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PostPosted: Sun Nov 21, 2021 10:12 am 
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Joined: Wed Mar 15, 2006 3:45 am
Posts: 125
Location: USA
Gentlemen, <salute>
I am saddened and dismayed that the CSA is wiping out most of its medals and awards. I have not been active in the club for many years now, but I have held almost every position in the Confederate Army, including working at and commanding VMI, and Commander of the ANV, as well as severing on the Cabinet, so I feel I have a right to comment on this attack of the legacy of the ACWGC CSA. To throw away so many wonderful medals and ribbons using the premise that we have too many is misguided and tragic. Many, many hours went in to designing and producing these medals and awards and their beauty rivals any actual medals and ribbons. To say we have to many is saying you have not worked with these awards and are just lazy in handing them out. I have been deeply involved in handing out VMI awards, specific army awards, and CSA awards. It's not that hard and once you have a grasp of our awards, it's not complicated. It is a travesty to get rid of so many wonderful years of awards and medals just because you think we have too many and it's hard for you to know which ones to hand out. If to hand out some awards and medals is too much of a logistical problem then suspend that award, but don't remove it. At a time when our club is has been shrinking from the outside now you want to start shrinking it even more from the inside. I just cringe at the thought of all those beautiful medals, most of whom were made by the CSA Medals Foundry and by many members who have past on, being torn down. Don't you guys have anything better to do to help the CSA than to spend an entire year year renaming and throwing away our rich awards heritage? A tremendous amount of work and love went into creating and handing out those awards and for them to just be tossed aside shows a complete misunderstanding of their use and value. Shame on you for your lack of vision and for not protecting our storied CSA club history.

Regards,

General John Newton
ANV
CSA

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PostPosted: Tue Nov 23, 2021 6:56 pm 
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General Newton <Salute>

I would like to thank you for your previous service and contributions to the ACWGC (Club) and you surely have earned your right to comment on a matter of deep concern to you.

Your note points out the fundamental factor that is driving the Cabinet’s careful and realistic assessment of what services the Club can continue to provide given a declining or stable membership and a disproportionate decline in the percentage of Officers willing to serve in administrative positions in the Club. This assessment is being informed by the results of two surveys sent to all Club members in 2021 which I trust you received and responded to.

We are fortunate to still be in a position to provide the same array of services in the Club that were in place when you joined, be that a Club website that includes two very popular features, the Mason-Dixon Tavern and the Opponents Wanted Forum, the DOR and an awards program. There have been dramatic improvements to the UMA and VMI which are where the Club puts its best foot forward with respect to impressing new recruits that they have come to the right Club if they want to immerse themselves in human-to-human gaming of the great battles of the American Civil War with the still the best set of historical simulations (not arcade games) out there to do so. The Union Army has now taken steps to consolidate its Armies so that they are commanded at every level by Officers who are enthused about taking command positions, not taking them reluctantly because no one else will.

I am frankly amazed at the efforts you and others (Retired General Joseph Meyer standing out exceptionally on the UA side) made to create the hundreds of medals and awards the Club was awarding to members in its heyday when it had nearly 1000 members. Many of these awards and ribbons had to be tracked on a monthly or game by game basis. The basic truth here is that the Club no longer has the capability to sustain such a system and the right steps have and are being made to rightsize its awards program, not eliminate it.

The array of medals and ribbons that so much work went into is not being thrown away. All of it is preserved in archives of one kind or another by both sides. If at some future time there is the ability and desire to revive some or all of those medals, they will be there to use. In the meantime, the awards programs of both armies continue, medals will continue to be awarded. There may be fewer of them, but in my way of thinking they may be more highly regarded for being fewer in number and earned for truly significant achievements be that service to the Club or on the digital battlefield.

My very best regards to you sir!

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Walter A. Dortch
Commanding -/4/V AotP
UA Cabinet Secretary

UA Operations Officer
UA Wolverine Team Leader


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PostPosted: Mon Nov 29, 2021 6:36 pm 
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Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2020 10:42 pm
Posts: 668
Newton wrote:
Gentlemen, <salute>
I am saddened and dismayed that the CSA is wiping out most of its medals and awards. I have not been active in the club for many years now, but I have held almost every position in the Confederate Army, including working at and commanding VMI, and Commander of the ANV, as well as severing on the Cabinet, so I feel I have a right to comment on this attack of the legacy of the ACWGC CSA. To throw away so many wonderful medals and ribbons using the premise that we have too many is misguided and tragic. Many, many hours went in to designing and producing these medals and awards and their beauty rivals any actual medals and ribbons. To say we have to many is saying you have not worked with these awards and are just lazy in handing them out. I have been deeply involved in handing out VMI awards, specific army awards, and CSA awards. It's not that hard and once you have a grasp of our awards, it's not complicated. It is a travesty to get rid of so many wonderful years of awards and medals just because you think we have too many and it's hard for you to know which ones to hand out. If to hand out some awards and medals is too much of a logistical problem then suspend that award, but don't remove it. At a time when our club is has been shrinking from the outside now you want to start shrinking it even more from the inside. I just cringe at the thought of all those beautiful medals, most of whom were made by the CSA Medals Foundry and by many members who have past on, being torn down. Don't you guys have anything better to do to help the CSA than to spend an entire year year renaming and throwing away our rich awards heritage? A tremendous amount of work and love went into creating and handing out those awards and for them to just be tossed aside shows a complete misunderstanding of their use and value. Shame on you for your lack of vision and for not protecting our storied CSA club history.

Regards,

General John Newton
ANV
CSA



I wholeheartedly agree.

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Paul Swanson
Lieutenant-General
First Division
First Corps
Army of Northern Virginia


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