Sponsor Families

The mass storage at Sponsors is more recent than my personal vintage. The only thing that mids stored at my sponsor's house were cars. . .
Cars that were illegal for mids to own within 7 miles of USNA. Sponsor lived on a corner lot and we parked on the side street up against a fence and were required to leave a set of keys with sponsor. Whenever the informal neighborhood watch saw someone official "noticing" the cars in the neighborhood, the sponsor would go out and remove license plates and leave them in the trunk. This was definitely part of the "Cops and Robbers" midshipman version.
 
The phone would ring, with DD on the other end. I could always tell within 2 sentences when she was at her sponsors home. Gone was the low, monotone voice, spitting out clipped words faster than the human ear could grasp them.....When she called from the Yard she always sounded like a hostile witness with her jaw wired. Sitting at her sponsor parents home, with their dog on her lap she'd laugh, and BS just like my old Kid.

Her sponsor parents where different. A older professional couple with no kids, they were often gone over the weekends or doing evenings out. They just gave DD the run of the house, very easy going (just what DD needed). And the lifts to BWI! to make a tight schedule for flight home after finals*****Priceless! You send a 'Thank You Gift' at graduation, but its only a gesture; there's no way you could repay them (the good ones) for what they do.
 
Just Dad said:
You send a 'Thank You Gift' at graduation, but its only a gesture; there's no way you could repay them (the good ones) for what they do.
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^^^ This! ^^^

When we saw DD’s sponsor parents this weekend, we told them that they’d be sitting with us in the reserved section for graduation. Sponsor mom started to tear up. They were so grateful. But there’s just no way we could adequately thank them for making DD feel so at home for four years.

We don’t know what to give them as a graduation gift. We’ve done simple things like food baskets and restaurant gift cards for the holidays. But we’re open to ideas for this “final” gesture of appreciation.
 
MidCakePa said:
^^^ This! ^^^

When we saw DD’s sponsor parents this weekend, we told them that they’d be sitting with us in the reserved section for graduation. Sponsor mom started to tear up. They were so grateful. But there’s just no way we could adequately thank them for making DD feel so at home for four years.

We don’t know what to give them as a graduation gift. We’ve done simple things like food baskets and restaurant gift cards for the holidays. But we’re open to ideas for this “final” gesture of appreciation.
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I think you just gave them the best gift. An honor!
 
Along the lines of ‘it’s never enough…’, also no clue how to express our gratitude.

I wonder, too, if inviting to commissioning would be a ‘chore’ to a sponsor who has sponsored for a long time? ‘Who wants to sit through a long and hot graduation, is kind of what I’m wondering would be a thought’ I have. Don’t want to out her in an akward place of saying ‘no thanks’. I’m probably overthink this. And it would come from our Mid, anyhow. Not me.

Our sponsor mom is invited to our Mids wedding. By him. Here in our hometown. Wouldn’t be surprised if she came.

But yea, need commissioning ‘thank you’ ideas….
 
MidCakePa said:
^^^ This! ^^^

When we saw DD’s sponsor parents this weekend, we told them that they’d be sitting with us in the reserved section for graduation. Sponsor mom started to tear up. They were so grateful. But there’s just no way we could adequately thank them for making DD feel so at home for four years.

We don’t know what to give them as a graduation gift. We’ve done simple things like food baskets and restaurant gift cards for the holidays. But we’re open to ideas for this “final” gesture of appreciation.
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As a sponsor, I suspect we would all tell you, “Don’t worry about it, the pleasure is enjoying the end of the USNA journey and looking forward to staying in touch in the years ahead.”

That said, all we ask of our firsties is a fun group photo. We have quite the gallery now, and just a few weeks ago, a 2001 grad returned with wife (2% Club!) and 2 kids, and his older boy picked dad out of a photo right away.

I will also say the best and most unexpected “final appreciation” gift was a gift certificate to a bed and breakfast association, usable at any member B&B. The idea was that we could have an “overnight” and someone cooking us a good breakfast. Similar would be a hotel dot com gift certificate (Capt Obvious), if they do them.

I am watching two plebes right now devouring a lb of crispy Wright’s bacon and a tray of Amish sticky buns.

We watch the graduation live stream every year, cheering “ours” on. We decline invitations to attend. Too long, too hot, too exhausting. We go to every grad party we are invited to!!!
 
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MidCakePa said:
^^^ This! ^^^
…
We don’t know what to give them as a graduation gift. We’ve done simple things like food baskets and restaurant gift cards for the holidays. But we’re open to ideas for this “final” gesture of appreciation.
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.
Most people like to huddle around food …. How about sending them some cured meat … maybe a Virginia cured ham or some other tasty slab of cured meat.

It’s cold outside …. Fry up some Ham and have it with your eggs, browned potatoes, and biscuits … it will make you feel all warm inside.
.
 
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MidCakePa said:
^^^ This! ^^^

When we saw DD’s sponsor parents this weekend, we told them that they’d be sitting with us in the reserved section for graduation. Sponsor mom started to tear up. They were so grateful. But there’s just no way we could adequately thank them for making DD feel so at home for four years.

We don’t know what to give them as a graduation gift. We’ve done simple things like food baskets and restaurant gift cards for the holidays. But we’re open to ideas for this “final” gesture of appreciation.
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MidCakePA, how about an all-expense paid trip to one of those European countries you’ve visited? 😀😀😀 Jokes aside, I don’t think there will ever be a “final” gesture on your or DD’s part. I sense a genuine admiration for the sponsor family. Your and DD’s gestures, I think, will be continual. It may be in the form of a postcard or correspondence with an update on DD post-graduation doings. Or when DD is back in the area and has a chance to stop in and visit with her former sponsors. Those are priceless gestures that say, “we remember you with fondness”.
 
Terrific perspective, @WT Door. I hear Romania is wonderful this time of year. 😉 You're right that the best gesture is probably continuous contact and occasional visits — nice reminders that “they did good” in their part of raising an officer.
 
DS's sponsors were big Colorado Rockies fans. I called the Rockies to see if they sold 3 game packs of tickets like the Nationals did at the time. The Rockies did not, but they told me I could purchase "Rockies money" which our sponsors could use to purchase any game ticket and also use for food voucher. I looked at ball park seating and figured out what 6 tickets would cost in a seating area I felt was appropriate, and then how much food voucher money they would use and paid for that. The Rockies sent the certificate to his sponsors directly, and I just told them, 'when you get mail from the Rockies, don't throw it out, it's something official for you' -- they loved the gift.
 
We are coming to Annapolis to visit our Mid this coming weekend and meet his wonderful Sponsor family for the first time (they live close to USNA). Looking for some gift ideas. They do sponsor several MIDS, so is there a favorite place to shop for groceries? Other ideas? Thank you in advance!
 
@NickMomSince1997

If they have a Sam’s Club membership, a gift card from there.

A plain Visa gift card is handy for gas and groceries, their choice.

I shop at the military Commissaries, Sam’s Club and Trader Joe’s (gift card is nice there too), for the sponsor mid fam. There is a Safeway, Giant, Whole Foods and other grocery chains - you’d have to know what they use if they are not eligible to use military Commissary.

Gift card from Naval Bagels is never a bad idea.

I hold fond thoughts for anyone who gives us a gift card to Wine Cellars of Annapolis. Not sharing with mids. Well, I do invite them to Chef’s Kitchen Happy Hour when they are of age and interested. They have to perform kitchen labor, such as Intro to Onion Chopping, Basic Knife Skills, etc., while relating Scandalous Tales from Bancroft.
 
Capt MJ said:
@NickMomSince1997

If they have a Sam’s Club membership, a gift card from there.

A plain Visa gift card is handy for gas and groceries, their choice.

I shop at the military Commissaries, Sam’s Club and Trader Joe’s (gift card is nice there too), for the sponsor mid fam. There is a Safeway, Giant, Whole Foods and other grocery chains - you’d have to know what they use if they are not eligible to use military Commissary.

Gift card from Naval Bagels is never a bad idea.

I hold fond thoughts for anyone who gives us a gift card to Wine Cellars of Annapolis. Not sharing with mids. Well, I do invite them to Chef’s Kitchen Happy Hour when they are of age and interested. They have to perform kitchen labor, such as Intro to Onion Chopping, Basic Knife Skills, etc., while relating Scandalous Tales from Bancroft.
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Perfect - thanks a million!!!
 
OfficerToBe750 said:
Our DS is at USAFA but we just moved to the Annapolis area. After we get settled, we hope to apply to be a sponsor family. Empty nesters now - would be nice to be able to host some from USNA.
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Go to the link below to fill out the form. You’ll want to get it done by roughly end of May; there is usually online (recently) or f2f training sessions required.

Be sure to work through the hamburger menu items on left to get to application.

www.usna.edu

USNA Sponsor Program

USNA Sponsor Program page for USNA Sponsor Program at USNA.edu. Updated Wed May 17 16:34:35 EDT 2023.
www.usna.edu

Welcome to Naptown!
 
Capt MJ said:
Go to the link below to fill out the form. You’ll want to get it done by roughly end of May; there is usually online (recently) or f2f training sessions required.

Be sure to work through the hamburger menu items on left to get to application.

www.usna.edu

USNA Sponsor Program

USNA Sponsor Program page for USNA Sponsor Program at USNA.edu. Updated Wed May 17 16:34:35 EDT 2023.
www.usna.edu

Welcome to Naptown!
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Thank you so much. Will do.
 
Capt MJ said:
Great comments.

And let me point out there is NO requirement or expectation that sponsors must provide storage for mids over summer break. Mids are expected to manage their own stuff, paring down as they need to, using USNA storage, going in with other mids to rent a storage unit over the summer or asking sponsors. We used to allow it, asking simply no perishables, well-labeled storage boxes, and no long-term storage, but we got tired of smelly boxes (one was wet laundry that fermented over the summer), “mystery boxes,” abandoned boxes, boxes of friends, etc. and stopped the basement option. We have a designated closet downstairs where they can stash things for short-term. Sponsors and mids work it all out.
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We were discussing a storage bin for our plebe to keep at sponsor house. Sponsor (extended family friend) has an out building with lawn area they let sponsor mids use as their space. We want to contain random items used while visiting (thinking sports gear: football, baseball gloves, maybe spikeball). Wondering what other types of items ended up in your closet as short-term storage?
 
penguin05 said:
We were discussing a storage bin for our plebe to keep at sponsor house. Sponsor (extended family friend) has an out building with lawn area they let sponsor mids use as their space. We want to contain random items used while visiting (thinking sports gear: football, baseball gloves, maybe spikeball). Wondering what other types of items ended up in your closet as short-term storage?
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I don’t ask, just that it be labeled and not contain food or wet laundry or stuff that can rot or mildew (we have stories). Stuff comes in, they are in and out of it over the summer, it goes away at Reform.
 
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