Camp 52

  It began on August 5, 2002, as we meet in Brother Rick Morrell's house to re-start the Bristol Tennessee SCV camp. Attending was John Hawthorne, Earl Starbuck, Rick Morrell, Danny Worley, Stephen Marshall, Jerry Hales and myself Robert Turner. The first order of business was what would the name of the camp be. After a short dicussion, a motion was made to name the camp James Keeling Camp 52 of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. Motion was seconded and passed. Officers elected that night to lead us to be re-chartered were John Hawthorne Camp Commander, Robert Turner 1st Lt. Commander, Earl Starbuck Adjutant, and Bro. Rick Morrell Chaplin. This being most of the business conducted on this night the meeting was adjorned.

  The next big step for the camp come fairly quickly, as on January 27, 2003 we recieved our Charter to operate as a camp of the Sons Of Confederate Veterans. Tennesse Division Commander Skip Earle, along with East Tennessee Brigade Commander Randall Whitaker, presented the camp with the offical Charter of the James Keeling Camp 52 Sons of Confederate Veterans. Present and signing the Charter was John Hawthorne, Earl Starbuck, Rick Morrell, Lynn Willard, Danny Worley, James L. Keeling and myself Robert Turner, in a small ceremony held at New Life Tabernacle church on Highway 126.

  We now meet on the third Monday of each month at the Avoca Branch of The Bristol Library at 7:30 p.m. on the Volunteer Parkway. We have many projects ongoing, please check out the project link to see some of them. This coming year will mark our fifth year back up and running. The camp has had slow times but seems like things are starting to take of and we are seeing growth and productivity in our cause. We extend a hand of fellowship out to any male decendant of a Confederate soildier that would like to help in our work.

We invite you to visit us at our monthly meetings. We meet on the third Monday of each month at the Avoca Branch of the Bristol Library, time is at 7:30 p.m. . All visitors are welcome.