FMS News
Fishburne Cadets Attend Key Club Event
For the past 3 days, Mrs. Berrang and I attended the 61st Annual Capital District Key Club Convention in Arlington, Virginia, with eleven of our cadets. Those in attendance were Burkard, Wrigley, Guimond, Tisdelle, Valverde, Smith, Thomas, Iacovetta, Morgan, Montgomery and Ulrich. It was a very busy and full weekend with over 950 people in attendance. The Key Club members participated in forums, caucus meetings and the House of Delegate meeting to vote for the 2010-2011 Executive Board of the Capital District Key Club. (Capital District includes all Key Clubs in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia). The highlight of the weekend was the installment of Cadet Wrigley as Div. 5B Lt. Governor for 2010-2011 and the election of Cadet Burkard as the Capital District Key Club Treasurer, which to my knowledge is the highest district level position that a FMS cadet has held (I will have to look into that further). Please congratulate both cadets for a job well done.
Read More: Click hereDoug Payne, FMS ’86 writes a fantastic piece about the Battle of Waynesboro
By way of introduction to this article, he writes, “As a lifelong student of history, I am fascinated by the stories of our ancestors’ lives that sometimes resulted in fortune or disaster, especially in times of crisis. Ultimately, their fates shape the lives of future generations in ways great and small. With this in mind, I recently discovered a story about a famous American cavalryman who altered the lives of a handful of my ancestors and their comrades who fought in Augusta County during one of the final battles of the War Between the States.”
Read More: Click hereCadet Ulrich shines at RFI! Details from Col. Hunt.
RFI is always a critical time at Fishburne. The school’s JROTC honor rating with distinction is at stake, a tradition that goes back well into the early 1920’s. Invariably the challenge of the occasion brings out the best in the cadet corps, and 2010 was no exception.
The entire corps gave a major effort and managed to secure yet another honor rating with distinction with the highest score of any of the 106 schools previously inspected this year. Needless to say, this collective achievement was the product of much individual skill and determination.
Read More: Click hereFishburne Keeps Gold Star! Col. Hunt Recaps the Big Day…
As many of you know JROTC was established at FMS in February 1919 and the JROTC formal inspection began in 1926. The formal inspection is conducted triennially. What that means is that if you achieve less than “Honor Unit with Distinction” you hold that rating for a period of three years. The maximum score is 600 points. There are three ratings a unit can receive: Meritorious Unit (MU) 480/80%, Honor Unit (HU) 540/90% and Honor Unit with Distinction (HUD) 576/96% or higher). Based on Mr. Moroney’s ‘President of the Board of Trustees Report,’ FMS has been an “Honor Unit with Distinction” except on two occasions which we were an “Honor Unit”. The last time was sometime in the 1970s.
Read More: Click hereSpring Break Activities for Cadets While at Home
Just three weeks away (March 13-21), Spring Break is a time we encourage our parents to schedule an activity or multiple activities that might be more engaging for a young cadet rather than spending all their time playing X-box, Play Station, or the Nintendo Wii. Although the best opportunities require a little effort on the part of parents to organize something meaningful, the added benefits far exceed simply occupying his time and works to enhance his resume. We make note of this upcoming opportunity because volunteering (or working) during Spring Break can play a pivotal role in the development of each cadet.
Read More: Click hereFishburne Wins Match-Up Against VMI’s Club Team
Great team effort again. I was pleased with how we shared the ball and continued to play very unselfish. Although we had a big lead our guys continued to work on our execution and defensive effort, things that have been the staple of our program, We did not have any single player standout alone but, what we did have was a collective effort and enthusiasm throughout the game. I also would like to say how impressed I was with the VMI campus. It is an awesome place and our players truly enjoyed the opportunity and experience. I got to spend some time with a few of the VMI student-athletes and let them know how special they were. Several of them shared with me that they will be commissioned in May and will likely be assigned in either Iraq or Afghanistan by the end of the year. Like many, I am very grateful for the service they are giving our great Nation. I would also ask that All of us keep them in our Prayers and thoughts. And last, I would like to give a special thanks to Paul Maini, a 27 year veteran of VMI for giving Fishburne Cadets the opportunity to experience the VMI campus. He shared some stories, gave a brief history of the school and talked a little about his Vietnam experience. There were no losers today just all winners.
Read More: Click hereCaptain Dillon discusses Snowy Nights at Fishburne!
As a night shift TAC Officer that works every weekend with our cadets, there are different shades to every season at FMS. Yet, by the time the chill of late fall and the early winter arrives, the cadets have settled into the day to day routine where only a few are seen at night.
Read More: Click hereFishburne PG Hoops Player Volunteers with Hundreds at Delta’s Atlanta Hub in Haitian Relief Effort
Sometimes the aftermath of great tragedies brings forth with it tremendous acts of humanity and compassion. Chris Nelson, a PG Basketball player from Atlanta, Georgia, volunteered at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport for almost forty hours in an effort to load Delta planes with food, water and supplies bound for Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Nelson noted that, “through life he’s had a lot of help, and the volunteer effort with Delta was a great change to give back.”
Read More: Click hereEverything you need to know about Winter Parents Weekend
In case you’re wondering…
Conferences with parents will take place according to the posted schedule. If you would like to schedule conferences prior to arriving to Fishburne, please contact Ms. Morgan to set appointment times beginning Monday, February 8th.
