Thursday January 4, 2017: 10:30-12:30
- Agenda (times estimated)
- 10:30-11:00 Networking & margaritas
- 11:00 Seats, introductions, announcements
- 11:15 Lunch service
- 11:45 Speaker & presentation
- 12:30 Final announcements B&G
Taste of Texas: 10505 Katy Freeway
- Lunch Menu
- Dinner salad
- Choice of Entree:
- Grilled chicken
- Beef tip sirloin
- Wild rice pilaf
- Chocolate cake
TxGC Chapter membership has its benefits…
- Members get 15% when they enter their promo code at check-out
- Member’s promo code emailed out in newsletter
- $30 ($25 for members): Advance Purchase
- $35 ($30 for members): RSVP (pay @ door), day of purchases, walk-ups (if not sold out)
2018 Awardee: Midn. Michael D. Walker
Michael Walker is from College Station and a graduate of St. Joseph High School. At USNA, he is a Trident Scholar and Bowman Scholar studying Mechanical Engineering, with a focus in automotive engineering and vehicle dynamics. He is a member of the Marathon Team, SCUBA club, and Mountaineering Club, and is currently serving as the 14th Company Executive Officer. After commissioning, he will attend the Naval Postgraduate School and then join the Navy submarine force.
Keynote Speaker & Presenter: NASA Astronaut Chris Cassidy ’93
Christopher J. Cassidy (Captain, U.S. Navy) was selected by NASA in 2004 and is a veteran of two space flights, STS-127 and Expedition 35. During STS-127, Cassidy served as a Mission Specialist. For Expedition 35, Cassidy and the European Space Agency astronaut Luca Parmitano had their unplanned spacewalk to replace a pump controller box cut short when Parmitano had cooling water leak into his helmet. Cassidy, a U.S. Navy SEAL, has been deployed twice to both the Mediterranean and Afghanistan and is a recipient of Bronze Star with combat ‘V’ and Presidential Unit Citation.
About the Smith McCool Sword Award
In January, each year, the TxGC Foundation awards the Smith-McCool Sword to the Midshipment from the Chapter area, with the highest order-of-merit, going into their First Class year. The sword, is named after astronaut Michael Smith ’67, who was lost in the Challenger disaster, and astronaut William McCool ’83, who was lost int he Columbia disaster.
Camaraderie, Free Appetizers, Drink Specials
Join us for the first, for 2018, of our quarterly, NORTH SUBURBS area, Happy Hours, with West Point Society of Greater Houston, as we commemorate pre-West Point Founders Day. All veterans welcome. Bring your family & friends.
- Free appetizers while they last
- Drink specials
- Networking and camaraderie
TxGC Exclusive, Private Tour
- Limited space- no walk ups
- Must have TxGC Member code to sign up (provided via member-only email)
- Three areas will be visited: The Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility, the Mission Control Center and the Neutral Bouyancy Lab
- The tour will start at 0800 at the Rocket Park near the front gate of the Johnson Space Center
- The tour will conclude at 11:45 at the Rocket Park
- We will plan to have an informal lunch in the area afterwards
- NEW! Lunch to follow at El Tiempo- Webster
- A list of attendees with full names that match photo IDs must be provided a week before the tour
- If your name is not on the list, then no tour
- There is no cost for the tour
- Pay special attention to Guest Ops Attachment for rules on dress, safety protocol and behavior
Ruthie’s Tex-Mex, William Solis ’02 (proprietor)
TxGC Foundation’s Top Gun Annual Benefit
In 2014, the US Naval Academy Alumni Association, Texas Gulf Coast (TxGC) Foundation, established a new tradition in the Houston area. The Top Gun Annual Benefit has become a noteworthy event that has integrated the community members at large with the local veteran population. The proceeds go to two handpicked, local veterans service organizations (VSOs), selected each year, in addition to a portion going to the TxGC Foundation. For 2018, the two primary VSOs are Team Rubicon and USO Houston. These organizations effectively enrich the lives of their members and communities. Team Rubicon unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. During Harvey, Team Rubicon was intricate in serving the community at-large, quickly and effectively. USO Houston continuously adapts to the needs of our men and women in uniform and their families, so that the service member can focus on their mission, serving their country. The TxGC Foundation supports the mission of the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in developing young men and women into our nations future Naval Officers.
Over 800 people have experienced the beach volleyball, Kenny Loggins music, games, fun, food, and camaraderie that the Top Gun Benefit provides while raising, over the past three years, over $20,000 for local veteran charities, enabling them to continue their missions. With your support, the Top Gun Annual Benefit will continue to surpass each previous year’s numbers.
2018: Top Gun 5th Annual Benefit
Saturday July 7 @ Wakefield Crowbar
- Food & Drink Specials
- Beach Volleyball Tournament
- Silent Auction
- Family Activities and Games (Kids Activities)
- Giveaways & Prizes
- Top Gun Costume Contest
Sponsorships & Donations Wanted
- Support local veterans
- Interact with potential clients
- Make your mark in the veteran community
- Gain powerful advertising and media exposure
- More detailed information on sponsoring or donating (click here)
- Dan Hanley ’10
- 281-435-2523
- dhanley@2010.usna.com
TICKET INFO COMING SOON
STAY UP TO DATE ON TOP GUN BENEFIT FACEBOOK
2017 Results
- Online revenue: $474
- Door revenue: $1,291
- Volleyball revenue: $2,000
- Auction revenue: $7,135
- Donations: $889
- Sponsors: 4,750
- Total revenue: $16,539
- Expenses: ($1,539)
- Net profit: $15,000
- Funds contributed to benefactors
- USNAAA TxGC Foundation (50%): $7,500
- Lone Star Veterans Assoc. (25%): $3,750
- Team Red, White, & Blue (25%): $3,750
- Funds contributed to benefactors
Beaumont “no-host” Social
- Informal lunch- all are welcome
- Pay your own way (no-host)
- Free appetizers courtesy of the TxGC Chapter
- Please RSVP via Facebook event page or email to John Augusto (m020234@2002.usna.com)
Come out and meet some of your fellow Alumni in the Golden Triangle
Official USNA Tailgate, hosted by North Texas Chapter
- Tx Gulf Coast Chapter will have bus trip/road trip details and sign-up soon for those interested from the Houston area
- More info coming soon
- ALL INFO BELOW IS FROM NTX Site (http://www.usnaaa-ntx.com/article.html?aid=554)
- Details subject to change; please review NTX site for latest details
Tailgate Food: Full meal, desserts, drinks, beer, water
Tailgate Location: SMU Boulevard
Tailgate Prices: $25 adults, $15 age 6-11, $5 age < 6
Game Tickets: NTX provided group tickets (NTX sections 221 & 222)
Ticket Prices: $25 each (regular price $35)- allotment of only 1200 tickets (first come, first served)
Hotel Package: Park City Hilton, Dallas
Hotel Prices: $177/night plus tax; $15/night parking (50% discount); $10 breakfast buffet Sunday (45% discount) – allotment of 40 rooms for Fri & Sat night
Reservations: Sign up online via link, or call hotel directly at 214-368-0400, using code USN group code
On October 25, 1938…
the Houston Branch of the USNA Alumni Association held their first, formal meeting at the Hotel Stratford. Although the branch had loosely been in existence before this date, it was considered “inactive”, and was formally established per requirements until this date. Members in attendance at the first meeting were Geisenhoff, N. H. ’13; Whistenford, Chas. ’21; Parrott, J.H. ’23; Spangler, J.B. ’23; Randolph, A.K. ’24; Wallace, A.B. ’26; Blank, C.F. ’26; Schirmeyer, T.G. ’27; and Worth, F.R. ’37.
From the December 1938 Shipmate article [re: October meeting]… Whiteford, Randolph, and Parrott recently located in Houston and we were pleased to have them at the meeting. There are about fifteen Naval Academy Alumni in Houston ranging from Mr. Maxey’s class, 1884, to Felix Davis, 1939. A.F. Carter, 1905, and D.W. Moore, 1921, are associated with oil companies located in Houston, but found it impossible to attend our first meeting.
U.S.S. Arkansas visited Galveston for Navy Day and some of the Houston Alumni made a trip to Galveston to visit classmates and friends in the regular Navy. Lt. E.W. Lamons, ’27, now on the U.S.S. Arkansas, spent the week-end with his former roommate, T.G. Schirmeyer, ’27, who is practicing law in Houston. It has been about ten years since they had the occasion to see each other. By the way, Lamons has only been married about four weeks. Logan, ’26, is visiting his folds at Houston. He is on thirty-day leave after serving a tour of duty in the Asiatics. Michaux, ’22 is expected to spend some time with his relatives in Houston in a few weeks when he returns to the States from Asiatic duty.
We are very anxious to have Naval Academy Alumni in this vicinity get in touch with the Houston Branch. This can be done by calling the Secretary, T.G. Schirmeyer, either at his home or at his office. All itinerant Academy men passing through Houston are urged to check in with the Houston Branch because it is always possible to get several of the members together and make your visit a pleasant one. For information concerning the Houston Branch, communicate with T.G. Schirmeyer, Cotton Exchange Bldg.
Other interesting chapter facts:
- First President: J. B. Spanger, ’23
- Chapter changed from “Houston” to “Texas Gulf Coast” in 1 quarter 1975