The Foreign Service Journal, January 2012

J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 2 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 57 A F S A N E W S Jae Sung Shrader — daughter of Jeffrey and Sung Mi Shrader. Recipient of the Associates of the American Foreign Service Worldwide (AAFSW) Financial Aid Scholarship, the William P. and Adele Langston Rogers Memorial Financial Aid Scholarship and the George Schultz Financial Aid Scholarship. She is currently attending the University of Miami. David Stuart — son of Steven Stuart and Ellen Wilson. Recipient of the Elbert G. and Naomi M. Mathews Memorial Financial Aid Scholarship. He is currently attending the Illinois Institute of Technology. O n Nov. 15, with AFSA staff members Perri Green and Donna Ayerst in attendance, Arlington County supervisor Jay Fisette and Fairfax Trails and Streams representative Steve Dryden unveiled a plaque commemorating the heroic deed of State Department clerk Stephen Plea- sonton in 1814. Installed at theVirginia foot of Chain Bridge, close to the site of the old grist mill at Pimmit Run, the plaque honors Pleasonton’s action tomove vital national documents to safety, thus saving them from the British military’s torch. It all began when, from a vantage point at the Patuxent River village of Benedict, Md., Secretary of State James Monroe sent a courier to notify President James Madison that he was convinced the government of the United States did not have the forces to defendWashington, D.C., from the British troops amassing nearby. Believing British troops would soon storm the nation’s capital, Monroe sent a secondmessage to his clerk, Stephen Pleasonton, to remove all of the nation’s documents for safekeeping. As Pleasonton was packing up the Constitution, the secret journals of Congress, Gen. GeorgeWashington’s correspondence, and the laws, treaties and correspondence of the Department of State, General John Armstrong, Secretary of War, assured him that the papers (andWashington) would be safe. Fortunately, Mr. Pleasonton did not agree. The linen bags holding most of the documents were to be carted to a grist mill near Chain Bridge. As Pleasonton was loading the last of the doc- uments, he turned to survey the department’s office one more time. Only then did he notice the Declaration of Independence hanging on the wall! After spending a night at the mill, Mr. Pleasonton felt it would be safer to be further from the city and proceeded to move our country’s historical treasures to Leesburg, Va. There the documents were stored at Rokeby, an empty house owned by William Binns, a friend of Secretary Monroe. On Aug. 24, 1814, the British army marched into Washington and burned many public buildings, including the offices of the Department of State. State Department Clerk Saves the Nation’s Papers BY PERRI GREEN, SPECIAL AWARDS AND OUTREACH COORDINATOR, AND DONNA AYERST AFSA NEWS BRIEFS Many of the groups aired concerns regarding the budget for recruit- ment of diversity candidates, the possible elimination of a Diplomat-in- Residence position and the range of inconsistent views on diversity from one bureau to another. Finally,many in attendance noted that the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review failed to mention diversity. As a result, some feared that facets of the QDDR’s implementation might have a negative effect on the precarious progress diversity has made. Following the meeting, Johnson commented:“This was an excellent be- ginning to what AFSA sees as a mutually beneficial and constructive dia- logue. AFSA and these groups share many common goals, and joining our voices can only make us stronger. We look forward to future conversations and the many good things that will come out of them.” Affinity Groups • Continued from page 50 Not Pictured: (Alphabetical by Last Name) Natascha Curbow — daughter of Cecilia and Ethan Curbow. Recipient of the Jacq Bachman Siracusa Financial Aid Scholarship and the Dorothy Osborne and Theodore Xanthaky Memorial Financial Aid Scholarship. She is currently attending Wesleyan College. Caitlin Sneff-Nuckles — daughter of John Nuckles and Wendy Sneff. Recipient of the Heyward G. Hill Memorial/DACOR Bacon House Foundation Financial Aid Scholarship. She is currently attending George Mason University. Nathaniel Wilson — son of Bruce and Patricia Wilson. Recipient of the Elbert G. and Naomi M. Mathews Memorial Financial Aid Scholarship. He is currently attending Edmonds Community College. 2012 GEICO FSYF Award The Foreign Service Youth Foundation is now ac- cepting applications for the 2012 GEICO Foreign Service Youth Foundation Academic Merit Award. The winner will receive a one-time-only prize of $4,000 and will be honored at the youth awards ceremony held in July 2012. For instructions, checklist, essay question and application form, please go to http://library.constant comment.com/download/get/file/1102913459738- 113/FSYF+Academic+Merit+Scholarship+Final+ 2012.pdf. To receive the forms as a Word document or if you have questions, please e-mail fsyf@fsyf.org or call (703) 731-2960. Applications must be received by FSYF no later than Feb. 1. AFSA Scholarship Application Deadline Is Feb. 6 Applications for AFSA’s 2012 Academic and Art Merit Awards for high school seniors and AFSA’s 2012-2013 Financial Aid Scholarships for under- graduates are due on Feb 6. Please visit www.afsa.org/scholar for complete details.