Just graduated High School

[Ancienne Alliance]

Congratulations !

Robert & Lady Chrystel

[PGH]

Valley Forge Military College. And I will be sure to do just that.

The Washington Memorial Pipe Band practices at VFMA&C every Monday evening from about 7:30pm until 10:00pm. The band also does a couple of tattoos with the college. If you're interested in hearing more, please drop me a PM. FYI, you don't have to wait until August to get started learning the bagpipe with the band. Group lessons are free.

Here's the band's website http://www.wmpb.org/

Here they are with the VFMA band http://www.youtube.com/user/Washingt.../9/-G9tg0KM9wg

[Mike_Oettle]

Hi, Homer, and congratulations.
In my country we would say you have matriculated, rather than graduated. The “grad” word we reserve for bachelors’ degrees and above. But having your matric is an important step.
I would second the advice about getting fit. The military will make you run, run and run some more. If you can’t keep up, you might have to drop out!
And joining the academy’s pipe band will at least give you an opportunity to go kilted (some of the time) in uniform.
Yes, find yourself a first-class teacher and learn as much as you can in the time you have available.
All the best in your studies.
Regards,
Mike

[O'Callaghan]

Congratulations!

I wish you all possible success in life.

My son graduated high school on Monday.

As to the comments from South Africa, it used to be called matric in England too. In my parents day they had matric at 16 and higher matric at 18. Another term used instead of 'Matric' at both levels was 'School Certificate'. That is all gone now. For very many years now we have only had what the Americans would call subject tests instead - between about 8 and 10 subjects at 16 now called GCSEs (but known as O-levels when I was at school) and 2 to 4 subjects at 18 in what we still call A-levels (O = Ordinary, A = Advanced). There is no matriculation (or graduation) anymore, because each test stands by itself alone. Americans are baffled when I tell them we have nothing equivalent to high school graduation or a high school diploma, but we really don't.

I probably shouldn't interfere, but America might benefit from a system like that. With a graduation system, there is a chasm between those who have graduated, and those who never do. I think it's a bit too binary, sorting everyone into sheep and goats at 18, so to speak. Of course, it is still apparent that someone who only passes 2 of their GCSEs is probably not a genius, but at least they have some bits of paper to show prospective employers. At the same time, it is easier to compare different people under the UK system, or at least I think so.

Fortunately, I have a Bachelor's degree, which at least sounds similar to something you would get from an American college, so I can be gainfully employed here in the US. If only they realised how different it really is!

I have only one graduation photo of my own, taken on the lawn after my university graduation, with a couple of complete strangers wandering around in the background. I found it the other day, slightly the worse for wear, and am pondering perhaps getting it framed. It's such a far cry from the complicated packages of photos for my son's American high school graduation, mostly faked in a studio months before, with prop clothes that have no backs in them!

[cryerelizabeth]

since attending a military college in August will limit my kilted time; uniforms do that.

that's neat. My triplet sisters and myself just graduated and are going to a military/civilian college in january after their basic training is through (im going to basic training after my first semester in college), and all throughout our first semester we'll be uniformed 24/7... and even after that we still get told when and what we will wear on a regular basis (so of course verry little free time for kilt wearing).

[Cowher]

Congratulations!!

I go through your neck of the woods often and have been to Molly Maguire's many times. Perhaps next time I make my way through I'll bring my kilt and we can have a kilt night. I'll keep you posted.

Matt

[chrisupyonder]

Congrats and well done.
We had a pipe band at our school when I was a kid in Manchester, England. A lad in my class joined and wore a kilt etc. It was called the Kerry Pipers. There were a lot of Irish in East Manchester. Looking back now, I was always impressed with how smart they looked and how well they played, but I had not one ounce of musical talent but secretly wanted to join. Wish I had now but that was 50 years ago. The band no longer exists.
Good luck with your piping, I am sure you will enjoy it.

Chris.

[sevenoaks]

Congratulations on your graduation.
I remember my Father learning the Pipes. It is not ease and practice makes perfect. I did not keep up with it but I do know how to play a radio and record player.