Gentlemen,
It has been Cabinet policy for sometime now to create clear blue water between our system of medals and awards and those of the real world. We want to be distinctive and unique to ourselves.
Accordingly, by unanimous vote in the Cabinet, the Legion of Merit is being retired. In its place, we proudly unveil the Washington Medal of Merit as the highest award the ACWGC can give to those who freely & generously, usually over a period of many many years, give their time, expertise, and enthusiasm so that the rest of us can more fully enjoy their time in our gaming club.
It therefore gives me great pleasure to announce that the remaining four Cabinet members have voted unanimously to make General Blake Strickler the very first ACWGC member to receive the Washington Medal of Merit. Congratulations Blake!
Technical issues currently prevent me from attaching the certificate, but I reproduce the citation here in full:
FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO AMERICAN CIVIL WAR GAME CLUB AS GENERAL-IN-CHIEF, CONFEDERATE ARMY. IN
THIS ROLE, GEN STRICKLER HAS SELFLESSLY DEDICATED HIMSELF TO THE BETTERMENT OF THE CLUB THROUGH
PARTICIPATION IN CABINET, MANAGEMENT OF THE CONFEDERATE MILITARY GROUP, THE INNOVATIVE DESIGN OF
THE CLUB’S WEB PAGES, AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND EXECUTION OF CHALLENGING TOURNAMENTS. HIS DEDICATION
TO THE CLUB, SELFLESS VOLUNTEERISM, AND ENDURING DEVOTION TO EXCELLENCE HAVE ENHANCED THE IMAGE,
FUNCTIONING, AND COMPETITIVE SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR GAME CLUB AND ARE AN EXAMPLE FOR
OTHER OFFICERS TO EMULATE. GEN STRICKLER’S SERVICE AND ACHIEVEMENTS BRING GREAT CREDIT TO HIM, THE
ARMY OF THE CONFEDERACY, AND THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR GAME CLUB.
Like many other officers here, I have been privileged to play in a number of General Strickler's blind MP games, justly regarded as some of the most cutting edge gaming you can do with these WDS titles. To create these games, manage and umpire them, and then to create a compelling series of YouTube videos to showcase the ACWGC is just remarkable work and we are all in your debt, Blake. Well done and thank you, on behalf of the whole ACWGC.
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