No 'care packages' during plebe summer?

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NorthernCalMother

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The Parents' Club of Northern California put together a wonderful, comprehensive survival guide for plebe-to-be parents, and it includes this advisory:

"This year the PLEBE SUMMER DETAIL OFFICERSS have requested NO CARE PACKAGES for the Plebes during the 6 weeks summer training. Check with your Plebe about his/her Company rules."

Has anyone else heard this request?
 
Best advice I can offer is to wait until your Plebe tells you to send or not send something. He;ll know for sure. :wink:

For the record, though: I don't recall ever having heard of such a restriction. Doesn't mean there isn't, of course, but it would be unusual.
 
No Care Packages?

I don't have any insight to any new rules about care packages.

I have gained the impression that during Plebe Summer the care packages have in some cases (depending on the schedules and company) languished for some time before being delivered to the Plebes. I have no idea if that is a policy or simply the result of the Cadre being extremely busy. Piles of care packages are no doubt a bit of a hassle to collect, move and distribute.

A few years ago (when I had a Plebe of my own) I heard that it was several weeks before they got their first care packages, which in the case of my Plebe, was by that time an embarrassment of riches.

As a parent, letters and care packages were the only things we could do to ensure our Plebe was reassured that we were thinking of him often and of his formidable support at home. Sending them gave us the impression we were "helping him out". With only two phone calls, it made us feel pretty darn good to send them to him.

Zaphod's right. Unless you are officially told otherwise (or by your Plebe), send them and send them often.
 
As I mentioned, this request came within the pages of a notebook prepared by my regional parents' club. I haven't seen it anywhere else. I'm just trying to find out if any other plebe-to-be parents have been so directed.

If I wait for an OK by my son, it'll be weeks into the summer. While I don't want to violate directives that will draw unwelcome attention to him, assembling packages is the kind of busy work that keeps mothers sane. So, yeah, my question's kind of selfish. Packages helped me when he went to NAPS, and he seemed to enjoy them.

(Aside: When I posted this here and on the cc board, I tried to imagine how my question could result in an attack. Sure enough, one respondent on the other forum felt it necessary to remind me my son isn't yet a plebe, not that I said he was, and went off on a tear re: not sending oversized packages. I was advised to 're-read the official instructions.' Sheesh. Where's the love?)
 
NorthernCalMother said:
(Aside: When I posted this here and on the cc board, I tried to imagine how my question could result in an attack. Sure enough, one respondent on the other forum felt it necessary to remind me my son isn't yet a plebe, not that I said he was, and went off on a tear re: not sending oversized packages. I was advised to 're-read the official instructions.' Sheesh. Where's the love?)
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CC is a rough neighborhood. You always have to watch your flank.
 
You Navy parents are lucky you can send any kind of package during plebe summer. At USMA we can't send anything but letters or postcards until basic is over.

NorthernCalMother - I saw the comments over on CC. Ignore the source, in my opinion he is a jerk.
 
He's an ass. Ignore him. Everthing he says is mean spirited. He's got issues, I guess.

I heard about care package restrictions at our parent club send off picnic. No details though and the permit to report paperwork did not confirm this. I guess we'll get to ask on I-Day.
 
See http://www.usna.edu/PlebeSummer/2007_0627_ParentsInformationBooklet_0612.pdf

Pay attention to page 3 - (6 of the printed booklet) Item 2.

2. The mailing of “care packages” to Midshipmen Fourth Class is encouraged.
However, the items should be single-serving, nonperishable, and able to fit in a shipping container no larger than a shoe box to facilitate storage and handling. Packages must be sent via mail; no packages will be accepted at Main Office for delivery to midshipmen.
Click to expand...

www.usna.edu/PlebeSummer

will be a great resource all summer long...bookmark it!
 
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