|
We Remember & Honor Them!
As our nation’s third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson formally approved the establishment of a military academy at West Point funded by Congress on March 16, 1802. George Washington had originally selected the site along the Hudson River because of the strategic military advantage the General believed West Point provided against British forces during the American Revolution.
Alumni have been celebrating West Point’s founding since 1914 when the West Point Society of New York first observed the Academy’s creation under the Military Peace Establishment Act. The first Founders Day Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City set the standard for the celebrations every March that continue to this day.
The West Point Parents Club of Central Florida supports the West Point Society of Central Florida and the West Point Association of Graduates in honoring the United States Military Academy, its cadets, as well as the graduates who have fallen in service to our nation. A cocktail reception, known as the Benny Havens Hour, kicks off the evening’s festivities. Opening remarks are made, the colors are posted, the Cadet Prayer is recited, toasts are offered, dinner is served, speeches delivered, a cake-cutting ceremony is conducted, and the singing of the Alma Mater occurs.
You might be interested to know that Benny Havens refers to a legendary former cadet at West Point who served in the War of 1812 before establishing a beloved tavern outside the gates of the Academy. It has been written that Benny Havens “was a magnet for the young cadets, many of who were away from home for the first time and thrust into a harsh disciplinary environment that reshaped their boyish spirit into captains of war.” Everyone, it was noted, “needed an occasional break from that and Benny Havens was the person to give it.”
The cake-cutting ceremony is also full of meaning. The Founders Day guest speaker, the oldest graduate present, as well as the youngest, have the honor of slicing the cake with a West Point sword before tasty wedges are shared with dinner celebrants.
Over the years, these Founders Day Dinners have taken on a life of their own with music and entertainment, raffles and auctions, memorabilia displays and more. You have to experience one of these special events for yourself, so please join us for our next Founders Day Dinner in March 2022.
Alumni have been celebrating West Point’s founding since 1914 when the West Point Society of New York first observed the Academy’s creation under the Military Peace Establishment Act. The first Founders Day Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City set the standard for the celebrations every March that continue to this day.
The West Point Parents Club of Central Florida supports the West Point Society of Central Florida and the West Point Association of Graduates in honoring the United States Military Academy, its cadets, as well as the graduates who have fallen in service to our nation. A cocktail reception, known as the Benny Havens Hour, kicks off the evening’s festivities. Opening remarks are made, the colors are posted, the Cadet Prayer is recited, toasts are offered, dinner is served, speeches delivered, a cake-cutting ceremony is conducted, and the singing of the Alma Mater occurs.
You might be interested to know that Benny Havens refers to a legendary former cadet at West Point who served in the War of 1812 before establishing a beloved tavern outside the gates of the Academy. It has been written that Benny Havens “was a magnet for the young cadets, many of who were away from home for the first time and thrust into a harsh disciplinary environment that reshaped their boyish spirit into captains of war.” Everyone, it was noted, “needed an occasional break from that and Benny Havens was the person to give it.”
The cake-cutting ceremony is also full of meaning. The Founders Day guest speaker, the oldest graduate present, as well as the youngest, have the honor of slicing the cake with a West Point sword before tasty wedges are shared with dinner celebrants.
Over the years, these Founders Day Dinners have taken on a life of their own with music and entertainment, raffles and auctions, memorabilia displays and more. You have to experience one of these special events for yourself, so please join us for our next Founders Day Dinner in March 2022.
For More Information on Founders Day
|