Alumni and Friends of VMI:
Cyber Corps Numbers: 523
A New Computer...Please Resend: I just received
and set up a new computer. I transferred a bunch of stuff from
the old computer to the new one. Unfortunately, some of the
recent e-mails I've received didn't transfer. I know a couple
folks sent me change of e-mail addresses, etc. I lost some of
these along with some items that folks wanted me to pass along.
Please do me a favor and resend those e-mails to me. I appreciate
it and apologize for the inconvenience.
VMI Basketball: Keydets were on a slight roll
winning two in a row, but they recently got beat up pretty bad by
UNC-Charlotte. Keydets now stand 2-6.
Honor Court: I've been skimming the Electronic
Turnouts and there has been much discussion about the Honor Court
as of late. I'll try and determine what's going on. I know that
the Corps no longer has the privilege of scheduling their own
exam times, but there seem to be some other issues.
Through the Eyes of An Outsider: Speaking of the
Electronic Turnouts, I ran across the following while perusing
the latest Electronic Turnouts. I thought it would be of interest
to the Cyber Corps.
Sun Dec 6 11:43:16 1998
Gentlemen- I stumbled into your turnout accidentally but have
stayed online reading your posts for a good half-hour.
Fascinating. Especially since I'm a female who never went to VMI.
HOWEVER, I was blessed with several, older male friends who went
to VMI when I was young. Older brothers of my best friends. I was
searching the net for some photos of the different VMI uniforms,-
(how I found this place) - the reason for which, if you'd be kind
enough to bear with me I will eventually explain. When I was
growing up in the late-sixties my best friends oldest brother was
going to VMI. I revered that boy! He always stood straight, was
quiet, thoughtful, totally unflappable and kind. For a long time
I was convinced that he was God in those uniforms of his. He was
10/12 years older than my friend and me but he always,
with-out-fail, took the time to speak to us, to correct us with
firm kindness when he caught us doing something 'wrong'. He never
laughed at us 'girls', talked down to us nor over-looked our
existence simply because we were 'little kids'. The memory of
going to his graduation, at age 8 or 9, is still fresh in my
mind's eye. If I couldn't go to VMI myself to emmulate my 'hero'
I was, at the very least, determined to be as much like him as I
possibly could become. Not by immersing myself in athletics and
toting a rifle...I wanted to be the kind of PERSON he was. Seeing
him amongst all his 'brothers' in his uniform that day I remember
thinking in my little brain that since he was graduating he might
'go away' or something because my this graduation business (I was
8/9 and didn't understand really) seemed so 'final'! -; I marched
up to him and asked him to marry me. He was with all his friends,
tons of people around - a wall of chests and waists as viewed
from my age and weight-class then. But he treated me as he always
did - he took time, he was patient - he was a gentleman. After
advising me that gosh he just couldn't marry me because I was a
little girl - I kicked him in the shins and stated that no I
wasn't, I was a woman! Bless his heart he didn't laugh! How he
managed to keep a straight face I have no idea. But he did very
patiently explain that well, perhaps I was right, I was a woman -
but he couldn't marry me, really, because he'd be thrown in jail.
AH! My hero in jail? Ok, he was forgiven for turning me down. He
didn't even explain why he'd have been thrown in jail! When my
parents divorced years later it was messy. My friend gave me lots
of good advice and a shoulder to lean on. He'd always tell me
'Sport, you can do and be anyone you determine to be!' - that's
how I remember the phrase, when he wanted to encourage me. One of
his other lines he drilled into me was 'Sport, stop snivelling! -
just do it!' He had others! He was tough on me but it was through
his patient example and constant yet kind corrections to my
thinking that I learned about duty, honor and strength of
character; and, that there is such a thing as ethics. When he
went to Vietnam on his first tour I was horrified. Not only
worried about his safety but, selfishly also worried about who
would I then turn to for help and guidance? The day he left he
gave me a box, explained to me what a 'dyke' was, and left. Thank
God he came back safe. What was in the box? He had had someone
fit his grey blouse on a mannquin, the bottom weighted. The arms
were stuffed. On top of the mannequin was no face, but sat that
hat I once thought ridiculous - a shako. I was about to enter my
freshmen year at college 3,000 miles away from any family - in
the 70's. Truly a time of sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. Attached
was a note, 'Sport - I regret that I can not be here in person as
you enter school. Everyone needs and deserves a great dyke though
so I give you a brother rat as yours while I'm gone.' There was
more, but you get the gist I'm sure. That darn sentinel sitting
on the floor in that uniform listened patiently to alot of my
troubles over the years. But more important, all I had to do was
LOOK at it and if I was even THINKING of doing something
stupid/wrong/out-of-normal character I'd shape my thinking right
back up I tell you. The reason I tell cyber-world rats this is
two-fold. First, don't let them screw-around with that uniform -
PLEASE! Whats the point in shaving off everyone's hair first day,
making the point that everyone is the same, if one then turns
around and gives the mixed message that badges and medals and
junk though to distinquish one rat from another is okay? The
second reason is just a simple suggestion that perhaps may help
all of you concerned over the anonymous cadet and those like him,
problems with the code, etc.. If you are citizen-soldiers now
outside VMI, start where you are, regardless of if a younger
person is a VMI cadet or not. Walk your talk to all around you.
Ripples do go forth you know in often very unexpected ways. Then,
while you're doing that, why not consider pooling your money and
your mouths together and DO something about it? Get together and
write a small booklet on WHAT honor is - what ethics are for that
matter. Use your experiences and your wisdom to educate - perhaps
interspersing some of your own stories and recollections in the
booklet. Give it free to every cadet. Do a mass mailing or
something. Or, do something sort of the same but do it by ads in
the Cadet news- paper on a regular, ongoing basis. Teach,
instruct, use your wisdom and knowledge gentleman,
constructively. Heck, imagine every week a new ad with say: WHAT
IS HONOR? (Or, WHAT IS INTEGRITY?) (big bold print) Then have a
story/recollection underneath that illustrates one point of
honor. The next week it could be an illustration of another point
of honor from someone else. I've only been to VMI once when I was
8/9. I live in Virginia but have no reason to go there now. BUT
through the example of my friend, starting so long ago, I was
TAUGHT what ethics are. I was shown by example. I was given, by
God I'm sure, a role model - my own 'hero' to emmulate. Remember
gentleman, 'You can be anything you resolve to be' - or however
its engraved in that stone - if you want to really make a
difference and correct things at your Mother I - Stop
snivelling.....Just Do It! Something - anything. BTW, my trusty,
faithfful 'dyke' I am now passing on to a young college girl. In
my turn I'm doing what I can do help her learn about duty, honor
and strength. For example...Like WHY it isn't right to read
someone elses diary because you think they might have said
something about you in it.... and HOW you handle your self when
they find out. WHAT is the honorable thing to do. Hope my long
diatribe sparks some constructive thoughts for you all. Oh, and I
started looking on the net for photos of the various uniforms, to
see how they are correctly worn, put together, because a former
VMI'er recently saw my 'dyke' and I made HIS uniform into one to
sit in his den and word has spread. But now a wife of a VMI'er
has given me a white hat, a wool cape , a pair of white dykes,
and grey trousers....but am I wrong? These CAN't go together can
they?Ð
That's it for this week.
Yours in the Spirit,
RB Lane '75
Last Updated: October 11, 2009
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