At a recent Zoom Happy Hour, we decided that we needed to give the membership more time to digest what is going on and decide whether they would attend the next monthly luncheon.  So, to initiate the process, I am going to publish my message up to a week earlier than the beginning of the month.  We began having lunches again last June, and though the luncheons have been enjoyable, they have not been that well attended.  As the pandemic subsides, we hope more and more of the “regulars” will return and we welcome anyone else who decides he or she wants to join us.

A good example was the Valentine’s Dinner, usually a well-attended event drawing a large and enthusiastic crowd.  We had positive responses from 19 people (including partners), and 2 tentative.  I exaggerated the count, hoping that the usual stragglers would attend.  It was eventually attended by 14 souls, and the Old Spaghetti Factory was not impressed.  I would appreciate cancellations, even if it is at the last minute.

Rich Walton, a civilian contractor in Afghanistan and an author, has agreed to come speak to us on March 9.  He is a member of the Parents Club, and has written a book about his experiences entitled, One Brick at a Time, Winning the Hearts and Minds of the Afghan People.  We have been waiting for the book to be published and are very excited to have the opportunity to listen to his presentation.  Please consider attending what promises to be an entertaining and educational experience.

We are privileged to have Captain Don Walsh, USN (ret), PhD, Member, U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE); Member, Ocean Elders; President, International Maritime Inc; speaking to us at our April luncheon.  Captain Walsh, along with Jacques Piccard, was one of two people to first descend to the Challenger Deep, the deepest point on earth, in the bathyscaphe Trieste in 1960.

At the June Luncheon, Captain Gillian Richards, USN, our Blue and Gold Area Coordinator, will speak to us about the Class of 2026.  And we are getting ready to schedule the picnic in July or August.  It’s looking like we have all the pieces in place to have a very successful year.

If you have a chance, log onto myUSNA.com, register with the chapter, fill out some personal information if you desire, and browse around the site.  It appears to have great potential to be a valuable asset to the Alumni Association

Wednesday Zoom Happy Hours will continue for the foreseeable future and we would like to remind you that the use of our Zoom capabilities is open for anyone who has the need.  Please contact Mike Carmichael if you would like to use it.

Go Navy,

John Adams ‘69, CDR, USN (Ret)

In January I received a letter from the Alumni Association congratulating us for our selection as a Distinguished Chapter.  The selection was the result of the contributions of many in the Chapter to the community, our organization and the Navy, and we are proud of our ability to stay connected with the Academy.

On February 9^th, we have our annual Valentine’s Day Dinner, and we are hoping for a good turnout as we manipulate our way out of the threat of COVID, and look for ways to communicate and assemble again.  Please consider attending the dinner the evening of the 9^th, and respond to the invitation promptly so that we can get an accurate count.

We are privileged to have Captain Don Walsh, USN (ret), PhD, Member, U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE); Member, Ocean Elders; President, International Maritime Inc; speaking to us at our April luncheon.  Captain Walsh, along with Jacques Piccard, was one of two people to first descend to the Challenger Deep, the deepest point on earth, in the bathyscaphe Trieste in 1960.

At the June Luncheon, Captain Gillian Richards, USN will speak to us about the Class of 2026.  She is the new Blue and Gold Area Coordinator and the class is off to an impressive start.  Let’s all welcome her and the Class of 2026.

We have decided to try to schedule our picnic again for 2022, and get an early enough start on it to avoid any rush to decide how, when or where to make things happen.  Soon I will be notifying the other academies to encourage their participation, and, hopefully, we will have great weather and an enjoyable event.

We received a good introduction to the Hivebrite system (myUSNA) from Dr. Sofi Loomis at our Wednesday Zoom Happy Hour on January 19^th.  This upgraded communications system for all alumni is hoped to be a step forward from the restrictions associated with having only a website.  I will be registering the Chapter in the system later this month and each of you will have the opportunity to provide your contact and/or background information as desired in order to take advantage of its offerings.

Wednesday Zoom Happy Hours will continue for the foreseeable future and we would like to remind you that the use of our Zoom capabilities is open for anyone who has the need.  Please contact Mike Carmichael if you would like to use it.

Go Navy,

John Adams ‘69, CDR, USN (Ret)

We had our Army-Navy gathering at Big Al’s, and despite having to share the venue with the Portland Timbers championship game, we had a great time.  The game was terrific and the result was exactly as we hoped it would be.  The December luncheon, however, was limited to a small number of folks.  As usual, those who attended enjoyed themselves and the comradery.  Because of the impact of the latest COVID surge, we decided not to have a January luncheon, and will resume in February.  We are hoping that the duration of this variant will be short lived as it has been in other countries who experienced it before we did.

The Chapter was once again recognized as a “distinguished Chapter,” which gives us opportunities to participate in unique ways in the Alumni Association.  Thanks to Mike, Doug, Ted and Janette for their contributions to the application.

You might be interested in going on line to familiarize yourself with what is available and the extent to which it might help you find/communicate with classmates and other alumni.  The Chapter will be looking at the other opportunities within the system that might help us operate more effectively.  We are considering asking Dr. Loomis to join us at a Wednesday Happy Hour to answer questions and provide more information.

Soon we will be deciding whether or not to continue our Wednesday evening Happy Hour on Zoom.  I have always been a big fan of the occasion and look forward to it, but it does have limited participation, usually consisting of the same people.  If you would like to see what it is like, please tune in.

Go Navy,

John Adams ‘69, CDR, USN (Ret)

The Marine Corps Birthday luncheon was our biggest and best yet since we have resumed our monthly meetings.  The Marine guests included a 2-star, former Mayor of Lake Oswego, former Mayor of Portland and former Oregon Supreme Court Justice.  We had close to 30 in attendance.  Congratulations to the coordinators of the effort and it bodes well for increased attendance at further luncheons.  The Army-Navy Game looms large on the horizon on December 11th, and we will once again be asking Big Al’s to host the combined Alumni Associations.  This has traditionally been a large, well-attended event, and we are hoping for a similar, pre-pandemic, group of football fans in Portland.

I would like to bring to your attention a few postings that are available from the Alumni Association and the Academy.  I sat in on a Zoom meeting with the coordinators of the construction of the new Alumni Association and Foundation Center and it was quite impressive.  This is a $36M project, constructing a 65,000 square foot building with associated patios, grounds and parking.  I thought that construction had already begun, but there were many details associated with getting the property ready and soon they will be demolishing the old laundry.  It is expected to be completed in the fall of 2023.  This is right across the street from the baseball stadium, but not on Academy grounds.  You can find out more on www.usna.com. The front page of the website has updated renderings, a live camera feed to the work site, and a description of how to become a plank owner.  Naturally, they are continuing to seek more alumni funding.

Another interesting posting to YouTube, under USNA, can be found a 30-minute summary of the most recent Plebe Summer.  I was impressed with the holistic organization of the daily activities, the emphasis placed on physical fitness, and what seemed to be a lessening of reliance on the creativity of the upperclassmen to provide the training.  There is still a lot of yelling and stressfulness, but things have changed.  Whether or not it is for the better is for you to determine for yourselves.  And, lastly, I found interesting in the same collection of videos, the regulations for women’s hair styles.  There are very specific details associated with creating the bun that so many women officers/midshipmen with long hair have.  Why did I not think there would be?

Soon we will be deciding whether or not to continue our Wednesday evening Happy Hour on Zoom.  I have always been a big fan of the occasion and look forward to it, but it does have limited participation, usually consisting of the same people.  If you would like to see what it is like, please tune in.

Go Navy,

John Adams ‘69, CDR, USN (Ret)

I am told there was a small, but enthusiastic crowd at the Navy Birthday dinner, and we are starting to settle in to scheduling our normal activities for the foreseeable future.  We are looking forward to the Marine Corps birthday luncheon in November and our Greatest Generation celebration in December.  For the Marine Corps birthday Doug Bomarito is soliciting our usual crowd of Marine Corps vets, and we are hoping for a good turnout of alumni, spouses and guests.  Mike is trying to connect with Rich Walton to be a presenter in December.   Capt. Walsh has graciously adjusted his schedule a couple of times now as we have manipulated our planned meetings around COVID restrictions and restaurant availabilities.  He will now be presenting in April, and we will make every effort to assure that he does.  We thank him for his patience with us.

The Army-Navy Game looms large on the horizon, and we will once again be asking Big Al’s to host the combined Alumni Associations.  This has traditionally been a large, well-attended event, and we are hoping for a similar, pre-pandemic, group of football fans in Portland.  It is yet unknown whether there will be an effort to have Vancouver, Medford and/or Bend gatherings.  It seems that any time people in those areas gather to celebrate the event, a good time is had by all.

I will reiterate once again that the Old Spaghetti Factory has been very accommodating, and there have been no restrictions regarding spacing at or between tables.  There is enough room to spread out and take the individual precautions that your comfort level requires.  Masks are currently required if a person is roaming around the room or the premises.  Costs have risen over the past two years and we were losing money on our luncheons prior to the pandemic.  By increasing the luncheon donation to $25, we are currently covering the increased cost of food, non-alcoholic drinks, and an 18% gratuity.  It is very much in line with the menu costs at the restaurant.

While I am spending the winter here in Colorado with our family, I am hoping that people everywhere are starting to feel more comfortable with their chosen methods of personal protection against COVID, the flu and the other maladies which affect us.  Clearly, we are not out of the woods, but between the protections required by our governments and our personal efforts, I’m hoping we can settle into a new normal with which we feel safer.  I am truly missing the contact I have had with our friends and neighbors and I sense that you are, too.

Happy Hour has been a real blessing.  Attendance has been limited to a few die-hards of 15 people or so who pop in an out as they feel so inclined.  We have considered such issues as why the Navy defensive backs this year are having so many problems with the passing attacks of their opponents, whose kids and grandkids are having successful soccer seasons, where there are good places are to visit right now in the area, how the Blue and Gold is doing in Oregon and SWW and what this year’s candidates look like, how the senior softball season is shaping up, and, of course, responses to the measures taken to deal with COVID.  We don’t get into politics very much, but we do follow what is going on at our alma mater and some of the individual class activities.  We will need to make a decision about continuing our Zoom subscription, but right now I think it is money well spent.

OUR USUAL HAPPY HOUR REMINDER:

Happy Hour on Wednesday evenings at 1800 continues with enthusiasm.  We would like to see more participation, so please join us if you are so inclined.  Mike Carmichael is in charge of our Zoom subscription, and he asked that all of you are informed of its availability for your individual group needs.  It is a very nice option to have at our disposal, and he will accommodate you if at all possible.

Go Navy,

John Adams ‘69, CDR, USN (Ret)

October, 2021, President’s Message:

We had a rather small gathering for the September luncheon, but the 15 or so people used a delightful room looking over the river and we really had a nice time.  I’m looking forward to seeing our usual crowd return and new members join us as our “new normal” lives become routine.  It was reported that several of the smaller alumni groups across the country are struggling to stay afloat and in touch.  I am happy to see the enthusiasm and determination displayed by the OR/SWW Chapter.  I will be gone for the next few months, but will continue with my duties as your President using our technological resources and the weekly Happy Hour.  The Happy Hour has become a very enjoyable and informative way to keep in touch.

Our speaker was unable to attend in September, but we are looking forward to his talk in the future.  Meanwhile, we have at least one speaker available in the next few months, and another is being recruited as you are reading this.  We have our Navy/Naval Academy birthday dinner scheduled for 1830 on October 13, and are very much anticipating the Marine Corps Birthday luncheon at our November meeting, November 10^th.  Doug Bomarito is soliciting our usual crowd of Marine Corps vets, and we are hoping for a good turnout of alumni, spouses and guests.

The Old Spaghetti Factory has been very accommodating, and there have been no restrictions regarding spacing at or between tables.  There is enough room to spread out and take the individual precautions that your comfort level requires.  Masks are currently required if a person is roaming around the room or the premises.  Costs have risen over the past two years and we were losing money on our luncheons prior to the pandemic.  By increasing the luncheon donation to $25, we are currently covering the increased cost of food, non-alcoholic drinks, and an 18% gratuity.  It is very much in line with the menu costs at the restaurant.  In an effort to provide the Old Spaghetti Factory an estimate of how many will attending lunch/dinner in advance, the invite will go out a week ahead and a response is requested by the Sunday before the event.

Times are tough for the country, the government, the Navy and for us.  With Afghanistan, COVID and the Delta Variant, immigration, proposed spending, and dysfunctional legislatures/political parties we have a long and difficult path.  Let us try to maintain our camaraderie, USNA pride, support for our Navy, and our personal patriotism by meeting to discuss all those causes and more at our monthly luncheons.

OUR USUAL HAPPY HOUR REMINDER:

Happy Hour on Wednesday evenings at 1800 continues with enthusiasm.  We would like to see more participation, so please join us if you are so inclined.  Mike Carmichael is in charge of our Zoom subscription, and he asked that all of you are informed of its availability for your individual group needs.  It is a very nice option to have at our disposal, and he will accommodate you if at all possible.

Go Navy,

John Adams ‘69, CDR, USN (Ret)

Our luncheon in September is scheduled for Wednesday, the 8^th, and I am hopeful that we will get a good turnout, despite having to cancel the picnic.

Some have said that people will be uncomfortable attending the luncheon for the same reasons they were uncomfortable with attending the picnic.  I beg to differ for one big reason.  Behind the anxiety associated with becoming a possible carrier was the fact that we would be associating with people that we did not know and also children.  We have neither at our luncheons, and the value of continuing our association is undeniably great.

Mike is talking to an Afghanistan expert to be our speaker at the luncheon, and we will have that confirmed soon.  What an outstanding time to have a presenter like this at our gathering.  I have communicated with the Spaghetti Factory, and at this moment they are not precluded from having our meeting the way we normally do, except the latest restriction last week caused them to have anyone who is not seated wear a mask.  This was discussed at Happy Hour, and we don’t think that will be too much of a burden.  The Spaghetti Factory will be in touch if anything else changes, but right now it’s full speed ahead.

Times are tough for the country, the government, the Navy and for us.  With Afghanistan, COVID and the Delta Variant, immigration, proposed spending, and dysfunctional legislatures/political parties we have a long and difficult path.  Let us try to maintain our camaraderie, USNA pride, support for our Navy, and our personal patriotism by meeting to discuss all those causes and more at our monthly luncheon on September 8^th.

HAPPY HOUR:

Happy Hour on Wednesday evenings at 1800 continues with enthusiasm.  We would like to see more participation, so please join us if you are so inclined.  Mike Carmichael is in charge of our Zoom subscription, and he asked that all of you are informed of its availability for your individual group needs.  It is a very nice option to have at our disposal, and he will accommodate you if at all possible.

Go Navy,

John Adams ‘69, CDR, USN (Ret)

July 14^th has come and gone, and we had a good turnout at the luncheon.  There was a lot of back-slapping, elbow bumping and handshaking among people who have not seen each other for a long time.  The lunch choices were the same as they were in March of 2020, so let me know if there are other choices that you would like to have considered.  There was minimal concern regarding our necessary price increase, and it looked to me like everyone had a good time.  Of course, I am only slightly biased regarding my expectations.  We will continue to meet on the second Wednesday of the month after the August picnic.

People appeared comfortable, and we did not discuss any changes of venue or menu.  I was finally elected to be the President, and Mike Carmichael became VP.  Jill Richards was acknowledged as the new Blue and Gold Area Coordinator and was elected to be a member of the Council.  Again, we congratulated Butch Bewick for his incredible impact on both the Oregon Blue and Gold and the resulting outstanding Candidates / Midshipmen that the State has produced.

We finalized the information and expectations for the Picnic on August 21, and sent invitations to our membership as well as the memberships of USMA, USMMA, USAFA, and USCGA.  I’m proposing a silent auction as a fund raiser and I would like to get some feedback regarding that.  If you have something that might just be someone else’s treasure, let me know if you would be willing to donate it.

Regarding the Delta Variant of COVID, I asked for advice from the Council as to whether or not the picnic, as planned, should proceed.  Our “Counselor in Chief,” David Lutes said, “John, each one of us can decide to attend or not attend depending on our particular situation.”  Since this includes me, that took a load off my mind and let me know that we will have the picnic unless the State or compelling information from the CDC makes us cancel.

Here are how the attendance numbers look right now, and it is early, but not impressive:

10 responses representing 12 adults and 2 young children.  Mike and I are the only council/past presidents to sign up.  So, I will send a note to them to please sign up if going and to volunteer to call USNA alums in their area and remind them to sign up.  Mike can provide a listing and phone numbers for any city/zipcode.

Read your invitation or go on the website for the information you need.  A registration is embedded in the invitation, and you may have to press CTRL at the same time you click on it to get it to appear.

We believe that we will continue to have Happy Hour on Wednesday evenings at 1800 until at least the end of the year.  Please join us if you are so inclined.  Mike Carmichael is in charge of our Zoom subscription, and he asked that all of you are informed of its availability for your individual group needs.  It is a very nice option to have at our disposal, and he will accommodate you if at all possible.

Go Navy,

John Adams ‘69, CDR, USN (Ret)

Despite some minor roadblocks along the way, we continue to plan for a luncheon on July 14, and hopefully we will return to “normal” regarding our routines.  I remain confident that as soon as people get more comfortable in the environment our attendance levels will return to normal.  BZ to Mike and Ted for initiating and maintaining the Zoom Meetings during the pandemic, as the meetings have been key to maintaining the core interest in the ORSWW Chapter.

Following is a repeat from last month, as there is still time to get your reservation in for the luncheon.  Be on the lookout for your invitation, and if you don’t receive one, let me know so that I can get you added to the notifications list.

LUNCHEONS:

The Old Spaghetti Factory is back in the meeting business, and our room is reserved for the second Wednesday of each month (except August) beginning July 14.  The topic of discussion for July, besides meeting and greeting old friends, will be the finalization of the Picnic plans.  We will need to have a head count for the luncheon because it may be limited to 40 souls.  The meals will be the same, 4 entrees with one being a salad, and alcoholic beverages will be self-paid.  The fee for the meeting will have to be increased to $25 to cover the cost.  We were considering doing that before the pandemic because we were beginning to lose money every month, and the lunch is our only regular source of revenue.  The remaining way to avoid a cost increase is to consider less costly meals or relocate.  That is a subject that may be discussed.

My private opinion is that enthusiasm for the picnic is underwhelming.  That is not to say that I would ever suggest canceling it, but I believe there is going to be little certainty regarding who just might choose to attend.  We have advertised it and the other academies have shown interest and a willingness to participate, but we don’t yet know what we want to do or how we want to do it.  That really needs to be resolved soon, and I’m going to try to make that happen.  All the information regarding the picnic remains the same and is below.

PICNIC:

An August 21 date for our picnic has been established with a reservation of the picnic grounds at the Port of Camas/Washougal.  We have heard from USMMA and USMA, who are eagerly awaiting to join us.  USCGA has been asked and will let us know later, and we have made contact with a few representatives from USAFA. 

We believe that we will continue to have Happy Hour on Wednesday evenings at 1800 until at least the end of the year.  Please join us if you are so inclined.

HAPPY HOUR:

Mike Carmichael is in charge of our Zoom subscription, and he asked that all of you are informed of its availability for your individual group needs.  It is a very nice option to have at our disposal, and he will accommodate you if at all possible.

Go Navy,

John Adams ‘69, CDR, USN (Ret)

June, 2021, President’s Message:

The future is looking a little brighter and we have a lot going on.  Specifically, it looks like there is a lot of support for the picnic and we are going to resume out monthly luncheons.  So here is the plan for the summer of 2021:

LUNCHEONS:

The Old Spaghetti Factory is back in the meeting business, and our room is reserved for the second Wednesday of each month (except August) beginning July 14.  The topic of discussion for July, besides meeting and greeting old friends, will be the finalization of the Picnic plans.  We will need to have a head count for the luncheon because we will be limited to 40 souls.  An invite will be sent out in late June, a response is requested in order to determine the number of attendees.  The meals will be the same, 4 entrees with one being a salad, and alcoholic beverages will be self-paid.  The fee for the meeting will have to be increased to $25 to cover the cost.  We were considering doing that before the pandemic because we were beginning to lose money every month, and the lunch is our only regular source of revenue.  The remaining way to avoid a cost increase is to consider less costly meals.

The council meeting was held on April 24, and it seems like we are continuing to not only survive, but thrive.  We have a presenter ready for our November luncheon, and that will be our normal Marine Corps birthday luncheon.

 PICNIC:

An August 21 date for our picnic has been established with a reservation of the picnic grounds at the Port of Camas/Washougal.  We have heard from USMMA and USMA, who are eagerly awaiting to join us.  USCGA has been asked and will let us know later, and we have made contact with a few representatives from USAFA.  Now I have to begin getting commitments from YOU, so that we can get a count of participants from USNA and family members, Midshipmen on leave, Parents Club and other association supporters.  The cost should be in the $10 range, with a yet to be determined family rate.  Please use my email or text to let me know if you will be joining us.

HAPPY HOUR:

The Chapter continues to have its weekly happy hour Zoom meetings at 1800 hours every Wednesday.

Mike Carmichael is in charge of our Zoom subscription, and he asked that all of you are informed of its availability for your individual group needs.  It is a very nice option to have at our disposal, and he will accommodate you if at all possible.

Go Navy,

John Adams ‘69, CDR, USN (Ret)

John and Barbara Adams