Hi Res Artwork

Proud Utah Mom

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I recall that there are several folks on this forum that are associated directly with the Academy and "in the know" on many things! I am on the Class of 2018 Spirit Mission committee and creating banners for Recognition. Wondering if there is a source where I may obtain high res artwork (.eps, .jpg, .png) of the official AFA crest, class of 2018 crest (if one exists), etc. I found the link to the Air Force Academy logo, but looking for some other imagery that I am permitted to use.

Any assistance or direction will be appreciated!
Starla
 
I'll dig around a little and see what I can find, but you're not going to have any luck on a 2018 crest-they won't design that until next year sometime.
 
I recall that there are several folks on this forum that are associated directly with the Academy and "in the know" on many things! I am on the Class of 2018 Spirit Mission committee and creating banners for Recognition. Wondering if there is a source where I may obtain high res artwork (.eps, .jpg, .png) of the official AFA crest, class of 2018 crest (if one exists), etc. I found the link to the Air Force Academy logo, but looking for some other imagery that I am permitted to use.

Any assistance or direction will be appreciated!
Starla
Are parent's committees doing spirit missions for cadets now?
I'm confused!
 
Yes, just google USAFA spirit mission and you will see one for each class. We have been able to support each class with donations and have supplemented the budget that the academy provides for each milestone. We donate to Rando, the squadron MWR fund and provide challenge coins, etc to commemorate each milestone.
With the sequestration and other budget cuts celebrations have taken a back seat which is fine and the parents are happy to step up.
2016 has an Amazon link that you can use for purchases and they donate a certain percentage to the Spirit Mission, a 501c3 charity. All money is spent on the cadets. Feel free to partake!


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Perhaps you're using "spirit missions" differently than cadets, but parents have no part in spirit missions.
 
Way back when :rolleyes:, the parents of the class of 2011 got together and had a challenge coin made for each of the cadets in that class for Recognition. Several of the organizers were referring to it as a "Spirit Mission" and there was some unharmonious discussion about the use of the term and as I recall many called it a Parent Support Mission. I don't think we ever got involved other than the challenge coin and never had a "committee". I agree that Spirit Missions belong to the cadets and it is not a term that should be taken over by parents.

Stealth_81
 
They really should change the name to something else I was a bit confused as well when following this thread. I did a quick search on this as suggested and the earliest I've seen is 2009 creating tin's with snacks like M&Ms. So this has been going on that long? Surprised this hasn't come up sooner.

While I understand the intent of the name, it's the same exact name of a long standing tradition and if there are people on this forum and on the committee they really should bring it up and consider a name change.
 
Way back when :rolleyes:, the parents of the class of 2011 got together and had a challenge coin made for each of the cadets in that class for Recognition. Several of the organizers were referring to it as a "Spirit Mission" and there was some unharmonious discussion about the use of the term and as I recall many called it a Parent Support Mission. I don't think we ever got involved other than the challenge coin and never had a "committee". I agree that Spirit Missions belong to the cadets and it is not a term that should be taken over by parents.

They are committees now for a number of reasons. Someone needs to establish a non profit organization for the money to be sent to and register it with the IRS. Loads of people have trust issues, and don't want to send money or checks made out to Joe Dontknowyou parent. Also, people like the idea of tax deductions for donations, and that can't happen without there being an officially registered non profit organization. This also needs to be set up because Joe Ivolunteertoomuch doesn't want checks made out to him as it might look like taxable income to dear old Uncle Sam.

Someone needs to keep track of finances.

Someone needs to send out the appropriate "charitable non profit donation" acknowledgement for people to hold onto in case Uncle Sam wants proof of donations.

Someone needs to be the liason to the usafa such that they can deliver coins and other items to the usafa. This needs to be a local.

Someone needs to research suppliers for items (such as coins).

Someone needs some skill in design work (not everyone is an artist).

Etc. etc. etc.

Unless someone has no life and tons of extra time, there is no way one person can do all this. And it would be a "merry mess" if several different people were attempting to coordinate/perform the same thing. So a central committee makes sense.

I am not part of any parent spirit mission committee, but i do support what they are doing. They are augmenting the budgetary items allocated by the USAFA for each class event. If they were attempting to micro manage the cadets or if they were usurping the responsibilities of the cadets, then I would have an issue.
 
MombaBomba is correct. These "Parent Spirit Missions" are in essence Parent Support Groups for the entire class. The "Spirit Mission", if you will, are just those tasks that the parents take on to support their cadets. These committees go the extra mile in supporting cadets that may not be getting letters/support from home, recognizing milestones (again, to make sure ALL of them get something) being well aware that not every family may have to funds to do this. The parents have created their own communities and support each other as well as their cadets.

Having said that, I am not on a committee, but I do support them. The parents know the difference between the cadet spirit missions and parent spirit mission.

They're doing something nice ... let them.
 
I am not part of any parent spirit mission committee, but i do support what they are doing. They are augmenting the budgetary items allocated by the USAFA for each class event. If they were attempting to micro manage the cadets or if they were usurping the responsibilities of the cadets, then I would have an issue.

I don't think it's the mission/support they are providing that some have issues with, I think it's the name. The name they are using can cause confusion with a long standing tradition. I'm sorry if I gave the impression that I didn't agree with what they are doing.

In short I just have an issue with the name and I personally feel they should change it.

Also sorry for hijacking the thread. No I don't know where to get hi res images but I'm looking. I know a few people that work marketing and have reached out to them to see if they know where.
 
I am personally non military and had no idea what a spirit mission was. Not sure who made the name but each class has followed the others before them. We do not interfere at all with the cadet led milestones and have only been a support and financial resource for the things the class wants to do.
At this point the name is registered and can't be changed but each 'spirit mission' group passes on advice and it can be recommended that the name be changed going forward with future classes.




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Honestly, is it really that big a deal? My DD's high school had spirit missions, spirit week, etc. - it's not a copyrighted term.
 
Well, it's big enough. In terms of an academy, a spirit mission is basically a prank. Spirit missions are conducted by cadets or midshipmen to raise morale. So, when you hear about parents on a "spirit mission" it sounds like a joke.

Correct it's not copyrighted, but if you want to be in that community, its best to come up with terms that don't already mean something else.



"And then I got locked on by a SAM."

"Oh a surface-to-air missile?"

"No, A 'Seriously Angry Man'"

"But a SAM is a…."

"Hey, is SAM copyrighted? This time it means seriously angry man."



Spirit mission already means something.
 
Not a huge deal to me, as long as people understand the difference. Perhaps "parent spirit mission" rather than "spirit mission" is the way to denote the difference.

For cadets, doing something like moving the Supt's office onto the T-zo would be a spirit mission. Making commemorative items would just be something cool--no USAFA lingo associated.
 
Well, it's big enough. In terms of an academy, a spirit mission is basically a prank. Spirit missions are conducted by cadets or midshipmen to raise morale. So, when you hear about parents on a "spirit mission" it sounds like a joke.

Correct it's not copyrighted, but if you want to be in that community, its best to come up with terms that don't already mean something else.



"And then I got locked on by a SAM."

"Oh a surface-to-air missile?"

"No, A 'Seriously Angry Man'"

"But a SAM is a…."

"Hey, is SAM copyrighted? This time it means seriously angry man."



Spirit mission already means something.

I get that. My husband thought it wasn't quite right to use the term, either. I grew up a military brat and understand all of it. It just seems so silly to get wrapped around the axle when the whole purpose is to create a support structure - for parents and for the cadets they love. Let's not lose sight of what's important here.

Besides, these parent's groups have been using that term for years now - literally. It's usually all internal to the group. This is the first time it was remarked on outside the group.
 
Thanks for the help on finding artwork. Didn't mean to open a can of worms! I'm not military but was initially confused by the term because it is in no way connected to what DD terms a cadet-led spirit mission.


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I think the concept of what you're doing is cool. I just think the term will lend to some additional confusion…. which just distracts people from the goal.

Honestly, what you described sounds like what the Coast Guard Academy Parents Association would do from time to time.
 
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