<p>The Parents' Club of Northern California put together a wonderful, comprehensive survival guide for plebe-to-be parents, and it includes this advisory:</p>
<p>"This year the PLEBE SUMMER DETAIL OFFICERSS have requested NO CARE PACKAGES for the Plebes during the 6 weeks summer training. Check with your Plebe about his/her Company rules."</p>
<p>Has anyone else received this request?</p>
<p>I would wait until I heard from my Plebe one way or the other.</p>
<p>Believe me, they'll know for sure. ;)</p>
<p>I haven't heard this but I'll ask my son. He's a Firstie and his roommate is the number 3 man in charge of Plebe Summer Detail.</p>
<p>Usually the instructions request that Care packages be restricted to smaller sizes--the "shoebox" instruction--and that certain items not be sent.</p>
<p>Your plebe--who isn't a plebe just yet--will not know any more than what is in the instructions that have--or will--be sent to you before I-day. THEN, given there are no telephone calls to let you know what could be done or not done, it will be almost three weeks after I-day before they could tell you one way or the other. </p>
<p>Re-read the official instructions. The Academy discourages oversized packages and certain items; other items are specifically prohibited. Items demonstrating familal support will be encouraged.
I find it difficult to believe that care packages are out and out banned.</p>
<p>I just spent some time looking through the 2007 Plebe/Parent guide put out by the Parents Club of North/South Carolina and they used up at least a couple of pages talking about care packages, specifically encouraging you to do so etc. so long at the boxes are modest in size the contents reasonable and recommended. We have a New England Parents Chapter meeting this Saturday that we will be attending, along with 30+ Plebes and some current Mids that will be available for questions. If we hear anything either way I’ll post it.</p>
<p>Even though I am very active in our state's Parent Club, I still would check information directly from the Academy.</p>
<p>go to <a href="http://www.usna.edu/PlebeSummer%5B/url%5D">www.usna.edu/PlebeSummer</a> and click the link for the Parent infromation:</p>
<p>Specifically pay attention to page 3 of the pdf (6 of the printed booklet)
Item Number 2</p>
<p>
[quote]
2. The mailing of “care packages” to Midshipmen Fourth Class is encouraged.
However, the items should be single-serving, nonperishable, and able to fit in a shipping container no larger than a shoe box to facilitate storage and handling. Packages must be sent via mail; no packages will be accepted at Main Office for delivery to midshipmen.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Think this pretty much solves this!</p>
<p>As mentioned above, mail refers to the United States Postal Service. The local parents' clubs have probably already mentioned sending a plastic shoebox in the first care package in which to keep food. Like many beautiful old buildings, Bancroft Hall does have mice. In fact, Stuart Little nibbled on my mid's Pria bar INSIDE OF HER BACKPACK last month.</p>
<p>No FedEx, DHL or UPS because the plebes need to be escorted in order to collect these packages and the Cadre doesn't look very favorably at having to this.</p>
<p>While care packages or boodle is encouraged during the Plebe year, it is not allowed during Beast. Last summer we were advised not to even include as much as a stick of gum in a letter to our New Cadet, as it would result in the unwanted consequences; attention and correction.</p>
<p>WELL, this is an interesting example of bias being in the eye of the beholder.</p>
<p>Those of us with a USNA orientation think of Plebes as being exclusive to the USNA, where care packages are encouraged.</p>
<p>Some of you with a USMA orientation think of Plebes attending the USMA, where care packages are not permitted.</p>
<p>I don't think the original question made clear of which Academy she was speaking. She did, however, speak of Plebe summer, which implies USNA, and not beast.</p>
<p>Bill has a good point. Which service academy first used the term 'plebe' for the incoming midshipmen/cadets? I'm speculating that like the hat toss at graduation, Army is just mimicking another Navy tradition. Navy started the hat toss and calls the fourth class PLEBES for the entire year. On the other hand (literally), Navy and other colleges/high schools copied Army's class ring tradition.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Which service academy first used the term 'plebe' for the incoming midshipmen/cadets?
[/quote]
According to the online etymology dictionary the origin of the word plebe is:
"member of the lowest class at a U.S. military academy," 1833, probably a shortened form of plebian (q.v.), which in L. had the short form plebs or plebes.</p>
<p>So, if the word plebe with this usage originated in 1833 then USMA used it first since USNA was not established until 1845. ;)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Navy started the hat toss and calls the fourth class PLEBES for the entire year.
[/quote]
In case you dont know, fourth class cadets at USMA are plebes for the entire year also. But Bill is right, the summer training for new cadets at USMA is called cadet basic training or Beast Barracks...not plebe summer.</p>
<p>My original question referred to USNA. Sorry, didn't know USMA used the term as well. I know about using USPS, sending moderate sized packages, rodent-proof storage, etc., but thanks. </p>
<p>Another plebe-to-be parent who rec'd the same Parents' Club doc pointed out two official USNA sources that advise it's OK to send pkges during plebe summer. Since plebes' summer communication is so limited, it could be a while before son OKs pkges, so I thought I'd look for corroboration here. </p>
<p>Best to hurry up and wait, I guess. I got good at that decades ago when husband was in USMC -- maybe it'll be like riding a bicycle ...</p>
<p>The program for USNA 2011's I-day is already on the usna.edu PAO website and says specifically that care packages from parents are encouraged. There are some guidelines listed, but I think it's safe to say that is the official word!</p>
<p>"In case you dont know, fourth class cadets at USMA are plebes for the entire year also."</p>
<p>I know, I know, but at Navy they are consistent with the nomenclature: plebe summer, plebe year, plebe hack, plebe stench...None of this new cadet, beast, etc.</p>
<p>Go Navy! Beat Army! ;)
See you in Baltimore!</p>