This year's Founder's Day dinner of the Northern Chesapeake West Point Society, held Friday at the Maryland Golf and County Clubs in Bel Air, featured a special guest: USMA Superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert Caslen.
The United States Military Academy at West Point was founded on March 16, 1802, and it is a long-held tradition of West Point graduates all over the world to gather once a year in March to remember their alma mater during Founder's Day.
Members of the Northern Chesapeake West Point Society were honored to have Caslen, 59th superintendent of the academy, as its guest speaker on the eve of the USMA's 213th birthday.
Attendees included 110 graduates, family and friends from the greater Bel Air area and eight cadet candidates, who may report to West Point in July as part of the Class of 2019.
Caslen met with the candidates prior to the start of the dinner, answering questions about the academy and what to expect this summer if they decide to attend. Four of the eight have already received appointments and accepted, while the others are still involved in the qualification, appointment and acceptance process.
During the dinner, attendees listened to speeches from Caslen, as well as the oldest graduate, William Serchak, Class of 1958, and the youngest graduate, Lt. Col. Brent Skinner, Class of 1997.
The Northern Chesapeake West Point Society is one of the West Point Association of Graduates' local alumni chapters. The society has more than 55 active members among graduates and friends of the USMA in northern Maryland.
Pam Silcox is a 1989 USMA graduate and secretary of the Northern Chesapeake West Point Society.