How the SCV is structured
The SCV is an international organization, made up of tens of thousands of members all over the world. The overall organization is governed by its members acting through delegates at an annual reunion. The General Executive Council, composed of elected and appointed officers, conducts the organization’s business between reunions. They meet multiple times a year at the organization’s National Headquarters, which is located at the Southern Heritage Center in Columbia, TN. That Headquarters includes the National Confederate Museum (which is completely owned and operated by the SCV), Historic Elm Springs (a beautiful antebellum home open for touring), and the graves of General and. Mrs. Nathan Bedford Forrest (famed Confederate Cavalry General).
The National organization is broken down into three geographic areas known as “Armies”. The Armies are named for the three major Confederate Armies (The Army of Northern Virginia, the Army of Tennessee, and the Army of Trans-Mississippi) and consist of any groups inside the states in their territories. These Armies are further broken down into Divisions. For the most part, a Division consist of members within a state. Divisions are then broken down into Brigades (usually made up of counties), which are made up of local units referred to as “Camps”. The power of the organization lies in these local Camps. Most Camps meet monthly and are engaged in a variety of projects. When you join the SCV, you join an individual Camp. The Camp you join will determine which Brigade, Division, and Army you are in. In the Mississippi Division, we have 5 Brigades that are made up of 42 Camps. The Mississippi Division is part of the Army of Tennessee.