Here are things we have found most useful from our years of sponsoring 4-5 mids every year, with an average of 5-7 at the house any given weekend or at the dinner table on Saturday night. We always tell our sponsor mids we don't need them to give us anything, but when they are able in future years, to do the same thing for others.
- If you are going to be seeing the sponsors, Sam's Club sized laundry detergent, snack size chip assortments, cookies, pretzel or popcorn tubs, tubs of licorice ropes, etc.
- Gift cards to Sam's Club, WalMart, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond (replace towels and sheets that get mystery stains from acne medicine and other stuff), local ice cream store (we often stop at Maggie Moo's when taking a carful of plebes back to the Yard), local grocery stores, gas stations (we did 6 trips between house, BWI and USNA during this most recent Reform).
- Gift packages with hometown specialties. Michigan parents sent a selection of great stuff from Cherry Republic. South Carolina parents sent peaches. Florida parents sent citrus fruit. California parents sent Mrs. See's candy. Pennyslvania parents sent Amish preserves and pretzels. New Hampshire parents sent maple syrup. Vermont parents sent great cheese.
- Easy-wash fleece throws for those group sofa crashes.
- And, a most memorable treat given at graduation, one family gave us a gift certificate to
http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/ since we "didn't seem to get our own weekends away very often."
We currently have 5 mids booked in for 2 overnights this coming long weekend, and expect to see 2-3 plebes on Saturday, Sunday or both. We will cheerfully go into "heads and beds" mode, stock up the reefer and pantry cabinets, and enjoy the chatter punctuated by serious winter napping.