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Requirements for Palmetto Sharp Shooters

The Palmetto Sharpshooters comprise a camp, or local chapter, of the South Carolina Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV). They meet the third Thursday of each month, at 102 Northwest Drive, in Anderson, South Carolina. The group is composed of male descendents of Confederate Civil War veterans. Female descendants may join the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Many members of the Palmetto Sharpshooters and other SCV camps are Civil War reenactors.

SCV Membership Requirements
- Membership requirements for the state and local SCV organizations are the same. The person must be a male at least 12 years of age. Boys younger than 12 may join as non-voting Cadet members. An aspiring member must submit an application form, a detailed genealogy relating them to a Confederate Civil War veteran, and proof of their ancestor's service in the Confederate military.
Genealogy
- To qualify for SCV membership, the ancestor who served in the Confederate military may be either a direct ancestor or a collateral ancestor, that is, a distant uncle or cousin. The relationship to the veteran must be demonstrated genealogically. Proof of service can be obtained through the state archives of most southern states, which maintain military service and pension records on microfilm.
Honorable Service
- The SCV requires the descent must be from a veteran who served honorably. This means the descent cannot be claimed through a veteran who deserted, or who took an oath of allegiance to the United States before the fighting ended. Most southern states limited their pensions to soldiers who served honorably, so pension records usually constitute proof of honorable service.
Controversies
- The SCV is very conscious of public perceptions, and makes a point of distancing itself from hate groups. Membership in or recruiting for the Ku Klux Klan or other racist organizations is specifically prohibited. The SCV is also very firm in its insistence that secession, rather than slavery, was the cause of the Civil War, although many documents from the Civil War provide evidence that slavery itself was the cause of secession.
Reenacting
- Many members of the Palmetto Sharpshooters and other SCV camps are reenactors, who dress in authentic style Confederate uniforms and reenact various battles of the Civil War. There is also a group of Americans living in England who have formed an organization of reenactors called the Palmetto Sharpshooters that is not directly connected to the SCV. Different reenacting groups may have different requirements, but most of them insist on authenticity of clothing, accessories, and behavior during any reenactments.

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