Plebe Parents Weekend

falcongrad

USNA Dad/Air Force Grad
Joined
Mar 28, 2017
Messages
14
Will our plebe be able to stay overnight with us at all that weekend or will he be required to stay at Mother B each night?
 
Unlikely, because in recent years no overnight liberty has been granted. As always, just because a policy is one way for several years, does not mean it can't change. Don't count on having overnight liberty.

As you search and read the dozens of threads about PPW, you will see a common theme of "allow plenty of time." That's potentially 1100+ plebes' worth of cars heading for the same place...stories abound of plebes leaping from cars and running to the gate and on to Bancroft. Fear of being late is one of the first things they soak up. "If you are not early, you are late."
 
Thank you. Setting expectations for my wife...and daughter...and PTB son.
 
I don't think that plebes have "ever" (as in within last 40 years) been granted overnights during PPW. With new Dant just having arrived within the last couple of weeks, somehow don't think this will be the first change he makes.

In my day, the first O/N for most plebes (non varsity athletes) was Thanksgiving. Things have loosened up a bit in recent years in that plebes have been granted O/Ns if Navy football wins a home game and they are SAT academically, with no duty, etc. I would not count on that happening this year -- it very well may, but again, manage expectations. Plan for the first O/N being T-giving and, if plebes get off before then, terrific.
 
They did about 10 or so years ago. It was a fluke as USNA lost all water due to a ruptured water line or something. USNA's solution was to give an overnight instead of deal with 1300+ people figuring how to cook, shower and use the restrooms without water. They followed up the proceeding few years allowing it then finally went away from it (which I am glad they did).
 
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And FYI - rumors are persistent

During PPW:

Friday - every Plebe and parent will 'have heard' the new 'Dant is going to allow an overnight on Friday but it won't be announced until the last minute. (won't happen)

Saturday - every Plebe and parent will 'have heard' the new 'Dant is going to allow an overnight for Saturday, but again it won't be announced until the last minute - possibly the Plebes won't find out until that evening. (won't happen)

Put that right up there with - Plebes will send out test e-mails during PS once they are issued computers just to make certain they are set up properly, so hang around one Sunday afternoon so you can see it and reply. (I think one summer a Plebe did send an email and was severely reprimanded for it)

Nothing is better than the military rumor mill. They are almost always inaccurate - lots of fun to speculate.

Plus, the old 'Dant was a Marine and the new 'Dant is a SWO, so he will want to put his mark on things and everyone knows the SWO community is not as tightly wound as the Marine Corps. (just to let you know how this year's set of rumors will be 'qualified'.)
 
Very few overnights for my now 2nd when she was a Plebe and I don't think any at all until after the holiday break. I would say definitely not PPW.
 
If I remember correctly, my son said one of the Forrestal lecturers early in his plebe year granted everyone a weekend -- may have been some high-ranking officer??? Also, he got several weekends as a result of home Navy football wins. A couple of those were what he called "Beat Army" weekends (I think), which meant that you could take the weekend even if you were UnSat. But there were no overnights for PPW. However, my son plays in D&B and when he goes to an away game, he typically has a lot of free time and can do what they call a "home stay" -- even if it's not in his hometown. He just has to stay with family, even if that's in a hotel. So he was able to stay with us last year when we went to the Notre Dame game in Jacksonville and the Tulane game in New Orleans. (We live in Georgia, so these were shorter drives than visiting him in Annapolis, and we visited fun places and were able to participate in pep rallies and see our son play, to boot!) I'm not sure if there are any other groups that travel like this, but if so, they may offer the same opportunity for you to connect with your mid for the weekend.
 
Class of 2008 was granted an overnight during PPW in 04 because of water main break
 
And FYI - rumors are persistent

During PPW:

Friday - every Plebe and parent will 'have heard' the new 'Dant is going to allow an overnight on Friday but it won't be announced until the last minute. (won't happen)

Saturday - every Plebe and parent will 'have heard' the new 'Dant is going to allow an overnight for Saturday, but again it won't be announced until the last minute - possibly the Plebes won't find out until that evening. (won't happen)

Put that right up there with - Plebes will send out test e-mails during PS once they are issued computers just to make certain they are set up properly, so hang around one Sunday afternoon so you can see it and reply. (I think one summer a Plebe did send an email and was severely reprimanded for it)

Nothing is better than the military rumor mill. They are almost always inaccurate - lots of fun to speculate.

Plus, the old 'Dant was a Marine and the new 'Dant is a SWO, so he will want to put his mark on things and everyone knows the SWO community is not as tightly wound as the Marine Corps. (just to let you know how this year's set of rumors will be 'qualified'.)

It prepares them well for the fleet where rumors abound...

"The Captain told the Air Boss who told the Skipper we would be released early from the gulf and put on a tether for a port visit to Perth!"......never happened...
 
One of my favorites was meeting a new sponsor plebe at the Sponsor Meet and Greet on the Sunday before PPW. We said we would welcome him and his parents to stop by on PPW. He confidently told us he would be flying home to Miami for the weekend because Plebes were going to have that option. His parents had heard it from "someone." DH and I just smiled. Didn't happen.
 
Or humans being who they are, took two + two, added a dash of unfamiliarity with SA life and a speck of wishful thinking, and got to five.
 
At the parent meeting on I-Day the schedule had times they had to be back at Mother B during PPW. No overnights this year!
 
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