How to Report a Heritage Violation

Any attack upon our Confederate Heritage, or the flags,
monuments, and symbols which represent it, can be termed
a Heritage Violation. If you become aware of a heritage
violation, what do you do? How is the best way to respond?

It is most important that you act promptly. The more time
which passes between a heritage violation and any SCV
response, the less likely we are to be successful in
correcting the situation. Report the heritage violation
just as soon as you can.

Whom do you report it to? Your first contact should be your
Camp Commander or Heritage Officer. They should in turn
report the heritage violation to the Heritage Chairman in
your Brigade. The Brigade Heritage Chairman should then
contact his Brigade Commander and the Division Heritage
Chairman. Heritage violation responses are best handled at
the local level, in cooperation with Brigade and Division
level officers. A plan of action to deal with the heritage
violation should be developed by these Brigade and Division
officers, acting in concert with the local camp and member
(or other person) that initially reported the violation.

The Division Heritage Chairman should report the violation to
the Division Commander, and the SCV’s Chief of Heritage Defense.
The Chief of Heritage Defense can call upon the national
organization to respond to the violation, if such action is
required. The Chief of Heritage Defense is assisted by a members
of a Heritage Defense Committee, appointed by the
Commander-in-Chief.

For the Chief of Heritage Defense to have a heritage situation
officially deemed as a violation by the Sons of Confederate
Veterans, he must have consent from the Commander-in-Chief and
such other members of the General Executive Council as the
Commander-in-Chief may designate, as well as a consensus of
the Heritage Defense Committee.

When appropriate, the Chief of Heritage Defense will include
details of the heritage violation in his report, which is
published in each issue of Confederate Veteran. Pre-addressed
Heritage Alert cards may also be included in the Confederate
Veteran to facilitate direct contact with the offending party
by the membership at large.

Any disrespect shown to our Confederate Heritage should be
considered as serious. SCV members are reminded, however, to
remain calm and to respond in a manner befitting the dignity
of the heritage we seek to preserve. Those persons or groups
who cause a heritage violation often do so in a manner
deliberately intended to provoke us into intemperate response.
Do not play into their hands by over-reacting. We should always
handle ourselves as the responsible Southern gentlemen that
we are.

Again, heritage violations are best handled on the local level.
However, be assured that the SCV on a national level will
respond promptly, aggressively, and effectively when the situation
requires it.