Promotion!

I had a call from one very excited young man today. The call came from his own cell phone number! This is important because his cell phone (a Christmas present) was being held by the Officer in Charge until Jacob's first promotion. So I knew by the caller ID that there was good news in store!

Sure enough, Jacob got is first promotion today. He moved from Recruit Candidate to Recruit 2nd class (R-2). Also this week he earned the privilege, based on his academic performance, of staying in his own room for evening study hall. Now that he is R-2, besides getting his phone, the major perc of this promotion is that he can now wear his pajamas during evening study hall in his room (rather than his uniform). He was very thrilled about this! With all these exciting privileges, he said that after class time, all the rest of the day is fun: first comes athletics, then mess, then study hall in your pajamas!

Jacob said that yesterday, the last full day of his third week at MMA, was the first fun day. He says that things are just really clicking and he is enjoying himself very much.

This weekend is an "Open Weekend," so Doug is going to head east instead of west when he arrives home from Colombia tomorrow, and spend a day with Jacob in Columbia. Did you get that? (Note the spelling difference.)

Now, on another note, I have reviewed the MMA Middle School Cadet Handbook and Regulations and found that I heartily approve of it. It has many words of very good advice for young men. It also has many important rules that suddenly make our system here at home--once viewed as oppressive and constrictive by our burgeoning adolescent--look like a blissful sojourn in Tahiti.

Therefore, I have decided to periodically share some quotations from this handbook for your edification. See sidebar. Check often.