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WISNAPA Meeting Minutes
October 8, 2005
WISNAPA held
its fall, 2005 meeting on Saturday, October 8 at the Country Springs
Hotel in Waukesha. As members began arriving shortly after 10
am, they first filled the empty care package boxes that lined the
room, providing treats for all Wisconsin Midshipmen and deployed
Grads. Thanks to the board
members for obtaining the $7.70 boxes
from the U.S. Postal Service and affixing address labels—boxes that
can be filled with as many goodies as each will hold with no
additional postage due.
President Tom Mahoney
formally called the meeting to order with the playing of the Navy
and Marine Corps hymns and the Pledge of Allegiance. Then it was
time for proud parents to report to the rest of the group on the
achievements and activities of their Mid or recent Grad. With the
parents of upperclassmen still shaking their heads over repeated
reports that Plebes “enjoyed” Plebe Summer 2005, the Country Springs
opened its again-generous lunch buffet.
Tom Love took the
lectern at 12:45 to introduce our speaker, Capt. Robert Wilde, USNA
Class of 1977 and current Commander of the NROTC Unit at Marquette
University. Capt. Wilde offered some comparisons in the programs,
education, skills, experiences, opportunities and professional
development that one obtains in NROTC and the Academy. He made the
important observation that the overwhelming majority of discipline
problems for NROTC students, Mids and junior officers in the Fleet
are alcohol-related. We thank Capt. Wilde for taking time to be
with us on a day that turned out to be the day of Navy’s third
consecutive defeat of Air Force in football.
The business portion of
the meeting commenced at 1:45. Plans for WISNAPA’s participation in
the festivities of Army-Navy football weekend were discussed,
including the breakfast buffet available Saturday and Sunday morning
(contact Jan to make a reservation; cost is $12.00); advice to
contact Flo at the Crown Plaza Hotel directly in respect of room
reservations; plans for a post-game gathering at the Hotel; and a
note to expect delivery of the game tickets about Thanksgiving.
In other business, we
authorized a modest contribution to the Indiana USNA parents group,
which is hosting a pregame tailgate party at Notre Dame before the
football game on November 12. WISNAPA members are welcome to attend
and a number of members indicated an interest in attending. Also,
Jan asked for YARDTALES submissions, materials to be
transmitted to her no later than December 31.
The meeting ended
on a high note. Tom Love made a presentation to past presidents, Cindi and Loren Larsen and Lou
Ann and Tom Colby, of hand-made quilts which memorialized their
services to WISNAPA and its members. Thanks again for your
dedicated and wonderfully generous efforts.
Kevin Sullivan
Secretary |
