LEE CELEBRATIONS BREAK ALL RECORDS

Elm Springs, Tennessee, January 26, 2007

The year of Robert E. Lee continues thru December 31st. Early returns from
the media throughout the United States indicate by far the most coverage of
the General Lee birthday in history.

Calvin Johnson and myself of the SCV Public and Media Relations Committee
have been trying to track the results from the various media. The numbers
came piling in so fast, after a while, we have lost an accurate count. They
keep coming. Considering the functions listed below, we've passed the
hundreds and are in the thousands, and still counting.

This year, the sub committee headed by Calvin, determined to make an all out
assault on every form of media. The results have been astounding.

Consider first, daily metro newspapers. Practically every daily in the
South and several in the North carried favorable articles and editorials.
Some, such as Washington, D. C. seemed to have a battle between two
competing papers as to which could run the most copy on General Lee, the
background and local events in Virginia, D. C. and Maryland.

The Associated Press fed a feature article to all dailies, and to radio and
TV.

We are still counting the hundreds of weekly newspapers throughout the
country that ran stories, many with local features and events.

It doesn't stop here. This year we expanded our media reach to talk radio.
We have reports of several compatriots who appeared in many local areas.
Calvin and I both did interviews, Calvin in
several states, via telephone.

Calvin's committee is still trying to arrive at the total of proclamations
which was another accented program this year. We know with states,
counties, cities and towns, this number could exceed a
thousand. Most proclamations are great opportunities for media releases,
and we got em because our camps asked for the coverage.

Then, the big local media events, local celebrations, parades, banquets.
This is media 101. Local events, great speakers, entertainment, and copy,
sound bytes, and television and news photos.

Folks, it couldn't have been done without you. The response from camps
throughout the country was and continues to be, tremendous.

We hope the awareness we created and the copy for various type events and
proclamations has been helpful.

Calvin Johnson has done such a commendable job, we have now asked him to
handle the international Confederate History and Heritage Month, which takes
place in most areas in April.

Start your plans now, if you haven't already. We're out to break all the
records for participation in the past. Calvin will be providing sample
proclamations and suggestions for events that you may find helpful. Most of
all, remember to tie your local media into the hard work you're doing.

The new image the SCV is projecting is, we're a vital local organization
with a purpose, which includes community involvement.

The sum and substance of this report is that both the public and the media
know the Sons of Confederate Veterans are alive and well, and the current
campaign is just getting started.

Thanks to all who are making it so.

Jeff Davis, Chairman
Public and Media Relations Committee
Camp 1418, Cleveland, Georgia