Plebe Summer - First Phone Call on Sunday July 11th

M

MIHOSER

5-Year Member
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Has anyone read or been told anything about what time of day (generally) to expect the first phone call this Sunday?

Past-year(s) parents - what time of day did you get your calls?

I recognize that this is totally up to USNA and is subject to change, etc. We just want to figure out if we are safe going to church in the morning, where, of course, we can't get forwarded phone calls. If not, fine, we'll wait by the phone.
 
We plan on keeping ALL of our family cell phones on vibrate so as not to miss the call! We plan on telling our pastor that if we suddenly bolt out the door on Sunday, it has nothing to do with his sermon, but an important call is coming through!!!! :thumb:
 
Typically in the afternoon eastern time. I recall we got them at 4pm and also 6pm.
 
On the Thornton site - it says between 2 and 2:45 (if you follow the twitter)
 
Phone calls can come at any time during the day and will vary by company. Throughout the entire Plebe summer all activities planned or otherwise will vary by company. Don't be surprised that "schedules" will change with little notice.
 
I am starting a list of things to ask/tell DS about when he calls. If I don't, I know I'll be so excited to hear his voice, that I'll forget all the things I had in mind. I've had a similar situation before, that when you end the call you suddenly remember all sorts of things you meant to ask/talk about.

My son mentioned in his letter that Sundays are the best because they can go to church in the morning and are "detailer free" until 1200. I would make an educated guess that their calls will be scheduled sometime after that, staggered by company through the afternoon and evening, being monitored by the detailers. However, I may be completely wrong?
 
Just got off the phone with our son and he sounds great! Says it's getting better everyday, sports are starting, he's really, really, busy, they've been out on a boat... he sounded so good!

Hope everyone else has a great experience.
 
Just received a 30 min. phone call from our son (2:00 - 2:30pm). He also sounded very upbeat and talked about everything they have been doing.
He said there were about 5 companies making their calls at that time in that area - he assumed the others would follow.

An interesting thing is that their mail seems to be taking a while to get to them - I guess the mailroom has been swamped with mail. He only received his first package from us on about Wed, July 7th - I mailed it in Annapolis on Friday 07/02 and I was told it would be delivered to USNA last Sat. morning (Priority mail). I sent another package that arrived at USNA this past Friday morning 07/09 (according to priority Mail delivery confirmation) but he has not received it yet.

DS said he has sent us quite a few letters - we have only received 1, and we are in Georgia. Oh well, nice to know more are on the way!
 
Glad to hear alot of positive phone calls! Our call was positive today as well, just the facts w/ minimal details.
I want to send out an encouragement to those who may not be getting a "great call" today though. Its tough when you hear from them and they "cant stand it",or "just wished I had some time for myself" comments. We have been there and more than anything they want to know that they've been heard. You can say you understand what they are going thru only if you have been a plebe before. I had not so I empathized as but I could and that seems to work well.
Let them know you believe in them and that you will be there for them. They can do it!!!!:thumb:
Just my thoughts.
Take care all.
 
not so good call from DS. contemplating T company. He sounded great said it wasn't any of the physical or even the mental stuff. Just is questioning if this is really the future for him. He made valid points and is going through all the correct channels for counseling. Our concern -1st he hasn't given it enough time yet and he kept mentioning the costs to stay . Uniforms and computers and everything else he would have to pay back if he stays til the end of summer then leaves. He is unbelievably money conscience and we worry that is his real reason for leaving. glad most of you received great calls we unfortunately are in limbo.
 
blackhawkmom said:
not so good call from DS. contemplating T company. He sounded great said it wasn't any of the physical or even the mental stuff. Just is questioning if this is really the future for him.
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Gosh, BHMom, that's hard. :frown: I know you're suffering for him right now. Are you on the USNA plebe parent's listserv? There are a lot of people there ready to support you. You and your son are in our thoughts and prayers!

Our son sounded tired but good, laughed a lot and told some funny stories. They are all counting the days to PPW! He said his head was spinning on I Day, but things have gotten better since then. :thumb:
 
We got a pretty postive phone call today. The thing that surprised us is that after asking our son if he was so exhausted that he fell right to sleep at night, he said, no, actually I am afraid to fall asleep because I might fall 10 feet to the floor from my rack! :yllol: He says he think he can do this. He says that he is excited about his new Sperry Topsiders. I thought that was a hoot since I have tried to buy him a pair here at home and he looked at me as if I was an alien from another planet. Apparently his roommates and he flunked the first inspection for not sweeping their floor. :eek:
To Black Hawk mom, this could just be a bump in the road for your son. I will say a prayer for you and hope that it works itself out. It could happen to any of us.
 
Blackhawkmom, I think D company had a rough day today, almost every comment from D company parents sounded like their Plebes are having a tough time. Our call was no different. He said he missed us so much. He said the same thing your son said, the physical aspect wasn't a problem, its all the memorizing. He messed up on reciting a quote and had to write it 8 times by this afternoon, this happened this morning, so I'm sure that contributed. Tell DS to try to stick it out thru the summer, then thru the 1st year. This is the worst of it, tell him to at least give the best of it a go before deciding this isn't for him. He will regret it if he leaves after only 2 wks in.
 
blackhawkmom said:
not so good call from DS. contemplating T company. He sounded great said it wasn't any of the physical or even the mental stuff. Just is questioning if this is really the future for him. He made valid points and is going through all the correct channels for counseling. Our concern -1st he hasn't given it enough time yet and he kept mentioning the costs to stay . Uniforms and computers and everything else he would have to pay back if he stays til the end of summer then leaves. [/b]He is unbelievably money conscience and we worry that is his real reason for leaving.[/b] glad most of you received great calls we unfortunately are in limbo.
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BHM, if your son is extremely money conscious and says he isn't having any problems with the physical or mental stuff, he might be being less than straight forward with you. The Navy is giving him two years of FREE education while he makes up his mind. He knows this. Perhaps there is something weighing on his mind which he hasn't revealed to you. Falconchic is spot on:
Tell DS to try to stick it out thru the summer, then thru the 1st year. This is the worst of it, tell him to at least give the best of it a go before deciding this isn't for him. He will regret it if he leaves after only 2 wks in.
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BHM, if the company is having a bad day that could be contributing to his apprehension. Also, some kids might not have acclimated to being away from home, especially those that have not been away for long periods before. They have been yanked from the real world and dropped into an alternate universe. We received a letter from USNA this week from the officer in charge of sons company. Gave a lot of good advice.

Our son sounded very positive and fortunately he does not miss us! :redface: But he has been on many trips without us, so that adjustment will be easier. He's received the care packages and gets to keep everything. Joined the choir (he can't sing a note!), qualified expert in pristol, marksman in rifle, upped his personal best in pushups and running, likes drill, looking into the sports, trying to figure out his major. I can sleep tonight.

When he left, I told him to write down at least one thing daily that was a success. At the end of the summer he will have a list of atleast 42 success stories. It sounds like he is doing this because he had very few negatives to talk about and when he did, they were no big deal. Emphasize the positive, that will be the only way to get through it!
 
So good to hear son's voice. He started out by saying he was standing in formation, at attention while talking to us and just wanted to hear about home. However, after a bit he relaxed and began to tell us about his experience. He said the food is great, his room is a good temp and his bed is comfortable, but he doesn't sleep a lot because he wakes up about an hour early in fear that he is late.:yllol: Said he likes the people in his squad and his roommate. Told about some of the writing he had to do because of misquoting something but said he has stayed under the radar for the most part. Asked for more food so he can share with his platoon mates but said he has everything else he needs. Also gave us his scores on his first PRT: 79 push ups, 85 sit ups, 10:04 min. 1.5 mile run. He says he wasn't really happy with it and wants to improve.

One thing we were really glad to hear is that he has joined the Drum and Bugle Corps as a Marimba player. So glad he's using his musical skills. As a bonus we got a WONDERFUL email from the leader of the "pit" (section of the D&B Corps) that said she will keep us posted on how our plebe is doing and send pics occasionally. :biggrin:

Son did say that sometimes it didn't seem worth it, especially when he remembers he will be the "lowest life form" clear up until next spring, but he reminds himself that a year is a very small part of the rest of his life. All-in-all a good day.

Blackhawkmom, I'm so sorry to hear your son is having doubts. Glad he is going through the right channels. If it is just a momentary discouragement, they will help him through it. If it really isn't for him, then he'll be happier wherever he goes from here. You are in my thoughts and prayers! Please keep us posted!
 
Got the call at 1400...DD was positive and even cheerful. Said the physical stuff was do-able but she wasn't used to being in the lower third when it comes to athletics. She even made a comment about her height - feels short for the first time - and had to be helped over a hurdle on the E-course. And the memorization is tough - which is saying a lot because she is usually very good at it. The only thing she told us to send was Cransins (dried cranberries) as everything else she has plenty of - they got 20 more shirts today - all needing folding and putting away - and any other sweets get taken.

Got her results from the academic placement tests and is able to validate a bunch of classes. Said they'll be meeting with academic advisers next week to pick classes. That should be a lift as they'll see that there is indeed life after PS.

Said the food was just barely edible - but they eat it nonetheless. Wants a nice seafood dinner during PPW (any suggestions? We've only ever been to the Chart House).

Made D&B - so will be doing that most days. They sold it by mentioning that next year Navy plays ND in Ireland and D&B gets to go.

All-in-all a nice but short call. Great to hear her voice - although she was horse from all the yelling.

She did mention that there's a kid in her squad that may leave. Many factors involved including health issues. She felt really bad for him - squad loyalty already. To all in similar situations - tell them to seek support from all possible avenues. Sometimes just knowing you're not the only one having those feelings is enough. I feel for those who's call was not as positive. I'm sure it will get better.
 
blackhawkmom said:
not so good call from DS. contemplating T company. He sounded great said it wasn't any of the physical or even the mental stuff. Just is questioning if this is really the future for him. He made valid points and is going through all the correct channels for counseling. Our concern -1st he hasn't given it enough time yet and he kept mentioning the costs to stay . Uniforms and computers and everything else he would have to pay back if he stays til the end of summer then leaves. He is unbelievably money conscience and we worry that is his real reason for leaving. glad most of you received great calls we unfortunately are in limbo.
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blackhawkmom - I don't mean to sound critical or harsh but.....

give your son some backbone. If you discussed making a commitment to staying through plebe summer then remind him and tell him you expect him to fulfill it.
Many many kids call their parents with doubts like your son. This is nothing new and not limited to kids who go to SA's.
There is no way he can know if this is the future for him. You don't have to convince him of that but you should know it. He should know that you know it. He knows it even if he can't admit it. If he calls again with doubts give him positive encouragment. Tell him to take it one day at a time. Summer doesn't last forever etc. Give him the expectation that he will complete the summer and one semester.
Reassure him that everything is fine at home and you will see him for PPW. Homesickness is NOT fatal! I think it's perfectly okay to tell him you didn't send him up there to be a quitter.

I posted in another thread that teenagers are like toddlers on hormones. Separation anxiety is real and some kids need time to adjust. Most are happy to play along when they are not thinking of/talking to you.
Call his bluff. If this is so easy tell him to stick it out and get paid for the summer. Give it one semester, then he can talk about quitting.

Finally, I know parents whose kids cried to them all year long. Nearly every phone call they wanted to quit. This happens more than you think. This happened to a friend of mine and he is going into his third year.
Good Luck.
 
Thanks for the support. And actually from what DS says from his questions about t company etc---once they are issued uniforms and shoes if they leave you are charged for them. They must leave them there but they cannot be reused because they are tailored per plebe. Uniforms are 1400.00 and shoes are 80 per pair. If a plebe stays through the summer then leaves the estimated cost due to the academy is aprox 3000 to 5000 depending on if they have been issued a computer or not. (and you can't take the computer with you) Just some FYI. We told DS he needed to stay the summer and we would talk again PPW ---i hope the counselors are good ---i would rather see him miserable for a few weeks or months that to regret this for the rest of his life. 18 year olds ---what do we know? Glad he was in a good mood and otherwise happy. Made me feel better that he is looking with his head not his emotions. I have received an email that he isnt the only plebe in his company that feels this way so that made me feel better. Again thanks for the support and prayers looks like we are going to need them.
 
Wow - not sure how this works but am joining the 21st century! Had a good call from our son today - by the way, what is a DS? Anyway, he sounded tired and was kinda in the "all my friends are having fun" mode....We reminded him that he was doing one kind of work and they the other - working over the summer, worrying about how to pay for college, etc...OF COURSE they're only going to write about hanging at the lake and tubing....Like they're going to tell him THEIR problems?

He was also bummed about not having any AP courses...he's taken calculus, physics and chemistry but we live in a small town and he was concerned..His roomate is a NAPS guy and seems "much more relaxed" about stuff - maybe not a great fit, but good enough..North Dakota meets Annapolis! We just told him to do his best - he EARNED this spot and we are very proud of him!

I still sobbed long and hard after hanging up. I didn't during the call. This, I believe is the new definition of success.

My prayers are with every one going thru this - Quite a different "college" experience that I went through or anticipated.....Bottom line - it's what MY CHILD wants - I try to keep that in mind every day.
 
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