Most people may not know it, but I'm the kind of person that needs something to be involved in, something to focus my attentions and drive on. I'm not the kind of person to sit around on my ass all day doing nothing - I have to be focused on something, be it an organization or something that involved riding my Harley.
And anyone who knows me - truly knows me - knows that when I get involved in something, I give it my complete attention and devotion. I go at it whole hog, not holding anything back, and devote myself to it entirely. If whatever organization I'm involved in is having an activity, then I'll be there no matter what. I'll also be the first one there and the last one to leave when it's over. Anyone who knows me from either the Lodge or the Shrine knows this having seen it first-hand.
Unfortunately, for the past 4 months I haven't had a focus and I've kind of felt like a ship without a rudder, just drifting with the tide with no real purpose. I've tried to make my Harley my main focus, riding it as much as I can - and I've ridden it a LOT since I got it in October. So far I've put 6K miles on it, which is more than I put on my Road King in the entire previous year. But I still needed something else to focus my attention and my drive on, something that would take up more than just a few hours a week.
And two weeks ago I found it. Or found it again, actually. I rejoined the Sons of Confederate Veterans and the Military Order of Stars and Bars, two organizations that I was a part of previously but dropped out of when my work schedule wouldn't allow me the time I needed to participate.
So let me explain what those two organizations are, since I'm betting that most of you have never heard of them before.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans is just that - an organization made up of male descendants of men who fought for the Confederacy during the War for Southern Independence. The organization was founded in 1896, and is the 'successor organization' of the United Confederate Veterans. (That title is self-explanatory so I won't go further.) The main purpose of the SCV is to preserve and retell the true history of the South and the Confederate soldier. It's a never-ending task considering the enormous amount of Yankee history/half-truths/lies that are so prevalent these days, so the SCV has its work cut out for it.
The Military Order of Stars and Bars is made up of male descendants of Confederate officers, so it's a little more exclusive than the SCV. (Once upon a time you had to be a member of the SCV before you could join the MOSB, but that requirement was dropped quite a while back.)
I have three ancestors who fought for the Confederacy, and since one of them was Colonel William H. Burkett (a relative on my mothers' side) I qualify for membership in both organizations. Right now I've renewed my membership in both organizations at the national level and am not assigned to a local camp. I'm a little gun shy about joining a local camp for either organization thanks to the way my former Masonic Lodge treated me. I may join a local chapter of the two organizations later on, but for now I'll just sit where I am at the "member at large" level.
Now all I have to do is find a group to ride with. The SCV has a Mechanized Cavalry unit, which is made up of SCV members who ride bikes, so I'm going to check them out eventually. The only thing there is that in order to join a Mechanized Cavalry unit you have to be assigned to a local chapter, and I'm not ready for that yet. Time will tell.
So in the mean time I'm gonna check out the local H.O.G. (Harley Owner's Group) Chapter, but again, I'm not so sure I'm ready to trust people enough to do that yet. We'll see, though. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
One thing's for sure, though - the next time I get involved in an organization with a local chapter of anything, hell will freeze over before I'll be in a position of authority or leadership again. My days of telling other people what they can and can't do are over, thanks to my dealings with the Masonic lodge.
That's a wound I don't think will ever heal, but I'm damned sure not gonna let it stop me from living the best life I can.
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