Military Ball Questions

IAmFighter

IAmFighter

Active member
I've just been appointed the OIC of the planning committee for my school's JROTC military ball and I was wondering if anyone could help me come up with ideas and also to help with setting the standards, such as dress and what not. There was big debate about that among the battalion staff and I want to put it to rest ASAP.

Thanks in advance! Any help you can supply me is much appreciated.
 
At our ball we have a prom type formal, guys wear Class As and gals wear prom dresses. Once I have alittle more time to post more info I will.
 
Our ball we had Males in Uniform, and Females were offered the option of a formal dress or uniform.

Oh, and our ball, which is 2 USN, 2 USAF, 1 Sea Cadet, and 14 or so Army schools, the song "In The Navy" promoted harsh laughter but for some reason everyone enjoys it, might want to look at it.

If you want, I can put you in email contact with a good friend of mine, c/CPO Woolett who is on the Battalion command staff who helps plan our Mil Ball for our state every year, he can offer some advice without a doubt.
 
(NOTE: The uniforms here are for Navy only...I don't know the similar uniforms for the Army, AF, and Marine JROTC units).

For our ball's dress code...(let me clarify in advance...some officers elected to buy or rent formal dress whites...but it wasn't required and it isn't a sanctioned uniform.)

Male Officer (Female Officer option): Service Dress Blue or Formal Dress White uniform.

Male Enlisted and Chief Petty Officers (Female Enlistecd and CPO option): Service Dress Blue.

Female personnel not wearing SDB or FDW uniforms should wear prom-type dresses.
 
Army and AF are required at our ball to wear full Class-A uniform or other Service Jacket, and about halfway through the ball, they are permitted to remove the jacket, and the standard "altered" B-Class is a longsleeve white button up shirt and black bowtie.

Out Navy Uniform regs:

CPOs and above: Service Dress Blue
PO1s and below: Winter Blue Uniform (Or Summer if it is the correct calender time)

Our SDB cadets are permitted to remove their jackets, but unfortunately, us junior enlisted cadets are required to remain in Winters, although, there's wide push here to permit us to go to Working Blue uniform, however that should be carefully approached since Ribbons, Cords, Medals, and Ties can be easily lost.

Also, Cover is not a required component of the uniform for this, since many can be lost. No school here requires a cover, but they are not forbidden. Most cadets leave them in their vehicles for the duration of the ball, however most carry them if they go out to dinner prior to the event.
 
at ours it was best uniform (dress blues or alphas)
but in the other programs there were a bunch of people not in uniform
 
Xm 8 said:
At our ball we have a prom type formal, guys wear Class As and gals wear prom dresses. Once I have alittle more time to post more info I will.
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Almost the same here. Our gentlemen wear either Dress Blue(B) or shirt and tie. Ladies wear prom dresses. If you are part of the actual cake cutting or cordon, you may be in anything from Blues to Utilities. At the dance, you can wear your uniform or your promwear.
 
military ball

at our ball (MCJROTC) it was formal atire.
Males had to wear dress blues or best uniform
females had the option of changing into a dress, but it had to be after the cermony.
in the ceremony we usually have the OIC give a speech about our program, and about what the ball is about(e.g. Marine corps Birthday)
Our SMI(senior Marine instructor) also gives a speech
I could probably get some papers about what is suppose to happen in your ball, if you give me more info, (what branch, what the ball is for, etc.)
email me!
 
Search for things such as table settings and other things on the internet. Get a good DJ. Tell the chaperones to lay off - just because there is a "What happens at milball stays at mil ball policy" people will still talk and others will learn their own lesson. Ask for lots of strobe lights.

Have it in a big room... and don't have to push back tables or anything - that messes stuff up.

Dress Code: Why have one? They gotta dance in it! If you really want one (and this is the dress code for ours that we are planning for CAP), nothing to revealing skin wise , and my best description, something your parents aren't ashamed to see you wear. Ours was, Girls in formals, guys in Class As, or if they weren't in JROTC, Suit. If they were involved in a Color Guard or the battallion commander, girls wore Class A's, but changed later.

Please try to keep the talkin down to an hour. 30 minutes is even better. Give about an hour to eat, or let them eat during the ceremonies and awards and give an hour and a half for both to happen. (depending on the lines).

Have the "senior dance" or you can make it the 'cadet commander" dance, or CAP wise - the "Spaatz" dance. whatever. Its the first dance of the night. Give recognition to the military ball planners - as you see, its a hard job!!!
 
At my AJROTC Mil Ball (coming up this Friday,I'll post details later) we wear Class As, male and female cadets. The graduating cadets come out and walk through saber arches and are introduced and a little spiel is read about them. After that, we have speeches by the BC, XO, SAI and AI. Following that we do a changing of ranks ceremony where next year's staff (BC,XO,S1-S5 and CSM) go up and have their new ranks pinned on them by the current staff. After that, we hear a few more speeches from alumni whom we invite every year. Then we eat for about an hour. Then we party until about midnight.

Tomorrow I'll type up a copy of our Mil Ball schedule. But it's about an hour of formal speeches and stuff, then 4 minutes to change ranks. Then about 15 minutes of speeches. Then about 40-50 minutes to eat. Seeing as how we start at 6-7pm and end at 12-1am, it's a pretty good chunk of time.
 
Ugh I've just been informed by our Commandant that, since we have a battalion-sized unit now...I'll be moving to Cadet Commander for junior and senior years...which means there will be a speech involved. :? Grr. Any ideas?
 
c/LCDR said:
Ugh I've just been informed by our Commandant that, since we have a battalion-sized unit now...I'll be moving to Cadet Commander for junior and senior years...which means there will be a speech involved. :? Grr. Any ideas?
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You guys are the bestest!!!!!!!!11!!!1!!!1111111
 
FOOD!!!THE BEST WAY TO PISS A MAN OFF IS TO NOT HAVE FOOD!!! TWO MORE OF MY CENTS... If I sound a bit irritated today, I'm hopped up on about 3 mugs of coffee. I got ants in my pants and I need FOOD.
 
Thanks for all your help! This really has given me a big jump start. :D We've set the dress code as casual, since, as CrazyCadet pointed out, people got to dance. And the room is huge, believe me. We've got the DJ all set and we might also bring in a live band as well to play for part of it.

Don't worry, silent driller, we've got plenty of food. More importantly, plenty of GOOD food. It's being catered by one of the best restaurants in the area. Just have to figure out what exactly to serve. I'm thinking some kind of Italian pasta dish because pretty much everyone likes Italian food.

Best of all, NO SPEECHES!!! We're going to save all that stuff for a seperate awards night held later in May. So, we'll use that hour for eating, then it's dancing all night long!

If I've missed anything, please let me know. Also, keep the ideas rolling for anything I've mentioned. Like it or not, I have no creativity what so ever, so decoration ideas and stuff are good. But right now, everything is fair game. I'm definately one to admit when I've screwed up something and will change it ASAP if possible.
 
Well our Military Ball is at Flagship, and that is strictly dress whites for all.

And In my opinion Rap should stay as far away from the stereo as possible, although I am told all there will be is Rap at flagship.
 
Well while I agree speeches should be eliminated, or at least kept to a minimum, remember to do things such as toasts (the country, to the president, to fallen soldiers, to the corps of cadets) and the benediction and invocation. My battalion also does a seperate awards night, but we give out like 15 seperate medals each accompanied by a speech by whoever presents it, plus various ribbons and commendations and such. Plus a ceremony where the CSM, BC and XO all hand over control of the battalion. So we do a lot of speeches and stuff.

About the casual dress though. I think that, yes it's important that they be able to dance, but Mil Ball is short for MILITARY Ball, hence in uniform. I know that at my school you wear your uniform, full As until we eat, then you get to dress down to Bs for the rest of the night if you want. Most schools in the area allow the female cadets to dress in gowns as well, but not ours. So it's really up to what the AI and SAI will allow. I'll update Saturday morning after mine is over and I get back home.
 
bwoody said:
Well while I agree speeches should be eliminated, or at least kept to a minimum, remember to do things such as toasts (the country, to the president, to fallen soldiers, to the corps of cadets) and the benediction and invocation. My battalion also does a seperate awards night, but we give out like 15 seperate medals each accompanied by a speech by whoever presents it, plus various ribbons and commendations and such. Plus a ceremony where the CSM, BC and XO all hand over control of the battalion. So we do a lot of speeches and stuff.

About the casual dress though. I think that, yes it's important that they be able to dance, but Mil Ball is short for MILITARY Ball, hence in uniform. I know that at my school you wear your uniform, full As until we eat, then you get to dress down to Bs for the rest of the night if you want. Most schools in the area allow the female cadets to dress in gowns as well, but not ours. So it's really up to what the AI and SAI will allow. I'll update Saturday morning after mine is over and I get back home.
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Don't forget to toast the ladies!!
 
I would, but my battalion has a "1 Meter Rule" meaning that when in uniform you're supposed to stay an arms length away...Which of course means that if I were to toast to the ladies (which I would love to do) I would be beaten to death by my SAI and AI.

"To the President of the United States"
-To the President!

"To fallen soldiers"
-To Fallen Soldiers!

"To the ladies 8) "
-Uhh...
 
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