1. Brothers are reminded that the 2012 Department Encampment will be held at the Great Lakes Christian College in the City of Lansing, Michigan on March 31, 2012. Several important questions will come before the Encampment. We would like your input in passing on those questions. Please arrange to attend if you can. Pre registration materials are contained in the current edition of the Michigan’s Messenger at pages 22 & 23. There is a direct link on the home page of the Department web site that will take you to the Messenger so you can retrieve the pre registration materials should you wish to do that.
2. All Camps are encouraged to bring their Camp Flags to the Department Encampment to be displayed with the Department Colors.
3. Effective on and for the day of Saturday, March 31, 2012, the headquarters of the Department of Michigan shall be at the Great Lakes Christian College, 6211 W. Willow Hwy., Lansing, Michigan, to allow for the transaction of business by the 123rd Department Encampment. Thereafter, it shall revert to the address it had prior to this transfer or to such other place as the Department Commander shall designate in his Department Orders.
4. Any brother interested in holding a Department elective office should submit his letter of interest, credentials, and any letters of endorsement to the Department Nominating Committee no later than March 1, 2012. The chair of the Committee is Brother Rick Danes. Please direct your information to him and he will share the same with the Committee. He may be reached through email at redanes@aol.com, or through regular mail at 2612 Burns Street, Dearborn, Michigan 48124.
5. The Nominating Committee as previously announced is expanded by two members. They are:
   

   Brother Richard Scott, Camp Commander, Camp 3

   Brother Jim Jackson, Camp Commander, Camp 22

   Thank you brothers for agreeing to serve.

6. Persons wishing to make nominations for presentation of the Department’s Abraham Lincoln Award may continue to present their candidates to the Committee through theDepartment Commander. The address to which nominations should be sent is 3914 Larchmont Street, Flint, Michigan. Nominations must be received by March 1, 2012.
7. The Department’s new James T. Lyons Award, as authorized by the 122nd Department Encampment, will begin its first year long points accumulation period beginning on March 1, 2012 and running until February 28, 2013. Camp Commanders should watch for a full explanation of the Award and the point system as developed by the Lyons Award Committee within the next week.
8. On behalf of myself and the other brothers who acted as installing officers for the Department for camp officer installations these past few months, I would like to thank all those brothers from the various camps who displayed such hospitality and friendliness to us as we visited with your camps. Your kindness, which was displayed in dozens of different ways, was very much appreciated.
9. On behalf of the Department Secretary and myself, I wish to thank our camps for the diligence they have shown in getting their form 22’s, form 22MI’s and rosters in to us. By in large they are all accounted for now. That makes the work we must do with them at the department level so much easier having them all in, in a timely fashion.

Hoping to see as many of you at the Department Encampment as possible next month, I remain, until that time, yours . . . . . .

In Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty,

Donald W. Shaw

Department Commander

Department of Michigan

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War

Attest:

Paul Davis

Department Secretary

Department of Michigan

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War