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"I wanna be a Marine" Club.

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michaels601

michaels601

Simba Barracuda.
Just kicking an idea around in my skull, and I'm wondering if any of you might have some priceless experience, advice, or ideas that I could benefit from.

I'm considering starting up some kind of organization at my school for Candidates and students considering... candidacy. Functionally, a more organized way to PT with other kids at my school, and hopefully it could help recruit new kids, get them in touch with the OSO, etc. I've got a handful of staff members in mind who would more than likely be willing to sponsor or help out with something like this.

I know ERAU's got "Semper Fi Society," and I'm planning on getting ahold of someone there and asking how their deal works. I think it's a great way to organize students, practice stuff like squad runs, and get some leadership experience, plus it seems like it would be a huge motivator if successful.

I'm still waiting to hear if I'm going to Juniors this summer, which will obviously have a big impact on what I get done over the summer, and how qualified I would be to try to get this kind of organization going once the fall semester starts (ideally I would have it set up and ready to start with the fall semester).

Whatever you've got, I want to hear it. ...read it... you know what I mean.
 
Where ever you go, you can request to become an on-campus organization fairly easily I believe. From there, the sky is the limit as to what you want to do with it. Look at some of the other organizations that put out flyers and have meetings on campus, some are down right ridiculous. Starting a Semper Fi Society would probably lend a recognizable name, seeing how that's essentially what you'd be starting.

The SFS at my school exists largely to allow the OSO access to the campus (otherwise he'd have to pay a fee everytime he set foot on campus for OSO business). It's also a way to keep candidates accountable for things like PT and helps keep the word going around for things like PFT's and pool events.
 
ah, I didn't realize SFS was a commonly used name. i'm working on what i'll ask my OSO, sounds like he might be able to give me more answers than i expected (especially if he's got to deal with a fee or something for being on campus). thanks, bud
 
Although I am no longer in college, I'd love to see something like this in my area. I've been looking for people to PT with, hang out, etc. I even posted in the PFT section an invite to do some weekly PT in my area but have yet to get any responses :(.

Good luck with your idea, if there is enough support around the school, I'd think it would work pretty well.
 
I'm not a Marine...just passing info. There is a Marine here at A&M that started a Semper Fi Society and I believe it has quite a few members. If you want me to get you in touch with him then PM me.
 
T-man said:
Although I am no longer in college, I'd love to see something like this in my area. I've been looking for people to PT with, hang out, etc. I even posted in the PFT section an invite to do some weekly PT in my area but have yet to get any responses :(.

Good luck with your idea, if there is enough support around the school, I'd think it would work pretty well.
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i was thinking of setting things up so that it wouldn't be just for kids in my situation. it'd be beneficial to have students who're reservists, as well as participants who aren't necessarily students. i'll occasionally PT with a guy trying for OCS this summer who's already long graduated, and i know it has to suck for him not to have anybody else to PT with.

the only problem then is where the line gets drawn for it not being a school-sponsored deal, if it involves participants who aren't students.
 
If anything, on many campus' there are also Veterans Clubs. Getting in touch with one could get you some support and ideas regarding organization as well as tips on PT, etc.
 
When I was at Norwich we had a large Semper Fi Society, quite successful. We did all sorts of crap and there were lots of members. Our unit's MECEPs were also involved so their knowledge helped. I'm Navy, but our Society was open to anyone who was interested, and I gained some valuable knowledge while it it. Its a great idea if you've got the time and effort.
 
Most universities have a Semper Fi Society, and they've been around for a pretty long time. My experience was a little different, both from being prior enlisted and going to the USNA. We had a significant budget allotted to us for guest speakers, field exercises, TDGs, and other events that could best be described as a combination of recruiting and and training. Our society had a formal written charter, complete with election procedures, duties for assigned billet holders, descriptions of active/inactive members, etc. It was a good experience for those unfamiliar with the Marine Corps as well as the priors, because it gave opportunities for students to be exposed to a Marine environment and even plan training events using Marine Corps methods. Plus, we always had the most b!tchin' tailgaters...

My advice would be to have a long talk w/ your OSO and/or MOI about it. I'm willing to bet that he/she would be psyched about it, and even more so if you go into the meeting well-prepared. Do your homework. Know the specifics about starting an ECA on your campus; Have a rough draft of a charter, samples of other schools' charters, or even a well thought out mission statement; Get an idea of how many people would be interested in joining. If you put some effort into the research/planning phase and anticipate the questions/concerns your MOI/OSO has, he/she will most likely be hard-pressed to disagree with you. Especially if you consider that you're helping them do their job by finding students interested in the Marine Corps and providing at least a rudimentary introduction to Marine tactics, training, etc.

PM me if you have any specific questions that you think I might be able to help with. And I'd stay away from calling it the "I Wanna Be A Marine Club," it just doesn't sound very military, let alone high-speed.
 
gaijin6423 said:
And I'd stay away from calling it the "I Wanna Be A Marine Club," it just doesn't sound very military, let alone high-speed.
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just figured it was a catchier title for the thread-
if i want a "military sounding" name, though, i could come up with an unreasonably long acronym, like LUMCOCPGS (Local and Undergraduate Marine Corps Officer Candidate Preparatory Group and Services)... maybe tack some numbers on the end, for fun...

i'm thinking get all my **** together before talking to my OSO, figure out exactly how i want to do it and how my school would work with me, etc. hadn't thought of writing up a rough charter, though...

thought of two other issues, though: the first being, i don't want to get into the thick of setting this up right when i'm sliding into finals, and my grades are mostly held together with gum and luck right now anyways. OSO i'm not worried about, but not sure how much i can get done at my school over the summer.

second, and probably more likely to fvck things up, is that i would be hard pressed to round up half a dozen kids interested right now. getting new kids' attention is a big reason i would want to do this (closely followed by more effective PT and then irritating the ROTC kids...heheheheh....) but i'm worried i won't be given much consideration if i only have four or five guys supporting the idea.
 
You're going at it bass-ackwards. You don't need to "get all the sh!t together before presenting the idea" at all. Start presenting it now, and garner support along the way. Talk to your OSO now, not once you've got a concrete formula. I'm sure he'd be glad to help you develop and implement the plan (especially if he's hard pressed for slots right now :) ). Talk to the board of student organizations or whatever is at your college now and present your idea, not once you've got 150 prospective members and an official logo and charter and secret handshake. What club ever started with a huge bang? The Marine Corps was started in a bar with less than 50 members!

Good luck and Semper Fi
 
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