I wanted to give you some information on Parents' Weekend that should help you start to make plans.
Parents' Weekend will be Friday 29 September-Sunday 01 October 2023. This is a very special weekend we hope everyone will be able to attend. Please note, that although tradition has us calling it Parents' Weekend, it is open to all family members and friends of our cadets. All are welcome!
The final details have not been approved, but the weekend overall will be very similar to last year's event. Couple of highlights:
1) The first event is the CFA Annual Meeting at 10AM on the 29th in Mark Clark Hall. The President will give his annual update to families at that time. The last event is Sunday evening when you drop off your cadets. Underclass will be around 7PM and Seniors 1030PM.
2) Upperclassmen may begin General Leave after their last class on Friday. The exact time for freshmen has not yet been determined, but it will be sometime that afternoon after their last official duty - normally around 3PM. General Leave will expire that night somewhere around midnight. I will provide the exact times in a future update.
3) The Ring Presentation: The Seniors will receive their rings in the Chapel at 3PM on Friday afternoon. This ceremony is for cadets only and will last approximately an hour and a half. Families are welcome to watch them enter and exit the Chapel.
4) Friday evening, seniors and their families will participate in The Ring “Walk-Through” Ceremony in McAlister Field House. This is the ceremony where each senior may escort up to two people through the ring. At 5 p.m., the Ring Reception opens in Deas Hall. The ceremony begins with a performance by the Junior Sword Arch at 6 p.m. When asked for the appropriate dress, I tell folks that your cadet will be in their most formal uniform. Suits for men and dress/gown for women are the norm. If you google “the citadel walk-through ring ceremony” images, there are plenty of photos from previous ceremonies that can give you some ideas. The order and times that companies go through the ring changes each year. We will get that published as soon as we can. One last note, any families, regardless of your cadet's class, can come watch the Sword Arch or the cadets going through the ring - there is plenty of seating in McAlister Field House.
5) Saturday's events start at 8:30AM (8AM for the Band since they have to go and perform) with Open Barracks and go non-stop until the end of the completion of the football game (~5:30PM). Your cadets can go with you after the game and stay out until midnight. Note: that policy could be changed and announced at the end of the game. Tickets to the Football Game against Western Carolina can be purchased HERE. Also for your enjoyment, the Summerall Guards will perform at Halftime.
6) You can pick up your cadets as early as 5:30AM on Sunday and return them later that evening. There will be religious services on campus which we'll include in future updates.
7) We will have the Parents' Weekend T-Shirts and Tote Bags for sale. Ordering information for them and Saturday's lunch will be included in future updates.
One final reminder, traffic will be heavy in town on Friday afternoon and very heavy coming onto campus Saturday morning. We run out of places to park on campus Saturday morning so keep that in mind as you are making your plans.
Stand-by for more information in future updates.
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