All Service Academies Ball Questions

[SDC33567]

Greetings to all,
San Diego is having an inaugural All Service Academies Ball and our committee is seeking as much input as you are willing to give us. We would like this event to be something cadets and midshipman talk about and remember for years to come.

For those who have gone to an All Service Academies Ball: please give experience based input...for example;
-What was your favorite part of the event?
-What was your least favorite?
-Why did your cadet/midshipman decide to go?
-Are you glad that you went?
-What your mid/cadets favorite part of the night?
-Was their late night snacks post dinner and desert for those who stayed later to dance?
------Any type of feedback is appreciated.

For those who have not attended an All Service Academy Ball:
-What would be a deterrent for not attending? (Aside from distance)
-What would encourage you to go?

 

[VelveteenR]

We attended every ball during our son's four years at USMA and one ball after he commissioned. The first ball was fabulous, but they went downhill from there. Please be sure to choose an impressive venue, not some mediocre wedding site. We are in Arizona, and the first ball was at Talking Stick, a very high-end casino hotel where the cadets/mids were feted to a no-stakes gambling night with fabulous food, music, and dancing. It was the kind of night that parents enjoyed as much as the kids. By our son's senior year, the venue had degraded to a conference space at a low-end Embassy Suites which was just pathetic and embarrassing. Our son did not invite a date to any but the first due to the underwhelming state of those events (more like celebrating a birthday with grandma than anything memorable).

The highlights of the first ball were a fabulous venue at a price that could not be gotten a la carte, outstanding food and entertainment, and special recognition of each cadet/mid along with scrolling Jumbotron pics of each student at their best. We spent the night at the hotel that evening even though we lived close enough to go home because the rooms and food were fabulous. and it was not a place we would have enjoyed otherwise.

Bottom line: Make the venue/event something that attendees might put on a bucket list.

ETA; I'm not sure anyone cared who spoke at any of the events, they just wanted to feel like they were treated like VIPs in a lovely venue.

 

[Proud of DGD]

We went to the Minnesota All Academy Ball this past winter with a family group with our Plebe. We all enjoyed it immensely, including our Plebe, who was initially embarrassed to be attached to such a large family group! The location, food, program, entertainment, band were all wonderful. I loved seeing our Plebe smile and have a great time dancing! So glad we all attended.

 

[Heatherg21]

Covid ended plebe year ball. Next year our club hosted and it was Top Gun themed held at an airport hanger. Superb venue. Had real Navy trainer plane present for photo ops.

Guest speaker was Charlie Plumb, a POW who is a USNA grad and who brought silence, awe, tears, and chills to those in attendance. He met with all cadets and midshipmen after for pictures and autographs of his incredible book.

The memorial portion where the table that has no occupant was moving. The significance of each component was explained and representatives from each SA played a role in lighting candles etc.

This should be fun. And geared towards the cadets and mids. No cheap conference banquet hall. Work your butt off and find sponsors from corporations and businesses. Our team managed to get over 50k in sponsorships in just weeks. A healthy parent club and those members who are willing to network and ask for support is key.

 

[USMAROTCFamily]

We went all 4 years that our DS was a Cadet. We enjoyed each one, although some were more memorable than others. Our whole family went and our cadet brought a date 2 of the years. He always looked forward to them, as did we. All of them featured an introduction of each Cadet/Midshipman, guest speaker, dinner, dancing, no host bar and raffles for donated gifts. Normally these have been formal events with the Cadets/Midshipmen wearing their most formal uniforms, civilian ladies wearing long dresses and men in dark suits or tuxes. One year, the sponsoring club put "semi-formal" on the invitation and that created a lot of confusion on the attire, especially for women. Some wore shorter cocktail dresses, where others who had attended in the past still wore their long dress/gowns, as they always had. I would make sure that you are very clear with the dress-code on the invitations that go out, or include an insert that specifies the exact, full uniform, that Cadets/Midshipmen are expected to wear and to bring home with them on break. Military tends to be more formal and follow rules of etiquette for dress for "formal" events, but our civilian culture has become more informal, so you may wish to give examples of appropriate dress expectations for all attendees. (i.e. long dresses, dark suits/tux, if that is what is desired.

 

[SDC33567]

We attended every ball during our son's four years at USMA and one ball after he commissioned. The first ball was fabulous, but they went downhill from there. Please be sure to choose an impressive venue, not some mediocre wedding site. We are in Arizona, and the first ball was at Talking Stick, a very high-end casino hotel where the cadets/mids were feted to a no-stakes gambling night with fabulous food, music, and dancing. It was the kind of night that parents enjoyed as much as the kids. By our son's senior year, the venue had degraded to a conference space at a low-end Embassy Suites which was just pathetic and embarrassing. Our son did not invite a date to any but the first due to the underwhelming state of those events (more like celebrating a birthday with grandma than anything memorable).

The highlights of the first ball were a fabulous venue at a price that could not be gotten a la carte, outstanding food and entertainment, and special recognition of each cadet/mid along with scrolling Jumbotron pics of each student at their best. We spent the night at the hotel that evening even though we lived close enough to go home because the rooms and food were fabulous. and it was not a place we would have enjoyed otherwise.

Bottom line: Make the venue/event something that attendees might put on a bucket list.

ETA; I'm not sure anyone cared who spoke at any of the events, they just wanted to feel like they were treated like VIPs in a lovely venue.

Thank you for your input! Its going to be at the Air and Space Museum in San Diego. We love the idea of the pictures. We may use that! Thank you!

 

[SDC33567]

Covid ended plebe year ball. Next year our club hosted and it was Top Gun themed held at an airport hanger. Superb venue. Had real Navy trainer plane present for photo ops.

Guest speaker was Charlie Plumb, a POW who is a USNA grad and who brought silence, awe, tears, and chills to those in attendance. He met with all cadets and midshipmen after for pictures and autographs of his incredible book.

The memorial portion where the table that has no occupant was moving. The significance of each component was explained and representatives from each SA played a role in lighting candles etc.

This should be fun. And geared towards the cadets and mids. No cheap conference banquet hall. Work your butt off and find sponsors from corporations and businesses. Our team managed to get over 50k in sponsorships in just weeks. A healthy parent club and those members who are willing to network and ask for support is key.

Thank you so much for your input! We have a great venue and are working hard as a committee of parents from all of the academies. Project Recover who repatriates MIA's will be represented at the ball. We are hustling to get everything squared away!

 

[SDC33567]

We went all 4 years that our DS was a Cadet. We enjoyed each one, although some were more memorable than others. Our whole family went and our cadet brought a date 2 of the years. He always looked forward to them, as did we. All of them featured an introduction of each Cadet/Midshipman, guest speaker, dinner, dancing, no host bar and raffles for donated gifts. Normally these have been formal events with the Cadets/Midshipmen wearing their most formal uniforms, civilian ladies wearing long dresses and men in dark suits or tuxes. One year, the sponsoring club put "semi-formal" on the invitation and that created a lot of confusion on the attire, especially for women. Some wore shorter cocktail dresses, where others who had attended in the past still wore their long dress/gowns, as they always had. I would make sure that you are very clear with the dress-code on the invitations that go out, or include an insert that specifies the exact, full uniform, that Cadets/Midshipmen are expected to wear and to bring home with them on break. Military tends to be more formal and follow rules of etiquette for dress for "formal" events, but our civilian culture has become more informal, so you may wish to give examples of appropriate dress expectations for all attendees. (i.e. long dresses, dark suits/tux, if that is what is desired.

Thank you so much for your reply. This is a formal event and we are getting squared away on it all. This is an inaugural event for this area so it is definitely a lot of work.

 

[SDC33567]

Thank you everyone for your replies! We really appreciate it!