crazy weather, the SCV Compatriots of Camp #1321 have been working on things for the coming summer.

As has already been reported here on the Camp blog, our camp will be hosting a Memorial Day event at the Confederate Stockade Cemetery on Johnson's Island near Sandusky, OH on May 30th. Besides being held on the date of the national holiday, May 30th is also the date set aside this year for Confederate Memorial Day in the Commonwealth of Virginia. We're very much looking forward to this event, as Memorial Day is our most important Camp event of any year. We hope everyone interested will come out to honor those brave men in gray who are buried so far away from the Southland they so bravely fought to defend.

Then in the month of June, we'll be holding our bi-annual Camp elections at our Jefferson Davis Birthday Picnic & Meeting! I cannot stress enough for members of Camp #1321 how important this meeting will be. A Camp is only as strong as it's membership makes it, and this is the opportunity for Camp members to elect the officers who will serve them for the next two years. If you're a member of the camp, you should have received an email from Adj. Frank Peters about this meeting with more details.

We look forward to seeing all members of the camp at our various meetings and events over the next few months as we head into the summer. Remember, the life of the local camp is only as strong as the membership makes it, and the local camps are the strength of the national organization. We must stand up for own heritage; nobody else will do it for us.

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms
Admiral Raphael Semmes Camp #1321 (Dearborn, MI)
Army of Tennessee, Sons of Confederate Veterans

Kalamazoo Living History Show (Report - March 2016)

About two weeks ago (March 19-20), members of the 'Major-General Patrick Ronayne Cleburne' Camp #2257 (Grand Rapids, MI) attended the Kalamazoo Living History Show at the County Fair Grounds! Cmdr. Jim Perkins [Camp #2257] said that "Our recruiting weekend went well and ... we referred a couple of recruits to the Semmes Camp, as well as found some other interested prospects for the Cleburne Camp."

Also attending the event was Montie Ocha [Compatriot, 'Adm. Raphael Semmes' Camp #1321]! Compatriot Ocha introduced members of the Cleburne Camp to Michigan based reenactor, Gary Carpenter, who folks might remember from the end of the 1993 motion picture, 'Gettysburg,' as he implored Gen. Lee (played by Martin Sheen) to "let us reform and hit 'em again!" Cmdr. Perkins described the meeting as "a real treat!"

The Cleburne Camp also held a camp meeting that weekend in which several new officers were elected, and we look forward to updating Camp #2257's roster information here on the page very soon.

Here's a few pictures sent in by Cmdr. Perkins from the event for your viewing pleasure.

[Image Credit: Jim Perkins, Michigan Camps of the SCV]

[Image Credit: Jim Perkins, Michigan Camps of the SCV]

[Image Credit: Jim Perkins, Michigan Camps of the SCV]

[Image Credit: Jim Perkins, Michigan Camps of the SCV]

God bless the men and women who make the past come to life as "living historians" and also the men of 'Major-General Patrick Ronayne Cleburne' Camp #2257 for all they do to preserve and convey the true history of the Confederate soldiers & sailors in the War Between the States!

FROM HQ - A Proclamation by SCV Commander-in-Chief Barrow

[Image Credit: Michigan Camps of the SCV]

 The following is an official proclamation by Charles Kelly Barrow, Commander-in-Chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans:

WHEREAS: April is the month in which the Confederate States of America began and ended a four-year struggle for states’ rights, individual freedoms, local governmental control, and independence, which they knew to be right and just; and

WHEREAS: The Sons of Confederate Veterans, the direct heirs of the United Confederate Veterans, honor, observe, and celebrate the Confederate States of America, its history, those who served in its armed forces and government; and

WHEREAS: All those millions of its citizens of various races, ethnic groups and religions who contributed in sundry and myriad of ways to the Cause that they held so dear from its founding on February 4, 1861, in Montgomery, Alabama, until the CSS Shenandoah sailed into Liverpool, England and surrendered to Her Majesty’s Government on November 6, 1865; and

WHEREAS: It is important that the Sons of Confederate Veterans and those of Confederate descent reflect upon the Confederate States of America’s past to honor and respect the devotion of her Confederate leaders, soldiers, sailors, Marines and citizens; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Charles Kelly Barrow, Commander-in-Chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, do hereby proclaim the month of April, as:

NATIONAL CONFEDERATE HISTORY and HERITAGE MONTH and encourage all Compatriots to celebrate their states' historically recognized and designated Confederate holidays; however, during the month of April, Compatriots are urged to participate in properly honoring the Confederate States armed forces, her elected and appointed officials, its citizens, and innovations by creating educational programs, ceremonies, and gatherings.

Deo Vindice!
- Charles Kelly Barrow
Commander-in-Chief
Sons of Confederate Veterans
@scvcic

NEWS: Confederate Flag Day; Michigan Event Announced for March 5th

 The following was announced in the Sept./Oct. 2015 issue of the Confederate Veteran Magazine (the official bi-monthly publication of the SCV):

The SCV will be celebrating the upcoming Confederate Flag Day, which is in the SCV Standing Orders as March 4. Each member is encouraged to fly a Confederate Flag on March 4, 2016. The logic behind this date is that March 4, 1861 is when First National Flag (Stars and Bars) was hoisted over the Confederate Capitol in Montgomery, Alabama Confederate Veteran and on March 4, 1865 President Jefferson Davis signed a bill into law creating the Third National Flag.

On Saturday, March 5, 2016 every Division and every camp without a Division will sponsor a Flag Day observance somewhere within their state. Past Commander-in-Chief Chuck McMichael has agreed to be the national coordinator of this occurrence and will be sending out a format for all Divisions and camps without Divisions to follow. Once times and locations are determined, PCIC McMichael will make them public so members are aware of the particulars.  Be sure to mark your calendar now so you and your family can attend.

The Michigan Camps of the Sons of Confederate Veterans are proud to announce that we will be attending the Confederate Flag Day Rally on March 5th in Clarklake, MI, hosted by the Confederates of Michigan!

The Confederates of Michigan is a Facebook group that was organized last summer in response to the wave of 'Confederaphobia' after the horrendous murder of nine folks in a South Carolina place of worship last June. Founded by freedom loving Americans here in the Great Lakes State, many of them having southern roots, the group has over 4,500 followers on social media.

The gathering will be held at the "Park & Ride" alongside S.R. 127 (S. Meridian Rd.), just north of Jefferson Rd. This will be a two part rally, beginning as a standing rally along side the road, with guest speakers and lots of flags, and then we'll be hopping into our cars and turning to a rolling rally with many folks displaying flags on their vehicles as we travel down the road. This is going to be a fun and family friendly event, with kids and pets more than welcome!

This is also a national event, with rallies being held as far west as California, and our Michigan event is currently the farthest north to be scheduled. Twenty-four states total are currently listed as having Flag Day events scheduled on that date.

For more information, you can click on the following links...
- Michigan SCV Camps [Facebook]
- Confederates of Michigan [Facebook]
- Flag Rally Event Page [Facebook] 
- Official CSA Flag Day Site

If you have further questions about directions or anything else related to the event, you can reach us through our Facebook page, or leave a comment here with your email address and we'll be happy to get back with you.

If you're in the state, or maybe even in northern Indiana or Ohio, and you want to come out and join in as we honor our heritage and display our flags, we'd be more than happy to see you there!

DEO VINDICE!
- Jonathan McCleese
Sergeant-at-Arms, SCV Camp #1321