[VAcourier] Membership Renewal System (MRS)

[Virginia Division SCV Communication List]

Please distribute this to your Camp Officers and Members.


In response to numerous camp adjutants and the general membership concerning
the past Virginia Division Billing System mailings, several changes have
been made.

1. Members will send their entire original invoices, along with remittance
for national, state and camp dues, to their camp adjutants who will
check/record/copy the information on their camp rosters/records and then
forward the original statements and a corresponding check for Division Dues
only to Division Adjutant Mike Rose whose address will be listed at the top
of the invoice.

2. The Virginia Division will no longer be collecting or accepting National
dues. Camp adjutants will be responsible for sending their members' National
dues and updated member contact information directly to IHQ. National Life
Membership payments should likewise be forwarded to IHQ.

3. Under a new contribution listing on the bill, members now have the option
to make additional donations directly to their camps. Any monies collected
should be retained by the camp treasurer and any other designated funds,
including Virginia Life Membership payments, should be forwarded to the
Division Adjutant.

4. The billing cycle will end on October 31, 2009 and any submissions must
be postmarked by that date. Additionally, there will be no replacement
renewal bills issued. If a bill is misplaced or lost, the camp adjutant or
member will need to print out a Virginia Division Reinstatement Form from
the Virginia Division Web site located at www.scvva.org (go to the JOIN THE
SCV page) and fill out the current members' name, address, camp and
membership number along with the total payment and submit it to your camp
adjutant who will then forward it to Adj. Mike Rose. If your camp does not
have access to a computer, contact Division Commander John Sawyer for a
reinstatement form which will be mailed to the requester.

It would be most helpful if the camp adjutants and/or newsletter editors
communicate with their camp members and advise them to be on the lookout for
their red billing statements in July so they can return them as soon as
possible for proper credit. Division Adjutant Mike Rose will be sending out
a questionnaire shortly after the Division Convention ensuring that our
current records reflect correct addresses for not only our camp commanders
and adjutants, but to also collect any changes in personal data prior to the
bills being mailed.

Additionally, the Virginia Division will implement an address check by
utilizing the National Change of Address (NCOA) Certification prior to any
bills being mailed to members or their addresses. Any addresses deemed
undeliverable will be sent to their respective camps so that the camp
adjutant can verify and return the corrected address to the Division
Adjutant. This address cleansing program comes at an additional cost to the
Division, however, it standardizes and corrects addresses to meet USPS
requirements. Adj. Rose will also be asking the individual camps what their
camp dues are, so that information can be included on the bill and the
member will have a total amount to make out his check for a combination of
camp dues and division dues.

The billing system was initiated to induce accountability at both the camp
and division levels. The IRS is imposing new rules, especially with
501(c)(3) organizations, and although portions may be tax deductible, the
division needs to ensure that we have a record of where the dues and the
additional funding were generated. In addition, we have many members who
utilized the billing system to update personal data.

Many other divisions are currently using a similar billing system which is
more costly. In the future, the divisions will more than likely be required
to participate in a billing system and we are trying to keep the cost at a
minimum and introduce a workable system to our members prior to it being
mandated by the National Executive Committee. We feel that it is best to
continue using our current billing system after the modifications that have
been suggested. It is our goal to work with the camp adjutants and members
to make this billing cycle as smooth as possible. If you have any questions,
please contact Adj. Rose, Cmdr. Sawyer, or Treas. Wright.

These and a few other changes have been requested by the general membership
of whom 85% utilized the Billing System this past year. These changes should
simplify the process and more detailed instructions will be printed on the
reverse of the billing statement that we plan to mail out in mid-July. This
will give the members over 3 months to submit their dues and again should
simplify the entire process from years past.

Compatriots...The Virginia Division leads, we have always led and we will
continue to do so in the future. Your cooperation will ensure that we march
forward together, shoulder to shoulder, for the good of our organization and
Confederate heritage.



John Sawyer, Commander

Virginia Division SCV
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