American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

As per Club Rules:

3.3.4.3 CAMPAIGNING Once the candidates for any election are determined, each shall be simultaneously provided with a campaign post thread in the proper forum. For all elections this shall be done by the current Club President in the Mason Dixon Tavern.

3.3.4.3.1 Candidates must first then offer a general campaign statement of their own in that thread, identifying themselves and inviting comments and/or questions from any qualified voter, including election opponents. Non-qualified voters, as defined by the rules, are excluded from this process. In the club spirit of behaving like gentlemen, however, negative statements and questions from both questioners and candidates regarding other candidates’ character may be removed, as are statements or questions designed to bait or entrap the respondent. Questions of policy, however, are allowed and open to direct examination. The election committee is charged with the monitoring of the threads; and the committee is empowered to both judge and remove any posts they may find in violation of this rule.

Gen. Desruisseaux - the thread is yours, sir!

Fellow ACWGC members,

I am General Pierre Desruisseaux and have been a member of this Club and the Army of Georgia since its conception. I would like to first thank the members who nominated me for President and I hope to honor their faith in me.

I think that a little history about my Club involvement would be important in your evaluation of my candidacy. I am the initial founder and creator of the ACWGC. Between 1997 and 2005 I led the club in its formative and most substantial growth period. I based the Club on a particular vision. I wanted it be a social environment and an evolving community that would be great to be a part of. I wanted it to have a military structure, with members on each side, for both the role playing aspect and the interest that many would have to fill various command positions. A mentorship would thus be achieved as members worked their way up through the ranks and command structure. I thought it important to have a quick initial member growth period, to maintain interest, with ranks that are achievable within a reasonable period. I also thought it was important to provide points for both the winner and loser in games, with the idea that experience is gained in both the winning and losing. My goal was to establish a reliable and strong club foundation and facilitate the chance for others to expand and create what the club is today. Because of the many wonderful people who have contributed to the club it has become one of the best - if not the best - war gaming club on the internet.

Since the creation of the Club in 1997 I have been responsible for a number of different aspects of it. I have supported the Club by being its primary webmaster for the main club page, Cabinet page, rules page, ACWGC join forms, both CSA and USA (recently updated from CGI script to PHP) and keeper and primary administrator for the MDT forum.

I am currently also in the ACWGC Cabinet having joined in 2011 to participate in the Club governance. In the current Cabinet I have helped accomplish the following. I proposed to the Cabinet that meetings and discussions would be better served on a private forum rather than by email. The benefits, of reduced email clutter and a better organization of the discussions and establishing a true history of what the Cabinet is and has done. Current and future Cabinet Members would thus be able to understand what was previously discussed and achieved. After overcoming initial reservations it has been working well for the last year and we have the beginnings of a real Cabinet history index for the future Cabinets to browse and study. I also proposed that Club voters use the poll feature at the forum. After some necessary changes to the polling feature the Cabinet accepted its use and it is now being voted upon by you, the Members. In order to provide more overseeing and backup I proposed that the CoA’s and the President be administrators in the MDT forums - before it was only Ernie Sands and I. They are now part of the MDT administration.

As a Cabinet member I also brought some ideas to the table to allow more people to be involved in the decision making, both to bring up points as well as to get feedback as to what members think. I suggested that either a Cabinet level or a side level position of webmaster to be created to oversee all the various websites and forums within the club. This person would have an understanding of who does what, would review backup protocols, and would help the club minimize disruptions when someone leaves and their website goes with it. I pointed out that a backup of core club systems and databases, both data and people, was needed. These ideas have not yet been implemented and require further discussion and study.

As President I will continue to provide ideas and to review the Clubs systems and structures in order to provide feedback to the Cabinet. I believe that there is always maintenance to be done as well as improvements to the way we do things. It is only normal as time goes on that updates are needed to keep the club both current and interesting for the new generation of members – and for those that have been here since day one.

I hope that the information that I provided will allow you to make an informed decision as to who will be your next club President.
I thank you for your time and consideration.

_________________
Best Regards,

General Pierre D.

5th Bde, IV Cavalry Corps
Army of Northern Virginia
ACWGC President 1997 - 2006, 2012
ACWGC Forum Administrator

A few words if I may -

Having joined in 2010 and then rising to such heights quicky in the Club I always wondered what Pierre's reaction to my ascendency would be. We ran against one another in 2010 and he was nothing but a total gentleman and friend. When one loses honorably you can tell alot about someone's character from how they react. He earned my everlasting respect for his graciousness in defeat and his well-wishes that he sent me afterwards. His eventual election to the Cabinet in 2011 and our continued working relationship afterwards helped me understand that he was always one to put the Club first and to help those who genuinely cared about the Club as much as he did.

I believe, if elected, Pierre would continue to show why he is the most respected and valued member of our Club's history.

It is my belief that the outgoing President has led the club to reforms that were long desired by many of us who wished to see a friendlier and more transparent club. Knowing how controversial some of these reforms were among some factions within the club, I suspect that they were hard won. Suspecting that, what I wish to know, is whether, if elected, you intend to undo any of the progress Blake made in reforming the club? If so, what specific changes made during Blake's administration do you intend to undo? If not, are there any specific ideas you have for furthering the progress made by the club in the last 2 years, if any?

BG Hank Smith,

Thank you for your interest in asking some questions.

I have no plans to undo anything that has been done by President Blake. I supported him during his Presidency. I did not agree on some matters but they where not major ones. I outlined some of my achievements to improve the club in my statement as well some of the issues I will undertake as President. My goal will certainly be to make the club friendlier and transparent and I have proposed ideas to the Cabinet to do so. I hope that once President Blake is out office that he will continue to provide input and feedback to the Cabinet and continue to contribute to the club.

Leadership is required to advance any issue in the Cabinet. I am open to all ideas and will never just dismiss them because I personally do not like them. I would listen to the good, the bad and the for and against arguments. My votes would be based on that. It has always been my position and I will continue to do so. I may not like horror movies but I certainly would not prevent someone from watching them or prevent their creation.

I am a proactive person and will not wait for the bottoms to fall out before doing something about it. I am open minded and I like to think ahead and bring forth ideas that will benefit the club in the long term. The usual position of many, too many times within the Cabinet, is that if it is not broke don't fix it, my response is that routine maintenance will prevent it from ever breaking. Why do nothing till it does. Regular oil changes, some grease and a tune up once in awhile and your engine will last a long time.

_________________
Best Regards,

General Pierre D.

5th Bde, IV Cavalry Corps
Army of Northern Virginia
ACWGC President 1997 - 2006, 2012
ACWGC Forum Administrator

Pierre, I know something of your own personal background, but I wonder if you might tell us all a little more about what you do and where you are and have been located? I am asking the same question of Mark.

_________________
General Jos. C. Meyer, ACWGC
Union Army Chief of Staff
Commander, Army of the Shenandoah
Commander, Army of the Tennessee
(2011-2014 UA CoA/GinC)

General Meyer,

Thank you for the question.

I currently work in sales and service in the pneumatic industry providing parts for new manufactured products as well as parts for maintenance. I have been living in Montreal, Canada area since 1967. Most of my careers have been in management with over 100 employees in my previous position. Not being exposed to the Southern or Northern culture has hampered me in role playing endeavors and I hope people will forgive me for that.

My other main hobby is playing guitar, jamming with band mates playing blues and rock. I also like to design war games. I love action and scyfy movies. I have been war gaming since I was knee high. I remember when I was maybe 10 or 11, in the sixties, I would use beer bottle caps to represent armies playing on the kitchen floor. My father owned a bar/ restaurant and the beer caps were numerous, easily identifiable and handy. I would have them represent several distinct armies marching two by two to the living room. Most of the time though I would just draw out maps and use numerical numbers to represent the armies. There is hardly a day goes by that I am not playing a turn of something.

_________________
Best Regards,

General Pierre D.

5th Bde, IV Cavalry Corps
Army of Northern Virginia
ACWGC President 1997 - 2006, 2012
ACWGC Forum Administrator

Random Questions for Fun:

1) Being a Canadian I am going to guess you like Hockey. Whats your favorite team?
2) Which Canadian is more attractive - Shania Twain or Kim Cattrall?
3) Who is the best Blue's guitarist?

I prefer Canadian Football, Montreal alouettes my favorite. Shania of course. Living Blues guitarist would be BB King however there are so many it's like asking what is your favorite cloud in the sky.

_________________
Best Regards,

General Pierre D.

5th Bde, IV Cavalry Corps
Army of Northern Virginia
ACWGC President 1997 - 2006, 2012
ACWGC Forum Administrator

Correct! BB King is the answer I was looking for there.

With two whole weeks of campaigning left I am sure I will think of more random questions.

Sir

to be fair....

what is your favorite Gordon Lightfoot song......as he is one of my favorite performers....really telling our age?
another connection to the Vikings as my favorite football coach Bud Grant got his start in the Canadian Football League
do you know the team?
does your band or you play any celtic music?

LTG Tim Miller
CoS
AotM











I

_________________
General Tim Miller
1st (Palmetto Ghost Riders) Cavalry Brigade
4th Division
I Corp
Army of Tennessee

Bud Grant was with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Thanks to Google.

No Lightfoot or celtic music I am afraid.

_________________
Best Regards,

General Pierre D.

5th Bde, IV Cavalry Corps
Army of Northern Virginia
ACWGC President 1997 - 2006, 2012
ACWGC Forum Administrator

Sir

give you a Pass on the music as it is a personal taste
what is your favorite Kurt Russell syfi movie?
and I am assuming you played Risk when the game had actually wooden pieces....
did you ever get mad and turn the board over LOL

Tim

_________________
General Tim Miller
1st (Palmetto Ghost Riders) Cavalry Brigade
4th Division
I Corp
Army of Tennessee

"I remember when I was maybe 10 or 11, in the sixties, I would use beer bottle caps to represent armies playing on the kitchen floor."

This is a once in a lifetime moment for me.....I have never heard of anyone doing this......EXCEPT ME......I had bottlecaps that the inside was gray (Rebs) and all others were the "Bad guys" (Yankees).....I had litterally thousands of them........A local restaurant we ate at, a Mom n Pop Italian place saved them for me........I thought I was the only one.....

I also am a musician, been playing drums for 45 years (keep that a secret or folks will know you are crazy....lol)......I played professionally for a few years during college and after, but now limit it to playing for pleasure.....Definatly a rocker on this end.....

So I see we have some commonalities......You have my sincere condolences on that.....

All we need now is a van and we can start a Club Band! I have no musical talents but I can carry equipment for you old fellas.