Charles Rudd Mackenzie - Tumblr

Charles Rudd Mackenzie is an attorney in private practice in New York. He has considerable experience in areas of trusts and estates, small business law, and real estate, and has run his firm as a general law practice since its founding in 1995. Over the course of his legal career, he has established himself as a member of organisations such as the Westchester County Bar Association, New York City Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. In addition to heading his own law firm for nearly three decades, Charles Rudd Mackenzie has drawn on his legal experience to serve in related roles, including realtor, mediator, and notary public. He is also a court system fiduciary, certified by the Office of Court Administration. Charles Mackenzie holds a bachelor of arts from Bowdoin College in Brunswick. He studied government, legal studies, and economics during his time as an undergraduate, while also engaging in various on-campus activities. He served as vice president of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity and treasurer of the Inter-Fraternity Council. A student-athlete, he played on the school’s varsity squash team and was the co-founder of The Bowdoin College Crew and Rowing Association. He has also studied law at the Vermont Law School, where he earned a Master's degree in the Study of Environmental Law (M.S.E.L.).

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The Genealogical Proof Standard?

Attorney and Educator Charles Rudd Mackenzie

For both professional historians and amateur family historians, researching lineage can be a complex process. Direct evidence in the form of birth certificates, marriage certificates, and baptismal records provides valuable information such as dates and maiden names. However, direct evidence does not last forever, and often historians must rely on indirect evidence to piece together lineage.

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Volunteers for Peace Organization

Founded in 1982, Volunteers for Peace (VFP) is an international non-profit organization with over 3,000 volunteer opportunities around the globe. The organization promotes intercultural educational opportunities, community development, and hands-on service learning for volunteers. VFP encourages environmental sustainability, social justice, and world peace throughout its communities. VFP is affiliated with UNESCO's CCIVS, a branch of the United Nations Organization and is a member of the Better Business Bureau, thereby offering the Gold Standard of opportunities for Americans looking to volunteer abroad, with a portfolio of project sites in more than 100 countries worldwide. Peter and Penny Coldwell founded VFP after working on short-term international voluntary service projects in Hungary and Czechoslovakia in the late 1960s. International voluntary service was a term coined after World War I by Pierre Ceresole, a Swiss pacifist. Ceresole’s motto was, “Deeds not words,” which led to his creation of Service Civil International. In Peter Coldwell’s case, his service experience was sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee of Boston. These “workcamp” events sent volunteers to underserved communities across the globe to help with labor projects and other necessary services. VFP is a non-profit organization based in Burlington, Vermont, but has reaches across the globe. The organization’s mission is to “promote peaceful relations among nations.” In 1982, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) accepted VFP as a member of the Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service. The organization also partners with Service Civil International and the Alliance of European Voluntary Service Organizations to promote intercultural exchange. The first VFP board of directors contained former service-oriented volunteers, and this trend continues today. Volunteers with VFP gain valuable leadership skills and connections with other volunteers and citizens throughout various countries. The organization encourages volunteers to become socially involved in their host communities, using their strengths in social circles in addition to their volunteer positions. Volunteers can become successful diplomats and activists in community groups and bring about positive change by learning about the community and developing personal relationships. In 1982, VFP sent the first volunteers to Europe, including countries involved in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). VFP was heavily involved in projects that promoted peaceful exchange among citizens during the Cold War era when the United States and the USSR were significantly divided. In one instance, Soviet and American volunteers worked together on heavy physical labor projects at a farm sponsored by the Soviet state government. In addition to volunteering abroad, VFP has been organizing and procuring funding for around 35 projects in the United States every year. Local community members and non-profits work together to determine the needs of each area. VFP then helps secure funding, finds volunteers, and provides the necessary leadership to get each project off the ground. For projects in the US, VFP partners with the USDA Forest Service, National Park Service, and Habitat for Humanity. Since 1999, VFP has hosted nearly 5,000 volunteers from across the globe. In 2017 alone, VFP hosted volunteers from 21 countries and gave 10,000 hours of service to local communities. Many of the work projects involve nature and creating a sustainable environment. These include cleaning up an area of coastline to protect wildlife, reforesting an area to combat erosion, and building or repairing hiking trails and walking paths. Other projects promote youth education and development. This includes building schools and procuring equipment for classrooms, especially in areas with little access to education. Volunteers also help build and repair community buildings and playgrounds to create recreational activities for children. In addition to providing physical labor, volunteers can help local teachers and daycare workers by playing with children and helping them complete lessons and activities.