Awards Presentations

[USNA69]

I went way back up into the mountains Thursday night to do an awards presentation. First dinner with the extended family and with a mom who originally was very opposed to a service career for her only child. Not sure the aunt and uncle appreciated my sense of humor for "yelling" at the candidate half way through dinner that he could not have picked up a worse time to take up sky diving. He had just completed his first jump the previous Saturday. Bubble wrap was mentioned. Anyway, on to the high school. It is a very small high school with a graduating class of around 120 with a very long awards presentation, done in alphabetical order with "U" of course coming close to the end of the three hour ceremony. In addition to the USNA "scholarship", this close-knit mountain community generated over a half million dollars in other scholarships, mostly in the $500 range so it was a long drawn out evening. One might even consider it boring. However, when I presented my candidate his Certificate from the Supt, there was a 5 minute standing ovation, the only one of the evening, I might add. It was truly a humbling experience.

 

[nurseypoo]

My son's award program was last week, but his BGO is slated to show up at graduation to present his cert. (school's decision). Has that ever happened to you? What did you do at that graduation?

 

[USNA69]

My son's award program was last week, but his BGO is slated to show up at graduation to present his cert. (school's decision). Has that ever happened to you? Where you did that at a graduation?

Nope, usually at night, usually in an unairconditioned gym. Usually fun. Thursday nite I had to suffer the abuse of the NROTC parents because no one showed up to present their scholarship. The funniest was the night I sat down beside the young Navy LT just to have someone to talk to. The presentation started. He opened his presentation and being nosy, I looked over and saw that it was for the same person to whom I was presenting a USNA appointment. I casually showed him my certificate. Being a black shoe, not used to stressful situations, he went comotose. In about two minutes, he just handed me his folder, got up, and left. I am not sure that my candidate (had two that night, both females) appreciated my humor, when, at the podium, as she was starting to walk off, handing her the opened ROTC certificate and asking her if she wanted me to present it also. Typical SNAFU. She had turned down the ROTC scholarship months before by returning the enclosed post card but it had gotten lost.

 

[nurseypoo]