2011 AMS Conference

Alexandria, Virginia

August 12-13

Photos by Bob Bowen, AMS Webmaster; Darrin and Holly Schmidt, Virginia Society; and Mike Keen, Delaware Society

Fourteen State Societies, represented by 138 Compatriots and guests, gathered at the Hampton Inn

& Suites in Alexandria, Virginia, to attend the 2011 Annual Conference of the Atlantic Middle States

Association. The Conference was a busy one, hosted by the Virginia Society.  Conference Chairman

was Virginia's own Vice President General of the Mid-Atlantic District, Larry McKinley. Vice President

General of the North Atlantic District, Bill Woodworth of the Empire State Society, served as co-host.

The two-day program got underway Friday afternoon with a wreath laying at the Tomb of George

Washington at Mount Vernon.

The Joint AMS Color Guard (Virginia and Maryland) led the procession from the Visitors Center to Washington's

Tomb where Florida Chaplain Randy Moody delivered the Benediction and President General Larry Magerkurth

of California and Virginia Society President Mark Brennan presented the wreath.

Friday Night Dinner

It was a hungry crew that raided the serving line after a formal opening led by the VASSAR Color Guard.

Friday Night Business Meeting and Candidates Forum

Friday evening was chock full of reports from General Officers, presentations from candidates for

General Officer positions in 2012-13, and a review of proposed changes to the

Atlantic Middle State Association By-laws.

(L-R) Mid-Atlantic District VPG Larry McKinley welcomed the attendees during the Friday Night program. North Atlantic

VPG Bill Woodworth offered his welcome to the conference.  Virginia Society President Mark Brennan added his welcome.

And, President General Larry Magerkurth discussed completing the Center for Advancing America's Heritage.

The Candidate's Forum followed with then following offering their credentials and thoughts about accomplishing the

duties of the office they seek.  There were two contested offices, Registrar General and Historian General.

Candidates receiving the endorsement of the AMS are listed in Bold Face.

  Steve Leishman              Joe Dooley                 Lindsey Brock             Larry Cornwell            Mike Tomme

    President General         Secretary General          Treasurer General         Genealogist General       Registrar General

    Delaware                       Virginia                          Florida                         Alabama                     Georgia

Bruce Pickette           Bob Bowen               Larry Guzy                 Mike Wells                 Randy Moody

       Registrar General     Historian General        Historian General         Librarian General           Chaplain General        

             Alabama                  Virginia                   Georgia                     Alabama                         Florida               

Larry Magerkurth was endorsed for a seat on the SAR Foundation Board.     

(L-R) Lou Raborg, First Vice President of the Maryland Society, offered the results of his ad hoc committee's review of the

AMS By-Laws.  Several changes were proposed and discussed during the Friday Night Business Meeting.  The full

package was voted on and approved during the Saturday meeting.  A link to the new AMS Association Bylaws can

be found on the homepage. Jim Willis of the Philadelphia Continental Chapter of the SAR discussed plans his Chapter

and the Pennsylvania Society are working on to celebrate the 225th anniversary of the signing of the U. S. Constitution

next year.  Full details as they become available.

SATURDAY MORNING BUSINESS AND YOUTH PROGRAMS

     Saturday's Business session began with reports from the Seven AMS State Society Presidents.

(L-R) President Davis Wright - Delaware; President Rob Warren - District of Columbia; 1st Vice President Lou Raborg - Maryland;

President Clark McCullough - New Jersey; President Bill Woodworth - Empire State Society; President Charles

Channing Pennsylvania; President Mark Brennan - Virginia

(L-R) VPG McKinley opened the Youth Programs workshop with a discussion of the George

and Stella Knight Essay Contest. National Rumbaugh Orations Chairman Bill Broadus briefed

on his contest and Kristi Bowers, Virginia's winner of the national competition in 2010, discussed

the competition and what winning it has meant to her, now a sophomore at Clemson where she's

studying to become a veterinarian.

(L-R) Bill Price briefed on National History Day; Mike Tomme briefed on the Americanism Poster Contest; Lindsey Brock

briefed on the Youth Exchange Program and Lance Lyngar briefed on the Eagle Scout Program.

Kent Webber briefed on the ROTC-JROTC Program; Senior National C.A.R. President Anne Taylor Schaeffer

briefed on a recent national C.A.R. tour; C.A.R. National President Mary Lib Schmidt briefed on her national

project to raise funds for a new Fisher House for families visiting hospitalized Wounded Warriors; and McKinley

gave Mary a check for $3500 for her project.  All of the money was donated by those attending the AMS Conference.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON MOUNT VERNON TOUR

Following a quick box lunch, it was back to Mount Vernon for a tour of the Visitors Center

and Washington's home on the banks of the Potomac River.

(L-R) PG Larry and Barbara Magerkurth on the front portico of Mount Vernon. a statue of George Washington.

Martha Washington regaled the SAR visitors with recollections of her husband, the First President of the United States.

No group visit to Mount Vernon would be complete without a group photo.

SATURDAY NIGHT BANQUET

           VPG McKinley                      President Brennan                   Former VPG Baldwin               Rev. Rob Schenck

The Saturday Night Banquet was held at the Belle Haven Country Club. VPG Larry McKinley served

as Master of Ceremonies.  VASSAR President Mark Brennan welcomed those in attendance. The

Reverend Rob Schenck was the keynote speaker. featured speaker.  He was introduced by former

VPG Don Baldwin of the George Washington Chapter.

(L-R) Gen Earl Anderson, USMC (Ret), and Dr. Robert Wineland were presented World War Two service

medals, and LtGen Theodore Stroup USA (Ret)  was inducted into the George Mason Chapter by

President General Larry Magerkurth.

Sam Powell, Chairman of the National CAAH Fund Raising Committee, gives his assessment of efforts

to complete the Center for Advancing America's Heritage; First Lady Barbara Magerkurth thanks the

men and ladies for their hospitality; and President General Larry Magerkurth shows off the Mount Vernon

cuff links he was presented.

(L-R) Army SSGT Robert Bartlett was presented a Wounded Warrior certificate and medal by VPG McKinley and Gen Anderson. 

A proud Jordan, Robert's wife, joined in the presentation. The Annual Jersey Devil Award, given to the State Society whose

members amass the most points based on a convoluted miles traveled point system, went to the Maryland Society

while the District of Columbia Society walked away with the Bond Membership Award for the umpteenth time.

Lou Raborg collected the Jersey Devil award from VPG McKinley.  DCSSAR President Rob Warren accepted the Bond Plaque.

(L-R) Bob Carr accepted a District-level Meritorious Service Medal for Ray Hawn who made all the arrangements

for the visits to Mount Vernon; Wayne Rouse received a District-level MSM for his work registering the attendees;

and Holly Schmidt received a Martha Washington Medal for conducting the conference ladies program.