Birthday Ball

[phrogdriver]

Marines,

My XO has informed me, much to my joy, that I will probably end up supervising the unit's Marine Corps Birthday Ball, since he's not pleased with the way planning has gone so far, and thinks the committee needs more direction. Getting tapped for this is a ringing endorsement of the theory, "F*** things up early, that way people don't keep giving you more things to do." That philosophy works with my wife, but I haven't tried it at work.

Our ball is going to be in our hangar, due to the size of our unit, over 500 Marines. While I could barely contain my tears of joy over my assignment, I realized that Birthday Balls are kind of like the weather, everyone complains, but no one ever does anything about it. Not to mention, I realized I'd never actually paid attention to anything at any of my 10 previous birthday balls, other than what I could see through the bottom of a beer bottle.

That said, what made your past birthday balls good or bad? No, I don't want, "I got laid!" I mean what made the event good or bad. I don't want to have: boring ceremony--> boring speaker--> crappy DJ-->everyone leaves early. Can you guys help a brotha out here!

Phrog

 

[etnuclearsailor]

Here are a few ideas... try to work out a means by which you can have an open bar without boosting the price of the tickets by too much. Shop around for caterers, one of them might be able to help you. If not, try to keep the drinks inexpensive. In order to have an open bar, everyone should be willing to pay another $10 a ticket. If you've ever been to a wedding or event where you liked the DJ, find out who it is. Make certain there is enough dance floor space. Try for a multimedia presentation, such as a video or something projected on a large screen.
That's about all I can think of based on the USMC birthday ball I've been to and the Navy ball my friends planned.

 

[Wolfpack02]

I'm assuming this is an all hands ball? If so it might be tough to keep people there. Try to get a dj that plays more than just top 40 and rap. Good luck. i'll try to think of more things.

 

[eddie]

http://www.gigmasters.com/

Look through their listings; it's a DJ-finder service. Although you don't have to use the service to look through their index, it can expedite the process if you want to contact a whole slew of people at once. I've used them for school functions with success.

 

[Fly Navy]

At this year's Navy Ball we had a live band. Bunch of E-dogs who did an awesome job, really. Sung a lot of popular songs, people were impressed. No rap, thank God. Something better about a live band than a DJ... if you can pull it off.

 

[KBayDog]

My suggestions, in no particular order:

1. Ensure there is enough cake for everybody. You laugh, but some people look forward to that kind of thing, and there never seems to be enough.

2. Make sure the seating arrangement allows everybody, ESPECIALLY the guests, to see the pageant/guest speaker. There is nothing more boring than having to listen (vice see) the ceremony. (If you can get a live video feed to a giant screen, that would help things out.)

3. Try to lock on the base's uniform pageant crew. They're pretty popular during Ball season because they put on a motivating show.

4. Make sure the photographer is there early and stays late. Also, make sure that everyone knows where s/he is staged. (If possible, try to find a photographer that will allow the pictures to be printed, or proofs made available, the same night.)

5. Static displays are always cool - perhaps tie this in with the photographer? (Everyone can get the US/USMC flag background at any Ball; not every Ball can have an Osprey in the background!)

6. Work with the bar crew to make the drinks as cheap as possible. Not everyone can afford a $2 soda, a $5 beer, or $7 spirits. If the drinks are affordable, folks will stick around.

7. Choose the souveniers wisely. If only I had a nickel for each Ball glass or mug I have gotten over the years... Photo frames are good, so are unit coins.

8. Keep the "volunteered" help (i.e., working parties) to a minimum. Sure, you will need a color guard, cake escorts, etc., but the more Marines you have in the ceremony and behind the scenes, the less there will be in the audience (and cocktail hour). I'd recommend using the bare minimum Marines that will get the job done. Also, consider setting things up the day before, if possible, so that the Marines can enjoy their day.

 

[stevo01]

i hear the same thing every year from my Marines...only complaints, nothing good. they are as followed.

Not all Marines have dates, some like to go stag, so do not force the ones flying solos to do all the ceremonial events...

OPEN BAR...nothing worse than a bar that charges for Beer that could have been provided....because the ticket prices for the Marine and His date are usually more than what they like to spend. The drinks included makes it alot easier for Marines to stick around after the ceremony..

Unit coins are nice...

 

[phrogdriver]

Strike the hangar thing; now hotels as far as 2 1/2 hours away are possible COAs. Wish I could land an aircraft in the parking lot for photos, though. My goal is to not have it suck, i.e. not have everyone break to party suites or bars as soon as the guest speaker sits down. Plenty of beer is probably a start.

 

[gtxc2001]

As bad as a hangar sounds, maybe the money saved by not paying a hotel could be reinvested more effectively. It seems like dining outs/ mess nights always go off well because they tend to enhance the feeling of comaraderie. While fines and such might not be appropriate, perhaps you could devise a way to work humor into the ball. A dance off with prizes or something like that. I liked the earlier idea of having something to show everybody. Functions that I've been to that were memorable had things like displays of historical Marine equipment or movies that were made by guys in the unit. The last B day ball I was at was bland because after the cake and CMC's message, that was it.

 

[phrogdriver]

Ironically, by the time you pay to decorate and make the hangar less, well, like a hangar, you're not saving that much money, especially if you cater it. Most hotels throw in the ballroom for free if you buy enough food and drink, plus a PA system, etc. I think it would be cheaper in a hangar, but not the all-expenses-paid free-for-all I thought it might be.

 

[brd2881]

Seems like quite a challenge to get all the Marines to stay for the whole Ball. I don't understand why sometimes guys/girls pay for the tickets and the booze and then bail afterwards to get into civies and go barhopping, something you can do any friday or saturday. If you held the party in the Hangar with some birds around it creates a cool atmosphere I think, but yeah expensive and time consuming to decorate, cater and then clean up afterwards. On the other hand a hotel seems great but then if its downtown in some city, Marines seem to want to bail to go to bars or whatnot. No DD issue at a hotel either. Having a good, interesting speaker with a brief but engaging message/speech would be cool as well. I wish you the best and hope the planning goes well.

 

[jarhead]

Strike the hangar thing; now hotels as far as 2 1/2 hours away are possible COAs. Wish I could land an aircraft in the parking lot for photos, though. My goal is to not have it suck, i.e. not have everyone break to party suites or bars as soon as the guest speaker sits down. Plenty of beer is probably a start.

Phrong,

i don't envy you ... good luck.

2 1/2 hour drive to an all-hands Ball ... is it going to be a mando-fun Ball? because i can see a couple cheap-skate drunk Marines saying they aren't gonna pay for a room & try to drive back to base. just my opinion, but driving far distances for a all-hands event sets Marines, especially junior Marines, up for failure. skippers decision though

MAG-31 here at Beaufort has done the last two Balls in a hanger. both were ok. Officer/SNCO Ball on Friday, Enlisted Ball on Sat. brought in a couple Hornets, and used them as a backdrop for pics. had a DJ, and cash bar (though a lot of people brought their own stuff). one of the speaker's talked and talked and talked ... bad bad bad ... one of the speaker's was short & sweet, to the point. a good speaker is key, but you have to start looking early. wait too late and you're scrabbling for somebody, and there is usually a reason why that guy is still available. the biggest issue that i remember was that the hanger got hot with all the people and not much ventilation. as for the cost of setting up the hanger ... i think a lot the work was done by working parties the week prior, with those Marines not having to pay for tickets.

S/F

 

[phrogdriver]

Oddly, I've heard convincing arguments that farther=safer. In North Cackalacky, big venues are hard to come by. One convention center is 1 hour away. It has a hotel next door, as well. However, 1 hour is close enough that people definitely will try to drive home, some in an unsafe state. 2 1/2 hours is far enough to convince most knuckleheads to stay the night. The hangar's first shortcoming is that there is no hotel there at all. Safe departure means cabs--a couple hundred of them, and who wants to take a cab if he lives 1/2 hour away?

 

[gaijin6423]

I agree with Kbay's post above about keeping the volun-told help to a minimum, but I recommend a small QRF of sober folks to deal with any... Flare ups, shall we say? It does kind of suck for the guys and gals (and you need at least a couple for ladies room incedents) who have to stay sober and deal with their drunken comrades, but it sucks way worse when something happens and nobody's there to deal with it soberly. Say, when a drunken LCpl ditches out on the party and goes berserk in 'downtown' Iwakuni, smashing both his hands and other people's heads through car windows?

 

[Brett327]

That said, what made your past birthday balls good or bad? No, I don't want, "I got laid!" I mean what made the event good or bad. I don't want to have: boring ceremony--> boring speaker--> crappy DJ-->everyone leaves early. Can you guys help a brotha out here!

Phrog

Chiming in late, but I did get laid. Consolation for having to be around so many Marines.

Brett