The West Point Society of Chicago is humbled & proud to have supported the Army Boxing team's visit to Chicago, the weekend of September 18-20, 2015. This was the first of what will become an annual event. Army Boxing visited the South Side of Chicago for a clinic and exhibition, with the objective of raising awareness about opportunities at West Point and careers in the United States Army. The West Point Society co-sponsored the event with the US Army Recruiting Command and Leo High School.

The Society funded & helped organize the events, and five members hosted the eight cadet team members for the weekend. The hosts provided welcome home-cooked meals and a comfortable bed Friday and Saturday evenings. Chris Pestel ’03 was the official photographer for the weekend, click here to see his visual story of the visit. Chris greeted the cadets as they arrived at O'Hare, took photos throughout the weekend, and saw the team off on Sunday. The visit was the brainchild of coach Ray Barone and MAJ Marty Wennblom (former boxing instructor at USMA) who is currently the XO of the local USAREC battalion. He and several soldiers provided field support at the high school and also supported the exhibition.

On Saturday morning, the host families provided transportation for the cadets to the clinic site. That afternoon, the team put on a clinic at historic Leo High School, attended by middle school and young high school students from the south side of Chicago's public schools. Leo High School is truly historic and boasts not only a full boxing team and great facilities, but has a proud heritage in athletic and academic achievement. The team toured the facilities and spent several hours with local youth. 1LT Paul Bryant, who is also the Southeast Regional Diversity Officer, gave a talk about his experience, and three of the team members also spoke to the group as a whole.

After the clinic, the team was hosted by local boxing coach Mike Joyce at his home on the south side, where they took some time to eat, and mentally prepare for the evening's activities. Coach Joyce is a renowned Chicago boxing leader, and is also the coach of the Leo High School team. Mike's wife, Jamillah, is a daughter of Muhammad Ali, and their beautiful home has wonderful boxing memorabilia from her father's career which the team enjoyed viewing.

The team then travelled to a local venue, where a fully sanctioned 8-bout exhibition, complete with judges, referees and announcing was held. The event was recorded and will be broadcast on the local Comcast channel several times over the next few weeks. Many society members, parents and fans of Army sports were in attendance. The weekend was a great show of sportsmanship and character. Army won six of eight bouts.

The society also coordinated logistics and set up the online ticketing capability. Additionally, they made a donation to Leo High School to underwrite some of the costs of the weekend. They helped publicize the event through social media, as well as liaison with the Chicago Sports Commission. This was also the weekend of the Chicago Triathlon, and the Commission used social media to tell the public that they can 'round out their Chicago sports weekend' by going to the exhibition. Click here for more photos of the event.

On Saturday, 26 September members of the West Point Society of Southwest Virginia, joined by members of the local chapters of the Military Officers Association of America and the Association of the US Army worked together on a community service project. Under the auspices of Renovation Alliance - Roanoke the group did some needed repairs to the house of the widow of a veteran. The major task included removing the rotten decking from her porch, replacing some of the substructure, replacing the decking, and finally painting it. There were a number of minor tasks that involved sealing cracks in the foundation of the house to prevent rain water from leaking in. Despite overcast weather and occasional rain showers the group was able to complete the tasks. At the end of the work everyone had the satisfaction of helping the widow of a veteran get some much needed repairs done to her home – repairs that she could not otherwise afford to have done.

West Point Southern and Western Colorado Admissions Coordinator Mike Werner ’94, Military Academy Liaison Officer Katie Jarmusz ’08 from the West Point Society of the Pikes Peak Region and 4 West Point Class of 2017 Exchange Cadets at USAFA (Taylor Endres, Alaina Kappner, Josh Reed, and Hugh McConnell) supported the Colorado Western Slope College Fair in Aspen, Colorado. A big thank you to those Cadets for giving up personal, off-duty weekend time! There was an estimated 1000+ student attendees and once again The West Point contingent stole the show with their presence, outreach, and how they conducted the 1 hour workshop on Service Academies.

On the first weekend in September, the Army West Point soccer team was scheduled to play games in Colorado. Five Firsties would miss out on Ring Weekend. Not a problem. A local Team Mom and West Point Society of Colorado Parents' Club member organized a community outreach event for the team at Children's Hospital on Sunday. This was followed by a formal Ring Presentation Ceremony at Hunter Hills Park in Centennial for five members of the Class of 2016, who otherwise missed the ceremony last weekend at West Point. BG (Dr) Bob Enzenauer ’75, CO ANG, was the guest speaker. Special approval from the Commandant was required to hold a Ring ceremony away from USMA and the rings were hand carried by MAJ Torres, Men's Soccer Team OIC. The Firsties were dressed in their India Whites and the usual mayhem ensued as soon as the Plebe soccer players were dismissed from formation. An impressive meal was then served for the 25 team members and about another 25 friends and families, with some family members flying in from as far as Florida and California.

The Annual Tri-Service Academies Alumni Golf Tournament remains the highlight of the year for Colorado Service Academy Alumni golfers and their guests. This year, the rights to the Gilbert F. Rindahl Trophy were contested under the normal Shotgun Format, on the Air Force Academy Blue Course, at 0800 on 31 July 2015. All three Academies had terrific participation this year. There were 7 AFA groups, 7 USMA groups and 5 USNA groups, with 3 extra. (For the record, the extra three players were “mixed”.) This year, the low score (53, one off the tourney record) was recorded by a Rindahl Trophy-eligible team from USAFA!

The Champions from last year successfully defended their “enshrinement” with one substitution. Mike Gould ’76 (former AFA Supt) could not play this year and he was replaced by a true “Ringer”, George Koury ’90. George just “happens to be” the current AFA Varsity Golf Coach and is a legitimate “lower than scratch” handicap. The two-time Champions were led by Jim Spittler ’65, Bob Filer ’84 and Ken Korpak ’86.

Second Place with a 57 went to a USNA threesome of JD Cook, Dan Mellecker and Murray Cook. There was a five-way tie for third at 62! The winner in a scorecard playoff was the “mixed group of Vince Renaud AFA ’81, Robin Hanson AFA ’69, Joel Martin ’02 and a mystery civilian named Dean. The other awards from the tourney were Longest Drive, Joel “King Kong” Martin, ’02 and Closest to the Pin, Hugh Gommel, AFA ’66, who was visiting from Las Vegas! (His shot was 4 INCHES from the pin!)

On 15 November 2015, the West Point Society of Annapolis (WPSOA) held its 27th annual High School Leadership Brunch. The brunch formally recognizes outstanding local high school seniors for their academic, athletic and community service leadership accomplishments. This year, seniors from nine local high schools were recognized at a brunch held in their honor at J. Kings restaurant, Gambrills, Maryland. John Nicodemus ’73 presided over the event which was attended by more than 60 family and WPSOA members.

LTG William Ely was honored by the Mayor of Delray Beach as the Keynote Speaker and Grand Marshall of the parade on Atlantic Avenue. He spoke for 10 minutes and was cheered by more than a thousand people. The West Point Society of the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast was on hand for the event.

At 103, Ely is the oldest West Point graduate in the nation. The Delray resident served on Midway Island and in the Southwest Pacific. His awards include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit and the Distinguished Service Medal.

Highlights from Ely's 33-year Army career include working with Gen. George Marshall's attaché in Japan in conjunction with surrender negotiations after the atomic bombing. And with the Army Corps of Engineers, Ely contributed to critical infrastructure.

Click here to view more photos of the event.

On 6 December 2015, The West Point Society of Annapolis (WPSOA) hosted its annual Winter Social. Approximately 40 attendees, including the seven exchange cadets who are completing their semester at the Naval Academy, enjoyed themselves at the Severn Inn, Annapolis MD. In addition to the camaraderie that good company, food and drink bring, the highlight of the evening was the signing of the WPSOA's "Beat Navy" banner by the exchange cadets, a remembrance tradition that has continued for more than 20 years.

Photo: The exchange cadets at the Winter Social

Old and young Academy graduates will remember indelibly that securing admission to West Point is a daunting challenge of many hurdles for the aspiring applicant, including demonstrated leadership in high school and in the community, academic and athletic achievement, high-test scores, a Congressional or other nomination and persistence from the young men and women and their parents! Each member of Congress still develops his or her own applicant screening process to identify the most qualified young men and women of the State or congressional district but a frequent element of their process is an in-person interview before a panel of local service academy grads and other military veterans, educators, law enforcement officials, clergy, and business professionals. These panel interviews are, of course, an intimidating prospect for a youngster of seventeen or eighteen, anxious to make a good impression in this pivotal step in nomination decisions!

To better prepare young nomination applicants from their immediate area for these panel interviews, the West Point Parents Club of Southern Arizona (WPPCSA) developed a simulated interview to allow applicants to prepare for, experience, and be critiqued in a practice interview before they are called to appear before the real thing. The West Point Society of Southern Arizona was honored and pleased to join the WPPCSA in forming a panel of cadet parents, active duty officers, and graduates ready to pose questions garnered from actual panel experiences to create a realistic simulation.

The WPPCSA offered this program to the Academy's Admissions Department Field Force representative who gladly forwarded the offer to young people who were well into the application process. Several accepted and appeared before the simulated interview panel in a church parish hall only weeks before they would appear before the actual congressional panels. The young people were interviewed for about 30 minutes with a follow on critique of the interviewee's answers, demeanor, and dress. Several parents of the young people reported later their kids were thankful for the opportunity to practice and fine tune their interview preparation. They believe the results bear out the benefits... the young people are more confident they are putting their best foot forward. Their experience in this program suggests we recommend that other Societies consider adopting similar simulated interviews, perhaps with their own West Point Parents Club or sister academy alumni, as an important part of the process of identifying the best candidates for The United States Military Academy.

The WPSCT held a “fellowship and farewell” event for Cadets finishing their semester at the United States Coast Guard Academy. The five cadets and their USCGA liaison officer joined members of the Society for an evening of celebration and song at the historic Griswold Inn in Essex, CT. The event coincided with the opening of the holiday season at the Inn and the featured singers were an a cappella men’s group from the Coast Guard Academy, “the Idlers”. Terry Stewart ’77 coordinated this great evening of fellowship for these cadets as they prepare to return to their rockbound highland home next semester.

The West Point Society of Denver hosted a viewing for the 2015 Army Navy game at the Denver Sports Column. Approximately 170 people showed up with 40% being Army grads and family. Throughout the game, random drawings were made and door prizes were awarded to the faithful viewers. In addition to standard Army bling, the grand prizes included ticket pairs to Denver Avalanche, Denver Nuggets, and Denver Broncos games. With the results of the game, the Society will have the honor of hosting the viewing for the 2016 GAME – GO ARMY!

West Point Society of Greater St. Louis Army Navy Game at Ballpark Village. Everyone appeared to be having a good time enjoying a great but heartbreaking game. They raised money for The Joshua Chamberlain Society. Proceeds were split with Navy for their cause. Many came together to make this a great event.

What better way for the Army West Point Swim and Dive team to spend the last days of December and first days of January? How about morning and afternoon training sessions in the University of Arizona's outdoor Hillenbrand Aquatics Center in sunshine and 70 degrees? After a few days with their families for the holiday season, approximately 75 members of the men’s and women’s diving and swim team plus the coaches and staff gathered in Tucson, Arizona. Five days of hard training in the University's NCAA competition pool overlooked by engraved names and records of the University of Arizona swimming and diving team All Americans and Olympians. One of these Olympians Annie Chandler Grevers spoke with the team after one of their morning practices. When they weren't training, the team enjoyed hikes in the beautiful desert of Sabino Canyon National Park and a fancy dinner in the home of the University Director of Aquatics Operations, Michele Mitchel, a member of the West Point Parents Club of Southern Arizona whose daughter is a diver in the Class of 2018. The team also had a tour of the University's Seward Mirror Laboratory which makes the largest ground-based telescope mirrors in the world.

The West Point Society of Southern Arizona jumped in with a poolside lunch for the team on New Year's Day in which almost 30 feet of hoagies were consumed by Cadets' who had just burned a lot of calories in the pool! As always, the 'old grads' who had the opportunity to speak to the Cadets were convinced their alma mater continues to do a remarkable job in educating and training young men and women for future service to the Army and nation.  The Firsties were excited about their recent branch selections and upcoming first assignment selections and the plebes were just excited by it all!

The Society wants to thank member Hop Bailey '69 and Ms. Mitchell for their great efforts in arranging the many aspects of the team's visit to Tucson. You can imagine the effort in planning for a team that large but everything worked like a charm and they hope the team will be encouraged to think about training here again!

On Saturday, 12 December the West Point Society of Southwest Virginia gathered at the home of Doctors Kevin and Nancy Dye, parents of Scott, ‘07 to celebrate the Army-Navy Game. As has been their custom for the past several years, they invited our counterparts from the Naval Academy. About 80 people attended, roughly equally divided between the two schools. There was a lot of good comradeship, good food, and good cheer. They tended to self-segregate. You could follow the progress of the game by listening to where the cheers and/or groans came from in the house. At the end of the game, however, they gathered in one room and each school sang their alma maters along with the television audience. Maybe next year!!!

Thanks to over $16,000 in outside funding raised by a local group of West Point alumni, next month the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department will begin repairs and enhancements to existing trails, steps, and viewing areas in Covert Park at Mount Bonnell that are in poor condition or may pose hazards to visitors. Acting as the “Friends of Mount Bonnell,” the West Point Society of Central Texas formally adopted Mount Bonnell in 2010, as part of the City of Austin’s Adopt-a-Park program. With over 700 graduates in Central Texas, members of the group have joined with other citizen stakeholders to help support the City of Austin’s management of the beloved landmark.

“In a little more than five years we’ve raised over $40,000 in grants and donations from outside sources and led over 1,000 hours of community cleanup and maintenance activities at the park,” said Stan Bacon, WPSCT member. “We’ve enlisted the participation of neighbors, families and friends, and organizations as diverse as Scouts, Chipotle employees, Austin Firefighters, and the Central Texas Mountaineers. “We are thrilled to partner with the West Point Society of Central Texas on this important project,” said Ladye Anne Wofford, APF programs director. “Mt. Bonnell is such a special place in our city and we are excited to help make these much needed repairs to this historic landmark.”

This past November the West Point Society of Minnesota hosted the 8th annual Minnesota Student Leadership Seminar. Over 100 students and faculty members from 20 Minnesota high schools participated. The Minnesota Student Leadership Seminar is a one-day seminar that seeks to introduce a small portion of West Point’s intensive four year leadership development program to high school students in the state of Minnesota. Clarence Bethea shared the story of how his values changed from growing up on the streets of Atlanta to leading his own start-up company in Minnesota. Mr. Bethea explained the importance of a mentor in learning to believe in himself. His keynote speech was gripping, thought provoking, and inspirational. He set up the rest of the seminar by explaining how important his values are to his leadership style. Mr. Bethea fielded questions from the students following his prepared remarks, openly sharing his personal challenges and future goals.

The real work of the day happened when students broke into small groups, and in four 45-minute sessions, tackled difficult real-world ethical decisions. Cadets from Minnesota ROTC programs challenged the students to think critically about the facts of various situations, their stated values, and devise solutions. The groups delved into how their values form the basis of their leadership style. Faculty participated in their own small group sessions. In the morning, Todd Williams of Target’s Corporate Social Responsibility Group spoke to the faculty about how diversity is considered in hiring, building a team, and in relation to Target’s customers. In the afternoon, Special Agent Wilson of the FBI spoke to faculty about the history and current state of the Bureau as well as a career in law enforcement. Finally, two cadets guided the faculty in a discussion about a vignette used in the student small groups earlier in the day.

West Point Society of the San Francisco Bay Area recently held their Founders Day Dinner on March 5, 2016. The house was packed with 185 guests. Captain Kevin Mott ’07 was their Guest Speaker of the evening. The oldest grad comments were made by Denny Lenhart ’61 and the youngest grad comments were made by Shane Greaves ’13. They were very honored to have Colonel(R) Bob McClure, President of the West Point Association of Graduates as a guest at this event. The turnout was impressive and everyone enjoyed the evening making for a great Founders Day Dinner.

The West Point Society of The Villages celebrated Founders Day on Sunday, March 6th at the Eisenhower Recreation Center on a typically warm, sunny Florida afternoon. Their honored guest speaker was Tom Dyer ’67, Distinguished Graduate, and Chairman Emeritus of the West Point Association of Graduates. Tom is such a great example of one who has given back West Point and gave a terrific update on the positive activities and future planned activities. He enlightened the audience on the many opportunities available for today's leaders and how well the cadets respond to these opportunities. He also touched on academics and athletics, especially the successful winter season.

Photo: Tom Dyer ’67 Guest Speaker (left) and Jerry Merges ’65President, WPS of the Villages

The oldest grad in attendance was Woody Potter ’54 who shared how his class was commissioned a few days before graduation so as to have date of rank preference over the school from Maryland. At Woody's graduation, cadets could go only Army or Air Force. His talk was very interesting and everyone learned a bit more of the history of West Point. The youngest Graduate was Bruce Blevins ’73 and he was surprised to find that he was the lucky youngest grad. Looking ahead, and fearing no younger grads might be headed to the Villages, Bruce centered his talk on plebe year and the trials and tribulations of E-3. It seems if they do not get a new youngest grad, we will be entertained by Bruce again next year.

The West Point Society of Mississippi is proud to report a very successful event in partnership with the Jackson Public Schools (JPS) JROTC and the West Point Admissions team.

On Thursday, February 25th, over 150 female JROTC cadets from Jackson, Pearl, Vicksburg, Florence, Canton, and Brandon got an opportunity to learn about opportunities in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) from COL McDonald ’58 (USMA, Director of Admissions) and a representative from Silicon Valley during a presentation at Millsaps College. COL McDonald also used the opportunity to expose these students to opportunities available to them at West Point and in the Army. Leading up to this event, students worked on STEM related projects in teams. During the event, the teams briefed COL McDonald on various STEM topics. One team was able to present a robotics demonstration which was the culmination of weeks of work led by a robotics instructors from the Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg.

Photo: Following 2 days of intense instruction, the West Point Team (COL McDonald, LTC Tim Viles ’95, LT Johnson ’12, Ms. Pat Locke ’80 and Mr. Mack Brown) joined members of the WPS of Mississippi (Leon Jones ’85, Thatch Shepard ’86 and Reggie Fullwood ’87) at Char Restaurant for dinner and drinks. There was great esprit de corps and a connection that all West Pointers share!

On Friday, February 26th, over 250 students and 50 educators from JPS participated in the West Point Leadership and Ethics Conference at Jackson State University (JSU). Jackson, MS was one of 13 cities chosen to host this conference from around the country. Students heard from Former MS Governor Haley Barbour, Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber, JSU President Carolyn Meyers, JPS Superintendent Cedrick Gray, and USMA Director of Admissions COL McDonald. Students also had an opportunity to work in small groups with USMA and ROTC cadets from JSU and Alcorn State. In the small groups, students were challenged through various scenarios to make ethical decisions. Students walked away with a better understanding of why being an ethical leader is so important. The educators heard from COL McDonald, Major Bell (current instructor), and Reggie Fullwood (grad) on the West Point experience and how West Point has impacted each career.

The West Point Society of the Bluegrass held its Founders Day on Friday, 11 March 2016 in Lexington, KY. COL(R) Eugene Palka ’78 was the dinner speaker. Lindsey McNamara ’06 was the youngest graduate present and Charles Williamson ’46 was the oldest grad at the event. McNamara graduated 60 years after Williamson and our society membership spans over 7 decades.

Photo: L-R: COL(R) Gene Palka, '78, Lindsey McNamara, '06, and Charles Williamson, '46