<p>A quick question to previous plebe parents.. About how long till the plebes begin to receive their mail and care pkgs? My Uncle (USAFA 80) said not to mail to many care pkgs at a time because the cadre would give him a hard time about "mommy's boy". I don't want to give them any added reason to flame on s. Also, there is the storage issue. I know lots of things have changed since 80 so wanted current parents input.
Thanks in advance for sharing.</p>
<p>When my son was a plebe, I would send one care package a week unless it was after one of the three phone calls, my plebe usually had a request for some special. The Cadre aren't going to flame your son, just keep things in the cp business-like. Nothing cutesy or embarrassing.</p>
<p>If you find yourself with extra care packages without a home, the Chaplains (in the past) have had a program called "For Any Mid". They provide care packages for Mids who aren't getting anything from home. The info for that should be coming out soon.</p>
<p>Hey Kirb! Hows TN this morning? I mailed two Thursday .. one with incidentals that Lola had requested and one full of Protein bars, drink mixes, granola, dried fruit that she had requested!</p>
<p>Somewhere along the way, we sent a "cleaning box" last year... scrubbing bubbles, bleach pens, tide pens, pledge, window wipes, lint-free rags, swiffer pads, soap, stainless cleaner (for bathroom metal works), lint roller, frebreeze fabric spray, and to help "prep"...a black sock and white glove....</p>
<p>we added mop and glow along the way, tilex spray cleaner, soft polishing cloths....and a few mouse traps!</p>
<p>ok guys I love the suggestions but I need to know when they will get the mail that was sent from Annapolis!!!!!!! I don't want to send another pkg before he gets the first ones... </p>
<p>m2m things are great.. I loved your pics. I found WALDO x4 yeah!!!</p>
<p>It's not a question of when the mail gets there, it's more of when they have time to pick it up! Seems things get picked up in bunches and the hours of the post office aren't on "plebe-time" at all.</p>
<p>They may not get the first packages until sometime late this week- or even next week.</p>
<p>During plebe summer, packages are not delivered to the plebes as they arrive at USNA....</p>
<p>instead, what will happen is that they will be collected from the mailroom on a given day, then distributed to the plebes by company.....so packages may "stack up" before then, for everyone!</p>
<p>Once the academic year starts, things change in that your plebe will have the ability to go to the mailroom themselves- a privilage not afforded them during plebe summer.</p>
<p>So....
for letters, it has been suggested to "number" them (or date them) on the outside so they know which ones to read first....
for packages.... try and mix things up a bit... send smaller quanitites of a "variety" of stuff instead of a box with a large quantity of a single item! (the exception to this is home-baked goodies.... send lots....they will most likely be shared with fellow company-mates, and the cadre may even stake a claim on a few.... so bake "often and lots"....)... (just avoid "meltable" ingredients....annapolis heat and chocolate don't mix well!)</p>
<p>powered drink mixes- and a container to mix them in- is a good thing.... for plebe summer, keep it to something that can be mixed in individual serving sized batches....</p>
<p>if you pack canned fruit (a great alternative), send single-serving cans with flip tops...and don't forget the plastic utensils....throwing them out is faster than washing, so replenish as needed with each box sent!</p>
<p>As most will find, your entire mind-set changes as you peruse the grocery isles.... what will fit in a care package, what will make a nice selection re: variety, etc........ we sent about 2 boxes each week....but then again, our Mid landed in a very hungry company, and there was the lax team to feed as well!!!</p>
<p>Have fun.... and trust that you will get on a first-name basis with the postal workers faster than you can imagine!</p>
<p>"the hours of the post office aren't on "plebe-time" at all." well I will definitely second that notion, customer service must have been left out of the Post Office Charter......after we carried our sons first care package all over the yard looking for the PO, when we finally found it we were told they didn't accept packages between 12 and 1 (it was 12:20), it's really too bad they can't easily receive UPS or FedEx, oh well</p>
<p>I am pretty sure that they have received their 1st care package. Cadre are specifically told not to withhold mail.</p>
<p>While we are on the subject of sending stuff and care packages can anyone speak to the issue of family photos, as in are they allowed; posted or just in there possession etc. I thought I read something about allowing only one, not sure if that was refering to what they can have up in there room or? We have a photo printer that prints post cards and would lilke to send big brother some photos of his little brothers from time to time. Do the rules change after plebe summer?</p>
<p>You can send as many pictures as you want.</p>
<p>we sent pictures to our son, but only the one of his great aunt and uncle (USNA 45) and his baby cousin rated being put on his bulletin board...everyone else was consigned to the top drawer!</p>
<p>Navy2010-</p>
<p>I'm still freaking about the mouse traps. BLECH!!</p>
<p>Although I know you're telling the absolute truth.</p>
<p>^^^^^
During my time at the academy, we didn't have a problem with rodents in Bancroft Hall. Although there were mice in the Wardroom (i.e., King Hall) which shouldn't be a surprise.</p>
<p>GA...now you are dating yourself!</p>
<p>NP...you have no idea! </p>
<p>Apparently some wings have more of a problem than others, as do the decks...(altitude sickness????)
but there are mice, they are plentiful, and they are received with varying responses from what we have heard...</p>
<p>some are fed and treated as "pets"....
others sent to "flight school" out the window...
others to "dive school" down the bowl....
goodness knows what other activities get planned....</p>
<p>but they do exist.....and they can be very, very evasive.....
and contrary to popular belief, they can...and DO...eat right through rubbermaid! :eek:</p>
<p>(so send the mousetraps....and they LOVE peanutbutter.... ask me how I know! ;) )</p>
<p>Navy2010-</p>
<p>I hope you know that right now, I am screaming "Ooh, Ooh, Icky-poo!"</p>
<p>^^^^ LOL!</p>
<p>rumor has it that it was not the "ladies" doing the screaming! ;)</p>
<p>Young whippersnapper [navy2010] ragging on an old timer [GreatAmerican ... that's a soup isn't it ...;o} ... ]. Oh crap, what's that make me [USNA '60 ... Iron men and wooden ships ... rusty and full of dry rot !]?</p>
<p>Back in the day [a few hundred years ago] they delivered mail and packages to our rooms [good grief, Charlie Brown, we actually had something these newbies don't] ... can't remember if that applied Plebe Summer, but once the Brigade was back the MODs delivered it.</p>
<p>The most important thing ... make every effort to be there for your Mid, be it by letter [if you remember what that is], email, care packages, phone calls, and -if possible- in person on occasional weekends.</p>
<p>^^^^^
Navy2010 isn't a young whippersnapper. She is a mom and she has creaky joints like the rest of us old timers. :D</p>
<p>^^^^Oooooh. I feel a smack coming on! Just call my psycho....uh...I mean psychic. :D</p>
<p>I am buying mouse traps, today, and sending them in next care package. However, based on past experience, my son would love nothing more than to catch it and play with it. Ugh!</p>