Sponsor Family Shortfall/Class of 2024

Capt MJ

Capt MJ

Serviam.
15-Year Member
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Sep 27, 2008
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I mentioned in another post for the first time in well over two decades we were going to step back from sponsoring plebes as a COVID precaution, since both my DH and I have vulnerabilities and have been maintaining an essentials-only lifestyle.

Today, we received an email from Sponsor Coordinator Rose that she has 400 mids she needs sponsors for. In the past, we have taken 5 new plebes a year, and when we got an email from Rose saying “I have about 10 left, can you take another,” we always said yes. Forgive me, but effing COVID, I feel awful about this, but we should not add to our social exposure. Apparently, others are also sitting out this year.

Just another tertiary consequence of the pandemic, but I feel for the plebes, as a good sponsor family can be a great QOL respite.
 
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Some Mids seem more dependent on their sponsor families than others. I'd image a lot depends on how far your family is and can they visit or pick the Mid up. Maybe they could leave the last 10 for families within a state or two of the yard.
 
Oh wow that really is sad. Sad for the plebes. Sad for the sponsors that have to make that decision. Sad for YOU @Capt MJ as I can tell from your posts how important this piece of your life is to you. Completely understand. We host exchange students and wonder if it’s wise this year.

I missed your other post...there goes my dream of my own having you as a sponsor family 😂😂

effing covid continues to suck the life out of everything...#COVIDSUX
 
Realistically they won’t get off the yard this semester. I wonder if usna could offer a 2nd semester option, presumably they won’t be off the Yard then, either, if they don’t have a vaccine? And if there is a vaccine, people would feel more comfortable?
 
DD has an amazing sponsor family. Yet even if restrictions were lifted for fall semester, I would advise DD to not visit them. They’re in their mid to late 50s, and sponsor dad is a medical practitioner. So I wouldn’t want DD putting them at any kind of risk. They’ve been too good to her for her to do that to them. Sad, but it’s the world we live in.
 
Capt MJ said:
We have Zoomed and FaceTimed with our upperclass. Just not the same as hugs and laughter in the kitchen and mundane gossip from the Yard.
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What is the acceptable radius for a sponsor family? It’s amazing, at 5 plebes per family (ish) that they can get that many sponsors from just around Annapolis.
 
@Capt MJ I agree with @justdoit19 , there goes my dream of you randomly becoming our plebe's sponsor this year. But I am most sad for plebes that don't benefit from your sage advice and plethora of ice cream, not to mention doggo time. I am also sad as I know you love doing it. BUT, I have my fingers crossed that you will be able to return to sponsor life soon. In the meanwhile, you continue to keep all of us on course with our sails trimmed and keel humming.
 
SCubb said:
What is the acceptable radius for a sponsor family? It’s amazing, at 5 plebes per family (ish) that they can get that many sponsors from just around Annapolis.
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I have forgotten what the current radius is. DC and Baltimore are too far. Mids don’t want to burn liberty time sweating DC-area traffic to get back to the Yard.

Most don’t take 5. That’s the usual max. Most take 1-2, as I think about the 6-7 neighbors who sponsor. The impact on the food budget, washer-dryer wear and tear, and overall coordination and logistics, especially when the plus/minus 15 upperclass get factored in, can be significant. The more senior they get, the less we see them, as can be expected. In normal times, Saturdays tend to be populated with plebes and youngsters. Sunday afternoons, 1/c and 2/c roll in with laundry and laptops for homework, and raid the leftovers from Saturday night dinner.
 
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Capt MJ said:
I have forgotten what the current radius is. DC and Baltimore are too far. Mids don’t want to burn liberty time sweating DC-area traffic to get back to the Yard.

Most don’t take 5. That’s the usual max. Most take 1-2, as I think about the 6-7 neighbors who sponsor. The impact on the food budget, washer-dryer wear and tear, and overall coordination and logistics, especially when the plus/minus 15 upperclass get factored in, can be significant. The more senior they get, the less we see them, as can be expected. In normal times, Saturdays tend to be populated with plebes and youngsters. Sunday afternoons, 1/c and 2/c roll in with laundry and laptops for homework, and raid the leftovers from Saturday night dinner.
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that really is an amazing thing and certainly N*ot College! How does it work - do the text you they are coming or do you just expect them? Do they bring lost friends? Assuming things get back to normal and our DS plebe ever gets to have one, what is the appropriate way to thank them?

edit: and P.S. THANK YOU to all the sponsor families on here!
 
SCubb said:
that really is an amazing thing and certainly N*ot College! How does it work - do the text you they are coming or do you just expect them? Do they bring lost friends? Assuming things get back to normal and our DS plebe ever gets to have one, what is the appropriate way to thank them?

edit: and P.S. THANK YOU to all the sponsor families on here!
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On Thursday nights (normal times, may they come again), we send a group email letting them know if we are open for visits or not, asking them to let us know by Friday COB if they need rides, have an overnight or a weekend, are in for dinner, Sunday visits, are bringing anyone, special requests. A special request might be “can you take me and friend to movie theater or Mall, no dinner, pick us up later to hang at the house.” They can always bring a friend unannounced, that last-minute orphan bring-along. I always make enough food to the 120% level, and we are well-versed in mid chow consumption rates. A firstie might respond “bringing boyfriend Sunday midday but we will hit Chipotle first, need to do laundry and work on a paper.”

The most fun Saturday nights at the full dinner table plus extension table (16 or more, though 4-8 is more normal) is when we have a visit from an alumni sponsor family member, perhaps someone in transit from Charleston nuke school to the prototype at Ballston Spa, or a SWO who’s run up from Norfolk to visit for the weekend, who happily returns to the table to field questions from mids, share sea stories, give advice, etc. We just get to listen and enjoy. It’s also fun when we have a retired captain or admiral at the table, and it’s a full-on wardroom dinner. The mids particularly enjoy it when they hear stories about me or DH from back in the day. We are often at the table 3-4 hours, just talking. No devices allowed, though alumni often call to check in at dinner time, knowing it’s likely they will catch us plus sponsor sibs who were 1-3 years behind them.

No need to make a huge fuss to thank sponsors. A Sam’s Club gift card is always appreciated, or food gifts from home state - ripe peaches from Georgia/SC, maple syrup from the local farm in NH, cherry items from MI, apples from WA, those jumbo peanuts from VA. One family took note of the laundry detergent we use, and always arrived with the warehouse club size.

Miss that controlled mayhem.
 
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SCubb said:
that really is an amazing thing and certainly N*ot College! How does it work - do the text you they are coming or do you just expect them? Do they bring lost friends? Assuming things get back to normal and our DS plebe ever gets to have one, what is the appropriate way to thank them?

edit: and P.S. THANK YOU to all the sponsor families on here!
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I send our Mids Sponsor family a Sam's card each year because I asked my son & he said that's where they get gas; Safeway card for groceries, tickets to the Army Navy game. Etsy has great handcrafted USNA gifts & I knew my son's family had a specific Christmas tree for USNA items. Even found an ornament that said 'Sponsor Family.' Send flowers on Mother's Day, Sponsor Dad's favorite slippers on Father's Day and LOTS of thank you cards & texts. I have also sent gift baskets filled with consumable goodies, made in our home state. The laundry detergent idea mentioned above is great too! Our son's Sponsor Family carries 8 or 9 Mids & they miss them in their home so very much right now! They have no family around & say the quiet in their kitchen is no fun! Praying for normalcy after the fall.
 
I still maintain the usual 5-7 flavors of ice cream in the freezer, which is very tempting. Normally those will be eaten through in the course of a busy weekend. We have no food rules here. If a bowl of ice cream with chopped fruit and toasted almonds is what you need for breakfast to face your Robotics project, have at it. They are young, they are active, their metabolisms can take it, and they know how to eat sensibly when required. My only guidance is don’t over-snack before dinner, because of the effort we put in.

There was an immature plebe who discovered the vanilla bean ice cream and root beer in the garage beverage refrigerator. He made himself a root beer float as an afternoon treat. He then made himself 4 more, total of 5. DH and I decided to let him reap the consequences of his decision and said nothing. He sat down at the dinner table and said he was too full to eat, and he wasn’t feeling that well any way. His 2/c sponsor sister took him off to a quiet room with a bathroom and handed him some Pepto Bismol, as well as gently talked to him about his choices. I can’t imagine what 5 cans of carbonated sweet soda and accompanying scoops of ice cream must have felt like. 😱
 
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As the mom of a plebe - this thread is breaking my heart for all involved. Sponsor families have so much too offer and I know our plebes have so much to learn (root beer and ice cream...)I can only pray this gets better. My Poppy used to say "this too shall pass" so I am hanging onto these words and hope there is normality in the next 6-12 months.
 
Capt MJ said:
...or food gifts from home state
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Funny newbie Plebe parent gaffe....my son's sponsor is a friend from my high school whose office is right across the water from the yard. After he picked up my son at BWI and took him out to dinner prior to report, I sent some Enstrom's Colorado Almond Toffee and Colorado Evergreen Tumblers. But I forgot to change the address in Amazon "ship to" field. So next, I sent my sponsor jock itch spray and athlete's foot spray. ROFL....thank God he immediately knew what had happened and thought it was funny!
 
Anyone know of an update to this shortfall? I know there are plebes in DS' company still waiting on word.
 
I can only speculate, but I don’t imagine much of an uptick since I started this thread.

Local families are having to make tough decisions. Age, children at home, tight finances, medical conditions, life is already too complex right now so let’s just focus on essentials - both long-time and new sponsors are making utilitarian decisions right now.

It saddens us. We have had no one in our house except essential repair people since late February. We’ve had spaced-out-chairs-in-driveway visits with upperclass sponsor mids and alumni, and cul-de-sac spaced-out happy hours with neighbors, but that’s it. There are at least 6 other families in our neighborhood who usually take a sponsor mid or two, but not this year.

It makes for a bit less QOL for those mids who like a sponsor relationship, but mids are hardy and adaptive souls, and they will just lean on each other more.
 
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