May 2003
Dear Parents of Midshipmen,
Tim and I are very excited to have the privilege of serving as co-presidents of the Northeast Ohio Naval Academy Parents Club this year. We have enjoyed being part of the Club the past three years and meeting all of the wonderful Northeast Ohio parents of USNA midshipmen. It is hard to believe that our daughter, Colleen, is now a Firstie and just one year away from graduation. It seems like just yesterday that we dropped her off for I-Day and yet it again seems like so long ago. We have traveled with Colleen through the many ups and downs experienced by Midshipman at the United States Naval Academy. Being a part of NEONAP has made this journey much easier because of the support we have received from the many caring and experienced parents who are members of this Club.
The main mission of NEONAP is to offer support and guidance to Northeast Ohio Midshipmen and their families. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity to benefit from our experienced parents who have "been there." Sending a son or daughter off to a military academy is a totally different experience than sending a child off to a traditional college. Your son or daughter won't be attending frat parties or joining a sorority. They will be running obstacle courses, attempting to qualify as an expert in pistol and rifle, conning a ship down the Severn River, and during summer training will have the opportunity to travel all over the world aboard Navy ships and submarines. All of this in addition to getting a first rate education. It is truly a unique experience for both the Midshipmen and their parents.
As we start another year, we look forward to all of the exciting events we have planned. Our year starts off with the Plebe Picnic in June where we will welcome the Northeast Ohio USNA Class of 2007 and their families and prepare them for I-Day and Plebe Summer. During July and the first part of August, NEONAP mentors will support and encourage our new plebe families as they strive to survive the long six weeks of Plebe Summer. In August we will meet at the Mentor Yacht Club for our Submarine Party to celebrate the end of Plebe Summer and enjoy a relaxing day by the water. This fall we hope to host a tailgate party at a home Navy football game so we can feed our midshipmen as we celebrate a Navy win. October finds us trading "exotic gifts" at our White Elephant brunch on a fun-filled Sunday. In November, we will help organize USNA Information Nights around Northeast Ohio for any high school students who are interested in finding out more about the U.S. Naval Academy. The first weekend of December is the 2nd annual NEONAP Navy/Army bus trip and we travel to Philadelphia for the BIG game! We encourage all of you to join us for a fun-filled weekend of fellowship, laughter, tailgating and most importantly - a BIG WIN OVER ARMY! At the end of December we will gather for the formal Military Ball with the other military academy parents groups in northeast Ohio. January finds us preparing care packages for all of our Midshipmen to help them survive the long "Dark Ages" of winter at the Academy. And, in March we come full circle and host the Candidate Dinner for those seeking appointments to the USNA Class of 2008.
If you are not currently a member of NEONAP, we encourage you to join. We have a wonderful group of parents who are eager to meet you and support you throughout your son or daughter's four years at the Naval Academy. We do have a lot of fun! If you are a member, thank you! We would love for you to become more involved in NEONAP whether it is helping with an event, mentoring a new plebe family, serving as a chairman, or becoming part of the executive board. Tim and I have volunteered for various positions over the past three years. We wanted to give something back to NEONAP because of the wonderful support we have received from other parents of this Club, especially during Colleen's plebe year. It has been a lot of fun and we are looking forward to serving this year as co-presidents. Come join us and, as always - GO NAVY BEAT ARMY!
Holly & Tim Maloney
