High school class ring ceremonies...do parents go?

How about having to go straight home to take care of their brothers/sisters, make sure they are taken care of, fed, etc., because their parents don't or won't.

I knew a girl like this all through school. She never got to be a kid. Going out and getting a job was easier said than done.

So does that mean you put an end to things everyone can't take part in?

What about class trips? Some parents can't afford to pay for trips. Not all schools or PTAs are able to cover the cost of these students. Should these schools cancel class trips?

Not all kids can afford the prom or senior trip. Should those be canceled as well?
 
In Maryland, I think ring ceremonies are a Baltimore-area thing. I grew up in the DC 'burbs and we didn't have them. Then, I head off of college in the Baltimore 'burbs to meet some new friends who still had fond memories of their ring ceremony and ring dance.

I suppose DS will order his ring later this year (he's in 10th grade) and get it at a ceremony next year. Whatev. If that's school's tradition I won't object.

And, in response to a PP, yes, I think the school does get a cut of the ring sales (when ordered from the school's vendor instead of at the mall). Just like they get a cut from school pix. It's just one of many subliminal fundraisers. So, in a way, I can see the justification of using school resources in presenting the "stupid" ring.
 
I've never heard of this. I can imagine it at a private school perhaps, but not at my son's huge HS. I sent DS (a JR) with a check to order his a couple weeks back and he came back home with the check. He said he really did not want one and had other things he would rather have (huge list!). He wants a college ring though.

I picked my HS ring up during lunch, it came in a little brown envelope! Other than my friends, I never really knew who had one and who did not

The fact the ring company is putting this on is "interesting". I think you should call the office to find out.
 
So does that mean you put an end to things everyone can't take part in?

What about class trips? Some parents can't afford to pay for trips. Not all schools or PTAs are able to cover the cost of these students. Should these schools cancel class trips?

Not all kids can afford the prom or senior trip. Should those be canceled as well?
Please point out to me where I stated these things should be canceled.
 


Who knew that such a simple information request could turn into a controversial thread! Guess I shouldn't mention that we're thinking about getting him a letter jacket, too!
 
We had the rings available to us in high school -- I didn't know anybody who bothered except the jocks. I would have been offended if there was a "celebration" of their purchase.

What about class trips? Some parents can't afford to pay for trips. Not all schools or PTAs are able to cover the cost of these students. Should these schools cancel class trips?

Nobody said there shouldn't be class rings. They objected to a formal school ceremony to pass them out, which would necessarily single out the kids who GET them from the kids that don't. At least in our neck of the woods, the entire class/school doesn't gather to watch kids go on class trips.

If it's any consolation to the kids who don't get them, I've never met anybody who wore theirs past September of the year they graduated. Freshman year in college they were looked down on as juvenile, as I recall.
 


Who knew that such a simple information request could turn into a controversial thread! Guess I shouldn't mention that we're thinking about getting him a letter jacket, too!
NNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

:lmao: I like letter jackets too! I hope those who don't have them aren't offended. :rolleyes:

I don't remember a ring ceremony for oldest DD. Last year, DD#2's class had one. HARDLY "formal"...in the cafeteria, standard snacks afterwards. They handed out the rings, and also a frame. Some kids gave the frame to their mothers (mostly the boys), some kept them for themselves (DD gave us hers). Hope none of the moms whose kids kept the frame were "offended". ;)

DD had decided to pay for the ring herself, but she was going with the cheapest metal, and DH, being in the jewelry industry, objected, so we got her a "better" one and paid. We would have paid anyway, but she's very independent and responsible with her money (unlike older DD), and figured she'd just pay for it herself.

My HS ring was a waste of money...all they had were those big clunky things back then. I love my college ring, but it doesn't fit anymore...nor do my engagement and wedding rings. :sad2:
We had the rings available to us in high school -- I didn't know anybody who bothered except the jocks. I would have been offended if there was a "celebration" of their purchase.
If you and most others didn't want them, why would you be "offended" by others getting them and celebrating it?

Should they not have proms either? I do admit that they get expensive, and I find it all rather irritating, but we gave "X" towards it, and our girls were responsible for the rest.

Should they not have class trips either? What else?
 
If it's any consolation to the kids who don't get them, I've never met anybody who wore theirs past September of the year they graduated. Freshman year in college they were looked down on as juvenile, as I recall.
Both DDs have beautiful rings. I've noticed oldest DD (college sophomore) wearing hers. Perhaps she just goes to school with a class of people who aren't juvenile enough to "look down" on someone for something so trivial? Who notices that anyway?? :confused3
 
I went to a Catholic HS and we had a Ring Ceremony as well. It was like a mini-graduation, really, so parents defintely went. The following weekend, we had a Junior Ring Dance (formal). We didn't do Junior Prom.

I have to say that most parents brought flowers and did make a big deal. My parents had the attitude like most in this thread, that it was stupid, and it made me feel like crap to see all of my friends parents excited for them.
 
I've never heard of a ring ceremony either. If you ordered & bought a ring, then you went to the cafeteria the day the company came to deliver them. Its not some award or something you earned, you bought it. :confused3
 
We had a ring ceremony here! It was after school hours and was about an hour long. There was a little reception afterwards and a ring dance a week later.

It was not done during school hours so I cannot see how anyone's feelings could have gotten hurt.

Spring break trip meetings were held during school. If you were not going to Hawaii or Europe or a cruise you just had study hall.
 
If you and most others didn't want them, why would you be "offended" by others getting them and celebrating it?

I was under the impression that it was a formal school event. Which seems peculiar to me, given that it's a celebration of... spending $$ for a piece of jewelry.

As somebody pointed out upthread, it's driven by the ring companies.

Maybe the schools should sponsor Hummer limo parties... for those kids who book one for the prom. So long as the school gets a kickback, why not?

:confused3
 
A ring ceremony? Really?

I mean, sell them or whatever, that's fine. But why make a big ceremony out of it? It's not like you're honoring an achievement or anything. I agree that it's hurtful to kids who would like one but can't afford one. Why create an opportunity to leave someone out for no good reason?

A manufactured ceremony to make an overpriced piece of jewelry seem way more important than it actually is just seems silly in my opinion. I hope these never catch on around here!

And yeah, I know some kids think the rings are cool, just like letter jackets, but I don't know anyone that wears one now. Most of them, my DH's included, reside in drawers and jewelry boxes. I can't imagine walking around wearing one as an adult. I would wonder if the person maybe hadn't quite left high school behind...
 
I didn't realize they still had ring ceremonies. After reading the other posts, it seems like it might be a Catholic high school thing only? :confused3 The main purpose of the ceremony at my HS (Catholic, co-ed) was to bless the rings; it was a pretty short ceremony done at night, but yes, parents were there. It was a big deal for 11th graders to go through.

And no, you didn't have to participate if you didn't want to, but if you chose not to order a ring, I believe they handed something else out to those who didn't. I don't recall since it was eons ago, although I do still have my ring! Sad to say, it doesn't even fit my pinky anymore though. :lmao:
 
Until now, I've never heard of a "Ring ceremony""....but I like the idea.

We were just given ours in an envelope.....not very memorable.
I think it would be nice to look back and remember getting my ring in the presence of family and friends. (Especially as some sort of ceremony)

I don't think they're celebrating that they were able to purchase rings. They're celebrating that they are alomost done with high school.

No matter what goes on at school someone feels left out. I agree with the poster who said that the ones who did participate shouldn't be denied a celebration because not everyone could.
 
We had the rings available to us in high school -- I didn't know anybody who bothered except the jocks. I would have been offended if there was a "celebration" of their purchase.



Nobody said there shouldn't be class rings. They objected to a formal school ceremony to pass them out, which would necessarily single out the kids who GET them from the kids that don't. At least in our neck of the woods, the entire class/school doesn't gather to watch kids go on class trips.

If it's any consolation to the kids who don't get them, I've never met anybody who wore theirs past September of the year they graduated. Freshman year in college they were looked down on as juvenile, as I recall.
At my son's school the ceremony is for the Juniors, the rest of the students aren't required to attend. It's held on a Sunday afternoon. A few sophomores are invited to host the program. According to my son, (he was a host last year) there's a nice luncheon held afterwards.


Both DDs have beautiful rings. I've noticed oldest DD (college sophomore) wearing hers. Perhaps she just goes to school with a class of people who aren't juvenile enough to "look down" on someone for something so trivial? Who notices that anyway?? :confused3
:thumbsup2 :thumbsup2
I wore my ring until my junior year in college. (That's when I lost it:sad1:) My sister wore her ring until she graduated from college. She has put it up and plans to give it to her oldest daughter one day.
 
I went to a private school and I do not know one person who did not get a ring (this was in the late 80s). My class had over 600 students in it.

Tuition 20 years ago was in the thousands, plus books, plus uniforms, and so on. I never imagined someone so poor who could not afford a class ring. Not if you were already attending private school.

Maybe the school bought them for students who were financially embarrassed?
 
We were givin the ring in an envelope in homeroom passed out like yesterdays homework.

Not much ceremony there.

:lmao: :lmao: I'm thinking we had to go pick them up and just look at them, sign and say "yep, that's what I ordered".

Defintiely NO ceremony -- I haven't read through this whole thing to see what it is because this was the first time I've heard of it for this thread.

I guess I had better ask the mom of a HS I know if they do such a thing here. I'm nosey and tend to look at the HS announcements so I might notice if they put an announcement like that in.
 
I went to DS's ring ceremony last year. Basically it was just giving them the rings. It was in the evening, not during school. Oh, and he goes to a public school. The kids who ordered rings got a notice and that's it. No big deal! I gladly bought my DS his ring, and yearbooks, "dumb" as they are!
 

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