• Design & Layout: "A Model Collection"
• Feature Writing: "She-Merchants" by Gin Phillips, Contributing Writer

Two other Hammock-published magazines also earned Awards of Excellence.

• Spreads: "A Day in the Life,: MyBusiness Magazine June/July 2007 (published for the National Federation of Independent Business)
• Magazine & Journal Writing: MyBusiness August/September 2007
• Covers: Semper Fi, the Magazine of the Marine Corps League January/February 2008
• Photography: "Warriors Weekend," Semper Fi January/February 2008 - Kevin Allen Photographer

American Spirit's Grand Award was one of only six made in the "For Profit" magazine sub-category. This year the Apex Awards judges evaluated 4,479 entries including 837 in the Magazines & Journals category. A total of 120 APEX Grand Awards were presented in 11 major categories and 1,393 APEX Awards of Excellence were presented in 110 individual categories.

Hammock’s work with the Marine Corps League is featured in the latest issue of the Custom Publishing Council’s magazine Content. The article “Across a Crowded Room, ” focuses on how marketers and custom publishers are finding new ways to target specific audiences with custom content. In the case of our client the Marine Corps League, the association wanted to reposition its magazine for a number of reasons—one of which was to recruit younger Marines.

Read the article from Content here to learn how we redesigned, refocused and repositioned Marine Corps League magazine (newly named Semper Fi) to accomplish the goals of the League. “In the two and a half years since the redesign,” says MCL executive director Mike Blum, “membership in the Marine Corps league has increased 25 percent. Between 15 and 20 percent of that increase can be attributed to the magazine.”

Every year at its Continental Congress, the Daughters of the American Revolution awards its Americanism Medal to a naturalized U.S. citizen who has shown extraordinary qualities of leadership, trustworthiness, service and patriotism. And for the five years that I have been invited to the event, this is the award presentation that chokes me up—without fail.

Last evening, during opening ceremonies of the 117th annual Congress, DAR awarded the 2008 medal to Rev. Luis León, a Cuban immigrant who is now pastor of St. John’s Episcopal in Washington, D.C., one of the country’s most prominent and historic churches. In 1961, the 12-year-old León came to the United States with his sister on one of the “Operation Peter Pan” flights. He arrived in Miami with $3 in cash and the promise of a foster home until his parents could join him. It has proved more than enough to propel him to a successful career and compassion-filled life.

Baptized into the Episcopal Church in Guantanamo, Cuba, he went on to serve as rector of Trinity Church in Delaware and St. Paul’s Church in New Jersey, specializing in building inner city parishes. León has been rector of St. John’s and the “President’s Priest” since 1994, offering the invocation at the second inauguration of President Bush.

In his remarks at last night's event, León joked that this wasn’t his first encounter with the DAR. When at Berry Academy in Rome, Ga., he won the DAR Good Citizen award—well before he had become a citizen. The lump in the throat moment started when he talked about his affection for his adopted country—once an unknown place, but now a known and loved world.

Did you know? DAR members have long been noted for their devotion to new immigrants. In 1921, the National Society published the DAR Manual for Citizenship, which was distributed to American immigrants at Ellis Island and other ports of entry. To date, more than 10 million manuals have been distributed.

Hammock salutes its client, the DAR, for all its important and ongoing service to the country. Best wishes for a successful Congress.

Most of us at Hammock Inc. read voraciously. Recently some of us talked about our favorite books.

Editor Megan Pacella is spending the summer with the classics:

…. I'm working on books that most people had to read in high school or college, but I never did. Right now I'm working my way through 1984. After that it's Catch-22, and then Walden.

I haven't decided what to read during my summer vacation this year. Since I won't be vacation until September I still have some time to decide. I may choose something based on what people say here.

My favorite all time books go way, way back to The Foundation Series by Isaac Asimov. Not exactly Pulitzer Prize stock, but at age 12 this stuff really got me going. I've read the series several times since then. Actually led me to name my son Isaac. More recently I'd say that I'm prone to more technical reading. Books on system administration are pretty exciting. They're just like Guy Noir Private Eye pulp fiction.

The article on Folio:'s website details our work in redesigning and repositioning American Spirit, the member magazine we publish for the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

Read on to see how we helped the DAR:

• Position the magazine as a resource on American history


• Reach younger readers


• Improve circulation

Hammock Inc.'s client, the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, is exhibiting a collection of newly acquired documents related to one of the Revolutionary War's unsung heroes, General Henry Knox. Recently, Rex Hammock visited DAR archivist Tracy Robinson to learn more about Knox and the collection on display.

Happy Fourth of July!