Attention: Parents of Midshipmen and Plebe Candidates, Please Read

J

JEnsz

10-Year Member
5-Year Member
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Aug 9, 2009
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Hello Everyone:

I am a Plebe Candidate from the United States Merchant Marine Academy and one of the Plebe Representatives of the Class of 2013. The Academy is currently participating in a food drive in conjunction with the Chapel. This food drive will also count as one of the three community service projects the Class of 2013 must complete for Recognition. A letter will be going out within the next week to the state Parent’s Associations and to all Midshipmen at the Academy, but the Plebe Representatives felt that a heads up should be given to those who follow Service Academy Forums.

The food drive will end on Monday 31 August, and there has been talk of an inter-company competition with privileges given to the company with the largest donation. Any item that you can send to your son or daughter will help not only the Plebe Candidates but also two food banks located on Long Island. A list of items sent out by Chaplain Sias is included below.
If you live far from the Academy and do not feel good about sending (and paying postage for) a box of canned goods, sending money to your son or daughter will also help, as they can purchase these items from the NEX or off campus if they have liberty.

I have been looking on this site for advice since my senior year of high school, as has my mother (proudmomcolorado) and I hope that the support from everyone here will make this a memorable food drive and help the Plebe Candidates towards Recognition. Again, look for a letter or email from your local Parent’s Association within the next week or two, but start thinking about sending items to your son or daughter so that they might help their community.

Plebe Candidate Jim Ensz
Plebe Representative

Non-perishable Food Items
Canned Proteins (tuna, salmon, chicken, peanut butter)
Canned Fruits in Own Juices or Light Syrup (Pineapples, peaches, and pears)
100% Fruit Juices (all sizes including juice boxes)
Grains (pasta, whole wheat pasta, rice, brown rice, macaroni and cheese)
Condiments (tomato based sauces, light soy sauce, ketchup, mustard, light salad dressings)
Low Sodium/ No Salt Added Canned Vegetables (mixed, green beans, corn)
Soups (beef stew, chili, chicken noodle, turkey rice)
Multigrain Cereal (cheerios, cornflakes, grapenuts, raisin bran)

Hygiene Products
Diapers
Deodorants for men and women
Feminine products
Toilet paper
Tissues
Soap
Toothpaste
Shampoo

Nutrition Education Programs
Brown rice (1 or 2 lb bags)
Flour (1 or 2 lb bags)
Barley (1 lb bag / box)
Olive and/or canola oil
Corn starch
Black beans (canned)
Garbanzo beans (canned)
Thyme (small size)

Kids’ Café
Applesauce
Juice (100% juice only)
Pasta Sauce (no meat)
Granola/Fruit bars
Graham Crackers
Peanut Butter and Jelly
Pretzels/Crackers
Assorted Nuts and Dried Fruit
Paper/Plastic Cups & Plates
Plastic Forks and Spoons
 
food bank donations

Okay parents it looks like a worthwhile challenge where our pc/mids actually will need us (with permission) to help them out. Please consider sending some money/food items to your ds/dd to help the Long Island food banks.

Hunger is everywhere and although the food drive doesn't perhaps help your immediate community, the community service project will help get our 2013 p/c's recognized.:thumb:

I can tell you from experience that the pc/mids can purchase food and hygiene products a lot cheaper at the commissary than your local grocery store. Time is of the essence with a completion date of 31 August.

Good luck 2013 pc's and to a great community service project. Again you make us so proud.
 
Go out into the Kings point community

The regiment could go out to the greater Kings Point neighborhood in their uniforms and ask for food donations to the local food bank. I can see some supercharged parents making this something its not supposed to be. I doubt the process required for class recognition envolves parents cutting checks for their PC to buy groceries at Stop & Shop.:thumbdown:
 
Plebe Candidates are not allowed to leave campus for any reason, so that group would need the most outside support. Sorry if I forgot to mention that.
 
Ok then !!

Why don't your company leader's go to the comandant and seek his approval. All you have to go is run some flyers around the greater community, And go out and collect at the appointed time. You could also seek local grocery stores help. Be creative. Don't depend on mommy and daddy to do it for you. I am willing to bet that the KP leadership comes up with these challenges for you as a regiment and class to come up with the solution. And having your parent's cut a check is not their idea of the answer. Remember the leadership monitors these sites.
 
Use your noodle !

Jrenz, You where allowed off campus for the 5k run. So if you have a compelling reason its possible.Run your flyers first. Then your company could run around with your laundry bags and go door to door and seek food donations. Where there's a will there a way. My DS is in third Co. He didn't say a word about this to me. I hope you are in a different Co. and you all go out and do this on your own and kick their butt's :thumb:
 
My DS is in 3rd Co. He and his roomate mentioned this to me. (kind of like joint phone calls nowadays) They said it is a CLASS effort as part of the Recognition requirements.....all are doing it. As a matter of fact it was from this room that came the suggestion to post here......:smile:
 
My DS is class 2012. He keeps KP stuff to himself. I only ask how school is going. He took his lumps plebe yr. But he is standing tall now. I truly believe that USMMA is the best thing that ever happened to him. :thumb:
 
The idea of bringing this idea up to Service Academy Forums was brought up at a Plebe Rep meeting last night. We thought it would be a good idea to let you all know in advance that this is happening and get a jump on sending items if you wanted to. Your local parent's association as well as all midshipmen at the Academy will be getting a letter within the next week with these same ideas. We just decided that we should give you all the heads up.

The bottom line is that if you want to help, help and if you don't want to then don't worry about it and let your son or daughter do their own thing.

And, the letter to all parent's associations asking for help was suggested and approved by the RTO, so the higher ups are ok with us having help on this matter.
 
I did help . I gave a suggestion to do something for yourself. Instead of having others do it for you. If its to much bother than just say so. That is the bottom line.
 
JEnsz
Thank you for giving us a heads up. We appreicaite it, espcially those of us who are a distance from KP and work full time.
As the saying goes... (sometimes) "no good deed goes unpunished". :yllol:
 
If the RTO and RTOA have approved this to count as one of the service requirements for recognition, then it is not for us parents to dispute that. However, I do have 2 concerns. First, I think you are underestimating the cost of postage for these items. Seriously, it's a bit wasteful to spend $20 on postage for $20 worth of canned goods. While the idea of supporting the PCs is great, I'm not sure that this is a cost-effective charitable effort. Second, the option to send a check and have the PC shop means depending on the NEX. From what I remember, their stock of these sorts of non-perishable staples is not that big. What there is will probably sell out quickly. That leaves attempting to get permission to go on a shopping trip, or getting upperclassmen to help (probably not the intent for a plebe service project.)

Just my $0.02. Good luck and good for you trying to get an early start on those recognition requirements. (Hint: the hard one is passing the required number of PKTs.:thumb:)
 
For those of us parents lucky to be close by...there is a NY parents assn. meeting August 19 at the Sailing center. Perhaps you could set up a collection box for the meeting.
 
Don't say I did'nt try to help

All the 2013 parents can order groceries online from Stop&Shop home delivery. Then have them delivered to vickery gate. Service project complete. Bravo Zulu :rolleyes:
 
What a great idea. Do we care if our PC's company gets credit for our delivery???
 
Haven't had anyone to send a boodle box to in a long while & I think the guy at the post office kinda must miss me. :biggrin:

Think I'll send what ever fits into that handy dandy little flat rate box from USPS. The heavy stuff so I get my $$ worth.... :wink:


GOOD LUCK BAD BAD BOYS & GIRLS OF 3rd CO!
 
If you can get permission why not do what our post office does. They ask that a bag of food be placed by the mail boxes on a certain day, then it is collected. I think the food drive is a great idea, however it should be left to the plebes to complete the project not the parents.
 
Y'know, if you happen to be sending a package to your PC in the next couple of weeks and want to add in something for the drive like a bar of soap or a tube of toothpaste, I don't think you're being a helicopter parent.:rolleyes:
 
kdbax said:
Y'know, if you happen to be sending a package to your PC in the next couple of weeks and want to add in something for the drive like a bar of soap or a tube of toothpaste, I don't think you're being a helicopter parent.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Helicopter parents have feelings too. So what if you are the hungry get fed. Relax.:shake:
 
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