Sponsor Families

Don't Give Up the Ship said:
My son has his regular assigned sponsors...they are great! He also spends time with another MIDN at his sponsors...My son says he has adopted the second set. Both families have young kids and the MIDN are great role models. I was talking to my Sons Sponsor Mom and she says that many former MIDS of hers stay in touch. In fact my son had a Navy career question and the Sponsor asked a LCDR (former MIDN of hers) to reach out to my son---he did so the next day. My wife and I visit the Sponsor family - usually take them out to dinner when we visit Annapolis. Pre-Covid of course. Go Navy!
Click to expand...
We’ve had great fun over the years. We had a sponsor son who was an instructor pilot in the jet pipeline. We would let him know when a sponsor sibling was headed his way, and he would always arrange for the first flight to be with him. Then he’d casually surprise them at the end of the hop with the connection. We’ve had 5 sponsor alumni return to the Yard in various roles. They keep a good eye out, and we don’t reveal the relationship until near the end of 1/c year. We’ve had several go to ships where older sponsor sibs several classes senior were already there. The family keeps growing.
 
Capt MJ said:
We’ve had great fun over the years. We had a sponsor son who was an instructor pilot in the jet pipeline. We would let him know when a sponsor sibling was headed his way, and he would always arrange for the first flight to be with him. Then he’d casually surprise them at the end of the hop with the connection. We’ve had 5 sponsor alumni return to the Yard in various roles. They keep a good eye out, and we don’t reveal the relationship until near the end of 1/c year. We’ve had several go to ships where older sponsor sibs several classes senior were already there. The family keeps growing.
Click to expand...
Another fun story...1/c sponsor mid was wavering between Marine air and Navy air. Dad was a career Marine aviator and desperately trying to stay cool and not apply pressure. Over 1/c summer leave period after Leatherneck, dad and son rolled out on a road trip to visit Marine aviator buddies at active squadrons. We had a Marine sponsor son who was at that time a Marine Harrier instructor pilot. I connected up Dad and this pilot, and the mid son got a great surprise sim session with an older sponsor brother he had never met, plus the peer insights he needed to make his decision.
Mid went Marine air. Flies jets. 😉
 
My plebe has never met his sponsor, only ever received one email to say Hi. The sponsor is single. I know a sponsor mom would've probably extended an invitation sometime before now. DS is fine with it. My sister and brother in law live near the airport if there's ever an emergency. And they did bring him to the airport for the flight home at Christmas.
 
Capt MJ said:
our mids told us he had drifted to an alumni sponsor famous for ignoring all the rules and providing a frat house atmosphere and “amenities.”
Click to expand...

brewmeist said:
There are several sponsor families who allow full-fledged parties at their home. Underage drinking and all that goes along with it. It's not a perfect system. Nothing is.
Click to expand...

Party on Wayne. 🥳 Party on Garth. :beer1:

How in the world are these families allowed to continue sponsoring? Let me guess.....they are well connected alumni? Am I right?
 
parentalunit2 said:
Party on Wayne. 🥳 Party on Garth. :beer1:

How in the world are these families allowed to continue sponsoring? Let me guess.....they are well connected alumni? Am I right?
Click to expand...
Actually it is more likely to not be the case. I don't know how knowledgeable you are regarding how the Alumni Assoc fit in with USNA but it is definitely NOT like a civilian university. I teach at a State University and Alumni relations is part of our administration and is definitely on campus. At the Service Academies, the Alumni groups are independent and at USNA they are not in the yard. Most sponsors that I ever interacted with including both my own and my son's were non-alumni and actually non-Navy.
 
Don't Give Up the Ship said:
My son has his regular assigned sponsors...they are great! He also spends time with another MIDN at his sponsors...My son says he has adopted the second set. Both families have young kids and the MIDN are great role models. I was talking to my Sons Sponsor Mom and she says that many former MIDS of hers stay in touch. In fact my son had a Navy career question and the Sponsor asked a LCDR (former MIDN of hers) to reach out to my son---he did so the next day. My wife and I visit the Sponsor family - usually take them out to dinner when we visit Annapolis. Pre-Covid of course. Go Navy!
Click to expand...
Awwww...thanks for sharing 🥰
 
OldRetSWO said:
Actually it is more likely to not be the case. I don't know how knowledgeable you are regarding how the Alumni Assoc fit in with USNA but it is definitely NOT like a civilian university. I teach at a State University and Alumni relations is part of our administration and is definitely on campus. At the Service Academies, the Alumni groups are independent and at USNA they are not in the yard. Most sponsors that I ever interacted with including both my own and my son's were non-alumni and actually non-Navy.
Click to expand...

I'm fully aware of how the Alumni Association is related to USNA. But when @Capt MJ says
Capt MJ said:
an alumni sponsor famous for ignoring all the rules and providing a frat house atmosphere and “amenities.”
Click to expand...

that makes me think that this is a known person, with known events taking place at their house. They are the 'cool' sponsors, I get it. I'm pretty sure they had to sign to the rules of being a sponsor family and they are clearly breaking the sponsor program rules. So why don't they get shut down? That's all I was asking. Or are they just known for having parties, mids know when and where to show up, and none of it is actually under the guise of the official USNA sponsor program? I know mids that want to are going to find ways to drink anyway. No surprise there.
 
Wait... we aren’t supposed to use them for yard work and washing the car???? No one told me.
In all seriousness, sponsoring has been as much a benefit for us as those we sponsored. Both of my USNA brothers kept in touch with their sponsors over the years. I think it is an aspect of the Academy we will greatly miss when it's time to leave.
Having said that, we haven't really connected to Cadets through the sponsorship program. Most of ours came through other means, friends of my kids, children of friends we've known over the years, Cadets my DW or I connected with outside the sponsorship program. DS connected well with his sponsor, but we already knew them. DD hasn't seen much of her sponsor, but she connected with some staff, professors, and one of her old commanders.
Now that Cadets/Midshipmen have cell phones and the internet it's probably not as popular as it once was, but it still serves a valuable function of helping them transition to the "real military".
 
Can a sponsor request a specific midshipman? We have friend of a friend who lives in Annapolis. Our friend is our DD's godfather. His friend, who I know from many years ago, is a great guy. We'd love it if a) she gets the appointment and 2) this family can be her sponsor. I'm guessing someone knows the answer here.
 
Sealion II said:
Can a sponsor request a specific midshipman? We have friend of a friend who lives in Annapolis. Our friend is our DD's godfather. His friend, who I know from many years ago, is a great guy. We'd love it if a) she gets the appointment and 2) this family can be her sponsor. I'm guessing someone knows the answer here.
Click to expand...
Both sponsor and plebe have to request each other.

The prospective sponsor can go to the link below to fill out the online form and create a profile, once an appointment is offered and accepted. There is a space to request a specific midshipman. There is usually an orientation session which must be attended; it’s been virtual recently.

The P2B will complete the form in the PTR and request that sponsor.

Go to the hamburger menu in upper left to get to application.
www.usna.edu

USNA Sponsor Program

USNA Sponsor Program page for USNA Sponsor Program at USNA.edu. Updated Wed May 17 16:34:35 EDT 2023.
www.usna.edu
 
Sealion II said:
Can a sponsor request a specific midshipman? We have friend of a friend who lives in Annapolis. Our friend is our DD's godfather. His friend, who I know from many years ago, is a great guy. We'd love it if a) she gets the appointment and 2) this family can be her sponsor. I'm guessing someone knows the answer here.
Click to expand...
Yes, the sponsor can. My cousin had a close friend in the Annapolis area and they requested my DS. Best sponsor family ever!
 
Some sponsors are busy. Some have young kids. Some have busy jobs and long commutes. They sign up with the best of intentions. Our son’s West Point grad sponsor had no idea what sponsoring Mids would involve in terms of summer storage. That is not a thing for cadets who have sponsors at West Point. Cadets there have more storage options vs USNA mids. Or how often he would need to access it over a summer.
They make it work or they morph to another sponsor family or roomies sponsor. Ours has two options currently plus a friend of mine 30 minutes away.
I can also say he has offered to clear brush, run a chain saw and weld for assigned sponsor parent on weekends. He volunteered to cook a meal for them and he gives one of his sponsor sons guitar lessons.
I am also happy to provide mother and Father’s Day gift cards to local DTA establishments (thanks @CaptMJ for the referrals) and gourmet chocolate at Christmas.

It’s a two way street. And if the first pairing doesn’t work there are options.
 
Heatherg21 said:
Some sponsors are busy. Some have young kids. Some have busy jobs and long commutes. They sign up with the best of intentions. Our son’s West Point grad sponsor had no idea what sponsoring Mids would involve in terms of summer storage. That is not a thing for cadets who have sponsors at West Point. Cadets there have more storage options vs USNA mids. Or how often he would need to access it over a summer.
They make it work or they morph to another sponsor family or roomies sponsor. Ours has two options currently plus a friend of mine 30 minutes away.
I can also say he has offered to clear brush, run a chain saw and weld for assigned sponsor parent on weekends. He volunteered to cook a meal for them and he gives one of his sponsor sons guitar lessons.
I am also happy to provide mother and Father’s Day gift cards to local DTA establishments (thanks @CaptMJ for the referrals) and gourmet chocolate at Christmas.

It’s a two way street. And if the first pairing doesn’t work there are options.
Click to expand...
Great comments.

And let me point out there is NO requirement or expectation that sponsors must provide storage for mids over summer break. Mids are expected to manage their own stuff, paring down as they need to, using USNA storage, going in with other mids to rent a storage unit over the summer or asking sponsors. We used to allow it, asking simply no perishables, well-labeled storage boxes, and no long-term storage, but we got tired of smelly boxes (one was wet laundry that fermented over the summer), “mystery boxes,” abandoned boxes, boxes of friends, etc. and stopped the basement option. We have a designated closet downstairs where they can stash things for short-term. Sponsors and mids work it all out.
 
Capt MJ said:
Great comments.

And let me point out there is NO requirement or expectation that sponsors must provide storage for mids over summer break. Mids are expected to manage their own stuff, paring down as they need to, using USNA storage, going in with other mids to rent a storage unit over the summer or asking sponsors. We used to allow it, asking simply no perishables, well-labeled storage boxes, and no long-term storage, but we got tired of smelly boxes (one was wet laundry that fermented over the summer), “mystery boxes,” abandoned boxes, boxes of friends, etc. and stopped the basement option. We have a designated closet downstairs where they can stash things for short-term. Sponsors and mids work it all out.
Click to expand...
Absolutely. DS was so afraid to disrespect his sponsors he worked hard to help and not be a hindrance. It was an interesting revelation to see the difference in needs from WP cadets who his sponsors hosted at WP to them sponsoring he and three other MIDN for the first time in MD.

I also told him to read the room. And if he or mids were stressing sponsor out— change it up or back it off. A career Army officer and WP grad has been an excellent mentor for DS.

I was pleased to be able to get them tickets to the USAFA vs USNA game and for my first trip out, got to have a cold beverage with our DS Sponsor dad in Admirals row. What a day that was. Too bad we didn’t win :(.
 
Capt MJ said:
one was wet laundry that fermented over the summer), “mystery boxes,”
Click to expand...
Flashbacks to Taekwondo gear bags in my trunk in extreme southern AZ post s four day tournament.
Burn the car down.
Never again.
 
Heatherg21 said:
Flashbacks to Taekwondo gear bags in my trunk in extreme southern AZ post s four day tournament.
Burn the car down.
Never again.
Click to expand...
It was “fermenting” right, that got you? Post-wash wet laundry in a closed box in a basement or hot climate car trunk cured sweaty laundry, the definition of ewwww.
 
Capt MJ said:
It was “fermenting” right, that got you? Post-wash wet laundry in a closed box in a basement or hot climate car trunk cured sweaty laundry, the definition of ewwww.
Click to expand...
Oh for sure. And the “punching down” and releasing of “gasses” occurred the moment we opened the trunk and he touched the gear bag. Never happened again. He washed his own gear. Sanitized outside on the fence in the sun. Washed and dried himself. Considered selling the boy. Kept the car. For a while.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top