High School Awards Night

rjy84

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May 15, 2017
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My friend had his AROTC scholarship presented at his high school awards night yesterday. He told me he didn't receive a "big check", which was unexpected. My school won't be having a separate awards night but a special recognition towards the end of graduation. If I wanted to get a big check, who would I ask? The ROO at my university or recruiting local office?
 
My kid's big check was "ceremonial". The funds were deposited at school a month ago.
 
The Big Check tends to jam the processing machines that the bank teller uses.

It also fouls up the ATM machines.
(also with gobs of sarcasm ;))

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My friend had his AROTC scholarship presented at his high school awards night yesterday. He told me he didn't receive a "big check", which was unexpected. My school won't be having a separate awards night but a special recognition towards the end of graduation. If I wanted to get a big check, who would I ask? The ROO at my university or recruiting local office?
The largest ROTC program near you would be interested in presenting the big check, even if your student isn't going to that college. It's a great photo op and it's a moving experience for a lot of the adults in the recognition assembly.
 
The largest ROTC program near you would be interested in presenting the big check, even if your student isn't going to that college. It's a great photo op and it's a moving experience for a lot of the adults in the recognition assembly.

My son received the big check from a local ROTC program even though he's not going to that school. Lots of applause when he went up.
 
So my daughter's school is blaming the Navy, saying the Petty Officer who was trying to set up the NROTC presentation at the Senior Awards ceremony was "disorganized" and the Navy Petty Officer is saying my daughter's school was not accommodating and could not provide details. But in the end, the Senior Awards ceremony occurred and there was no Navy representation and she was not presented "the big check". The school district has apologized to me, (again citing they didn't know this was what the Navy wanted to do) but the awards night has come and gone. Now after speaking with the principal, the awards program will be changed (but who will actually get copies of it??) and they will have my daughter's picture taken with the principal and post it on the school website. The Navy has said to me (they are also apologetic) they will come to our house to present "the big check" to my daughter at a time of our choosing. This is very nice, but it misses the point.

Yes, obviously I want my daughter to be recognized for being a scholarship recipient, but I already know how incredible it is....I wanted her to be recognized by her peers and their parents/families and school staff and administration for the amazing accomplishment. Anyone have any ideas on what I can ask either the school district or the Navy to do? Having any presentation at graduation has already been asked for and I was sternly told no way.
 
While I can understand your disappointment that no recognition was given at the Senior awards night, that ship has already sailed. It sounds like the school is trying to make it right by publishing a photo and description of the scholarship, and the NAVY is presenting the "check" to your DD.
The recognition at awards night is important , especially at schools like my DS where few kids get ROTC scholarships. It educates school administrators and parents on the opportunities that those scholarships have to offer as well as how competitive they are.
There's really nothing more that can be done at this point IMO.
Congratulations to your DD and best of luck!
 
I asked last year, but my DS got no recognition whatsoever at his awards night for his AFROTC scholarship - which was unfortunate for the publicity it could have generated. But the counselling office basically said "we have too much to do already without adding something new" (class of about 110 seniors), the school he's going to is 350+ miles away, and my son doesn't like the spotlight anyway. Kind of ironic that the principal's speech during the ceremony was bragging about the dollar value represented in the awards - and didn't include my son's full tuition plus room and board the college threw in because of the scholarship, which will be over $100,000 when the dust settles.
 
It must be so frustrating. At this point in time, there's not much else to do or redo since most award ceremonies are done and over with and graduations are underway. Don't stress too much. Just enjoy the summer with your DD before sending her off on her wonderful adventure.
Something should have been done (proactive planning) by school counseling department if they were made awared that she won the scholarship. They could have even followed-up with your DS to get the local NROTC contact info for the award presentation confirmation.
At my DS' and DD's high school, I've not noticed such mishaps. Every year there are quite a few military service personels representing the different branches presenting ROTC scholarship's, service academies appointments, and even recognizing those seniors who are enlisting into military services.
 
Seems to me everyone is trying to be as accommodating as possible at this point. You might ask the check presenter if it would be OK if the local newspaper was there to photograph and maybe do a brief story. That's about all I can think of and it should be left up to the Petty officer. Also, make sure this is what your daughter wants.... which should be the first step.
 
I wanted her to be recognized by her peers and their parents/families and school staff and administration for the amazing accomplishment.

I would prefer to look at this as a moment of teaching the benefits of humility. Much of the amazing accomplishments your child will achieve in service to their country will be done with zero fanfare. I would suspect that in most cases that is by design. The parts are not greater than the whole.
 
Some great advice above. Time to let this go.

When my son's school told me they would not recognize on Awards Night his high-ticket scholarship to a fancy school, I was furious. He on the other hand was delighted because he knew I wouldn't insist on his attending the ceremony, which he considered a waste of time. When he won various awards in AROTC, I offered to put a notice in the local newspaper, but he demurred. When he was commissioned and graduated with highest honors I proposed to announce it in the newspaper, but he said he'd prefer I waited until he graduated from Ranger School. By the time he got his tab, I had put enough time on the gym treadmill to compose a terse yet eloquent summary of his accomplishments. He thought it was probably unnecessary, so I held off. Not long ago, he was promoted to captain, and I suggested it would be a good idea to let folks know, but he asked me to refrain. When is he going to stop being so selfish?

Another story. Oldtimers here will recall a few years ago there was a career enlisted Marine whose son won a Marine option NROTC scholarship. Two uniformed Marine officers presented the big check at Awards Night, and it was the proudest night ever for the family. A month or two later, the son got his final DQ for vision problems, and that was that.
 
Another story. Oldtimers here will recall a few years ago there was a career enlisted Marine whose son won a Marine option NROTC scholarship. Two uniformed Marine officers presented the big check at Awards Night, and it was the proudest night ever for the family. A month or two later, the son got his final DQ for vision problems, and that was that.

My DD got her big check last evening to the tune of $242,xxx and that was even higher than the big check going to her boyfriend who will be doing ROTC at Harvard. That said, the accompanying certificate calls it a "conditional" scholarship which is a reminder that her DODMERB status is still awaiting a waiver approval. It should go through as she passed the remedial test for asthma with flying colors but it has been sitting with that status for quite some time so we'll all breathe a sigh of relief when it is finally made official.
 
I teach in a high school that is across and just down river from Washington, DC. I'm presenting a non-military award to one of my hot shots at convocation next week, but rest assured, the military awardees will be well represented.
 
So my daughter's school is blaming the Navy, saying the Petty Officer who was trying to set up the NROTC presentation at the Senior Awards ceremony was "disorganized" and the Navy Petty Officer is saying my daughter's school was not accommodating and could not provide details. But in the end, the Senior Awards ceremony occurred and there was no Navy representation and she was not presented "the big check". The school district has apologized to me, (again citing they didn't know this was what the Navy wanted to do) but the awards night has come and gone. Now after speaking with the principal, the awards program will be changed (but who will actually get copies of it??) and they will have my daughter's picture taken with the principal and post it on the school website. The Navy has said to me (they are also apologetic) they will come to our house to present "the big check" to my daughter at a time of our choosing. This is very nice, but it misses the point.

Yes, obviously I want my daughter to be recognized for being a scholarship recipient, but I already know how incredible it is....I wanted her to be recognized by her peers and their parents/families and school staff and administration for the amazing accomplishment. Anyone have any ideas on what I can ask either the school district or the Navy to do? Having any presentation at graduation has already been asked for and I was sternly told no way.
My DD's school refused to recognize her at the awards assembly, even though they honor academy appointees there. I had a long talk with the head of counseling and with the principal about it, and presented facts showing how similar the criteria were for each. The excellent ROO at DD's university also spoke with both, but made no headway. ROO from nearby university also made no progress, but did get agreement to allow a presentation to be made in counseling office with a group of DD's friends present. We did this as a surprise and it went extremely well - DD was very pleased.
 
Keeping a broader perspective, all of this is definitely a “First World” problem. My DH’s high school, a private one, refused to send his transcripts to USNA and USMA because of the pacifist commitment of the school. His parents had to get a court order. Needless to say, there was no mention or recognition of the SA appointment at assembly. He laughs about it, still doesn’t care, but knew he could still get his mom going about it, decades later.
 
The year my daughter graduated, there was no "big check" per se but the Army was there as was a Navy officer to represent (2) kids going to the Naval Academy. They announced the award values of $210,000 for my daughters ROTC scholarship (University of Portland which included room & board), $350,000 for her friend going directly to the Academy and $410,000 for a youngster that had to do a year of the Academy Prep school first. All (3) of them by far received the largest applause and several people they didn't know approached them after the ceremony. Probably doesn't hurt that the school is less than 10 miles from Camp Pendleton so this area is swarming with military related residents.
 
Keeping a broader perspective, all of this is definitely a “First World” problem. My DH’s high school, a private one, refused to send his transcripts to USNA and USMA because of the pacifist commitment of the school. His parents had to get a court order. Needless to say, there was no mention or recognition of the SA appointment at assembly. He laughs about it, still doesn’t care, but knew he could still get his mom going about it, decades later.
It's unbelievable!!! Pacifists are are truly amongst us.

A naval officer friend of ours arrived to pick up his daughter from a public middle school and was told that military uniforms weren't allowed, and he should have his wife come to do the pick-ups instead. [emoji33] [emoji35]
 
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