NEWSLETTER FOR JUNE 2005

Editor: Steve Pearce spearce@knology.net

Camp website: http://pvtrichardtaylor.bizland.com/

Commander: Talbot Hackett genberry@msn.com

I would like to thank everyone who participated in both the memorial service for Brother J.P. Johnson and the one held at General Johnson’s gravesite in Maple Hill. I thought things went very well overall. Brothers Hintze, Wright, Hogan, Bracken, and I attended the North Alabama Veterans and Fraternal Coalition’s Memorial Ceremony, which followed ours at 11 o’clock. Brother Hogan and I participated by laying our Camp wreath at the memorial with the other military organizations in the Huntsville/Madison communities.

On June 9, another Brother was added to our rolls. Colonel Donald C. McGraw of Tallassee is with the Alabama Inspector General’s office ands presently is serving in Kabal, Afghanistan. I want to thank Brothers Pearce and Gaddy for their fast response in getting his certificate done so that I could send it off to his parents in Cincinnati in time for his birthday, which is on June 14. Perhaps when Brother McGraw returns we will be able to initiate him properly. I know you all join me in praying for his safe return to his family and friends. We are proud and pleased to have Colonel McGraw as a member of our Camp.

We will be initiating new Bother Joe Stegmaier on at our next meeting on June 27^th. Following his long form initiation, there will be a beef stew dinner. There is also the possibility that Brother Tod Jenness will be initiated, as well. This will be dependant upon his son’s baseball team in their upcoming tournament. We wish Brian and his team success and hope they bring home the championship. We can always postpone Tod’s initiation for such a worthy cause. I will send the Camp an email concerning the final outcome as soon as I receive word. Brothers Hogan, Hintze, Wright, and I met Tod and Brain at last month’s Stars game. Brother Jenness will make a fine addition to our Camp and Brian is an impressive young man.

Our Sons of Veteran Reserve Company (Companies) is in dire need of restructuring. I will be calling for a special meeting shortly after July 4^th for this purpose. At the present time, no one has an application on file with the Camp or at the National AG’s office. Colonel Shaw’s records show that the 18^th Indiana was formed in Huntsville; however, in April 2002, the Camp voted to form Co. G, 42^nd Indiana. No action was taken from there. In that the SUVCW and the SVR are separate entities, other than a member of the SVR must be a Brother in good standing, once the Camp determines a course of action, I will suspend all Camp business at that time in order to elect Company officers, establish dues, etc. I will bring copies of the SVR regulation with me for everyone’s use during this process, as well as enough applications. I would like to have this completed as soon as possible so I can give them to Colonel Shaw at the National Encampment. If we have a special meeting in July to take care of this, it will replace the Camp’s normal meeting scheduled for July 25^th. The reason for the special meeting is because I will be leaving for Connecticut to vacation with my wife when she returns from Qatar on July 20^th. We will be going to the National Encampment while we are in New England.

We are invited to participate to Chickamauga being arranged by Brother Wright for the Tennessee Valley Civil War Roundtable. The trip will be on September 24, departing the Space and Rocket Center at 6 AM, arriving at the park around 9. Jim Ogden will be our guide and box lunches will be made available. Costs and transportation will be determined by the number of persons that sign up to go. All those wanting to take the trip should contact Brother Wright at kdwrt@netzero.com.

Brother Cottrell and I represented the Camp at Reverend Morgan’s last service for the Highland Methodist Church on Sunday, June 12. During the luncheon the congregation held a luncheon in the Reverend and his family’s honor; we gave him a Camp certificate of appreciation in gratitude for his support for allowing the Richard Taylor Camp to meet in the Fellowship Hall for the past four years.

The Camp will be participating in the Madison County Heritage Festival on October 8 at the Hays Nature Preserve. Susan Weber has given us nearly a carte blanche concerning activities we’d like to do and has promised us as much support as we need. Any and all ideas will be greatly appreciated.

I hope to see everyone on the 27^th.

Respectfully submitted in F, C, and L,

Talbot Hackett-Commander & Geoffrey Hintze -Secretary/Treasurer