On Saturday about 30 of us gathered at Shapiro's Deli in Carmel for our Fall meeting.

A big thank you goes to Terry Finster for all her hard work on our new directories. For the first time not only do we have our membership listed by class, but we now have our club constitution, by-laws and job descriptions for the officers. Good job, Terry.

Remember as you look over the job descriptions, this club is made up of current parent's of cadets and we always need the new ones to be there later on for the next group. Think of it as the "Long Blue Parent Line". Please e-mail one of the officers if you are interested in a job next year or the next after that.

Minutes were read of the meeting where President's of all the Parents Clubs met with General Gould, General Cox and General Born to answer questions and share their vision for the academy.

The firstie parents were given examples of guides to graduation that parent's in the past have used.

The 3 degree parents were given info about the career starter loan and the salary they can expect to receive after graduation.

The 2 degree parents were given information from the Faculty Department regarding academics during the sophomore year and what parents need to know and how to help.

The freshmen parent's heard what to expect this Thanksgiving and Christmas break.

A reminder that the All Academy Ball is December 26th in Carmel. Your invitation should have already been received. This Ball is something each state puts on at the request of the Academy in order to help develop our cadets into officers. They do not need a date. They will be making and pouring toasts, wearing their mess dress, engaging in light conversation and using their best table manners. Things we all need to practice, if you think about it. If you haven't received your invitation, please e-mail us so we can mail you one.

Finally, everyone got to share about their cadet. Theme of the day: why do the boys whine to the Moms and not the Dads. The thing I took away from this, at least my son isn't the only one!

We packed wonderful goodie boxes and they will be delivered after Thanksgiving in time for finals.

Remember to go to our website www.usafaparentsclubofindiana.com and purchase afghans and coasters. They make great Christmas gifts for grandparents and sponsor families.