40th Reunion Events – Homecoming 2023

1/31/23: Hotel Update

From Mickey:
Long Island Marriott has no more rooms (at least for now) at discounted rate, so folks can either reserve a room at a non-discounted rate or use the Courtyard Westbury (same discount rate as Marriott).

If more rooms become available at Marriott, we’ll let you know so you could reserve one now and change later.

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1/30/23: Alumni Awards – Nominate Now!

From Scott O’ Connor & Brian Foy:
Dear Class of ’83,
An integral part of any 5-year homecoming is nominating classmates for various AAF awards. After 40 years there are many who have accomplished great things in their professional careers, in support of the Academy and in their personal lives. Alumni Awards are meant to recognize these accomplishments during the Homecoming season. We are getting near the time when we ‘tie ‘er up’ and go treading off into the bright light of retirement. The major 50th homecoming class is celebrated with an emphasis on their accomplishments. It is neither too late nor too early for a full-court press on awards but not necessarily with the emphasis that we should think about for our 50th. Awards for the 50 year classes are definitely a major emphasis of the Alumni Association.

All of the Awards that AAF gives out are found at AAF Awards. Each award is assigned its own page that explains the award; specifies the criteria by which the nominee is judged; and, has the on-line form used to nominate. Not all awards are applicable for our 40th. A guide for the applicable ones follows.

Who to nominate? First, read the explanations of the various awards on the individual awards pages. On each page is a button link to the list of past awardees. Look through the lists of the past honorees. Names on those lists may jump out at you, instructive as to the level of service for the award and the robustness of the criteria for the award. With all that in mind, think of the classmates that you know may be good candidates for an award. The more the merrier. Multiple members of our class can receive awards in any one category. Also, individual members can be nominated for multiple awards.

The Alumni Awards Committee has, over the years, developed some ‘best practice’ sheets for making nominations – Ponies. Sending as much information IAW the Pony makes it that much easier for a nominee to end up as an awardee. The Committee of 10 members has a settled and well-defined set of criteria and metrics for each of the awards. The more thorough the information that is provided the more the committee has to consider. Uploaded documents are very helpful. If you are nominating someone the best bet is to talk through it with the person you are nominating to get the most thorough and accurate information. It’s best to create a Word document for collecting information. Complete the on-line nomination at one sitting, including this Word doc and other supporting certificates, awards, etc. Sending it in bits and pieces over a period of time makes it more likely some information will be lost.

TIMING OF SUBMISSIONS
The very last day for submitting a nomination is March 31st. The Alumni Awards Committee will look at nothing submitted after that. But if it is very close to that day they will likely not have time to give good and proper consideration to a nominee. Best bet: shoot for getting the nomination in by the end of February or, at the latest, March 15. That allows the Committee to possibly come back with any inquiries.

PRIMARY AWARDS
The awards to concentrate on are the Meritorious Service Award (MSA), the Outstanding Professional Achievement (OPA), the Distinguished Service Award (DSA) and the Silver Mariner Award.

1. The first three of these awards have as a criteria a minimum giving to the AAF of $100 per year since graduation.  A nominee can  easily check with the Alumni Office as to whether they qualify.  If you are nominating someone and you or the nominee is not sure, ask that person to check with the alumni office.  They may consider it a gift and should attempt to meet that threshold.  As before, talk frankly with your nominee about this.
2. See the attached ponies for the MAS, the DSA and the OPA.  The ponies are good for any 5-year anniversary class.  Disregard references to 25- and 50-year classes.
3. The DSA is in line with the MSA but is for service above and beyond it, highlighting much more interaction with the Alumni organization.

The Silver Mariner Award is considered differently than other awards.  A separate email addresses this award. This is the one for which we have had a very low number of awardees.  If you’ve been working on water all this time, or at least 25 years of it, look for this email.

OTHER AWARDS
There is another range of awards that are bigger in scope, all listed at the AAF Awards. webpage. For example, the Daniel Meehan ’51 Humanitarian Award is for “an alumnus/ae who has dedicated significant time and energy to charitable activities and organizations”.  Another award, the Captain Michael Walker ’69 Memorial Award, is given to a graduate “who performs an act of heroism at sea while discharging the duties of a merchant marine officer. The heroic acts shall be performed in the highest traditions of the United States Merchant Marine while displaying outstanding dedication, courage and disregard for personal safety.”  There may be some one or two in our class that are candidates for these.

If you have questions after you have familiarized yourself with the awards you should reach out to Lisa Donitz, Manager of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, 516-773-5658, .

Remember, all awardees will be invited to the Alumni Awards Banquet, held Thursday Evening before Homecoming Weekend. If you receive an award please plan to attend. Let’s hope we see each other at the Awards Banquet!
Best regards,
Scott O’ Connor ’83
Brian Foy ’83

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1/28/23: ’83 Silver Mariner Award

From Scott O.:
Dear Class of ’83,
WE’VE BEEN SLACK WITH OUR SILVER MARINERS FOR THE LAST THREE FIVE-YEAR REUNIONS!!
We have not been soliciting classmates to apply for the Silver Mariner Award. This award recognizes those who went down to the sea and stayed in ships. Until now Joe Magiorra has been the only recipient of the award, in 2008. So far this year Andy Dywan is the only one on the nominated list. After 40 years we should have many more who qualify for the Silver Mariner Award. It ‘s time this year to capture all the others who stand as Silver Mariners. For you Silver Mariners this email is intended to prompt you to get a nomination in.

Ref: Silver Mariner Award on the USMMAAF webpage.

This award is self-nominating which is totally not a detriment for receiving the award. It is not one that goes through the Alumni Awards Committee, per se. It is conferred through the AAF Office if one meets the sea-going qualifications for it.

SEA-GOING QUALIFICATIONS
The write-up about the award at the webpage link above is a little tricky. Here’s how to interpret.

1. 1. You must have sailed 25 years on a license in an unlimited capacity. One voyage in a year makes a good year.
2. At any time, if even for one voyage, you must have sailed as Master, Chief Engineer or First Class Pilot.
3. If you sailed as a FCP for at least 20 years, then up to 5 years in an unlimited position counts to add up to the 25 years. OR,
4. If you sailed as a Master or FCP for at least 20 years, then up to 5 years in the military afloat counts to add up to the 25 years.
5. A Military Silver Mariner Award exists for those who served on active duty and obtained the rank of O-6.

APPLYING FOR THE AWARD – TIPS FOR THE NOMINATION
Go to Applying for Silver Mariner Award

1. This award is self-nominating because you have the records and/or memory of your sailing career.
2. Nominator and Nominee sections can and likely will be the same.
3. Disregard the Award Criteria button as your records of sailing are the criteria and nothing is listed there.
4. Under the Sailing History segment there is no need to fill in the box. Click the link to the Excel Spreadsheet and download. Use it to list your sailing history. Later you will upload it when finally submitting the nomination.

You’re done. There are no Honor Boards on this one but be honest. This award is on my ” to do” list having been remiss the last dozen years. If you know someone whis is still sailing and on the “83 Missing List”, please pass this email to them.

Remember, all awardees will be invited to the Alumni Awards Banquet, held Thursday Evening before Homecoming Weekend. If you receive an award please plan to attend. I hope to see you there.
Best regards,
Scott O’

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1/12/23: Hotel Reservations

From Mickey:
Greetings classmates!
Reunion weekend 2023 was finally announced a few weeks ago by the Academy as September 8-10, 2023. We’ve been scrambling to acquire enough hotel space to accommodate our class and ended up at the Long Island Marriott in Uniondale. We currently have 40 rooms held for us with the possibility of increasing the number under the same Terms and Conditions. Just in case the Long Island Marriott were to increase prices or change the terms of reservations we have 15 rooms at an adjacent Courtyard at the same price and terms.

The terms will provide all with maximum flexibility as only one night (Friday or Saturday) is required, cancellation is available until 72 hours prior to September 8th, and we will not be required to guarantee a minimum number of rooms. We fortunately were early enough in our efforts and did a review of using the Inn at Great Neck, but it came with the aforementioned minimums of two nights, only accommodated our numbers by using other “affiliated hotels” a few miles away near Queens and had a stout catering requirement. The reunion committee unanimously felt the closer location, with the lack of flexibility, was not in our best interests.

Unfortunately, the Academy in the past few years has not firmed upcoming season football schedules until around Thanksgiving for the next year. Since COVID and the recent cancellation of Homecomings, the local hotels have started marketing themselves to wedding parties so the inventory of hotel rooms shrinks starting in September of the previous year creating issues for classes like ours looking to get a hotel where most graduates can stay. The bottom line is we completely lose leverage.

Regarding Homecoming activities, we are still reviewing a few places for the Friday Ice Breaker and will be having both our Saturday Tailgate prior to the football game and Dinner catered at Wiley Hall. Details regarding the cost of the Ice Breaker and Saturday activities are being finalized and we will be communicating same in the next few weeks. A Catholic Mass at the Mariner Chapel is also being organized for classmates interested in attending.

We’d suggest that you book your room as soon as possible. They offered us 40 rooms to start, and we had to provide an estimate of how many King beds and Two Double bed rooms we needed. They indicated we can change the mix of room choices and increase the number of rooms if the request is timely and they have availability. This happens to be the weekend of the US Open (Tennis) locally in Flushing, so other hotels are playing hardball about minimum stays and prices. Please note, except for the Inn at Great Neck which is a premium hotel, our room prices are less than or competitive with all locations near Great Neck. As mentioned above, we do have an adjacent Courtyard at the same price and terms regarding minimum stay but are holding back unless needed.
If you have any questions, please reach out to me.

484-459-5403

HOTEL SUMMARY:

USMMA Kings Point Class of 1983
Start Date: Friday, September 8, 2023
End Date: Sunday, September 10, 2023
Last Day to Book: Tuesday, August 8, 2023
King Room $219/night plus applicable taxes
Two Double Beds $229/night plus applicable taxes
Book your group rate for USMMA Kings Point Class of 1983

We need an immediate response from all regarding the following:
Will you attend Friday night ice breaker at a nice wine/bar restaurant near hotel for $40-$45 per person for 2 hours of passed hors d’oeuvres and cash bar then relocate to main bar?
We will be making a decision in the next two weeks.
Yes ( )
No ( )
Email your answer to

NOTE: For Homecoming 2022 Kevin Hall (’82) had a room at the Andrews Hotel in Great Neck. He also had a toilet that didn’t work all weekend. When looking at alternatives for rooms Marilyn Livi strongly suggested we stay away from the Andrew.

For those of you who “found a deal” as they still have rooms available it is for a reason!
MC