Big project - June party for all grads going military

[Arwen]

I'm asking now because this is a BIG project I've taken on. I am making sure I start this thing early so I have lots of time.

I am organizing a huge graduation party for all the kids who are already in DEP (and their families) or are considering going into the military in the near future. I'm working with the VFW, the VVA, the Red Shirts and the Emblem Club.

I will also be inviting the recruiters and will ask our local Coast Guard station to provide Colors.

So, what is the best way to throw this party that will make the veterans happy (who are sponsoring/paying for this shindig), make the kids *want* to be there, and make the parents want to let their kids attend?

Should it be a daytime fun party, with silly bounce-room rentals, balloons, games and lots of music?

Should it be an evening reception and formal dance with speakers with some kind of award ceremony from the veterans to the new grads/recruits(challenge coins? some other symbol?)?

And should we hold it the week before, the day before or the afternoon or evening of graduation?

I need ideas, and lots of them!

[Melissa (Tucson)]

Here's what we do in Tucson. Once a year all of our Tucson recruiters along with their zone supervisor (CPO) and the CO, XO & CMC from Navy Recruiting District - Phoenix plan an "Annual DEP Families Potluck". We use the Naval Reserve Center b/c it's free. Navy Recruiting Stations - Tucson provide the sheet cake with Navy emblem and drinks (non-alcoholic). This year our guest speakers are a Tucson City Council man who is Navy Reserves (JAG) and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords who is married to a naval officer. I'm the last guest speaker and talk about N4M since I have such a captive audience. We have 110 DEPPER'S, plus we're figuring 2 family members for each DEPPER and 25 recruiters and 3 guest speakers, about 250 people. This year I'm doing a Powerpoint presentation with Navy video's and Navy pictures. I'm working on it right now and have about 2 hours of pictures, so that means the pics will only repeat once. We'll do the video's while all are gathering and after the speakers start I'll just do the pics during the whole event.

[Arwen]

Oh, I thought I should mention, we're in a *tiny* town, we may have five or six Deppers, an NROTC or two, and maybe two or three others. That includes all services, not just Navy. We may end up inviting any kids from the next town/high school too, where their graduating class is about 50 kids, maybe two or three headed for the military.

We're so isolated (2 1/2 hours from the nearest recruiter station) they don't even expect our kids to make it to the DEP meetings each month. If they do, great, they join the other 12 Deppers in the region. Instead the recruiters hold a mini-meeting for the two kids in town currently in Navy DEP when they come to town for other reasons.

This event will be specifically to honor the new high school graduates who are entering military service as part of the town's overall graduation weekend events.

[Navy for Moms Admins]

Hey Arwen -

Once you get the ball rolling and have something posted here on the site in the Events tab, be sure to check out the Meeting Kits page and request a kit to include some materials from N4M. There's also free downloads here!

Elle