<p>Congratulations to all 2010 Graduates. May you have fair winds and following seas as you set off on your new careers!</p>
<p>Heave Ho! - Sail Safely USMMA Class of 2010!</p>
<p>[In</a> Peace and War](<a href=“http://inpeaceandwar.blogspot.com/]In”>http://inpeaceandwar.blogspot.com/)</p>
<p>Hey Jasperdog,</p>
<p>We were at graduation yesterday. I couldn’t believe it when LaHood called Barney Square the Grinder! The name will never die…</p>
<p>nmlcfp:</p>
<p>RE: “I couldn’t believe it when LaHood called Barney Square the Grinder! The name will never die…”</p>
<p>Yep, just shows how much/bad the USMC influence that a certain former Superintendant and his henchman have had. Fortunately the USMC isn’t the real home of flexibility/adaptability and “survives and thrives”. It’s really those of us who have been learned what we learned at the USMMA - to be entrepreneurial and live out here in the real world and have to compete in the jungle that is the Global Marketplace, that know how to do that best. If we didn’t we’d be “toast” instead of the most successful group of Alumni based on number of graduates in senior executive positions on a per capita basis.</p>
<p>Once we get that point truly back into EVERY aspect of the training and education program at the USMMA, it won’t be long before all those sorts of bad influences are purged and forgotten. Tat’s when we’ll be able to get things back onto the even keel and smooth sailing that old timers like me are striving for. Of course step one is to get a Superintendant who is indeed a Kings Pointer and tells the staff to purge all that silliness from the whole experience.</p>
<p>Increasing use of terms like “The Grinder” is just one example of it. The fact that people like Secretary LaHood and Admiral Mullen who are clearly now two of the biggest proponents of the USMMA in positions of authority think Barney Square is thought of as “The Grinder” by ALL Kings Pointers is just a symptom of the larger problem. If you think a 50 year old guy like me doesn’t understand calling Barney Square – “The Grinder” – try asking any member of the much venerated Classes of ’42 through ’50 for directions to “The Grinder” during Homecoming Weekend. However, When good people and friends of the Academy like Mullen, LaHood and/or Matsuda mistakenly call it that, I don’t get too upset. They have no way of “knowing better;” and from their Acta Non Verba, I truly believe they are working to correct the root causes of the real problem, and the eradication of the bothersome symptoms will follow.</p>
<p>Perhaps next June the Class and Parents of the Class of 2011, will try and start a tradition that could be added to graduation weekend proceedings where in thanks for the valuable education and great experiences they and their children received during the preceding four years, as part of one of the events leading up to but prior to the Commencement Ceremony, their Class President could give a gift to the USMMA Foundation. The gift would be a Class Gift and could/would be listed as that Class’ gift for their first “Homecoming” which would actually be the following September.</p>
<p>Think about it, if the Class of 2010 which is 198 strong had done such a thing it’s not unreasonable they could have started the tradition with a gift to the Foundation and the Midshipmen that were following in their footsteps of a significant sum with an interesting target number. As far as a target gift, it would seem very relevant to base the goal for the gift on just a percentage of what one year’s average tuition would cost at a State University of College on a per member/family basis. To me that would put the target at between $2,500 and $5,000 per family. In other words the Class of 2010 would have had a goal of presenting a gift on the order of $500,000 or $2526 per family. For me, I live in Virginia, I’d expect we (me, my son through work study, etc)to pay tuition on the order of at least $15,000 if my son went to a State School per year. $2526 is just under 17% of that one year cost. It would also mean that every donating family would be members of the Superintendant Council level of donors for that year. However, more importantly, if it was directed at supporting Clubs, Intramurals and similar things like June Weekend Activities over the following year and no longer than the following two years, it would address many of the items which sport teams individual parents clubs, and ad hoc “fund raising calls” by midshipmen and parents shell out for throughout the year. However, best of all, unlike those “ad hoc” cash calls, these donations would be tax deductable.</p>
<p>Just a thought to consider as we members and parents of the Classes of 2011 – 2014 look enviously at our Class of 2010 counterparts.</p>