Who Can Join the Sons of Confederate Veterans?

Membership in the Sons of Confederate Veterans is open to all male descendants of any veteran who served honorably in the Confederate armed forces. Membership can be obtained through either lineal or collateral family lines and kinship to a veteran must be documented genealogically. The minimum age for full membership is 12, but there is no minimum for Cadet membership.

Applicants should submit an application form, along with a detailed genealogy describing your relationship to the veteran, and proof of his service.

To obtain proof of his service, contact the archives of the state from which the soldier fought and obtain a copy of the veteran's military service record. All Southern state's archives have microfilm records of the soldiers who fought from that state, and a copy of the information can be obtained for a nominal fee. In addition, the former Confederate states awarded pensions to veterans and their widows. All of these records contain a wealth of information that can be used to document military service.

Please note that finding someone listed in the Broadfoot Roster with the same name as your ancestor does not constitute proof (John Jones from Tennessee). You must use accepted standards of genealogical research to demonstrate that the two men are, in fact, the same.

Genealogy Assistance

The SCV has a network of genealogists to assist you in tracing your ancestor’s Confederate service. Our Division Adjutant, Terry Wabnitz, is our Division Genealogist as well a genealogist for the National Headquarters. This is a free service and you can contact Terry by email at terry_wabnitz_scv@yahoo.com  or by phone at 970-356-4983. You may also request assistance from Sons of Confederate Veterans National Headquarters at www.scv.org  or call 1-931-380-5862.

You may use the application form and genealogy chart provided on this site or go to the Sons of Confederate Veterans General Headquarters website and download the forms.

Membership Costs and Dues

Initial membership cost: $35 (includes membership certificate and a subscription to bi-monthly Confederate Veterans Magazine).  There is also a Lifetime Membership as well as a Provisional Lifetime Membership available. Information on these memberships can be found at the SCV National Headquarters website.

Annual Dues: $30

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