Inside this issue:

Newsletter

Summer 2013—Election Issue

Revised Edition

From the Copy Editor

This issue of the newsletter will be devoted to the upcoming officer elections. Our candidates have sent in their biographies so that we can all get to know them a bit better. The current officers and I know that the Saber and Scroll will continue to be in good hands.

Each of the candidates were approved by the school and are eligible for your vote. Voting will open on August 1st and last for two weeks. So watch your emails, the Facebook page, or the Quad for the bal- lot. Once the election closes, votes will be tallied and the winning candidates will be announced.Good Luck to the Candidates and Best Wishes in your endeavors.

DeAnna Stevens

From the Copy Editor 1

Treasurer 2

Membership Secretary 3

Recording Secretary 5

Editor-In-Chief 7

Vice President 9

President 11

The Last Word 13

P.S. I apologize for any errors and/omissions in the previous version. I am only human and, as such, am prone to make mistakes occasionally!

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Treasurer

Duties of the Treasurer

1. To plan and prepare a budget as required by the school.2. To oversee the budget.3. To work in tandem with the officers to ensure that the organization stays

within said budget.4. To prepare and present any paperwork required by the school in regards

to the budget.

Ben Sorensen

When Ben began his collegiate career, he received his AA from a junior college in West Virginia, Potomac State College. He then moved on to Shepherd College, where he majored in music, but discovered a love for Byzantine History through Dr. Walter Hanak. Ben earned his BA at Excelsi- or College in Albany New York. He held the position of Area Coordinator at the Akademia Vzdelavania (Academy of Education) in Poprad, Slovakia. He was also an ESL instructor there with a very good record of preparing students to pass the British Council’s First Certificate Exam and Advanced Certificate Exam in English. He also taught English to business owners and profes- sionals all over the country.

Upon moving back to the United States, Ben entered corporate America in the cell phone indus- try; however, his heart was always in teaching. Therefore, he entered the MA in History program at American Public University to honor his favorite professor Dr. Walter Hanak, leaving the cell phone industry right before he began his thesis. From there, he was very successful as an intern at Moores Creek National Battlefield. Ben completed his studies with honors, and went into North Carolina’s community college system, teaching ESL and Western Civilization at two local commu- nity colleges. He also gives lecture series through Brunswick Community College on various as- pects of local history. He has been published, his favorite publications being at the Saber and Scroll’s academic journal. He is also employed as an online adjunct faculty at Ashford University. Ben plans on getting his PhD now that he has finished his graduate certificate in American Revo- lution Studies, again at APUS.

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Ben’s real strength in history, however, is in the Byzantine Empire, with strong focuses on the reign of Justinian and the missions of the Saints Constantine Cyril and Methodius. Outside of this academic career, he is also the President of the Cape Fear Revolutionary War Round Table. Ben is also a very active Freemason, belonging to the oldest lodge in North Carolina, St. John’s No. 1.Here he is an officer in the lodge and the lodge historian, as well as the historian for the Scottish Rite Valley of Wilmington. Ben is fluent in English, Slovak, and Czech, and read Latin, Greek, French, German, Old Church Slavonic (Glagolitic and Azbuka) and Dutch. He also plays piano, guitar, ukulele, and the largest gothic Slovak flute, the fujara. He also sings. Ben has a lovely wife and two children, all of whom are Slovak nationals, with his children being dual citizens.

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Duties of the Membership Secretary

1. To keep the roster updated, to provide copies to the officers as needed as well as the school.

2. To create and keep a printable up to date roster for the entire membership.

3. to send messages of well wishes as needed (birthday, honor, job, baby, death in the family, etc).

4. To send welcome pkgs to the new members.5. To act in tandem with the recording secretary as a vote counter for

any elections, or votes of any kind presented to the membership.

M.V. Bowks de la RosaMV Bowks de la Rosa is running for Membership Secretary. She is currently enrolled in the Amer- ican Public University Master of Arts in European History program. She holds a Bachelor of Sci- ence in Political Science with a minor in History from University of Maryland University College, where she was featured on the Dean's List and won second place in the History Department's An- nual Essay Contest in 2012. Also in 2012, she received a Certificate of Recognition in Outstanding Academic Achievement from the school. She is a member of Phi Alpha Theta and Pi Gamma Mu, along with the American Historical Association, the American Society for Legal History and the Association for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies. She was part of the American Uni- versity Peace and Conflict Resolution Washington Semester Program in 2000, with which she trav- eled to Ireland to learn about the Troubles and reconciliation. She won a full bursary to study Muslim-Jewish relations in an honours course entitled "Bridging the Great Divide," a collaborative effort of the Woolf Institute of Cambridge and the American University School of International Service.

Ms. Bowks de la Rosa has published several reference articles with SAGE, ABC-CLIO and the Butler Center for Arkansas Studies' Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture. She is currently working on independent research projects including a public history project and the biography of a civil servant who was killed during the Spanish Civil War. She lists legal history, contemporary Spanish history and the history of genocide as her

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main research interests but also enjoys learning and researching human rights, philosophy and post-colonialism. Her plans for the future include acquiring a PhD in History and going on to design community reconciliation processes that in- clude historical research as well as programs to the gap between the academic and public history sectors to bring new standards of knowledge to public policy and the people at large.

Ms. Bowks de la Rosa is well-traveled and of artistic, eclectic background. She was born in the Azores, Portugal to an American father and Spanish mother, and is the last of six children. She grew up on Andrews Air Force Base, finished her studies in Maryland and traveled all around the United States. She has also lived in Sevilla, Spain while exhibiting art and teaching English. She is

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M.V. Bowks de la Rosa (cont.)

bilingual in English and Spanish, and has done translation work with the two languages. She also has working knowledge and is improving in Italian, Portuguese, French and Morse code. In her spare time, she reads and writes extensively and peruses her massive cache of art and office sup- plies for various projects. She also enjoys listening to music via her vintage vinyl collection and even dabbles in creating music from time to time, as well.

Even though she is new to APUS, as Membership Secretary, Ms. Bowks de la Rosa plans to put her organizational, computer, design and people skills, not to mention her excellent attention to detail, to good use. She would like to add personal touches to the welcome packages, hold annual contests for members and implement new ideas to bring the membership together as much as

Kim TrennerKim Trenner is soon to be listed as alumni as her conferral date is August 15. Yes, she finished her thesis and all that is left to do is sit back and watch for the diploma in the mail – not! She has a BA from Grand Canyon University in History as well as a BS in Geography with minors in Cartog- raphy and Environmental Geology from the University of Akron.

Kim’s experience as secretary stems from the type of work she has done in the office setting as personal assistant (board meeting minutes, shareholder meeting minutes, pro-ject management, filing, typing, and liaison between copywriters and printer) as well as the past 8 years as secretary of Western Reserve Sampler Guild. She has also served as the Committee Chair for Membership of Saber and Scroll for the past year.

Kim has been published in the magazine Needlearts with an article on the history of darning sam- plers. She also teaches needlework classes as well as needlework history.

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As for her plans as Membership Secretary, Kim hopes to continue with the task of sending out certificates of membership until all 1100+ members have one, as well as putting together the planned online roster of members. Kim alsos hope to help the Board of Officers in any way needed to continue to make Saber and Scroll its DESTINED BEST organization!

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Duties of the Recording Secretary

1. To handle minutes for the meetings - both board and membership.2. To provide said minutes to membership and newsletter editor.3. To keep record of things such as the constitution.4. To turn in a Chapter Standards Reporting Form in the Quad after

chapter meetings, elections, officer meetings, newsletter releases, etc.5. To provide ballots to the membership for elections and any other type

of vote that must go to the membership, and to act in tandem with the membership secretary to count said votes.

Richard Brown

Richard Brown is running for the Office of Recording Secretary for the Saber and Scroll. Richard is currently working towards an Associate’s Degree in History and upon completion will begin his Bachelor’s Degree in American History. Eventually, he would like to pursue a Master’s Degree in Public History and work for the Park Service. Although he enjoys learning about nearly every peri- od of human history, if he had to choose one topic that he enjoyed above all others, it would be the longhunters and mountain men of the North American Fur Trade Era.

Beyond history, Richard enjoys hunting, fishing, trapping, and primitive camping. He is partial to muzzleloaders, stick bows, and hand lines over more modern implements. When time or weather prevent him from being outdoors, he can often be found on the couch reading the works of Hor- ace Kephart or George W. Sears.

Despite the fact that he is fairly new to the Saber and Scroll, he believes that he possesses the skills necessary to perform the duties of the Office of Recording Secretary. As he states, “If elected, I would not only record and retain minutes for the various group meetings and maintain accurate records of documents for submission to AMU/APUS as well as the Leadership Council, but also work in close collaboration with the other officers to strengthen and grow the Saber and Scroll in a positive direction.”

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Richard is comfortable using the various Microsoft applications including Excel. He is organized, dedicated, and methodical. His experiences as a manager and as a husband/father have made him responsible, flexible, and able to adapt to ever changing situations. In addition to these qualities, his time spent as an auditor has made him detail oriented and extremely organized. He is looking forward to the opportunity to serve as Recording Secretary of the Saber and Scroll.

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Deanna Simmons

Deanna Simmons currently lives in Maryland, about 10 miles from Washington, DC. She is a His- tory major at APU, concentrating in American History. Living so close to Washington, DC is amazing since she has access to all of the Smithsonian Museums and has been to every one of them! Although she is only starting her second year of her BA, she has plans to get her Master’s and, hopefully, her PhD!

Deanna’s love of History comes from listening to stories about her Great Grandmother, who re- cently passed at the age of 101, and listening to stories about her Great Grandmother, who was a slave on a plantation in Virginia. Deanna is extremely detail oriented, having worked in Corporate America, before taking time off to get her degree and raise her girls. She actually worked for two years doing data entry, so she understands the importance of excellent record keeping.

History is more than just a passion to her, it’s what she lives for!!!!

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Duties of the Editor-in-Chief

1. It shall be his or her duty to call for papers, organize, and electronically publish the club’s jour- nal.

2. Communicate with the school and/or the ePress team in regards to copyright issues, etc.

Joseph Cook

Joseph earned his BA in History with a minor in Civil War Era Studies from Gettysburg College in 2009, where he frequently gave tours of the battlefield. He is a veteran researcher of the Civil War Institute of Gettysburg; in this capacity, his work contributed to the 2006 book 'The Gettysburg Gospel' by Dr. Gabor Boritt. Currently, Joseph is scheduled to publish an article in a book to be edited by Dr. Peter Carmichael on the subject of cowardice at the Battle of Gettysburg. He is a member of the Organization of American Historians, Phi Alpha Theta, Pi Gamma Mu, Golden Key, and other academic honor societies.

In November 2013, Joseph was honored as the author of the top paper at the 21st annual Sympo- sium on the 19th Century Press, the Civil War, and Free Expression -- hosted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; his paper dealt with newspaper coverage of the death of GeneralE.R.S. Canby in the Modoc War. Cook's MA in History will be conferred in August 2014, and he will subsequently pursue a teaching career and begin another academic program.

Rick Loesch

Rick has his BS in Military History from the United States Air Force Academy and his MA in Mili- tary History with a concentration in World War II from APU. He is currently enrolled in Piedmont International University and is working on his MA in Ministry.

Though he has never been an editor in chief of a journal, he has worked the past 10 years in Graduate and Undergraduate writing for history. He

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has used the Turabian style the entire time as well and am well versed, but hardly an expert. He is not published in any other journals yet, but is looking to break into that field here shortly with a few book reviews that he has volunteered to participate in. Rick is okay working as the editor in chief or even as a co-editor in chief with some- one who may have more extensive experience in this field, if that is a problem. He has a broad in- terest in history, though when reading and writing he tends to favor military history of the 20th and 21st centuries. Rick is always willing to learn and loves new challenges, even ones in which he has little experience. Though a little intimidating at first when considering that it is a published journal, he is extremely excited to participate and would relish this opportunity.

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Anne Midgley

Anne Midgley completed her MA in Military History – American Revolution concentration at APUS in July 2014. She has been involved with the Saber and Scroll since 2011 and has edited for the journal since its inception. Anne served as the interim Editor in Chief when the previous EIC resigned in early 2013, then as the EIC from August 2013 until March 2014, when she resigned to complete her thesis. She has since stepped back into the EIC role, so that the interim EIC could begin his thesis project without the added responsibility of managing the journal.

Anne earned her B.A. in Psychology from Oakland University. She is currently serving as a Senior Vice President/Business Support Executive with Bank of America in Charlotte, NC and has worked in the financial service industry for over thirty years. Anne is happily married with two children. She has thoroughly enjoyed her Saber and Scroll involvement to date and looks forward to helping our historical society continue to excel.

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Duties of the Vice President

1. It will be his or her duty to preside at meetings of the organization in the absence of the presi- dent and at the business meetings of the board in the absence of the president.

2. The vice president has procedural authority to break election ties and shall not vote in any oth- er vote taken by the club.

Jacqueline Klueh

Jacqueline Klueh resides in Vincennes Indiana with her family. Vincennes is the oldest town in In- diana, home of the George Rogers Clark Memorial and the Henry Harrison Mansion (Grouseland). She holds a Master of Liberal Science from Fort Hays State University with a con- centration in Reading and English. In addition, Jacqueline has a Master of Arts in Humanities from American Military University and returned to AMU to complete a gradate certificate pro- gram in American History. She also has a graduate certificate from Indiana University in Composi- tion and Rhetoric, and one in English as a Second Language. Jacqueline is completing her Master of Arts in English. She teaches Composition, Developmental Reading, Developmental Writing, Literature, and Business Communication as an adjunct at Vincennes University and Olney Central College. She previously taught English, Reading, and Technology on the high school level.

Jacqueline grew up as a military brat attending twenty-two schools. While in college, she was a member of ROTC and enrolled in the SMP program with the Army National Guards. She loves learning and sharing her love of learning with students. She is a member of Pi Lambda Theta honor society. Jacqueline is an avid reader and writer and has recently published an article for SAGE publishing on Forgiveness. Her graduate thesis, Methods to Improve Reading Skills in Chil- dren with Dyslexia, Autism, and Other Common Learning Disabilities, published in 2011. http:// www.jacquelineklueh.com.

Jacqueline’s love of history and genealogy led her to research her family.

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She was able to prove a Patriot and became a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She is currently writing a narrative of the Odell family in America. She enjoys reading about and researching the American Revolution and the Enlightenment. She volunteers at Grouseland and participates in the Vincennes Rendezvous’ reenactment of the Revolutionary War.

Jacqueline looks forward to serving the members of the Saber and Scroll. If elected she wants to help the organization continue to grow as one of the premier organizations at APUS.

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Guy Williams

Guy Williams has served in the US Army for nearly twenty-two years as an Airborne Ranger and retired in 2006 from active service. He began his studies with the American Public University (APU) in 2009 and completed his Undergraduate Degree in Military History with honors and a GPA of 3.97 in 2011. In 2013, he graduated from the APU with honors and a 4.0 GPA and earned a Master of Arts in History with a concentration in Ancient and Classical history. Guy’s academic awards include the 2011 Outstanding Undergraduate Student for the School of Arts and Humanities, the 2012 Who’s Who among Students in American Universities and Colleges, the 2013 Excellence in Service Award for the Chapter Standards Program, and most recently the 2014 Alumni Award for APU. He is one of the original beta testers for the Quad on the APUS website and a history mentor in the Global Mentor Network. Guy maintains an active role in the Saber and Scroll History Club and joined the club in July 2012. Additionally, he has written several arti- cles for the Saber and Scroll Journal.

Currently, Guy works for the Army Research laboratory as a contractor and is the Deputy Pro- gram Manager within the Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance Technology Integration Activi- ty (ITIA) at Adelphi, MD (the location is not lost on him and he has yet to find any oracles here). Guy recently completed the Leave No Trace Master Educator Course, Wilderness First Aid Course and actively maintains sections of the Appalachian Trail. He is an avid hiker in his off time and enjoys reading, researching, and writing about the ancients. His current plans for further edu- cation are on hold while his wife pursues her Bachelors of Science in Nursing at APU. The irony is not lost on him about switching roles and understanding firsthand what supporting a spouse in college entails.

Guy has watched the Saber and Scroll grow from a fledgling organization and remains proud of the Club’s achievements and their first field trip to Gettysburg and Antietam. He is running for the office of Vice President because he wants to build upon the precedent established by the found- ing members and ensure that the Saber and Scroll continues to grow and prosper as a club. Lead- ership is way of life for him in his academic, professional, and personal life. Guy strives to rise above mediocrity not for

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praise or accolades, but for the sublime concept of civic duty. According to Guy, “Our individual ideology, ethnicity, race or gender does not define us, but rather our ac- tions and how we contribute to our great nation determines our measure in the eyes of society and our hearts.”

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Duties of the President

1. It shall be his or her duty to preside at meetings of the organization and at the business meet- ings of the board.

2. The president will appoint, with the consensus of the Leadership Council, participants to ad hoc committees and any standing committees deemed necessary by the Leadership Council.

3. The president will compose and submit all forms to AMU/APU Student Affairs that require submission on an non regular, or occasional, basis.

4. The president will be responsible for elections of incoming officers by appointing an ad-hoc nominating committee to oversee all elections after the initial election of officers.

5. The president shall achieve working knowledge of the Student Organization Handbook for the AMU/APU school system.

Lew TaylorLew Taylor is running for a second term as President of the Saber and Scroll.

Lew is a retired (disability) Vietnam veteran. He served two tours in Vietnam – one as a combat medic, the other as a member of a LRRP (Ranger) team. Lew received his BA in History (concentration in 18th to mid-19th century Americ) in February of 2013, and began his quest for a Master’s in American History with a concentration in Revolutionary War Studies in September of 2013.

Lew would like to have the opportunity to represent the Saber and Scroll as its president for an- other year. As he states, “We have had, I believe, a stellar year. We achieved Gold Status from APUS last year, and are on our way to repeating that again this year.” This year marked the second “in-person” meeting of the Saber and Scroll during the Commencement Weekend. Under Lew’s presidency, the Saber and Scroll have had two field trips, as well as several community events which included the Holiday Cards for Servicemen and Wreaths Across America – both of which will be repeated this year. As current president, Lew is involved in the planning stages of a history mentoring group that will be part of the Saber and

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Scroll History Society.

Lew is a retired public librarian, a member of Pi Gamma Mu and a University Ambassador. He is currently the Vice-President of R.E.A.D.(Reading and Educating at a Distance), a group of APUS students which provides an open forum for the discussion of literature, and he is the Interim Sen- ior Warden of The Ancient Order of the Craft, a new organization that has applied for recogni- tion by APUS.

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Lew Taylor (cont.)

Away from school, Lew owns I Cannot Live Without Books, an independent bookstore located in West Dennis (Cape Cod), Massachusetts. He and his wife are avid gardeners, both vegetable and floral. Lew is a member of the Board of Directors of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham County (Virginia) Historical Society and a member of the Virginia and Massachusetts Historical Societies, The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, and the Civil War Preservation Trust.

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Newsletter TeamCopy Editor: DeAnna Stevens

The Last Word

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.

Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!

Benjamin Franklin