Denver Area West Point Graduates, Family & Friends:
As President of the West Point
Society of Denver, I was privileged to attend the annual West Point Alumni
Leaders Conference (sponsored by the Class of ’67) 13-16 August 2014. About 150
attendees representing over 60 societies, 50 classes, AOG
Directors/Advisors/staff, Parents Club Presidents and Admissions Field Force
participants were immersed in three days of all things USMA, including updates
from the AOG Chairman, AOG President, SUPE, Dean, Director of Admissions and
Director of Cadet Activities. The new COM was given a stayback, since he had
only reported to West Point two days earlier.
I have attached the SUPE's
presentation slides for anyone interested in more details. In addition, I am
pleased to report the following summary of Leadership Conference news:
1. DISTINGUSIED SOCIETY - As a
result of our numerous activities and substantial admissions work, the Denver
Society was once again selected as a Distinguished Society, a distinction earned
each year since before the earliest memories of existing Society
Directors.
2. SIZE OF THE CORPS - Despite
the dramatic drawdown going on throughout the military, and unlike USAFA, at
this time there are no plans to reduce the size of the Corps from its current
full strength of 4,400.
3. SIGNIFICANT CONSTRUCTION
ACTIVITY - An amazing amount of activity is still taking place at USMA, despite
painful budget cuts throughout the Army. Some projects, determined to be a
military necessity, are funded by DOA and others by contributions to AOG:
A. $165M new barracks in place of the old
Building 720 (boodlers for really old grads) - in process;
B. $150M renovation of Scott
Barracks (Lost 50s) - in process;
C. New steam pipes through much
of the system - Central Area is all torn up.
D. New Visitors Center to break
ground soon - to be attached to the Museum.
E. Arvin Gym Annex - near the
old Field House, for use by teams that compete below the Plain.
F. Bartlett Hall - the
renovation is more than half completed;
G. Cullum Hall - a new Memorial
("Valhalla") Room, listing all grads KIA'd by War/Campaign;
4. CYBER WAR INSTITUTE - The
Army is in the process of creating a Cyber War Institute at West Point, to be
staffed by 70 employees. In addition, the Army is standing up a new Cyber
Warfare Branch, the first six officers of which are all West Pointers.
5. FUND RAISING: The AOG's "For
All Of Us" campaign has already reached its $350M goal and still has through
December 2015 to go. 52% of the Long Gray Line has participated so far. The
SUPE and AOG leadership are encouraging us not to stop and be all that we an
be.
6. ATHLETICS - We know we have
a football problem, but we can celebrate the following:
A. 11 reigning National
Champions: Sprint Football (undefeated); Men’s Boxing; Women’s Boxing;
Fencing; Judo; Karate; Orienteering (12th consecutive
year); Men’s Team Handball (8th consecutive year); Women’s Team Handball; Parachute;
and Triathlon
B. In addition, West Point won
the Patriot League Championships in Baseball, Men’s Tennis, and Women’s
Basketball; achieved a 18-13 record vs. Navy; the Men’s Soccer Team earned its
first post-season bid since 1996; the Lacrosse Team was ranked #20; and, West
Point won the highly competitive annual NSA Cyber (One of the Dean’s Teams)
Competition.
C West Point Club Teams beat Navy
and Air Force 80% of the time.
D. The Army Rugby Team is back
on the field as a NCAA varsity sport;
E. A Women's Lacrosse Team is
standing up.
7. SUPE's LEADERSHIP PRIORITIES -
A. Sexual
Harassment/Assault;
B. Honorable Living;
C. Winning Culture;
D. Diversity (The SUPE has
established an Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Equal Opportunity)
E. Leader Development;
F. New York City Area
Integration/Partnership;
G. Beat Navy
8. SUPE's STRATEGIC
VISION/PRIORITIES:
A. Academy Scholars
Program;
B. Athletic Team
Endowments;
C. Center for the Study of
Civil-Military Operations;
D. Cyber Research Center;
E. Cadet Activities:
F. Diversity Initiatives;
G. Lacrosse Center;
H. Cadet Semester Abroad;
I. Visitors Center;
J. Arvin Gym Annex.
9. ADMISSIONS - The Admissions
Office is working hard to rebuild the Military Academy Liaison Officer program.
From a low of 9 serving reservists throughout the nation, we are back up to over
two dozen, with about another 70 prospect in line. The Class of 2018 was the
most diverse ever:
A. 1212 Admitted (8% of
Applicants)
B. SAT Average: 1270
C Women: 21.8% (up from
15.9%)
D. African-Americans: 13.9%
(up from 9.5%)
E. Hispanics: 10.1%
F. Asians: 7.8%
G. 17 Combat Veterans
10. AOG TRIVIA -
A. 2019 is
WPAOG's 150th Anniversary - formed on 22 May 1869 in New York
City;
B. 71,371 Total Graduates; 50,736
Living Graduates.
C. Mid-point of the living Long
Gray Line is in the Class of 1988; the Mid-Point of all West Point Graduates
since 1802 is in the Class of 1978.
D. Oldest Living Graduate is BG
Robert Tripp, ’33 (102 Years Old)
E. New Register of Graduates
due in December 2015
(1802-2015) - in print or electronic.
As always, it was good to return
to West Point and be inspired by the accomplishments of our institution and
reinvigorated by its values and ethos. My next communication will cover
upcoming Society activities for the fall and winter.
Let this be the year that we
BEAT NAVY.
Bob
Walcott '78
President, West Point Society of Denver
303-727-8400
No comments:
Post a Comment