A HOLIDAY CHALLENGE

Here is a tougher challenge to carry you through the holidays.  Good luck.

A man is walking down the street when meets another man mowing his lawn.  They talk and the second man mentions that he has three daughters.  He also mentions that their ages, when multiplied together, equal 36.  Their ages added together are the same as the address of the house across the street.  He challenges the first man to solve the puzzle.  The first man walks across the street, looks at the address, comes back and says, “You’ll have to tell me just a bit more.”  The second man then say, “OK…My oldest daughter plays  piano.”  The man then immediately solves the puzzle.

What are the ages of the three girls?

This challenge will close out at 0730, Monday 6 January 2014.  The prize will be a delicious  breakfast pastry.  Late entries will not be accepted--if no one answers correctly by 0730, I will eat the pastry myself.

NEW CHALLENGE

Congratulations to Cadet Christian Valentin who correctly answered that this would be possible only if the individual started from the North Pole.  Think about it.

Here's a simple challenge:

A man walks a mile directly south, turns, walks a mile directly west, then turns again, heads a mile directly north, and somehow finds himself exactly where he started.  How is this possible?

Good luck.  See me if you think you know the answer.  No guessing.

ANNOUNCING THE JOSEPH C. GILLIAM AWARD COMPETITION

The 2014 Gilliam Award Competition has been announced and this year we will continue our tradition of conducting a local award competition in parallel to the Navy’s area-wide and nation-wide competition.  This local competition will be open to members of all classes and will be based on overall standing as a cadet and a student.   Participation is voluntary, but each participant must submit an essay on the topic chosen for the national competition.  This year's topic is:  “Commitment is one of the Core Values of the Navy JROTC.  Please discuss how being a member of the NJROTC has strengthened your personal sense of commitment.  Include examples of how your sense of commitment, as defined in your NJROTC experience, influenced your accomplishment of important life goals.” 

Amplifying topic considerations: The Navy Junior ROTC core mission is citizenship development.  The high school years are normally recognized as one of the most important times in the development of young individuals. It is the time in a person's life when they transition from childhood to young adulthood. By including citizenship development in this transformational experience, the Navy Junior ROTC provides a unique opportunity to develop individuals who recognize the values of good

citizenship, teamwork and leadership. Please explain how the NJROTC has helped you or your NJROTC unit as a whole develop citizenship skills and an ethos of service that has an impact you and your community now and in the future. Special consideration should be given to specific leadership skills that you have developed as a result of your NJROTC experiences with emphasis on the core values of honor, courage and commitment have had in this development.

Cadets should provide examples of their personal growth through the experiences provided by NJROTC. The essay should highlight examples of positive reinforcement, leadership challenges and goal attainment that are attributable to the lessons learned and experiences of the NJROTC.  Provide details and feel free to use personal experiences and examples in your essay.

The essay should be typewritten, and between 500 and 750 words.  All cadets are encouraged to submit essays void of incomplete sentences, improper grammar, misspellings, strikeovers, and the like.  Numerous errors of this type could result in the loss of the cash award for a selectee. 

Selected packages will be considered by an impartial judge.  The best essay will receive a prize of $100 and will be forwarded TO the area manager for consideration in the area contest, the prize of which is approximately $1,000.

SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE TO YOUR NSI NLT 17 JANUARY 2014.

LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

CONGRATULATIONS TO PETTY OFFICERS BERTUCCI AND PARKER AND...A NEW CHALLENGE!

Congratulations to former cadets Nicholas Bertucci (MHS 2006) and Vincent Parker (MHS 2009) who were both selected for advancement to Petty Officer Second Class in the United States Navy.  Nick served as our Operations Officer and became a Hospital Corpsman, after Boot Camp and "A" School he deployed to Iraq and is now stationed at the Branch Medical Clinic in Newport, Rhode Island.  Vincent Parker serves on the USS Alexandria as an Electronics Technician responsible for navigation (ETV).  As a cadet, Vincent was a company commander.  Bravo Zulu to HM2 (select) Nicholas Bertucci and ETV2 (SS) (select) Vincent Parker.

Now here's your challenge:  Write a six (6) word description of your Thanksgiving.  Your six word essay must include the word "cadet."  It may not include the words "Barone" or "XO."  Submissions will be judged on originality, humor, and meaningfulness.  Submissions will be accepted until 0730 on Tuesday, 3 December.  Good luck.

GOOD JOB AT THE BETHEL DRILL MEET!

On Saturday, 23 November members of the MHS Drill Team traveled to Bethel High School in beautiful Bethel, Connecticut to participate in their annual invitational drill meet.

We competed against 14 other schools and our new cadets placed 3rd overall--Bravo Zulu, newbies!  Although the results in the senior division are not known, I believe we finished 4th, 5th, or 6th in most events.  Overall, it was a strong performance.  We now have nine weeks (actually about 6 or seven working weeks) to get ready for the MLK invitational at Linden High School.

Here are a few pictures:

The Varsity Color Guard

VCG, cont'd

New Cadet Color Guard

New Cadet Inspection

Cadet Fuller gets inspected

Really?

Armed Platoon

Individual Knockout (IKO)

Came in 7th out of a field of several hundred...it was his feet that got him!

THE HIDDEN PENNY...THE SAGA CONTINUES

Here is the final clue:

Just like the Queen's head,
it fits neatly and properly under the crown
Why it's so simple!
Why can't they find it he said with a frown.

Note the Queen's head in a crown.  Now think of a penny in a different crown.

The penny will remain hidden until 0730 Wednesday, 27 November.  At that time, if the penny has not been found, I will recover it, replace it with a rude note, take my money and go home.  Good luck.

MORE PICTURES

Here are a few pictures from the Elk's Club dinner in support of the Honor Flight program.

Serving

"You.  Here. Now!"

Presenting the colors

The chow.

HINT # 6

I can't believe my penny is still adrift.  Here's hint #6:  Get to the big stick.

Note the Big Stick

Do you suppose there might be a connection?

PICTURES FROM THE PARADE AND DINING-IN

In no particular order, here are some of the latest pictures:

Staged on Fifth Avenue

Marching up Fifth Avenue

Cadet Lieutenant Barone calls cadence

Some people take the cake out of the box before they take the picture!

Add caption

Worst mess cranks ever! (Thanks, cadets!)

"I can't believe you really ate it!

Really? 

Rememberance

No comment

The ceremonial first push ups.

The MHS Marching Middies Band...Thanks!

THE NEXT HINT

Now you know the first four, it's time for the fifth.  By now, you have zeroed in on the the person in question since I have given such clear, definite hints. Now you simply have to take what you know and apply it.  Bully!  Here is hint #5:

Now that you know what is is, get thee thither. "Stand by for heavy rolls as the ship comes about. Bosunmate, sound general quarters.  Helmsman, steady course 345.  Guns:  Surface Action Port.  Target bears 305 relative.  Fire!"

Bet you wish you'd paid attention in NS3!

BUT FIRST...

Here's hint #4:

First there were 70, but before that there were 599.  Bully!

NUMBER 56

Hint #3:  The dollar you had back then, even the $25 you might have today, wouldn't buy this guy back his two fingers, the two fingers that he lost in the battle that made it a bad year in ole Muscovy, but a good year for the other guy.

Originally laid down as an Amagi-class batttle-cruiser, this ship, finally launched as a carrier in April 1926, participated in the Pearl Harbor attack and was sunk at the Battle of Midway.  It was commanded by the this guy (the one who lost two fingers, not the other guy) in the early 1930's, a time when a dollar would buy a lot.


Good Luck!

THE PENNY IS NOW ON THE MOVE

Congratulations to the two cadets who were generally correct in their assumptions regarding hint #1. You guys are so good that unfortunately my penny is now moving.  The hints will still help, but you must now chase the penny around the room.

Hint #2:

Look carefully.  This is not a penny.

If it were this easy, it wouldn't be fun.

A NOW, ONCE AGAIN, IT'S TIME FOR...

the classic "hidden penny" challenge.  Here are the rules:

• I have hidden my favorite, specialy marked penny somewhere in the NJROTC classroom.  
• It is hidden, but it will be in a generally open, public area.  (You will not search any private areas such as desk drawers, etc.)
• A series of progressive hints will be given.  You will need to solve them (mostly) in order.
• If you find the penny bring it to me.  Since it is my favorite, I'm offering a $10 reward.

Here's your first hint:  If you had $1 then, you would have about $25 now.

http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl

BIG UPCOMING EVENTS

We have several big upcoming events.  If you've participated in them before, you know what to expect.  For the new cadets among us, here's the gouge:

• NYC Veterans' Day Parade.  At 0700 on Monday, 11 November we will depart for NYC to participate inthe annual Veterans' Day Parade.  This is a big one.  Pay attention to what we say in class.  If you want to go, make sure you are on the boarding and be completely prepared.  Non-hackers will be left behind!  A few pictures of recent years, back when cadets were cadets!

Carrying the garrison flag in 2010

Forming up in 2011

Color guard in 2012

• Bethel Drill Meet.  On 23 November our drill team will participate in the annual Bethel High School NJROTC Invitational Drill Meet.  If you're going, plan ahead.  We will be leaving at 0630.
  
  

  

  Unarmed platoon.

  
  

  

  The Color Guard places.

  
  

  

  Happy endings!

• Hudson Valley JROTC Orienteering Championship.  On 23 November (yes, the same date!), we will be participating in the annual JROTC Orienteering Championship at Blue Mountain.  Particpants will earn there orienteering ribbon.  Want to go?  You must have a permission slip AND you must have completed orienteering training.  You must also be cleared by your instructor.  Also, although we will all be on the same bus, you can't do both the drill meet and the orienteering meet.  So sad.
  
  

  

  The course.

  
  

  

  The team

  
  

  

  The future COs.  (Just before they got lost in the woods!)

WHY IS CADET STILL LAUGHING?

Because no one can break his bearing! 

 

Weasels!



NEW CADET CHALLENGE

Get up, you lazy cadets, since no one has successfully solved my earlier challenges, here's a new one:

Where, on a ship, would you find a crow's foot?  (Hint:  Not with the wind birds!)

This challenge will expire at 0730 Tuesday, 29 October 2013.  Good luck.

 

Not any of these!

Nope!

Not here, either.

THANKS, MR. FREELY!

Our own Mr. Freely presented a large scale model of the USS Lionfish (SS-298), a 311 foot long World War Two-era Balao-class submarine that is currently a museum ship at Battleship Cove, Massachusetts.

Thanks again, Mr. Freely, and let us never forget "Those Still on Patrol."

USS Lionfish (SS-298), circa 1945

Lionfish today in Fall River, Massachusetts

Close-up of a torpedo.

Mess deck of the Lionfish