Did you know there is an Andy Griffith Rerun Watchers Club and that they get together and celebrate Mayberry Day every year? I didn’t either until I met Warren at the Sons of Confederate Veterans meeting in Anderson, SC.

Why am I going to Sons of Confederate Veterans meetings?

Well Christian Exodus, the organization I was hoping to document this summer, listed a SCV meeting as a good thing for new-comers to SC to go to….so I went. I went to see if this organization, that only accepts members who have relatives who were in the Confederate War, would be a good group for non-southerners to go to…..although I was born in SC, I was born to parents from Illinois, so unless there are some long lost relatives, I will probably never be eligible for joining Sons of Confederate Veterans as a Confederate Rose.

My discoveries: although I will not ever really belong (for many reasons)…. I have found it to be a very interesting way to learn more about the Confederate War and the ideology of many true Southerners.

However, I found going with my new friends Homer and Judi, established members and relatives of some important Confederate soldiers, to be much better experience than going with my father from Illinois. So for other non-southerners, I recommend finding a Confederate Veteran Son to go with you because it makes a world of difference. If you have an interest in history, like new experiences and real Southern cooking, that inevitably includes meat and is served on styrofoam plates, then you will have a good time.

Homer bought his Confederate hat on ebay, he says it is the envy of many SCV members because you can not find hats like that anymore. His banana pudding with vanilla wafers is also the envy so if you go through a meal line with Homer’s pudding at the end, make sure you get a healthy serving beforehand because there won’t be any left when the line has gone through.