Punch Bowl Ceremony Example

• President of Mess (POM): “Mr. Vice, send forth the Master of the Punch and his assistants.”
• Mr. Vice: “Yes, Mr. President.  Master of the Punch, expose yourself.”
• Master of the Punch (MPO): (Master of the Punch moves to the head table).  “Sir, I am exposed.”
• POM: “Master of the Punch, are you well steeped in the tradition of the California Cadet Corps punch?”
• MOP: “Yes, Mr. President, in fact no one could be more steeped in it than I.”
• POM: “Then proceed with the preparation.”
• MOP: “Yes, Mr. President.  The California Cadet Corps punch is a noble beverage.  It is the preferred drink of a cadet, it has a truly inspirational bouquet, a taste that is robust, yet smooth and the color is like that of leadership itself, a swirling maelstrom of hues.”

• MOP: “We begin at the birth of the California Cadet Corps”.
• Assistants state their part in order/MOP adds ingredients.
• Assistant #1:  The California Cadet Corps was organized before the First World War.  The cadets of the schools that gathered to form the California High School Cadets took with them those same qualities that were present in the California National Guard: courage, tenacity, and ingenuity.  We use as our base Apple Juice, representing the agricultural traditions in California.
• These are the basics of being a cadet.  We spice up the punch with Tabasco Sauce, a fluid that represents the lifeblood of the Cadet Corps.  This red liquid flows through our veins and makes us stronger than our civilian peers.  It gives us the strength to hold ourselves to high ethical standards, support our fellow cadets, and achieve heights of leadership that no one our age should be able to sustain.  We add grapes – a total of twelve – for the one, nine, one, and one of 1911 – the year the California Cadet Corps was formed.
• MOP:  Add the Tabasco Sauce and grapes to the apple juice.
• Assistant #2:  Cadets of the California Cadet Corps served honorably in all theaters of war during World War II.  To honor them, we add Wasabi and rice that harken us back to the dim days of the War in the Pacific, noodles to memorialize the Italian Campaign, and sauerkraut to celebrate our former cadets’ participation in the victory over Germany.  We add seaweed to recognize the sacrifices made in the Aleutian Campaign, and Curry to honor those who fought in the China-Burma-India theater.
• MOP:  Add the wasabi, rice, noodles, sauerkraut, seaweed, and curry.
• Assistant #3:  Cadets of the California Cadet Corps have risen to the occasion in each of the wars after World War Two.  They served valiantly in Korea, for which we offer Kim Chee.  They provided leadership in Vietnam, for which we offer rice noodles.  They volunteered and served with honor in Afghanistan and Iraq, for which we offer Hummus and spinach.
• MOP:  Add the Kim Chee, rice noodles, hummus and spinach.
• Assistant #4:  California Cadet Corps alumni have succeeded in every facet of post-academic life.  We celebrate their success in every occupation by adding sparkling cider to our glasses in toast to their continuation of the values they learned in the California Cadet Corps:  Loyalty, Education, Ambition, Duty, Enthusiasm, Respect, Service, Health, Integrity, Personal Courage.
• MOP:  Add the sparkling cider.

• Upon all ingredients added, MOP addresses POM:
• MOP: “Mr. President, the punch is prepared.  Who shall test it?”
• POM: “Mr. Vice, will you taste the punch?”
• Mr. Vice: “Yes Mr. President.”  (tastes punch) “Mr. President this punch has been prepared correctly and is fit for human consumption.”
• POM: “Thank you Mr. Vice.  Master of the Punch, please see that everyone receives their fair share of this punch.”
• MOP: “Yes, Mr. President.”