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Comment by J/J Mom on March 27, 2012 at 10:31am

Navy Ball this Friday evening!!  Excited to see our MIDs again :] 

Their Unit has a Fall Birthday Ball & a sprint Senior Ball, and an Awards Ceremony each semester, but we have never been able to attend the awards.  They also have a Sr Mess Night w/ the Unit Staff.  Just the MIDN, no dates, and like at other Units it is before commissioning.  The parents are welcome to attend any competitions they participate in, tho we aren't "officially" invited.  There were at least 9-10 sets of parents at the ND ROTC basketball tournament a few weeks ago.  It was really fun; all the MIDN & staff & parents  went to a great family type Italian restaurant together Sat. night.   So neat to be w/ all of those there in that type of atmosphere instead of the formality of the Balls & Ceremonies & such.

Comment by helenp on March 25, 2012 at 7:47am

I asked my son. His Unit does not have a wetting down, but does have a senior mess night where they drink grog with their officers. He's not sure if it is before or after commissioning.

Comment by Sweet*Southern*Lady on March 25, 2012 at 12:13am

Wetting down is a tradition that happens when some one gets a promotion. So going from an OC/Midshipman to an Ensign or anyother promotions on the way up. They are supposed to have a party for and spend their first months increase in paycheck on the party. So 2012 they have 13 people participating in the wetting down each person put a certain amount towards the tab at bar . Its a huge deal here all the families of the newly commissioned come out, the 21 year old and older NROTC people come with their dates. Its very fun. Not all NROTC's do this but its a very common military tradition. I know the one year I worked at a Mexican restaurant near the Airforce base here in Tucson, we had about 10-15 wetting downs in just a mere 12 months.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wetting-down

Comment by helenp on March 23, 2012 at 1:19pm

I have never heard of "wetting down" either. What is it?

Comment by kmaidaho on March 23, 2012 at 1:14pm

Tell me more about "wetting down"...I've never heard of this. 

Comment by Sweet*Southern*Lady on March 22, 2012 at 7:40pm

Just from a wife's perspective.Every NROTC unit is very different. My husbands unit has a very poorly attended BBQ, its not mandatory so no one goes. Our ball is basically the social event of the season. We do not invite his family out because one its in Oct. and we see them every Nov. but mainly its because My husband and I love having the night out at the Navy ball. Getting dressed up we stay at the night in a hotel. We normally are with the group who take out the General or Admiral to the bars post dancing. We like the night out together. 

My husband will graduate next year his parents will be there for graduation, commissioning, and the wetting down. We'll make the wetting down very special  its a 4 hours drinking event so I'll have a limo picking up our guests (family). 

Comment by helenp on March 21, 2012 at 2:16pm

I think it depends on the Unit and the kid. My son's Unit does not have a BBQ, but it does have an awards ceremony in April. As a freshman, he received an award, but we were not notified. Subsequently, my son has told me that the only thing that I should plan on attending is his Commissioning at the end of his Senior year.

Comment by kmaidaho on March 21, 2012 at 1:58pm

Dyanne-

    Do they have an awards ceremony with the BBQ?  DS's unit has an awards ceremony in April.  Last year, when he was a freshman, he got the Founders and Patriots award (which is a big deal), as well as a bunch of other awards.  We didn't even know about the ceremony!  This year, DS said that the CO asked if we would be attending.  We are close by (2 hours away), so you can bet we'll be there. (Hoping and praying for a scholarship!)) If it were me, if I got a formal invitation from the battalion, I would make every effort to attend. 

Comment by kgrmom on March 21, 2012 at 1:16pm

Dyanne-

My daughter's unit did not have very many activities that were open to parents so whenever there was something that was- we tried to attend.  One mom in her unit said to me once that her son had mentioned one of those events in passing (she had a son) and they weren't going to attend.  Then, at the last minute she told me she had thought about it and decided that since her son never really mentioned anything that this might be a pretty big deal to him- so they went-  and they were really glad they did.  Maybe you could call the ROTC office and find out "quietly" from the admin. if a lot of parents will be attending?

10 hours is a long way but you never know.  My daughter is a Sr. now and looking back I'm glad we grabbed all the opportunities we could :) (but our drive was 4, not 10).

Comment by J/J Mom on March 21, 2012 at 10:34am

My experiences ...

I don't know about BQs or about UT, but i do know we were "invited," but "not encouraged" by our MIDN to attend everything/anything at the Unit during her freshman year.  Then, we were encouraged to hang around/attend things her sophomore year.  Then, when our second MIDN was a freshman we were encouraged to keep our distance again.  Now that they are a senior & a sophomore they want & don't mind us around [respectively] at most everything  haha

MU's Unit has a spring ball which we will be going to on the 30th.

Sorry i wasn't much help.  Too bad your MIDN isn't a girl -- she'd probably tell you straight out if you should come or not!!

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