Ethics Package

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Has anyone else received their copy of "In Search of Ethics" from the Cadet Honor & Respect Committees? I just got the package today. Alot of reading...

Is this just to get people familiarized with the honor code?
 
Last year, Admissions wanted the New Cadets to read the book before R-Day and to bring it with them.
Working out AND reading by June 29 !!!!
 
Sorry, I think I used the wrong term. I think that you are currently Cadet Candidates and you do not become New Cadets until after you take the Oath at the end of R-day. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. :biggrin:
 
Sorry, I think I used the wrong term. I think that you are currently Cadet Candidates and you do not become New Cadets until after you take the Oath at the end of R-day. I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong. :biggrin:

It's Candidate Appointee or something like that now that we have appointments but you are right, not new cadets until that oath.

The letter said nothing about reading it, it didn't even mention the book at all. Do we get tested on it? I started on it and some of the sections we have covered many times in JROTC (same honor code). If it's just to understand it more than that would be helpful so I don't have to memorize it and just know what's right and wrong.
 
Somehow when my DS packed for R day he left this book on his shelf. I mailed it to the coach, knowing he could slip it to DS and he would not get additional attention from cadre over it. Coach kind of forgot to give it to him...son never missed it. He did read it as directed prior to Rday, however. One observation: West Point bought 1200+ copies of this book and then paid the postage to mail 1200+ copies. Do the math: they spent a goodly sum of $$ on this. It's important to them that you read this book.
 
Someone made the point on prospective-net that if Admissions had just wanted you to have the book, they could have given it out on R-Day. Since they sent it to you ahead of time, I would think they expect you to read it.
 
AF and others: you were sent the book for a serious purpose. The whole topic of "In Search of Ethics" is one that will go to the very heart of your West Point education and is one that hopefully will set you apart from your peers- in fact if it does not set you apart from your peers than the very meaning of West Point is lost. You are entering a profession where you are expected to make your word your bond; and one in which you will be making decisions based on the best interest of your soldiers, your unit and the Army even if it is to your own personal detriment. That approach is a huge departure from the approach that most of society subscribes to- note the statistics about the number of kids who admit to cheating on tests or shop lifting. How many times have we seen business leaders or politicians who deliberately lied or covered up mistakes or misdeeds because it would penalize them? Right now the Government of the UK is almost paralyzed because of the discovery of so many politicians who routinely were passing off their personal expenses as professional ones- "everybody does it".

West Point sent you this book because they are trying to imbue its graduates with a firm understanding of the need and the imperatives of an honorable approach to leadership and the reason you need to read this book is not because you will be tested on it but because you are about to begin learning the basis for being a thoughtful and ethical professional. There is more to military leadership than a gung-ho approach and maximum physical fitness-and more to life than what you will be tested on- (the understanding of which by the way is a basic tenet of an ethical approach to life). USMA has assembled a student body of many of the most gifted students in the US for a reason- they expect you to be able to independently think about concepts and challenges on your own and do more than just regurgitate text book answers. So read the book and think about it- you will be better for it.
 
Is this the book that is being referred to?

"In Search of Ethics: Conversations With Men and Women of Character"
by Len Marrella
 
Yeah I agree, if they spent the time to purchase and send us the book and letter, i would assume they want us to read it. Do you think it would be fine if i were to highlight information i find especially important?
 
Yeah I agree, if they spent the time to purchase and send us the book and letter, i would assume they want us to read it. Do you think it would be fine if i were to highlight information i find especially important?

Then again...they did send those things to measure our activity time and it was totally optional...I tried to do it but it fell off in the first week. :mad:
 
For about three or so days I actually logged on and recorded times but then I decided to carry on with my life.

Yeah, read it, but highlighting the ethics book? LIVE while you're still free.

It's one thing to be excited; I certainly am. But the biggest advice i recieved from a firstie just before graduation was to not forget about living the end of high school. I've seen these facebook profile pictures with the appointment letter and people getting all "military values" on each other over this website. We're not there yet. We all have a minimum of ten years to be all "military" on ourselves and each other, so relax. Stay within the limits of the law and enjoy yourselves. There seems to be some that are forgetting the fact that the army is an organization of -real people-.
 
For about three or so days I actually logged on and recorded times but then I decided to carry on with my life.

Yeah, read it, but highlighting the ethics book? LIVE while you're still free.

It's one thing to be excited; I certainly am. But the biggest advice i recieved from a firstie just before graduation was to not forget about living the end of high school. I've seen these facebook profile pictures with the appointment letter and people getting all "military values" on each other over this website. We're not there yet. We all have a minimum of ten years to be all "military" on ourselves and each other, so relax. Stay within the limits of the law and enjoy yourselves. There seems to be some that are forgetting the fact that the army is an organization of -real people-.

preach man, preach.
 
For about three or so days I actually logged on and recorded times but then I decided to carry on with my life.

Yeah, read it, but highlighting the ethics book? LIVE while you're still free.

It's one thing to be excited; I certainly am. But the biggest advice i recieved from a firstie just before graduation was to not forget about living the end of high school. I've seen these facebook profile pictures with the appointment letter and people getting all "military values" on each other over this website. We're not there yet. We all have a minimum of ten years to be all "military" on ourselves and each other, so relax. Stay within the limits of the law and enjoy yourselves. There seems to be some that are forgetting the fact that the army is an organization of -real people-.

But maybe to those people it is enjoyable (that's why they do it). Isn't that what the main point is? To enjoy the time after high school. Why can't they do it that way?
 
For about three or so days I actually logged on and recorded times but then I decided to carry on with my life.

Yeah, read it, but highlighting the ethics book? LIVE while you're still free.

It's one thing to be excited; I certainly am. But the biggest advice i recieved from a firstie just before graduation was to not forget about living the end of high school. I've seen these facebook profile pictures with the appointment letter and people getting all "military values" on each other over this website. We're not there yet. We all have a minimum of ten years to be all "military" on ourselves and each other, so relax. Stay within the limits of the law and enjoy yourselves. There seems to be some that are forgetting the fact that the army is an organization of -real people-.



brilliant, someone had to say it!!!! especially with the facebook pictures holding up the appointment, that's absolutely abnoxious and rediculous. you never see people holding up there acceptance letter to harvard or yale for good reasons. don't people look at your facebook profile to see the real individual person? we really won't get these next 23 days back, i'm as Go Army as it gets but i also want to remember my high school experience as something other than West Point 'fun' stuff. i think balancing 'military values' with a little bit of humor and personality is gonna be a big thing next year. kudos to dave. my 2 cents worth
 
Last year there was a young man who was interviewed for his local paper and had his picture taken holding the appointment. In the interview he said his ultimate goal was to be president. He was quickly labeled "that guy," (as in "don't be that guy"). He got razzed a good bit during beast, from what I heard...but he was a good cadet and took it. When I saw him walk by on a visit to Arvin, I felt as though it was a celebrity sighting! :wow:

You future cadets are right to enjoy your last few weeks at home. Certainly hang with your friends; however, please throw mom and dad a bone and spend some extra time with them. They will miss you so much, and it's mom and dad who will be writing those encouraging letters to you (some write every day)...typically your friends won't be writing much, if at all. :thumb:
 
brilliant, someone had to say it!!!! especially with the facebook pictures holding up the appointment, that's absolutely abnoxious and rediculous. you never see people holding up there acceptance letter to harvard or yale for good reasons. don't people look at your facebook profile to see the real individual person? we really won't get these next 23 days back, i'm as Go Army as it gets but i also want to remember my high school experience as something other than West Point 'fun' stuff. i think balancing 'military values' with a little bit of humor and personality is gonna be a big thing next year. kudos to dave. my 2 cents worth

But remember gentlemen, the book is a tool you will use to become leaders of the finest Army in the world. When we were given our mission to deploy to a "hot spot" we had time to "live it up" before the mission too. Instead, knowing the importance of that mission, my team chose to clean weapons, repack gear, and spent the next two weeks ensuring that we would not fail. You have been blessed with a mission to attend the worlds finest military academy. Your prep time is now. Only you can decide success or failure. And by the way, there's nothing wrong with highlighting what you believe.
 
i'm not reading that book. my leisure time is now. I will prep when i get up there. I got 4 years to take this military thing seriously and it starts june 29 not now.
 
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