The National tribune., 1894-12-20
THE SONS OF VETERANS.
The Way to Build Up the Order.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: As to what
would be timely and effective" for the Order
OF Sons of Veterans, u. s. A., would state that
something is to be DONE and should be done
Immediately, and, in my belief, it would be
both practical and would prove efiieacious
VIII you kindly notice inclO9ed Division
Order 8, regarding the meeting of Camps the
same day or night with the GAR. Posts 1t
has been tried by rs in our Camp here. and has
proven beneficial in many ways. The first was
to have the members to come because some Of
their fathers were present; and, again, the en-
couraging talks the old veterans give US and
those who have sons aud are not members Of
the Order, after attending one of these meet
ings, (which he never did before they met on
tho same night he saw that il was an Order
that was living up to the principles he fought
so many years TO maintain and then we had
his boy to muster at the next meeting. Father
aud sou both attend meetings together now and
the boy is good officer of the Camp aud will
be its Commander at no distant day. Again.
we hold joint Campfres and Installations
an we pay rent for only one meeting. thas is
the same night, which cuts down our expenses
for both organizations.
There is too much taxation by the fathers,
who feel that since 1865 the country needs no
watching for the disseminating of Friendship
and Charity. And the last, but most i'm port
ant, factor of these United States, which has
been shown only this past year, is demanded
more than ever OF the rising generation, and it
happens to be their sons. There is no more
patriotic Order than ours and it should re.
ceive more than the luke warmness shown by
many of the old veterans, even those that be-
long to the GAR. Now is the time when they
can do most good; that is TO encourage their
sons to join, and keep them interested enough
always that it would seem pleasure to them to
know that their sons keep up their member
ship, and thereby more able to keep green the
memory of their fathers aud their deeds for the
country, especially after their deaths.
Again, it has been spoken and written of that
the GAR. wished the Sons of Veterans to
meet with them, which is, according to our be-
lief, somewhat premature, and it is something
that should Eot be done or provisions made for
before the year 1900.
1t is shown every day after Camp has been
mustered member of the g. AR has never
been seen at meeting of the Camp. and in
many cases this has been the cause of the boys
saying: Well, we don't receive the proper en-
couragement from the veterans, and don't feel
right unless we are assisted in this work, and
about which they know so much, and we feel
that we are doing better if they show up at
our meetings every once in while" and the
result is the interest dies, and the Camp is dis
banded in short time
Newspaper encouragement is the best that
can be offered, and your estimable paper lin its
many articles is doing much good toward tile
end you have been striving, and which we ad-
mire so much, and we wish you and your paper
the success il really deserves. With best wishes,
| am, Yours in T. G. and L.,
VALENTINE GILB, JR,
Division Commander, Birmingham, Ala.