<p>I know I will be there 
Already have the T-shirt in the works</p>
<p>Hey KJ, i wonder if they would get mad if we brought our lawn chairs :D</p>
<p>Hey BD… I say BRING’EM Those foldup canvas chairs would be perfect I am thinking. Has your son’s company developed into a parents group yet? Have about 16 sets of parents so far in C/6 It suddenly has become a really small world dont ya think?</p>
<p>I suspect the reason they cancelled PEP is exactly for the things navy2010 described from last year. Your sons and daughters are active duty military service now. This is not a high school pep rally. I personally would have liked to have sat quietly and observed PEP, but have now elected to follow advice and stay away and adhere to the official schedule. Your sons and daughters (including mine) are the ones who will pay the price if we don’t adhere to the rules.</p>
<p>Don’t bring the lawn chairs. If they say it’s just another training day, keep it that way or the plebes may be the ones who have to pay the price(mca2011’s right). It doesn’t say don’t go, just don’t make a big deal about it. That sounds like what the class of 08 did and it was just fine. We still got to see our plebes, it was just low key. Life is definitely changing at the Academy with the new Supe and Commandant.</p>
<p>In a way the Academy is doing the plebe parents a favor by not including PEP as part of the schedule because you won’t have to get up so darn early. I don’t even get up that early to work out–Bill wasn’t it dark when you left your hotel for PEP? Families will be more rested for the marvelous reunion with their plebestars! Yeah, I remember when my mid saw me at PEP, she started crying tears of joy! </p>
<p>Sorry to hear that they eliminated the reaffirmation ceremony because that was an EXTRAORDINARY experience. Especially for the families who didn’t attend I-day. Basically, the supe, commandant, academic director, and athletic director expanded the presentations they gave on I-day. It included a great slide show presentation of plebe summer, and the link in the chain ceremony where members of the class of 1959 presented coins to each and every one of our mids. That was a memorable event!</p>
<p>Saying goodbye at the end of PPW was pretty sad…especially for the mids who returned at the last minute and were standing in formation in the wrong uniform and some even had shopping bags next to them. Not a pretty sight.</p>
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<p>…thousands of parents gathered around the entrance to T-court, and not a whisper to be heard! (out of the entire plebe year, that was, by far, the day that brought the most tears to my eyes!) :o</p>
<p>Last year they cancelled my family’s flight out of Atlanta and we missed the PEP deal. My son said that with all the parent’s there, the PEP they did was a lot easier than normal. I am also disappointed for the Mids and parents for the removal of the Reaffirmation ceremony and the ties with the previous class from 50 years ago. As a former graduate that was something new to me and an event I found to be particularly moving and thoughtful. I am not sure why it was eliminated but I’m sure the rationale was that they already took the oath and that’s that. I hope it wasn’t because “that wasn’t the way they did it my Plebe year.” With a new Dant and Supe, I think the Mids will see some changes and I just hope they’re well thought out.</p>
<p>I also had to fly back early PPW so my family said their good-byes several hours early…it was probably a good thing. I know my Plebe year they also played Christmas music and as we didn’t go home for Thanksgiving, it really did hit home. I remember that I had the “chow calls” for the formation just prior to the end of PPW and couldn’t remember most of the verbage for the 5 and 10 minute calls. My squad leader had some motivating words and finally just laughed and told me to shove off. After the parent’s left, it was indeed an interesting evening. They kept us so busy you didn’t have a chance to think about home.</p>
<p>Enjoy the weekend and relax. Let your Midn take the lead. Suggest if they’re stump, but don’t lead by the bit. And don’t forget to get those Midn store cards with your names on it…the cards will be good for four years and worth your time getting them. Your Mid doesn’t have to be there for you to get the card.</p>
<p>All the best,</p>