Tonight my son's Corp will be partaking in probably the oldest military tradition there is. The Dining-in. It is the first chance for the new members to become acquainted with the military pomp and circumstance in a formal setting. They wear their "Class A" uniforms and learn such things as toasting and formal eating. Speakers and guests are invited, but no family is allowed.
We were given a bit of the history of the Dining-in at a Parents meeting recently and after 3 years of my son attending the event, I found out where the tradition comes from and a bit of its history. The Msgt explained that it is believed that the Air Force dining-in custom probably began in the 1930s with General H. “Hap” Arnold’s “wing-dings.” World War II and the closeness of the allies, during this period, added to the traditions.
One of the many things that occurs during a Dining-in is the Grog Bowl. I remember the first time my son mentioned the Grog Bowl and I wondered what the heck it is and if they had the cadets drinking alcohol. Well, I found an explanation here.
"The grog bowl is an accessory traditional to dinings-in, although it is not required. The contents of the grog bowl are best left to the imagination of the planning committee. The contents should be non-alcoholic so as not to dampen the spirits and participation of those individuals who do not consume alcoholic beverages. It is permissible to have two grog bowls, one alcoholic and one non-alcoholic."
That makes me feel a bit better... :-)
No matter what, the cadets can't wait to go and considering they have to be all dressed up, that says something for the fact that they have a good time attending one.
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Photo is from a
previous Dining-In.
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