Emmy-Award Winning Author/Sheriff to Speak to SCV

BY MELANIE BUCK –

Joel Hinton, Commander of General Evander McNair Camp 646 of Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) of Mena, has announced their 1^st-Year Reunion, to be held at the Limetree Restaurant, in Mena, on Saturday, April 11, at 5 p.m. Sheriff J.B. Smith out of Smith County, Texas, will be the guest speaker. Smith is an Emmy Award-Winning author and humorist and has been the Sheriff of his county since 1976. Cost for the event is $15 per person.

Also on the agenda for the evening is the installation and recognition of new officers and the induction of new members. SCV of Mena currently has 34 members, after being chartered with only seven in May 2014.

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

Hinton said, “We’re trying to dispel myths that people have about our group. We just want to honor our ancestors and preserve our southern heritage. We simply want to tell the truth. The victors tell the story and we try to promote the truth. We have no association with bigots or racists.” Hinton added, “We want to encourage the public to attend and find out what we stand for and learn who we are.”

Hinton also talked about upcoming projects that are planned, in addition to what the group already does. One such project deals with veterans that need handicap accessibility, such as ramps, entry doors, or bathrooms. “We want to set up a fund to assist them with their needs,” explained Hinton. SCV has ongoing programs at the local, state, and national levels, which offers members a wide-range of activities. General Evander McNair Camp 646, named after one of Polk County’s own, is currently involved with preservation work, marking Confederate soldier’s graves, historical re-enactments, and scholarly publications. “We’ve done a couple of cemetery renovations. We are looking for and documenting every Civil War soldier’s grave in Polk County, Union and Confederate. We have located over 425 so far,” Hinton said.

To become a member, you must be a male descendant of any veteran who served honorably in the Confederate armed forces. Hinton said, “If you don’t know if you have a Confederate ancestor, we will find out for you.”

If you would like more information about the local Sons of Confederate Veterans, contact Joel Hinton at 479-385-2125 or jrhinton@accunlinc.net.

About Author

Jeri Pearson

Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.

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