No more Cookie Cafe!!!!

We are all immensely saddened about the news that the Guests will no longer be at the Academy. I have been very close friends with Carol and Gene for the four years we have been working together on Cooke Café, and I am sure that it is not their choice to leave their relationship with the students, as their first priority is to support and love them. They very much want Cookie Café to continue, and are quite willing to help with the transition.

At the start of last year, the funding that was provided to Cookie Café by the Chapel was no longer available. With no other way to continue with Cookie Café, we started a non-profit corporation with the purpose of receiving donations from parents that would cover the weekly essentials other than cookies. The parents stepped up in a big way, and we received enough money to make it through the year. We have been receiving funds for the upcoming year as well. The corporation and website (which I have donated personally) have no connection with the Guest’s volunteer work or the Academy.

This is what Cookie Café involves: first off, the communications. I manage the website that provides the current schedule and list of sponsors and bakers, as well as background, instructions and weekly photos and stories. I also coordinate with each regional Parent Association to remind them of their upcoming sponsorship and get the list of bakers and their emails so Carol can send a personal thank you. Finally, I manage the donations and books, and provide tax receipts.

On the location side, Carol and Gene’s weekly contribution involves almost 2 full days. Receiving approximately 100 pounds of cookies and providing freezer space, shopping for 16 gallons of milk and replenishing all other supplies. Packing the van with cookies and coolers and arriving at Land Hall at 7:30 am on Thursday morning. With the help of two other parents, the four of them unpack, unwrap, place cookies in pans, write tent cards, set up table cloths, and all the beverages over a four-hour period (16 man hours). Another parent bakes on site for 5 hours. During Cookie Café Carol would spend her time talking with students at their request, and Gene would help tutor students. Clean up starts at 4:30 and the Guests leave around 5:30. Next day is spent washing tablecloths and writing thank-yous. This gives you an idea of the time involvement that needs to be replaced by whomever takes the Guests place.

In a letter to the Parent Association Presidents, Mary Jane Fuschetto, Co-Chair of the National Parents Association, states that Cookie Café will be picked up by the Midshipmen's Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Fund under the Department of the Commandant. I have not been contacted about this, but certainly want Cookie Café to continue the wonderful service it provides to the kids.

I have been given no guidance about how Cookie Café will move forward at this point in time. The donations that have come in for 2011-2012 are currently frozen while we work through this transition. If Cookie Café proceeds under a new program, I will offer those who have sent donations the option of a refund, you do not need to worry about that.

Cookie Café belongs to, and is affiliated only with, the Kings Point parents at large, not a specific Parent Association. So until I hear otherwise I ask you, as president of the Cookie Café Corporation, what you want to do about the future of Cookie Café, and what suggestions you have. I know everyone’s first concern is figuring out a way to make Cookie Café continue for the students, and I will do everything I can to make it happen.
 
aooga15: If you would like a refund, please email me and I will take care of it. Thanks.
 
I'm glad to see it go. Besides having another venue for different groups to preach their religious rhetoric, the Cookie Cafe, if anything, just made Midshipmen "softer" to put it nicely. You can argue all you want that it's a place where people can feel "loved" and "not lonely" and where someone can forget about the Regiment for an hour or so. I hate to break it to you, but going out to sea can be a pretty lonely place, and I can definitely assure you that no one is going to bake you a bunch of cookies for you to gorge on. If anything, I think you are doing those who are going out to sea a great disservice.
 
Where did the rumor start that cookie cafe is ending?

Please read what Mrs. Tweedy wrote. She is the President of the Cookie Cafe corporation. Do not worry, there are careful accounts of all money donated and the money can be returned if Cookie Cafe ends. It is only used for Cookie Cafe ingredients and paper goods. All records are open for scrutiny.

WHERE DID THE RUMOR START THAT COOKIE CAFE WAS ENDING? As far as we are concerned we do not want it to end, and are working to see about couples volunteering to take it over, maybe a group of people who take turns? etc. We will help anyone who wants to pick up the responsibility.

As far as religious, there has been no connection with Cookie Cafe. We are there to love the students with no strings attached. Do we have to be atheist, or nonreligious before we qualify to run Cookie Cafe? That is non thinking. There is not one student who can tell you that they have felt ill at ease or been offended at Cookie Cafe. Just ask them. There is no prosletizing, that is not allowed on a federal academy anyway. We are seasoned workers, following the federal regulations, and never had a complaint. We are creating a healthy atmosphere on campus of acceptance. Just ask anyone.

Some history might help new parents to understand. We were asked to come on campus by a chaplain to develop community at the chapel AND on the campus. We have worked with college students for many years. Kings Point is my husband and son's school, and we are very acclimated to the students' world. Cookie Cafe was one of the things that we started at Land Hall, some years back, as a way to develop community on campus and it has worked well. The first years, I did all the marathon baking of cookies (3-4 days a week), and we paid for absolutely everything out of our own pocket. When my husband had forced early retirement because the company closed, the chapel volunteered to take over the costs of Cookie Cafe, and parents began volunteering to help with the growing number of cookies needed (350-570 students a week).

This last year, the chapel stopped taking care of the Cookie Cafe expenses so a 501 (c3) small company was formed so parents could donate to keep Cookie Cafe going. I personally never see that money but give in receipts for the expenses for milk, coffee, paper goods, ingredients etc. that were used for Cookie Cafe. We are low budget but manage to keep CC afloat from week to week because of parents donating. The records are carefully kept by someone else and are open for anyone wanting to see them.

I find it hard to swallow reading that I have a hidden agenda or do not accept students from other faiths or nonfaiths. That is written by people not familiar with Cookie Cafe or us. We foster an open acceptance and just plain love all students, ask them. If they are a student at Kings Point they have our time, our attention, my hugs and listening ear. Why don't you poll the students before stating false things like that? Six years of evidence can be checked out, as that is how long we have been around loving the students.

It is unfortunate how often there are things written that need to be more accurate by people hiding behind pseudo names. All we have been doing is loving students and doing good deeds. I chose to call myself Cookie Cafe Mom on purpose so I was not hiding.

Cookie Cafe is run by parents and they send all the cookies. Other schools are astounded at how it runs and is coordinated. No one knows each other and from week to week we are dependent on each other and parents carrying through and baking their cookies. It is amazing and is working very efficiently. Thanks, and the students say thanks too.

We want to stay at Kings Point but that is up to the Superintendent. If he wants us to stay on campus for the students then he will find a way.

Please do not lose any sleep over Cookie Cafe yet, it is still on track.
 
JSF-35 Pilot 2016 said:
Email from the Guest Family
Today we had a meeting at Kings Point with the Chaplains and the Special Assistant to the Superintendent. Apparently Chaplain Bonadonna’s interpretation of navy regulations for a chapel program does not allow us to minister at the chapel and be affiliated with Intervarsity Christian Fellowship at the same time. Therefore we can no longer minister at Kings Point in any capacity. Intervarsity Christian Fellowship was the way that we were able to pay the expenses. We explored many different ways of reworking the ministry but none seem workable.

Apparently the Chaplain has already replaced us with a chaplain during INDOC for the Contemporary Bible Service which we were not aware of until the meeting today.


So, we will not be back to Kings Point. We love all of you and feel very disappointed about the situation. You will have our prayers for many years. I hope the ministry and your spiritual growth will develop. We hope also that the new Chaplain is a man of God who will minister well to you. No “Chat and Chew” this Sunday, sorry.

If there were any way of being on campus and continuing on with ministry we would. We love all of you very much, and care that you do well.
Love, Dad and Mom Guest
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cookiecafe mom WTH???? did you not send the above email to the entire regiment of midshipmen?? You are wondering where did the rumor come from?? (see post that started this thread)

This is just crazy IMHO
 
Perhaps the confusion comes for the people who don't realize that Cookie Cafe is a function of KP parents locally and across the country. Yes, it has run on the full fuel of the Guests, but could continue without them. This has been on the table since Cookie Cafe began.
 
No where in Cookiecafemom's email did it state that Cookie Cafe would end ~ just their affiliation with the Academy. JSF-35 Pilot 2016 assumed that it would end and posted it to the thread. Learned a long time ago what assume really means.

It's a shame that such a simple concept can be so misconstrued and maligned.
 
Lugi,

If there was a religious scandal at the AFA what are the details? Who got in trouble over this scandal and what was the outcome?


g-man


Luigi59 said:
The email makes it clear that, despite words that claim otherwise, those who run the Cookie Cafe could not separate their ICF religious preaching from the Cookie Cafe. One (CC) could not exist without the other (evangelical Christian proselytizing).

ICF is a very Christian-centric, very evangelical Christian organization. From reading their website, I doubt it has any tolerance for any non-Christian attitudes.

I can understand any non-Christian midshipman feeling uneasy about the presence of such a group, catering to the "spiritual needs" of one sect but not others.

To Christians, it's not a big deal at all, a lot of fuss over nothing, but to non-Christians, it could be very threatening or intimidating.

Perhaps the non-evangelical mids/alum/faculty/admin felt uneasy with such a strong Christian-centered ministry on campus, especially one that was not under the control of the Govt?

I can understand the Supe at KP not wanting another religious scandal like the one(s) that put the USAFA in a bad light a few years ago.

Any appearance of Govt-sponsored religious favoritism of one religion over others must be avoided.

The email said "Intervarsity Christian Fellowship was the way that we were able to pay the expenses" and I can understand that, looking at their balance sheet(s) on their website. Despite being a non-profit" organization, they (ICF) rake in a lot of money.

:cool:
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Larry you thought wrong. Chat and Chew was the name of the contemporary bible study held on Sunday mornings that my DS really enjoyed. Cookie Cafe I believe is held on Thursday afternoons. It's not right to accuse the Guests of trying to siphon off Cookie Cafe funds or at least I think that's what your trying to do with the Jim and Tammy Baker comment. The Guests are not only nice people, but they are hardworking and I bet there aren't many that would work the hours that they work just get their expenses paid. I also think you are probably grossly misjudging the amount of Cookie Cafe funds that there are.

No Chat & Chew? I thought it was called the Cookie Café.

Wow, flashbacks of PTL's Jim Baker come to mind, “I swear that the Mercedes Benz and HVAC’ed Dog House came from Tammy Faye’s record company promotion deals and not from ministry donations”…[/QUOTE]
 
cookiecafemom said:
As far as religious, there has been no connection with Cookie Cafe. We are there to love the students with no strings attached. Do we have to be atheist, or nonreligious before we qualify to run Cookie Cafe? That is non thinking. There is not one student who can tell you that they have felt ill at ease or been offended at Cookie Cafe. Just ask them. There is no prosletizing, that is not allowed on a federal academy anyway. We are seasoned workers, following the federal regulations, and never had a complaint. We are creating a healthy atmosphere on campus of acceptance. Just ask anyone.

Cookie Cafe Mom i believe you are wrong that there can be no prosletizing on a federal academy. Pesons invited onto an academy can have those rights restricted, but any midshipman or member of the military that is assigned to a federal academy have the right to express their beliefs. There are several legal groups that work to protect these rights.
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I'm pretty sure folks who have followed this saga over the past year know where I stand on all this so I won't re-cap, more than enough drama has surrounded this entire episode.

However, I do want to weigh in and say that making assumptions and indirect or almost direct asides and allegations about two people who have for over two years spent an average of over 20 hours a week providing something that many people were happy to see happen - cookie cafe' - is just plain wrong, and mean. Whatever you or I for that matter think or thought about all this, making assumptions on this relative to motives, and assuming that someone might take monies donated to support Cookie Cafe' and detail it to other purposes shows a pretty complete lack of understanding about two things - a) how much it costs to provide snacks to 200+ 17-24 year olds every week and b) the record keeping and reporting requirements as regards 501 (c3).
 
students sharing their faith

"gman" you are correct but what I wrote was accurate also.

We adult workers and volunteers on campus know that we have to very careful about not prostletizing, and we have done that for 6 years on campus. If someone asked us a question we are allowed to give them a reply if they initiate it.

As far as students on campus, they are allowed to share their faith, it is a consitutional right. There is an organzation in Washington DC who will legally protect those rights if a student needs it.
 
Luigi59 said:
If?
Read and learn.
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Luigi59 said:
Lugi,

I didn’t' read your links, but in what I read in the past was that there wasn't any air force officer that lost their job, there was a Chaplin that was evangelizing that was found he had every right to do so because that was his belief, and that there were a couple of staff (coaches) who were reprimanded because they pushed cadets towards Christianity. I don't believe any member of the military was reprimanded. The big scandal at air force was the rape scandal. At least 4 high ranking officers at the academy lost their jobs over this scandal. To me you tend to be like the newspapers and misrepresent the so called "religious scandal".
Click to expand...
 
[QUOTE=jasperdog;203531]I'm pretty sure folks who have followed this saga over the past year know where I stand on all this so I won't re-cap, more than enough drama has surrounded this entire episode.

However, I do want to weigh in and say that making assumptions and indirect or almost direct asides and allegations about two people who have for over two years spent an average of over 20 hours a week providing something that many people were happy to see happen - cookie cafe' - is just plain wrong, and mean. Whatever you or I for that matter think or thought about all this, making assumptions on this relative to motives, and assuming that someone might take monies donated to support Cookie Cafe' and detail it to other purposes shows a pretty complete lack of understanding about two things - a) how much it costs to provide snacks to 200+ 17-24 year olds every week and b) the record keeping and reporting requirements as regards 501 (c3).[/QUOTE]


Well said.
 
g-man said:
[
Lugi,

I didn’t' read your links,
Click to expand...


Then you don't know what you are talking about. Read them or go and read the official United States Air Force's own documents about the conclusions drawn from the investigation(s) if you wish. Either way will show you the truth.

The scandal had nothing to do with "a Chaplin that was evangelizing." It had everything to do with the atmosphere that was promoted and tolerated by the administration at that time.

Here's some more information on the subject:

Religion and Its Role Are in Dispute at the Service Academies - NY Times
41% of non-Christian AF cadets cite proselytizing - AP
AFA survey: Cadets fear racial, religious bias - CoSprgs Gazette

BTW - you are taking this thread way off topic, and my responses to your misinformed posts are doing the same. After you educate yourself about what was happening at USAFA in the early-mid 2000's, start another thread on the topic and I will be happy to talk about the facts.

PS - these links about the AFA scandal does not imply that I believe the same things were/are happening at USMMA.
 
Folks: Obviously a "hot" topic. Unfortunately I had an unexpected internet outage and haven't been able to weigh in as of yet.

Please remember to respect the opinions of every member. Feel free to disagree, but keep it as civil as possible. Using the words "you" or a screen members name usually leads to feelings of personal attacks so think twice before hitting "post" if you use one of those in your post.
 
kp2001 said:
Folks: Obviously a "hot" topic. Unfortunately I had an unexpected internet outage and haven't been able to weigh in as of yet.

Please remember to respect the opinions of every member. Feel free to disagree, but keep it as civil as possible. Using the words "you" or a screen members name usually leads to feelings of personal attacks so think twice before hitting "post" if you use one of those in your post.
Click to expand...

Sort of like chasing a 20-month old around the house, huh, KP2001? :wink:
 
Cookie cafe is going to make it, i am so glad

As most of you know we cannot stay at KP. We did not quit we were made to quit. We were concerned about Cookie Cafe as this is important for the students.

We have been working hard to fill all jobs and gaps and it is workable. Parents are coming forward and picking up the responisibilites and it appears that it will be a seamless transition. We were not the only ones who saw this as very important at KP for the morale.

So, I feel very badly that we cannot be there, but I am so pleased with the parents team. They are a great group. I have loved working with each one of them. There are even new parents stepping forward to help in a big way.

SO MIDSHIPMEN COME OUT ON SEPTEMBER 15 AND ENJOY STARTING THE YEAR AGAIN WITH A TRADITION THAT IS VERY POPULAR. I WILL BE THINKING ABOUT YOU.
 
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