The Parents Club was first organized as the USNA Parents Club of Northern New Jersey in 1982. The name was officially changed to the United States Naval Academy Parents Club of New Jersey on November 22, 1986.

In the summer of 1982, George and Judy Waidelich obtained a list of all NJ parents of mids and sent letters, at their own expense, to all who lived in the 201 area code. They were looking for feedback from anyone interested in belonging to the club, and/or becoming officers, to give support to Plebe parents and their mids. The purpose of the club then, was essentially what is stated in today’s by-laws. The Waidelichs received responses from approximately 80 families in favor of forming the club, but only about 5 families wanted to become involved with organizing it.

All who were interested were invited to a dinner at the Suburban Hotel in Summit. Annual dues of $10 were established. It was decided early on to order name pins and a banner for the club. The Waidelichs held the monthly board meetings at their home for a while. Two informal membership meetings were held, one at Maplewood High School during March of 1983 to expand committees, and another at St. Cecelia’s in Iselin to accommodate our members living in southern New Jersey.

It was decided that the club would hold one general meeting in the spring, a picnic for new Plebes in June and another general meeting in the fall. Originally, a few dinner and brunch meetings were held at the Old Cedar Mill Inn in northern NJ before relocating to the Forsgate Country Club, a more central location. Door prizes, many donated by Ron & Helen Marotta, were awarded at these meetings.

Beginning in June 1982, picnics were held at the Skytop Pavilion in Watchung Reservation to help incoming Plebes and families get to know one another prior to I-Day.

At the January 1983 Dinner meeting, Jim Baratta felt a by-laws committee should be formed and Marty Rosen and Ron Marotta were chosen for the job. Later, in March, the by-laws were sent to all active families and at the Spring Brunch meeting they were voted on and passed.

Starting in April 1983, new officers were elected at the Spring Brunch meeting. Also at this meeting, parents, who previously attended Commissioning week, spoke about what to bring and what to expect during graduation.

Judy and George Waidelich continued as club presidents until 1984 when Bob and Lori Rutkowski were elected presidents for the 1984-1985 term. Helke and Roger Phelps, presidents from 1985 – 1986, started the Holiday Brunch by opening their home to all club members on January 1 for about two or three years. Parents were asked to bring food items and/or make monetary donations, but Mids were welcome at no cost. Helke also wrote the newsletters at this time. The Familygram, a USNA Publication was also made available. The Phelps reserved 50 tickets for the November Navy vs Notre Dame football game at Giants Stadium and helped run a really great tailgate party. Helke organized the original NJ Club Army/Navy ticket sales (no longer available due to changes made by the Naval Academy Athletic Association Ticket Sales office). The first year the club purchased 1,289 tickets! The Phelps were also responsible for the first West Point "prisoner" brunch which was established to boost the morale of midshipmen who were spending an exchange semester at USMA in West Point, New York.

In 1986-1987, Frank and Mary Pereira stepped into the president’s role. Several new things were started at this time, including a club bus to the Army/Navy games and a transport service for mids to come home for Christmas.  Club member Christa Grev recalls that we started the bus to the football games in Philadelphia, and our driver was Harry Slocum from the Onka Bus Company in Millstone, NJ.  Harry was also the driver of our first bus to the Academy in January 1987 and of all the trips for the mids to and from USNA at Thanksgiving and after Christmas.  He was entrusted with the safety of our midshipman until his retirement.  The bus was lovingly referred to as "Harry's Mid-Express".  Several years ago Harry moved to Florida.  He died in December 2002 at the age of 92.  We wish Harry Fair Winds and Following Seas.

The Army/Navy bus is no longer running, but the Mid-Express has expanded to include a round trip ticket during Thanksgiving weekend and a return trip after the Winter break holiday period.

Our Mid Express provides our midshipmen with a round-trip bus ride from the Yard over Thanksgiving weekend and a return-trip-only to the yard at the end of winter vacation. The bus makes several stops along the NJ Turnpike to provide local pick-ups for families in each of the geographic regions along the Turnpike. The mids are treated with videos and light refreshments to make the trip enjoyable and a club member rides the bus with the mids to assure everything is run smoothly. The cost is nominal, done as a service to mids and their families and not as a fundraiser. This club offering is especially beneficial to plebes and youngsters. Mom and Dad can comfortably prepare for their Thanksgiving feasts without fighting traffic in Annapolis and on I-95.

A great effort for club growth was made during the Pereira’s time served as presidents. Frank Pereira was reported to be reaching out to people on the New Jersey Turnpike and stopping folks at the Academy whose cars had New Jersey license plates. He made every effort to welcome aboard all New Jersey families and encouraged them to join the NJ Parents Club.

Jack and Namhee Donohue were club presidents in 1987-1988. A practice began in 1987 by Mary Pereira was the Mid Photo Boards. These photo boards display USNA Mids and Grads from years past and were brought to all of the general meetings. Mary encouraged all families to keep them up to date by getting the photos to her.

In 1988-1989 the presidents were Fred and Ellie Kramps, who are still active members of the club. Many know Ellie for her lovely recitation of the Midshipman’s Prayer at our dinners and Brunches. Both Ellie and her husband were regular contributors to "Davy Jones Locker" which was a club publication now replaced by the "Scuttlebutt".

1989 – 1990 enjoyed the presidency of Henry and Nancy Highberger, followed by Vince and Mary Ann Militello in 1990-1991. The Militellos were responsible for starting the Plebe Parents Sponsor Program. This program was designed to have experienced parents teamed up with plebe parents to offer helpful hints and a compassionate ear. Regional Meetings were also established during this time. These are informal gatherings, generally during summer months, in the various geographic regions of New Jersey, loosely established by telephone area codes. These meetings are usually a potluck picnic held at the home of a club member, generally during the first few weeks of August, prior to Plebe Parent Weekend, but after that first crucial phone call home. It’s a great time to share information, help prepare Plebe families for the emotional aspects of plebe parent weekend, but it’s mostly a time for everyone to get to know each other and share their stories.

1991-1992 Al and Sue Moskal stepped into the job of club presidents, followed in 1992-1993 by Frank and Darlene Pesile. 1993-1994 Joe and Peg Anderson entered their term as presidents. During their term the idea of sending cookies to the Mids during the Dark Ages was established. The club contacted Annapolis Calvary Church, who as a fundraiser for their parish, bake and deliver cookies to midshipmen at the academy. The club thought this to be a wonderful way to support a local Annapolis church AND provide our midshipmen with a much needed morale booster during that gloomy period between Winter and Spring Break. The club also instituted the every popular Picture Buttons that can be purchased at the Welcome Aboard Picnic in June.

1994-1995 saw the return of Frank and Mary Pereira as presidents. Our growing newsletter received its new name "Anchors NJ" during that time. Today it is published five times a year. It is full of information about events in the Yard, club happenings, news of our mids and grads and USNA trivia. Parents and mids, who began receiving the newsletter in 1986 look forward to receiving each issue. Copies of each edition are sent to the Superintendent, the Deputy Commandant, the USNA Foundation and our Blue and Gold Officers.

In 1995-1996 presidents John and Margie Corbett continued the club’s success. NJ took an active part in the Academy’s 150^th anniversary celebration due to the great efforts of past president Joe Anderson. NJ also contributed a large part in the USNA Foundation Annual Parent’s Club Seminars throughout the country. A big effort was made to improve our Plebe Family Sponsor Program which has been most successful since then with an earlier contact of Plebe families and continued support throughout the year. This year saw an increased focus on regional meetings.

1996-1997 club presidents were Don and Ellen MacAlpin who continued with the traditions outlined above.

The Sprogues were club presidents during 1997-1998.

Denis and Barbara Ahr were at the helm for one and half terms, from 1998-2000. They are the parents of two USNA grads, Dan '99, and Megan '02.  During their term the club’s executive committee proposed a Mission Statement and it was adopted by the general membership.

June 2000 - June 2002 - Jim and Debbie Bellina took over the position and worked with the board to fill some open positions and expand the club’s relationship with our Blue and Gold Officers.  Upon their son's graduation, they moved back into the position of editing the newsletter and took on  a new role, designing a new website just for the NJ Parents Club.  It was decided that the Historian position would be combined with the webmaster role in that much of the club history would now be maintained on the website.   With some significant hand-holding from Mike and Sandi Zets, the webmasters for USNA-Net.org, the website went "live" on May 30, 2003 www.usna-njpc.org

The club’s original meeting format continues with the Annual Fall Dinner and Spring Brunch. We try to host the dinner/brunch in central NJ to allow as many members as possible to attend. A guest speaker from the Academy is generally invited to speak at the Fall Dinner. The Spring Brunch provides the time for board elections, recognition of Firstie parents and helpful information about Commissioning Week and about the upcoming Herndon Climb for Plebe parents. Firstie Parents are given appreciation gifts, including a certificate, a silver dollar for their mid’s first salute (2001 is the first year the silver dollars are being placed into blue velvet pouches with gold cord and enclosed in a formal embossed keepsake card created and designed by Alicia Payne). Corsages are purchased for the Moms and boutonnieres for the Dads. We also honor the outgoing presidents and, beginning in 2001, we will honor our Blue and Gold Officers.

Herndon- Generally a few of the seasoned club members will be present at USNA on the day the Plebes climb Herndon. They are there to help Plebe families negotiate the activities of the day. Some are there just to live vicariously through the plebe families. Sunscreen is recommended.

The Summer Welcome Aboard Picnic has a long history with the NJ Club. It continues to attract a large number of members, with the focus on plebes and their families.. The newcomers are given a great welcome, meet all of the attending members and find out what their mids are doing. Sometimes mids who are home on leave attend with some first-hand information and encouragement for those anxiously awaiting I-Day. This first encounter is so beneficial for new parents.

In 2001 we purchased Navy Blue tote bags with gold handles and had the NJ Club logo printed on them.  In these bags we stuff all types of material including club membership applications, name-tag applications, information regarding Navy football (especially ARMY/NAVY). A copy of the most recent newsletter is generally included along with the Scuttlebutt, a booklet full of helpful tips for plebe families. Every couple of years the Scuttlebutt is updated with current information about care packages, addressing mail, telephone calls and some of the new terminology they’ll be hearing from their mids. Each year USNA makes changes in their own procedures and the Club tries to keep abreast of those changes and update the Scuttlebutt accordingly. When resources are available, we will show the video from the previous class’ I-day experience. That is a big hit amongst the plebes. It’s customary for the Picture Pin chairmen to bring their equipment to the picnic and parent’s of current mids can bring along an extra photo and purchase a "one-of-a-kind" pin to be worn whenever they are at a USNA function. 

I-DAY - The USNA Foundation graciously erects a tent on Farragut Field and holds a marvelous barbeque for all I-Day participants (except the plebes who are busy learning to salute, getting their heads shaved and learning to fold their socks). Officers of The NJ Parents' Club set up a table under the tent make themselves available to plebe parents from NJ or any other state for that matter. We generally bring extra copies of the newsletter and information from the local Chamber of Commerce about hotels and restaurants in the area. We proudly display our banner at this event. This tends to be a stressful day for plebe families and it’s helpful to spot a familiar face in the crowd.

Other established events include the ever-famous NJ Football Tailgate Parties. Our NJ club coordinates a tailgate at all home games at Navy Marine Corps. Stadium; the invitation is open to all NJ mids AND their friends. In the past we’ve had a Tailgate Chairperson whose job it was to coordinate the various games. We will always be grateful to Judy Beelaert and Glenn Eash, who were the chairman for a few years in the late 1990’s. The food is generally homemade, brought to the game hot and kept warm in chafing dishes. We have parents with generators and tents and barbeques and it just gets bigger and better every season. There isn’t a mid at the Yard who doesn’t know who and where we are by the end of the second home game of the season. The club has been setting up the tailgate outside Gate C where the club banner is proudly displayed. In the past the club has set up a tailgate at the Navy/Rutgers game when it’s a home game for Rutgers at their Piscataway Campus. The club also acts as hosts to the members of the USNA Drum & Bugle Corps., opening our homes, guestrooms and kitchens to these wonderful ambassadors of the academy as they travel about the State of NJ and NY too!

2001 brought about the first ever NJ Holiday All-Academy Ball, held December 26, 2001 at Forsgate Country Club. For the record, the largest contingent was from Navy. Academies represented were Navy, Army and Air Force (and one lone member of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets). The Coast Guard and Merchant Marine Academies elected to attend the South Eastern PA ball in Philadelphia but are considering joining the NJ Ball in 2002. This first ball was coordinated and hosted by the USMA Parents' Club of NJ. Linda Rhyne, President of the USMA Club ran the event. New Jersey’s Governor-Elect, Jim McGreevy, appeared during the cocktail hour and the speaker was Rev. DeForest Soaries, Jr., Secretary of the State of New Jersey.

Other exciting ideas were brought forth by new club members,  Presidents of the Club, from May 2002 through May 2004 Cindy and David Farber.    For the first time USNA Parents' Club of NJ held their spring brunch, which turned into a Spring Dinner, onboard the USS New Jersey which is berthed in Camden, NJ. The speaker was Major General Terry Murray, United States Marine Corp.  The caterer had to be flexible and have "sea legs" as all of the food had to be brought onboard by forklift and prepared and served with very little in the way of fine dining resources.  It was a chilly evening, then Ben Franklin Bridge glittered with  lights and the rain held off until everyone had departed the ship.  Again, we broke from tradition and this year we were able to obtain a movement order from USNA which allowed our own NJ midshipmen to attend the event.  The first class midshipmen were given a chance to speak about their parents.  Denis and Barbara Ahr presented the Class of 2002 with a certificate authenticating the purchase of a chair in Alumni Hall in honor of their achievements.  An auction was held as well as a 50/50 raffle. 

Roy and Debi DeBoer took on the Presidents' role in May 2004;  one son, LTJG Derek is a Navy Pilot, flying E2C Hawkeyes out of Norfolk, VA.  Brant is a firstie and headed for EOD upon Graduation in 2005.  This year our Fall Dinner was held at Algernons in Manasquan, NJ.  The speaker was Don Nelson.  Tailgating stepped up a notch under the DeBoer's guidance.  A trailer was purchased and professional tailgating equipment.  Roy and Debi worked very hard with the USNA Alumni Association and the Athletic Association and ... after much campaigning, our club garnered permanent, coveted parking spaces in the new stadium parking lot.  We have a professional size grill, new tents and a host of parents willing to step up and help make the club an organization where "serving" our men and women in the military means more than just flipping burgers. 

In the early months of 2005, the USNA Parents Club took on the role of supporting our troops fighting the War on Terror.   We partnered with AnySoldier.com to identify over 30 units serving in the Middle East Region.  The first round of boxes shipped (over 150 total) were mailed in late January 2005.  The next drive will focus on gathering donating items for humanitarian aid.  We have identified several units who have adopted orphanages in Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Iraq and Bosnia.  We are actively seeking donations to assist in paying the postage for these donations which is to include school kits, complete with backpacks, pens, pencils, crayons, scissors, a toy and a greeting card from a child in the USA.   Click here to see a photo gallery of pictures received from the units who received our care packages.