<p>I read in another thread how if needed, some state parents associations would be willing to help contribute to the academy for functions they are having difficulty funding. That's fine, I understand and agree. What I find unacceptable is how some parents of students attending the academy are not members of their states parents associations. I can see how some folks pockets are thin due to the financial straits some may be experiencing during this difficult time in our economy, but any amount of money you can spare is a help. If you can't spare money then volunteer your time assisting with goody boxes or any number of things your state may be trying to do for the students or the association. So, bottom line is, if you don't have the money, then volunteer your time. If you don't have the time then donate a little money. Now for those who say you don't have the money and you don't have the time... that's b.s. get your schedule organized and "make the time". </p>
<p>If you have a student at this school and you are not helping the parents association then you are "Dead Weight" or more crudely put...selfish.</p>
<p>Even if you have a student at USMMA, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t in a family struggling to make it from paycheck to paycheck, while trying to get your other children through school. Those families barely have enough money to pay for rent, let alone discretionary cash. Those families are working job after job to just to make sure their children will make it through school (USMMA or not). </p>
<p>How insensitive to think that all families are double-parent, middle class, with some savings who either have money or leisure time to donate to anything.</p>
<p>This isn’t meant to undermine the great work that the state associations do or the necessity of volunteering something if you can. It’s simply too overgeneralizing to claim that one is selfish if one is not contributing something.</p>
<p>OK WHOACOOL and others. I know of parents from 2 parent working families NOT contributing and I also know of 1 parent households that DO contribute. WHOACOOL I am so impressed with how you are the Champion for the “little guy”(yeah right). So according to you and the family in your scenerio, these people could not help out for 2 or 3 hours, 1 day per year, say at the Welcome Aboard Luncheon which is for the new incoming plebes someplace in your state. Or possibly go to another parents home for an hour or two once a year and help box up the goody bags that get sent to your states students up at KP? How about, could they set a goal to join the parents association next year (our fee here is 50.00/year) put a jar in the kitchen and place 1.00 dollar a week in it or .15 cents a day. WHOACOOL is 2 or 3 HOURS PER YEAR your idea of “LEISURE TIME???” Everyone can do a little something. I realize some peoples serenity may have been knocked off kilter by my bold, dead weight/selfish label. So OK here we go, how about we say that, “no matter who you are you can be of help” to your kids state parents association by "Chipping In!!, Lending a Helping Hand!!, Doing your Part by Being a Part!!, Rolling Up Our Sleeves Together!! One Dollar Per Week or 2 hours a Year which ever is best for you!!! Again if someone is so destitute that they have no money, have no car and are in that bad of a way, you are certainly exempt from participation. My problem is with those who can do SOMETHING (and that is far more than the # who can’t). Some people just seem to work harder at finding a reason “not to help” than it would “to help.” Of course the goal should be 100% parent participation but that is usually impossible. The sad part is, many times it’s not the parents with financial or time difficulties that don’t participate or contribute in the Parents Association, sometimes it’s the parents who can help but just don’t want to be bothered. They figure …Oh well someone will do it. But like I said, I know of several 2 parent working families who are doing fine that don’t help and then again 1 parent households that do, so… Help out your local Parents Association.</p>
<p>I agree snappler. Our region has so many mids, If we had more parents helping out even for 2 hours a year it would greatly benefit our clubs and ultimately our mids. </p>
<p>Our dues are $25 per year and I think we only have about 10% of the parents who join and less than that who actually help out.</p>
<p>It’s sad, because the Parents Associations are there to help make the Mids life a tad bit easier.</p>
<p>After raising 3 children and volunteering in various school, church, etc. activities, you meet people who do nothing and then you meet people like Carol and Gene Guest who, with the Cookie Cafe are truly inspirational. Yes, everyone can try to do something and sometimes it takes several attempts to get people to be involved either with financial support or with their time. My experience with volunteering at the Academy is that I have gotten much more out of it than I have given. Exposure to these kids is uplifting on all levels. All we can do in our associations is to try to continue to reach out to the parents and encourage them to get involved. Sometimes a direct request for a job that needs to be done gets better results. But anyone who doesn’t take the opportunity to help is really personally missing out.</p>
<p>After reading the previous messages I am somewhat glad that there were no parent associations back in my time.
I thought that if the Academy wanted you to have a mother they would have issued you one with your uniform.</p>
<p>“If you have a student at this school and you are not helping the parents association then you are “Dead Weight” or more crudely put…selfish.”</p>
<p>Selfish? Wow, I cannot believe I am hearing these comments. We are going to be officers in the military for god’s sake, and the only thing you are doing is simply babying your son. Give it a rest and let them grow up on their own. Thousands of alumni have made it through here with little, if not support. It is life, grow up. What are you going to do when your child is out at sea in the middle of a hurricane, bake him a box of cookies and send him a “boodle box”? Give me a break. The fact that many of you seem to think that your child needs so much extra support, and criticize parents who let their children grow up on their own, is ridiculous. Maybe your child should re-evaluate the school and profession they are entering as its clearly obvious that they won’t survive without their parents hovering over them every step of the way.</p>
<p>Go ahead and make your little “black list” of parents not joining the parents association. Then you can deny them cookies during parents day.</p>
<p>Gfred51, I agree with your comment 100%. I’m glad my parents are letting me develop into an adult and officer on my own.</p>
<p>There is so much I could say but won’t. Let me first apologize for my “dead weight/selfish” line post and anything else that made people sad, mad, or whatever. Obviously I was too harsh. To those offended, I am sorry. My point is, even if you help just a little, it’s better than just sitting there letting others do the work that Parents Associations do. Just so GFred and USMMA2009 know…I have been out at sea onboard several navy vessels in extremely rough seas and never received a “boodle box”. Parents Associations do more than send these packages to students. Hell if I had known that these boxes were weakening the core strength of Kings Point I personally would have shred those evil boxes and tossed the contents in the trash! If what I’m hearing is correct then maybe parents associations should go the way of the dinosaur and just have the alumni and academy do the deal. I get mixed messages on this board anyway. Maybe we need a poll “are parents associations an asset or a liability?”</p>
<p>I will say I believe more people focused on my poor use of the words “dead weight” and “selfish” than the actual content of my post.</p>
<p>snappler… you “assume” all the midshipmen have “parent association”… & it’s not the case… we lived in northern NV & our parents association was an “all service academies association” we were too small to have “specific” associations, so we supported all the academies… we have since moved to WA state & they don’t have a “parent association” for USMMA because the state is so large… a few on the west side, a few on the east side… & when you talk about W/E… you are talking about at least a six hour drive between the two sides… so we support “our” midshipman with “goody boxes” that he can share with friends… so maybe we’re different, maybe not… I would just say that how any parent can support their midshipman is just fine… no more, no less…</p>
<p>RENOMom2011, I did not “assume” all midshipman have a parents association, you just “assumed” that I did. You are just searching for reasons to feel offended. This thread was about helping your “state parents association.” How does this apply to you? You came from Nevada where you had an all academy parents association that you said you supported. Now you live in Washington state and you said you have no state parents association. So, no state association, no need to participate. As for sending your kid a box and saying “share with the others”…good for you. Most people do the same thing on there own without any parents association. Parents associations do more than send goody boxes. Some people need to quit looking for reasons to be offended.</p>
<p>This can go on and on and we can trade verbal barbs til the cows come home. Here’s the news in case you missed it. Alot of states have parents associations, if you’d like to be of help contact them, I know they would appreciate it. If you don’t want to help, then don’t help. My opinion is my opinion and yours is yours. We’ll have to agree to disagree.</p>
<p>As Co-Presidents of the So Cal Parents Association we will donate a minimum of $100. for grad week celebrations. If we all contribute what we can USMMA will have a great celebration for the Class of 09. We challenge every other family who can afford it to contribute the same.</p>
<p>The Parents Association do a whole lot more than just send boodle boxes. I attended the recent 2 day Alumni foundation meeting as a representative of the Parents Association and I can assure you that the “lobbying” effort of the Parent’s Association goes way beyond boodle boxes and USMMA2009, you are sadly mistaken if you think that the Association is there to baby our midshipmen.</p>
<p>The Parents Associations have a big voice with Congressional representatives and are able to rally and coordinate major campaigns to get funding for necessary things at Kings Point. KP staff is unable to do this, but we parents can see what is needed and do this on our own through the coordinated effort of the Parents Associations. The nice new barracks some of you enjoy are a direct result of the Parents Association’s lobbying for funds.</p>
<p>Many states are large, many Associations cover a large area…I have a 6+ hour drive 1 way to get to meetings…but with that said, if you can’t attend events, at least contribute what you can. If you go to Parents Weekend, volunteer to staff the fundraising tent for an hour…there are many ways to help.</p>
<p>Yes Suzanne is on target, parents do alot more than boodle boxes two or three times a year. Some parents volunteer their time to be a webmaster of our state website, some keep up our mailing and email rosters, make sure we have state flags to present at ice breakers for new plebe canidates and some promote the school and the benefits it has to our world economy. The list goes on. We even have a parent who works out of the country who emails helping out with various task.</p>
<p>Like in many organizations only about 10% do 90% of the work. If as parents, we all do alittle giving of our money and time our mids will benefit in the end. My daughter, in graduate school is not working and even volunteers her time to send out birthday cards. Yes cards are just a piece of paper but it makes both her and the mids happy, them mids love to be encouraged. USMMA is a huge networking community with many people who care about you becoming very good friends. Parents that choose not to participate really are missing out for their entire family.</p>