As some of you know, a ship’s deck log is the legal record
of all events on the ship, all courses steered, all speeds run, all comings and
goings—everything that may be worthy of notice.
The mid-watch entry is the first entry of the day and notes the ship’s
status at midnight, the start of the new day.
It includes the ship’s location, mission and tasking, who has
operational and tactical command, the whereabouts of the captain and the senior
officer on board, the status of any restricted personnel, and the status of all
major equipment such as engines, generators, and important auxiliary equipment. It is traditional that the first mid-watch
entry of the New Year be written in verse.
Some are extremely clever; this one, not so much, but that said, here,
with great apologies to Clement Clarke Moore, is MHS NJROTC, The Night Before New Year:
“Twas the night
before New Year’s and all through the school,
Not a creature was
stirring, not even the little fish in the pool.
The grades were all
entered by the faculty with care,
By Master Sergeant
and Commander, so suave and debonair.
Tiffany’s the CO and
she’s having a good year,
Except when she
drives, which fills us with fear.
We’d like to think next
year she’ll do okay
But either way she’ll
be gone (Oh happy day!).
Jessica as OPS is
scheduling and tracking,
To keep us moving
ahead, not backing.
She’s short and she’s
cheerful, except when she’s nailing
Some other cadet whose
standards are failing.
The Chop, the Chop,
who could ever deny
That she lives the
thug life, Crip walkin’ on by.
In this regard, why
it’s worthy of note,
Fish who write on the
board, they often get smote!
The Ferg-Burger, he’s
bilging and sneaking, he’s silently creeping,
It all makes one
wonder just what secrets he’s keeping!
And A. J. G., all hands on deck!
You can tells where he's been, 'cause the place is a wreck!
And A. J. G., all hands on deck!
You can tells where he's been, 'cause the place is a wreck!
In a couple of days
and a fortnight [it’s poetry, get it?] we’ll be on our way
To Linden High School
for the big MLK!
Lanae and the drill
team, they’re trying their best,
From the jaws of
defeat a victory to wrest.
The rest of the group,
well what can be said
Of a bunch of cadets
who make me see red?
The seniors are all
primed, they’re ready to go,
Their motto it’s said
is “All ahead, slow.”
Oh, but now we’ll soon
hear them rue
When in January their
research papers come due,
How sad to see them
gimble and wail,
“Please take this
work late, or else I will fail!”
The juniors, of
course, they think they are done,
MoBd, they have
learned, is just not much fun.
Then wait ‘til
Navigation he said with glee,
With celestial, DR,
and piloting—why it’s better by three!
And now for the
sophomores, well what is the squeal?
Of a class whose
symbol is the noble NJROTC weasel?
Of Jorge, Justin,
Eric, Jewell, and all the rest,
We know and we trust
that they’ll meet the test.
Of Voodoo Zombie
Queens, of sickness and snakes,
Why it’s stuff such
as this of which legends we makes!
And of the freshman,
all happy, not sad,
The strength of their
best, why it makes me all glad.
Maybe someday,
someday so soon, they’ll even learn what to do
When faced with
polish and a new leather shoe!
So now the cadets are
all home for the break, all stable and steady,
All cheerful and
ready, all “Ready, Aye, Ready.”
And of all the rest
of you by name not cited,
Please rest assured
you were not intentionally slighted;
We watch you all
closely, the rumors we hear,
And be assured when you trip that we will be near!
So now here’s a wish
from Master Sergeant and me
Here it is now, we
give it with glee:
See you on the third,
we say with delight!
Happy New Year to
all, and to all a Good Night.
