Marvin, the pictures aren't for the kid--they're for the parents. I don't think any of the parents have any notion that they're buying the pictures to preserve memories for their current-plebes! This is all about the difficulty in raising a child for 17, 18, 20 years...and then they disappear into Navy land. Thorntons absolutely has these parents by the heartstrings. They're an amazing window into the lives of those kids who used to live in our houses and are now ripped out of all communication! This note is brought to you by a mom (me) who is tight with the money...and still bought a membership to Thorntons, as well as a small number of pictures after Plebe Summer.
LISTSERVS--please note that there are TWO.
USNA.ORG - Mike Zets at this website has one. This is all parents. They have pictures on their website, and various lists you can sign up for. Lots of resources on their website.
USNA.COM - Also has lists you can sign up for. If you got an email from Veronica Gibson, you signed up here. This is "official"--actually gets information right from USNA on occasion. Still has a variety of lists you can sign up for, still mostly parents. There are times, though, when Veronica comes on and shares official info.
I am on both lists, in various forms.
If you're not getting emails, something is wrong. You could be getting like 300 a day if you sign up for several lists!