Welcome back to the 21 convention 2019 of Orlando, Florida Our next speaker is a returning alumni speaker to the 21 convention first speaking in 2017 and 2018 And here's our chief patriarch or the first ever special patriarch edition of the 21 convention held earlier this year in Orlando, Florida He's also a frequent host of the red man group patriarchs the founding host of it He's also the founder of the family alpha and co-founder of the fraternity of excellence Without further ado, please let me welcome to the stage the myth the legend hunter fucking drew That was an introduction I'm gonna try to live up to it Before I begin I always start these out with some appreciation None of us get here alone. None of us maintain the standard. We've set alone I'm not on this stage because of something I did I'm on the stage because something was offered to me I was given an opportunity and I took it I Want to start off by thanking a man named Phil Foster sitting right there as we go as we grow as we show ourselves to the world You know you kind of drift away because there's so much happening. You're hitting by so much information That even the rocks need rocks Even the men who are strong cable men need anchors in their lives He was my anchor.  Come back here Come check this out. This is where you belong Pulled it back to Harbor.  I'm not gonna go with the flow I'm gonna try to turn things the direction that I think can fix the issue that men are facing And lastly I would like to thank the men inside the fraternity of excellence because that's my tribe You guys have your own you guys have your clans. That's mine So when things get hard and I need to take take the armor off. I'm like, hey man. What's up?   It's not your dad It's your peers Now I was walking down here earlier and I saw a lot of people on their phones a Lot of people just sit and scroll scroll you have an opportunity to grow your tribe now You have an opportunity to network right now. So seeing what's going on on social media Who gives a shit? Immersed in this moment unless what you're doing is productive is an actual product productivity or work get off your phone Pick your heads up. There are a few guys.  I don't care if you're tired. I don't care if it's but it's day three guys I get it.   I Get it.  Not there's no shortcut to any place worth going. It is hard. You are tired. So what? Keep on going keep on learning keep on talking keep on sharing your stories with people keep on networking Keep on talking to the men that are around you that are living in the same moment that you are in Hey, what did you think about that? Hey, what do you think if we spoke here's my email? Let's talk about this over some steak. You know what after we leave here. We're in the same region Let's meet up next month It's not good enough to show up here spend this time spend this money go home and do nothing That's not why we're doing the 21 convention.  You said you're gonna do this. Did you do it? I? Can't keep up. I've like I said, I've got my tribe.  Who's ensuring you're doing the thing you said you were gonna do? We're not here to LARP. We're not here to to to talk about how Fantastic we are and how well I was gonna do this, but I decided to do that Oh, but I didn't do that because I decided to the no finish a fucking goal Set one achieve it then move on people are bouncing from topic to topic to topic to goal to goal to goal And nothing is achieved because the next thing you know you're on step two instead of ever making it to step five of anything I want to achieve X. No, I'm just getting why no Z. That's new.  Let's do that What are your goals and who's holding accountable to reaching them? There are a few things I've seen in the man of fear a few things I've seen and I didn't like calling it the man of fear the area that we're in where we're talking about men's rights and men's movements And men's just being men again And the biggest one that drives me absolutely insane is inaction Not doing anything. I Have spoken to so many men at this convention. I'm like, dude. You look fantastic. I can tell you've lost weight I can tell that you've been put look at the confidence These men I've spoken to there's a young man asking a question. I'm seeing young man.   I get it. I hate it asking that question is just as bad as being in this stage for many So they never take the action They never they never build themselves to the point of actually having some confidence You never get to the point where we're actually doing the things that help you Stand up and put your shoulders back and say hey good sir I would like to know about this and you say it with irrational confidence but if you don't take action you never hit that point and that's what I'm seeing in our in our space is Men who are not taking action therefore when you meet them online and you're like hey your username You're a fucking tough guy you got all these great comments all these things about what you're doing And I get the greatest workouts, but when I see you you cannot stand up straight. You cannot look me in the eye You are clearly tangibly out of shape Why is typing getting you that fix? Why do you think that's the action you need to take? And it's the first thing I want you guys to step back and look at What action are you willing to take and what action are you going to take from this event? This event itself is not the cure.  I'm like hey look at me You can see me.  I'm actually doing something. I'm not hiding I'm taking action and all of a sudden you'll find life is a hell of a lot better You'll find success begets success you did that one thing right after 21 convention and you did the next thing right and then it's easier to eat better because you know You don't want to go to the gym with with its shitty fuel inside your body And then you start dressing better because you're proud of the physique you've built and now you're reaching out Ed I want to get into a boxing program Tanner. How do I get my style? You start going to all these men? How do I become a ninja? You know whatever it is you want to do you now are confident enough to reach out to them and they want to help you because there's nothing I speak for every content creator here. I am confident enough to say this right now There is nothing more motivating or more driving for us to help somebody than seeing them helping themselves They're already doing the thing. We're just saying hey, this might help you there. It's not like hey Here's how you do it from step one to step ten. It's like no you're already on step seven You're already doing the work. You just need a little fine tuning. I would love to help you do that Because that's what men do men help men The second thing that is irking me a little bit and this will apply to some of you is the this notion that family men are Tradcons Tradcon being traditional conservative traditional. Yes Running families. You've been doing that for millions of years. Your parents did it. You probably do it My parents were together. I grew up. I ran a family traditional.      I love my wife. I've got a lift though I've got a run. I've got to go build something. I've got to create content. I've got to go make a name for myself I've got to go develop myself individually as well as in developing this family as a clan together There's nothing conservative about the family man in here to me those are the guys who are doing it harder than anybody else You want to talk about red pill in hard mode? That's as hard as it gets Every single day my son is looking at me to do the right thing My daughter's looking at to meet at me to set an example of what a man is My wife is looking at me to keep our relationship interesting. You just heard texts.   They're a beautiful part of our lives.  None of them have access to that pedal. That's on you. I had a third point I forgot it was oh It's the best one the infinite The I call the infinitesimal analysis of what true red pill is The true red pill I literally saw a grown man. I read a grown man's tweet Say check this show out.   What what who is watching this? What are you guys consuming? I this is not about theory. I want to be very clear about that This is not I'm not giving you theory here. I'm telling you you've got to take actionable actions You've got to take the words you're hearing and apply them and do things with them It's not enough to say hey, I watched this show for three hours. That did nothing for your life That did nothing for you. I Read 4500 blog posts this year Okay How many times do you go in the gym? How many times did you confidently speak to another man?  Did you put towards developing yourself or your craft? I? Don't care how many blog posts you read How much work have you done?  I will see you at some point if you can hang But you if you're sitting there on your phone wondering. Oh, hey, babe. Oh, yeah, it's good Oh, hey, check the check this blog post out Guys you have an opportunity here to change your life in the literal sense not in the the woo-woo. Hey You know, this is a great hallmark card. You can literally change your life from this moment moving forward You understand that this could be your crucible For many of you just showing up here and speaking to the man to your left and right. That's the hard part Showing up is the hard part. It's not even the work.  You might be mr. Confident But everybody has that little flaw. You're not social. You don't know how to work well with others You're the guy who doesn't understand how to make a friendship or maintain a friendship because as young men coming up after high school Who has friends? But I left the military. I lost my brotherhood. I Was like, well, I thought that's how it worked You just snapped your finger saying I'm having a cookout before the dude showed up because that's how it worked And you're in when I was out. I was like, no It's hard to get three dudes in the same room to do the same thing Some of you are fortunate. Some of you have great friends that show up all the time for the rest of you This is the hardest thing you've done because you forgot how to be a man with men You forgot how to hold yourself accountable You forgot how to engage where you listen instead of waiting for your turn to talk There's a difference there when you speak with men and you listen to what they have to say You can learn something and in that something you've got a better picture of life Because you've got your perspective and the person you actually listen to but if you're waiting for your turn to talk You never get to see it through their eyes So you don't know what's going on over there.  Hey, we're gonna have this good time.   That's the whole point of coming here Again the time and money you spent to get to this point in your life. You need to take advantage of Learn how to hit level 10 Learn how to let loose learn how to have a good time Learn how to laugh out loud and know though everybody's gonna look at you and don't hide from people paying attention to you Learn how to walk into a room and command some presents Learn how to pull out a chair sit down and have the men look at you one-on-one. Hey, how are you doing?  You have these ideas Let's do some work and turn them into actual products Let's do some actual work and make some actual connections to where what we do matters So when we leave the 21 convention, what are the three a year? What are you doing? You're the 362 days Track on family guys You got to do more There's got to be more than just just going online along these forums and thinking that's being a man Talking about masculinity all the time. I don't talk about masculinity and think that's what makes me a man It's showing up. It's leading my family It's those actions that I then talk about to try to share my perspective on life That helps you become a better man That helps you find some self-respect in your life because that's what many of you are lacking And that's why when you ask the questions, you don't stand up straight because you don't think you're a man deserving of it Because you've not done the thing Which is why you're here. That's okay.    I Could do dropshipping. I could do e-commerce. I could there is no Limit to what you could do in your life and therefore you choose to stagnate Recognize that You need to find a path You need to find a goal. You need to find a topic that when people start speaking about it.  I'm really into it. That's how I ended up with the family's niche I was talking about sex. That's cool. Let's talk about, you know Being a veteran that was cool. You know, it's talking about man stuff. That was cool You know, but it all started coming back. I really really like being a father I really think that that's gonna make a change in our society and I think bringing men together to push that message That's my angle. That's why I'm on the stage. That's my pitch to you Because I talked about it.  This is my calling. This is my passion. What is that for you? I left that gap intentionally because something should have just popped in your head and if nothing did let's talk about it Let's have a meal. Let's talk about how you find your passion. Let's talk about how you find your mission Let's talk about how you find a purpose you find something to wake up for you Find a reason for you to get out of your bed and go forth and do great things. I would love to talk to you about that What I would love more is for you to talk to each other about that. I would love if you'd make a decision today But you know what? I'm gonna figure something out.   It's about getting another man to make a change in his life That is what I want from this. That is why I am here There are consequences to the choices that we make The reason I labeled my speech the consequence of choice Because I think some people have forgotten that I Think people think I can say I'm gonna do this, but they never do it and there's no consequence to that. I Can do this thing not gonna be held accountable I'm gonna I'm gonna state this one of the dude under a pen name I'm a guy with the pen name and I smashed people pen names because they just so frequently Don't jive with who they really are You look at hunter drew you find me no difference in my life outside of the letters of my name But if I find your username and everything you're saying What would the consequences be if I actually put your real name on that? This goes back to the point of accountability and The need for men to come together because that is the gap. That's missing That's what holds you accountable and that's what brings consequences to the choices you make good or bad There can be good consequences When those men show up you and you hit that milestone to one of the hit. Yeah, man fist bump. Let's go Are you show up? Oh, I really missed the mark. All right. What are you gonna do to adjust till you hit it next time? You don't get the opportunity to say oh, well too bad No, the men that you have coordinated that worked with the men that you have coordinated these goals with they say no Here's how you're gonna hit that goal if it's weight loss if it's strength Whatever it is for you if it's launching that business if it's running that clothing line if it's creating that course Whatever it is You have to have a tribe you have to have an accountability partner You've got to have somebody who gives a shit that you exist in this world and that's another sad fact Is that a lot of single men find themselves and some dating men find themselves without anybody who cares that they exist? And I'm not saying this is big towel. I'm not saying anything like that what I'm saying is One by one the friends left One by one those co-workers, you know, you didn't want to hang out anymore.   You got a lot going on. We got a dinner tonight We got all sorts of stuff going on So what? You're learning what it's like to be in the arena.  I can't keep track of all of you Start keeping track of yourselves with others and then watch how one random person is gonna reach out to you Hey, man. I saw you doing this thing. Why do you do it that way?  What right looks like get involved.  I'm engaging and I have had father's come to me and say whoa I Never even thought that when I come home from work. I shouldn't relax. I should actually go play catch with my child. I Thought it was enough. They've got food They've got electronics They've got a roof over their head That's me talking to fathers about giving presents in their children's life. What about you giving presents in your fellow man's life? When you think about that and you flip the script you see the responsibility that's on each of your shoulders. I Didn't tell you to come here You made that decision because there was something that you had to come here This is this is something you needed whether it's the brotherhood of saying you're a 21 con alumni Whether it's the content creators. I mean, I'm fan boys of half these dudes Like yeah, what's up? Let's go hang out because they're awesome. They're doing cool things. Maybe that's what brought you here Whatever it is. You're here. You took an action now.  I want you guys to know something. I Want you to know that there are consequences even negative when you try to do the right thing I Was two days late to this thing because I was in a wedding. I am I was my brother's best man We finished that yesterday Had a great night Had like two hours of sleep Flu came here schedule got shifted. I'm on the stage my family right now all That flew out to that wedding. They're on my son's game Again a Gameland on 21 con. I gotta start working with Anthony down this He took the mound At four o'clock. He's pitching right now when I first started this speech He was still pitching they were winning seven to nothing. He's pitching a perfect game He's killing it. He's doing well. I'm very proud of him. I'm not with my family though I am the head coach of that team and I'm on this stage talking to you There are consequences to that will he have an issue if they win that game. No If they lose that game Or were you dead? Sometimes you have to choose To me.   How was it? Did you do well?  What are your kids doing? What are your friends doing? Have you even asked? Inside the fraternity of excellence men are always doing so many things and I sometimes I feel like I can't even keep up Because they're just going and going going But I ask a few I try to make sure I hit as many as I can. Hey, did you do this? Did you do that? Do the same send out those text messages send out the phone call do the same Reach out to somebody and say hey you said you're gonna do this. How did it go? Good job. I know I was taking care of myself and I might have missed that But I want you to know I give a shit you exist You have no idea how many people would love to hear that or we'd love to know that somebody was thinking about them It's easy to get caught up in these the little online Things we have going it's very very easy to be like oh blue pill red pill purple Man's fear.  I mean because it's so easy to type the words and set them out You know, it's different actually making an impact in somebody's life Actually making a phone call instead of a text What are you up to? Break that barrier. Hey, let's hang out. Hey, let's meet for a burger. Let's get some steak. Let's go lift Let's do a Spartan race You guys should all right now be formulating what it is you're gonna do or else. I'm just wasting my breath also There are a few things that that kind of stand out to me. One is what the 21 convention is doing I stand by the 21 convention with my reputation and everything it is I am as a man Because I've seen what it does in men's lives. It is a part of the solution It is a part of what right looks like this is men coming together to do that So when the line is drawn That is where I stand. That is why I my son is at home pitching why I'm not there with the whole family because that this matters That much because it's changing that many lives. I Stand for men those men who need help. There's a reason that my DMs are always open my emails are ridiculous a lot of them This isn't a business. It's just hey, I'll respond to your email You do that I do that as many times as I can Because men need to know hey if I ask for help I will get help somebody out there actually cares What do you care about enough To respond to an email what you care about enough to answer the phone What do you care about when the lines drawn to say I will not back down from this I will stand up to this Trying to fall off the stage You go all the way to the toe you skirt that line.  Because that should be another little bullet point you write down What do you care about enough that you're gonna stand up to it and this is different than just talking about something? I like to talk about all sorts of things.  Where else do you find men coming together to be better men in all facets of being a man? You've seen the speakers It's not a stereotype.  It's okay.     They need you again.  That's how I feel and I let that out Men are more stoic by nature.    Because you get to go out and play in the mud again You get to go out and you get to have that fun again You get to feel those good vibes of climbing and running and pushing yourself physically. That's a good feeling You should be feeling that every day.   You're tired.   Let's go back to it.  You're like Let's go that's awesome. Whether it's the adrenaline whether it's some I don't know the chemical reaction that are going on But you're feeling good because like it's intense and you're being challenged When Anthony told me I was gonna be speaking now instead of tomorrow. I was like nice Not not he's like you good at that But great with that. Let's go.   Hey come up here.  What steps can you take to kind of make your life a little more interesting? Your emotions actually feel some things if you to be a man who could actually do some work I said I'm trying to hide or no one away with alcohol or or anything You know you're smoking pot because I just want to chill. What are you chilling from? Oh, I'm coming home from work.  What are you relaxing from?    I Get that it says discomfort, but you're comfortable with it.  Oh women don't like me How many times can you say I really you should lose weight go do it? But nobody's gonna do it for you.   I deserve this. Why you didn't do the work to get it. You just want it It's not okay. It's unacceptable Especially as men looking to become better men Especially as men have come together spent time spent money spent hours spent energy trying to say I want to be a better man Then do it That is your call to action start changing your life Start proving where it is you're at and where it is you're going when people look at what a right life is They say get married have kids That's the right life Or they say have girlfriends and then don't ever bundle yourself down. That's the right life Or they say just stay out of the game entirely do your thing.  I have no idea all I know is if my kids can grow up and be functional adults I did okay every now and then there are little moments every now and then my son will say Please thank you somebody will compliment them whatever it is and I'll be like boom right there in that little instant. We got it right Do not Tell others what right looks like you don't have a pamphlet. You don't get to play God in their world They decide that you can help them if they are struggling, but you do not tell them what right looks like I Have friends who will never have kids I'm cool fist bump. That's your life. That's what right looks like. You're killing it. Good on you I'm not gonna project myself on you because of my life choices Too many say oh, I'm all for men doing their own thing as long as it's what I'm doing Because people want you to do well, but never better than themselves and they also want you to validate their life decisions You do not need validation You also need to remove resentment do not resent other men for doing their own thing You do not get to play God in their world You do not get to define the terms and the rules as to which happiness occurs in that man's life You do it in your own and for many of you.      You're leading your flag now. Listen. I've given you an awesome speech So I'm gonna I'm gonna leave you with this. I gave the speech. I did my job.  Thank you. Does anybody have any questions? Good One of your most passionate topics is little league and I love this Many of the boys Won't see any proper masculinity throughout their day They're not gonna see it at school with their teachers or at home if there's a dad in the home Aside from your son How has this masculine energy? Translated to the other team members and to the other parents Especially of those dads on the sideline our children. I say this a lot that children follow your example not your advice So do other men They see what you do and they do it those young boys see success come from being proud I got muscles my beard's coming in. Hey, I got a mustache all these things that are very masculine traits these young boys I Don't I don't see what the whole world is seeing and I might be living in a nutshell or a bubble I'm from Rhode Island My my town is smaller the single moms that are on the team are put together They take care of those young men. They teach the manners. They're very well Great families and I see all this stuff online about single moms these young boys. I see this huge push on young boys You know, they're all effeminate not mine The young boys in this team and it's possible because I'm with them. So I've had an impact I don't see the other teams, but I know with my team. It's contagious and It's not some he-man woman-hater club. It's not some mr. Machismo It's just teaching them a be confident and when you go up to the plate You swing because as long as you can swing you can win That's how you get a hit or when you run you run fast You're really strong go forward with that you teach them to have that confidence itself and guess what at least a competence in Self they're now able to do the thing because they believe they could do the thing And then their friends start doing the thing because they saw him do the thing and it spreads throughout the team And then the dad start getting involved I'm at the point now where I've got to tell dad's not to help out Because they're all like I want to jump on because you've got a great program and we're winning and people like that So obviously there's that aspect of it, but the bigger aspect is those fathers now involved so the way I've seen it it's spreading very positively and again the doom and gloom I'm not living that and It possible because I've looked those torches or just because of where I'm growing up But it's spreading and I think if every man in here were to set that example we'd see that across the country Any more questions? All right, it's all time we have give it up one more time for Hunter Drew


Divisions, right, face, section leaders, fall out, and we ask this as a courtesy. Photography is certainly encouraged, but we ask that you remain seated and off the drill deck. The photographers you will see on deck throughout their view are the official photographers of Recruit Training Command. Today, you will see six divisions comprised of 341 sailors participating in their graduation ceremony and soon to join the most powerful Navy in the world. Please draw your attention to the unit position at Centre Neck. The review commander and staff. The review commander is responsible for conducting the graduation ceremony. Today's review commander is Seaman Recruit Cody Pelleterra from Naples, Florida. Let's give them a hand, folks, and the triple threat unit under these units are comprised entirely of based into divisions of 88 personnel and assigned division commanders. Recruit division commanders form the backbone of recruit training and are key individuals in the life of division commanders must serve as counselors, disciplinarians, administrators, and military leaders. Above all, they must show themselves as outstanding examples of attitude and behavior. Each division also has a recruit chief petty officer. This senior recruits supervises the visual staff positions and leads the division in the absence of their division commanders. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce the graduate divisions, their division commanders, and recruit chief petty officers. As I introduce each division, they will raise the competitive flags that they have earned throughout their training. As I introduce each recruit chief petty officer, the flag representing their home state will also be raised. Please hold your applause until all introductions have been completed. I will be starting from their division to zero chief petty officer, petty officer, first class, and their recruit chief petty officer, senior apprentice, Catherine Kane from Brasauria, Texas. Division two, zero, seven, commanded by chief petty officer, Dwayne Thompson. Their senior, Warren McKinnon from Portland, Division two, zero, eight, commanded by chief petty officer, Lava Keenan. Their senior apprentice, Joshua Goldston from Woodland, California. Division two, zero, chief petty officer, Ryan Portasuella. Zero, commanded by senior chief petty officer, William Doyle, Edward Andrew, and their recruit chief petty officer, senior apprentice, Jacory Clark from San Antonio, Texas. Division nine, two, six, commanded by chief petty officer, Dane Walton. Petty officer, second class, Mary Caboza. Petty officer, second class, Joseph Smith. And their recruit chief petty officer, Seaman Griffin Aloy from Fort Lee, Virginia. On behalf of the commanding officer and staff of recruit training command, we congratulate these division commanders and recruit chief petty officers on a job well done. This time on our tradition is our formal greeting to this morning's civilian officer. When requested by the announcer, please stand for the arrival on us, marching out on the colors, the national anthem, and the invocation. As a reminder, military guests should remain covered throughout the entire graduation ceremony. And ladies and gentlemen, one final note. As befitting in this occasion, our ceremony is conducted in a formal manner. However, we do encourage you to participate in today's graduation ceremony by letting your applause show these sailors just how proud of them you are. Once again, welcome aboard. Will the guests please rise and remain standing for the arrival of the official party. Training command arriving, guests may be seated. Good morning ladies and gentlemen, in this moment of gratitude and praying. Let us pray. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be eternal fathers of Ardo's training. We gather at this glorious moment to give you thanks and raise our praise of glory for all the goodlings who showered upon us. We lift our hearts and souls in praise and gratitude for all the miracles we witnessed in our life and the life of our shipmates who were able to find threats to overcome the many obstacles of boot camp. Some face physical obstacles and you hold them on the palm of your hands to overcome their fears and insecurities. Some had emotional challenges and you helped them win over their separation anxiety and made them strong independent sailor ready to embark on amazing journey. Some faced mental difficulties and you support them and enlighten their mind to discern the need to become the best version of themselves.  Even when things did get tough and hard, you reminded us that you are the ultimate love and you called us from the music of our loneliness to join a greater cause and serve our nation and fellow citizen. From the initial P days and all experience and worries, to passing the RBC assessment health waiting boot camp, from preparing to face the challenges of battle stations, to victoriously celebrating camping ceremony. Now finally we are living this unforgettable long waited moment of the graduation of these new sailors standing here proudly waiting their well earned liberty and especially uniting with their families and beloved ones. We bless you Lord for all the good and wonderful deeds and we offer you our gratitude to all the RBCs and staff members who helped changing these new sailors and repair them to go to the beat with head held high and mindset with positive pride and courageous heart. Bless them Lord and reward them hundredfold and more. We are thankful also for our families and beloved ones who supported these new sailors and continue to do so. Bless them Lord and be with them especially when duty calls and we have to go and answer it. Lead us all to the ports of salvation in your most holy name that is above all names. Now and forever we pray. Amen. The orders and instructions to the Unic commanders that the Unic commanders would face about and relay that information to their divisions. Today's events show how orders are passed through the chain of command. Our guests of honor and sportsmanship, H. Trent and Smith, neighborhood force, U.S. Mississippi support, and I assure your sailors, please join me in giving them a round of applause for their outstanding performance in the training, physically fit and smartly missing the sailors such as those standing here this morning. These sailors have successfully completed 10 weeks of demanding recruit training. They have earned the right to wear the uniform recognized throughout the world as a symbol of freedom. They and others like them serve as the bedrock of our neighborhood forces. They will join other sailors around the world to give our Navy its combat edge and enable us to help keep this nation secure. This training group is ready to graduate and serve as the world's most powerful Navy. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you 341 of the newest, the sharpest sailors in the United States Navy. It promotes teamwork, attention to detail, and brightened accomplishment. Divisions performing above standards throughout their training are awarded recognition flags as the five missionaries, academic achievement, military career, compartment readiness, applications, and physical fitness. These flags are carried as a visible symbol of the division's success. Each flag indicates that your sailors individually and as teams, meant performance standards, and one or more missionaries. A division that excels in every phase of training qualifies for the battle efficiency, honor division recognition, and is awarded the family honor flag for this exemplary achievement. Division nine, two, six, has earned this honor today. This week's individual awards, and you'll be joined on the drill deck by our remaining officer, Captain Brooks, and our guest of honor, the Northmaster Chiefsman for achieving the highest overall academic score during her group training, Stephen Michael Bradford. Division two, zero nine from Lydia, Florida, has earned the academic excellence award, which is sponsored by the late defiance chapter of the Illinois Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Stephen Bradford receives a letter of commendation from the commanding officer. Well done, sailor. Crafty displayed extraordinary qualities, best expressing the American spirit of honor, initiative, and loyalty. Division nine, two, six, from Phoenix, Arizona, is awarded the Navy Eagle Award, which is sponsored by the Navy of the United States. Seaman Ruiz Acosta is presented with a commemorative plaque and a letter of commendation from the commanding officer. Well done, sailor. Seaman Shanice Thompson, Division two, zero eight from Orlando, Florida, is the winner of the United Service Organization Award for best exemplifying the spirit and intent of the word shipping. Seaman Thompson is given a commemorative plaque from the United Service Organization. Well done, sailor. Seaman Lauren McKen, Division two, zero seven from Portland, Oregon, is the recipient of the Military Order of the World Wars Award of Merit. This award is presented for meritorious performance during her group training. Seaman McKen is presented with a commemorative plaque from the Military Order of the World Wars. Well done, sailor. The Military Officers Association Leadership Award is presented as Seaman Nova Thompson, Division nine, two, six, from Greedy, Colorado, for demonstrating exceptional tenacity and professionalism. Seaman Thompson is awarded a letter of commendation from our commanding officer. Well done, sailor. Division two, zero eight from Valbro, California is the recipient of the Navy Club of the United States of America Military Excellence Award for best exemplifying the qualities of enthusiasm, devotion to duty, military merit, and teamwork. This award places him at the pinnacle of today's good sailors. He is awarded a flag letter of commendation. Well done, sailor. It is appropriate to recognize such outstanding individual accomplishments by these sailors with a rapid three cheers. The adjutant will lead all graduating divisions in three cheers for this morning's award winners. Introducing our Navy Officer, Vice Admiral Kenneth Weitz is the Commander of Naval Air Forces, Commander of Naval Air Forces of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, a native of Stewart Strat, Virginia, commissioned in 1985. Your Vice Admiral, Weitz is a bluster superior in commanding Strike Fighter Squadron 41, Carrier Airway 1, and Carrier Striker 2. He also serves as deputy commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, Chief of Staff of Rec and Maritime Operations, Center at the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in a warm welcome to Vice Admiral Kenneth Weitz. Thanks, Kirk, it was nice to come back and have a friend introduce me.  That was pretty impressive. So good morning distinguished guests, family members, and most importantly the sailors with the vision 205, 208, 209, 210, and 926. Let me first acknowledge the most important fact in today's ceremony that you came here as volunteers and have chosen this opportunity to serve our nation. Precious to you, our qualified, or even considered military service in this day and age, and while opportunity may have a way between colleges and the civilian world, you have traded this step an important part of your adult life, and it will be a choice you are grateful for in the years to come. Today marks the culmination of basic training which has tested your fortitude, your resilience and ability to work as a team under stress, and as you don the Navy ball cap for the first time, you'll become part of an organization forever. But the road and legacy from this place will charge you more than boot cannon. You'll join the most lethal Navy that has ever sailed the oceans with the solid duty to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America. It's a demanding duty, one that expects you to continuously commit to excellence. Much of what you've learned outside these gates as you learn, your rate driven to ensure your shipmates can depend upon you in time of need. The Royal Navy's rear apple, Popwood, captured the truism best when in 1896 he rode. On the strength of one Lincoln cable, depended the might of the chain. Who knows when Thou made me tested? To live without barriers to strain, your parents could not be more proud.  They hear the distant drums, far from our shore, where adversaries are preparing for conflict, building days, and encroaching on liberties of their neighbors. Broadcasting propaganda to deter our commitment to the international rules based on it. It is a commitment you are ready for, one chosen to sacrifice for. There are many watching this ceremony from the stands, parents, families, recruiters, and maybe some friends back home in attendance virtually. They will notice that you hold yourself a little different today.   The transformation now complete, you will soon begin the adventure of mastering nuclear energy, sailing ships to submarines, monitoring communications of our adversaries, flying in our aircraft, or as Bud's candidates in the cold waters of Coronado. You will deploy time and again to deliver the forward present. Our present depends upon to ensure freedoms of disease, reassure allies and partners and hold the enemy at risk in their backyard, not ours. Many will sleep easy at night because you have the watch and parents, you can sleep easy knowing the chiefs and officers entrusted to their care will have their back along the way. Having raised these young men and women with integrity and grit, you have lent them to our nation as part of our Navy family. Their growth, success, and well-being will ensure our Navy success. Sailors, I know you'll like to forget what I said today, or even who I was that's okay and expected, but you'll never forget the moment. You'll embrace these of your loved ones at the ceremony, you'll take a quick photo. It will remain on your phone for years to come and line up your ragged knight thousands of miles from home. You'll like to swipe back months or years to find this moment in the camera room. You'll pause, but not too long before turning out the light, getting some sleep before you prepare for the next watch. Life at sea is hard, but you'll not be alone.  Let those photos remind you of that fact. Hard days will come, but you'll learn to lean on one another and forge friendships that will turn shipmates into family and your new family. I am thankful for the privilege to be here today. Be men and women of integrity. Demonstrate courage. The course of world history depends upon it. Again, congratulations. Today you can sail with pride. I am a United States Navy sailor. Thank you. Please remain seated until your graduates have been placed on liberty. Second leaders, fall out, liberty calls.


A few minutes ago, David asked me if I knew who was introducing me and I said no, I didn't but now I do and By the way, I'll expect a royalty check in the mail It's an honor to be here. And so thank you Renee and Alex and Mark For having to hear what's turning out to be one of the great experiences of my life So now just not to screw it up. I wanted to talk about jungle to table cuisine Especially about that Chinese chef who recently died after having been bitten by the severed head of the cobra that he expected to have for lunch But they asked me to talk about something Frivolous instead So I have chosen my career and how and why it was successful and if it has any meaning for today and the future But I'll have to put these on in case I The first time I gave a speech to cooks and chefs was at the culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park in New York The dean had asked me to come and talk to the graduates and sort of give them some advice on what to expect going out and getting a job. I told them if you come to work for me at Starr's The first week you'll learn how to prep lettuce Actually, everybody at Starr's got this the bartenders the waiters everyone just to show what the commitment was in the basement of the restaurant people getting ready for the day Then I told them you will learn the next week you'll learn how to peel 20 pounds of tomatoes every hour and All this time you will work in the basement where all the ingredients are received and inspected and stored Because you will also learn that if the ingredients don't get in the hands of the line cook in perfect condition It's all sort of worthless enough and means nothing So then I told them in my concluding remarks Don't expect to be a sous chef within the first six months and put a down payment on a BMW half the room hissed the other half booed and I haven't given a speech in front of chefs and cook since until now So it is with some trepidation that I stand here But looking around the room and seeing the company. I'm in I realize it's not time to be timid So here goes Even without a glass of champagne. I'm not sure it's possible So who am I really? I'm the white guy from Harvard Who would have gone down to take a look at Ron's carrot if I'd known that it existed? So it is all about ingredients and my advice is still the same as it was to those graduates 20 years ago Focus on ingredients and only dream about the car. It has always been about ingredients was when I started and more than ever is now and I don't need the Pedophile love. Thank you, Fulvio for baby vegetables and the menu current menu language of Sweetie crunchy dairy and all that horrible stuff I'm not that obsessed with the past What was But just because the past is the past does not mean it's over No more than because the future is the future. It hasn't happened yet And after all the future was made yesterday and if that isn't true, we wouldn't be standing here holding mad in our hands But I do agree with David Chang after his visit to San Francisco restaurants Fucking every restaurant in San Francisco is just serving figs on a plate Do something with your food. Thank you, David. I mean, let's face it. We were just talking about it Let's face it. It nailed it to the wall that at that moment and San Francisco has no sense of humor about itself. So No wonder he's in such trouble For my first days at shape as the chef of shape and he's in Berkeley in 1973 I was facing what not what to do with figs, but with green beans by the way, I'd never cooked in a restaurant before I'd never had a job and Before that or up to that moment. I was a failed architect The world had failed to realize what a genius I was for underwater architecture And so I was down to my last twenty five dollars You can't blame those Harvard professors for Firing me out of out of the design school After I had summoned plankton like for I'm an ifrit of it to be the design for this structure of my underwater housing and Then I designed an underwater vehicle that was fueled with seawater As I said, they threw me out of Harvard So I had to go to MIT and the professors looked at me and said Jeremiah redesigned the whale Way too many drugs No wonder I was broke and answered the first job That I saw in San Francisco This is the added shape and he's put in the newspaper. I showed up And they gave me the job just to show you how desperate they were My first morning at work the produce arrived at the kitchen door And the first box I opened was a crate of Kentucky wonder Jumbo size green beans Well, I said no, I'm not gonna use those, you know and the guy said you can't send produce back You never do and I said well we are now, you know take them out of here 30 minutes later Alice shows up with one of the silent partners who was a famous rock star lawyer So I was a little bit nervous and they said no, you can't send produce back. Anyway, that guy's a friend of ours I took off my apron which I'd head on for about 30 minutes.  It was a one acre vegetable and fruit garden But at first it was only a dream then one day a Months later or something a guy shows up at the back door of the kitchen holding a great big king salmon That was obviously an hour out of the water and he said would you like to buy this? I ran to him and grabbed the salmon and said buy it you kidding Anything that comes out of that bay you bring here and I will buy it not that we had any money But I said I would When I started buying huge and ugly conger eels for a perfect buia base Mushrooms from the mushrooms from the local Hills the word got out Since we cooked a different menu every day, and I never knew sometimes what the dinner menu was until about two o'clock I had no trouble going out into the Donningham and saying you know the chicken just doesn't Make the grade today.  It's four hours out of the water Or telling them That bit the baby geese That we I had bought a few months before we're now grown now confit and now in the castle and in the ovens for that night and So on it went until people at the back door got the idea to set up small businesses to sell us our ingredients to our specifications So started the boots in the forest Well the back of a beaten up old VM VW van to table movement My bean lesson though was when I was a teenager in my Russian aunt who taught me a lot about how to cook One day in Washington DC supermarket. She said you know get me two pounds of green beans So I carefully chose all the great big ones You know and put them in a bag and she showed up and I handed them to her. She said no darling.  I was ready for that lesson I was ready for the jumbo Kentucky wonders coming in the kitchen of shape and ease and to send them back That was my benchmark with beans At the California culinary academy years later after I left shape and ease I gave lessons in benchmarks I Wanted to tell the students to show them or for them to figure out by themselves That quality is only barely subjective To prove it. I gave it blind tasting and chocolate.  Hershey was at the bottom. Everybody agreed So lint became the benchmark until we found a better one Then as I say so perfecting ingredients were no mystery to me Until and I thought I knew how to judge them and then one day The founder of connoisseur wine imports in San Francisco George Linton Introduced me to a new world of defining quality He gave me many lessons in the French growths called first Why they were if they were and where they worth the price But the most dramatic lesson Involved for each different vintages of Latash and Romani Conti side by side These days the price of a Romani Conti is 12 to $15,000 a bottle and Latash is three to 4,000 Is Romani Conti really worth? four to five times Latash We tasted them together a close race But what was that feeling the drinking the Romani Conti put one in a sensory realm That was previously uncharted at least for me unless of course one had eaten with a spoon Petrosian beluga out of a kilo tin with hot buttered English muffins or Drunk a slight an old and slightly chilled shatidicam with cold rose goose on a summer afternoon I've done those once each so I knew Okay, we agreed the Romani Conti isn't out there in a stratosphere of its own Let me show you why George said drawing on his napkin Whoops. I wasn't putting my Okay, that's Willie no, I was right. Sorry. Sorry forward That's the Kessler here is the benchmark scale that zero. This is a scale we all know From zero to ten zero obviously in ten As I've been talking This is the scale that everybody believes is zero to ten With a belief that everything in this scale Can be measured and proven It is also the realm of Relatism an Opinion that the idea that any opinion or taste is as good as another and where the homogenizing of humanity occurs and This in the world of ingredients is where Tyson foods and Monsanto are circling their wagons With us on the outside We're the Indians getting shot at out there would they would like to exterminate us and This is where we're facing the extinction of the environment and its ingredients But I agree with Anna Sonderos and Voltaire that taste as a matter of discernment So here is another scale They should threaten from me in this scale As you can see nines down there and George obviously made the point to me that the Latash is between zero and nine and the Romani Conti is from nine to ten in That realm where nothing is proven but completely Obvious when you've tasted it in this scale nothing can be proven at least to lab scientists It's just a matter of common recognition and agreement. I Find that anything tasted in a group in this scale. Everyone agrees that that is an ultimate experience It's in that realm where I would serve a glass of cheddar de quen with hot roast roast beef an aged beef and Everyone will agree that that marriage is Pushing us to a very instructive limit Serve white wine a big Chardonnay with cheeses and the initially apprehensive looks around the table turn to a new wonder For this in this realm the pinnacle of it for me is the Loma Rocher from the Romani Conti But I've unfortunately tasted only twice in my life But have a glass of that and all the Chardonnays in the world will line up behind it It is here that we can make sure there is a future That we will find out what will be cooking next and What will trickle down To the public so they will say no more to Tyson No more to Monsanto and say yes to eating only healthful and joyful ingredients Mad is addressing both realms the nine to ten Benchmarks are also our guide through trends and what we create today of the future We love trends, especially when we start them ourselves But I feel is our future really about One trend after another the holy grail being the list of the next trend and then the one that comes after that The future is not about trends even though it will be full of them Renee thinks there's a big future in Mexican cuisine which I do and I'm particularly excited about matching it with Indian cuisine think of all those Sorry matter. I'll have to call them curry pastes and powders with the mollies of Oaxaca Or the three Riccardo's of the Yucatan the green pumpkin seed one the red achiote or anato one and the Amazing one called Chimoli, which is made from black and carbonized chilies Which is a world-class ingredient Remembering that and looking back to the future. I think again of a scoffee and his keep it simple fate sampler and Wonder what weather I actually ever followed that in my career and a little more of Oscar Wilde from earlier today Where he said Simple is the last refuge of the complex So let me talk about stars for a minute There I did keep it simple with the food cocktails and the wine program Should we decan by the glass for example? But the packaging of the message the restaurant itself was way over the top The main reason for star success is that we were a team and usually stay the step ahead of disastrous mistakes despite my best efforts and Here are some of the other reasons The opening motto of stars which I had to come up with on the first day when we open for Dinner when all the staff came to you and said okay, so what what are we doing here? You know what's what's this restaurant all about I said It's everything from blue jeans less to black tie more Johnny Apple from the New York Times called stars the most democratic restaurant in the United States There in the center is Denise Hale the top socialite of San Francisco the woman who knew everyone who had slept with everybody and Kept their telephone numbers She was the woman who could call Nancy Reagan when she was the president I'm in the wife's president and Everybody else in the world and she brought them all to stars So that's the photo of the two of us together in black tie But look at the photo above the head of the other woman That's the photo of the gay bull riders from the San Francisco rodeo That stars had sponsored Somehow everybody including Denise got the point that they could be together there at stars and that was one of its Most magical qualities As for the democracy of food at stars You could sit in the dining room and have a co-cut of braised sweet breads with truffles and hundred-year-old Madeira Or you could sit at the oyster bar and have a glass of billy car some more With a dozen perfect oysters Or you could sit at the main bar and have a star's hamburger and a glass of lafitte Really it was everything for someone more than something for everyone though. There was that too The democracy of stars also included star power Rudolph Noriev coming in after the opera Giving me a huge kiss and doing a jetay into his table next to Denise Hale the whole restaurant rising up in innovation pretty good stuff Then there was Streisand and Amani whatever president was in office and lots more Pavarotti was the most difficult He insisted that everyone came to stay ten feet away and he always had to have a napkin I don't see it there a napkin on his head because of the drafts But it was the first time that the rich and famous and superstars were sitting in a public restaurant out in the open Mixing with mixing with a government clerk from the courts across the streets The owner of the hot dogs stand across from stars and the groupies from all over town Pretty heady stuff and quite definitely more is more But it wasn't all about star power either design had a lot to do with star success Specifically the tension created by putting a huge bar was 50 seats 50 stools across and then then radically open kitchen With an oyster bar for single diners in between So there's the open kitchen looking at the oyster bar you can see the stools there One of the kitchen line looking at the bar and then the bar itself was that Quote from Louis Pasteur at the top of the bar that wine is the most hygienic and healthful beverage known to man That event was Julie Child's birthday. So we there was a nice sculpture We changed the you know the cocktails Pretty much as often as the food the bar got the same Attention that the food did as did the wine program But how do I get to all of that for being nearly fired for turning back shitty beans? As the story goes if it had not been for a bunch of French cooks California cuisine would never have been born and I tell this story About marketing oneself and therefore once restaurant because of its two messages one Always be alert for the moment that will propel you into success Getting what you want and to be ever wary of getting it my moment When I first grabbed that Galloping horse going by me was at lunch in 1983 for 100 journalists at the Aston mansion in Newport the event was to introduce Guy Savoy To the United States press and he was cooking the dinner. So they invited a bunch of kids in from California to do the lunch we showed up in the early morning to the kitchen and The French chefs told us to get lost You're not coming in. I mean, you know kids from California. What I would why would they let us in? That that was the moment And I looked around I said, okay kids follow me. We're setting up on the lawn We had six six-foot grills You know that they got us and we had a thousand pounds of charcoal that we'd brought in from California since there were only briquettes in the United States in the East Coast and Is that flashing zero same meaning I'm out of time? Okay a couple more minutes so we set up on the lawn and Cooked this Menu it ended up of course astonishing all the journalists because we had to cook everything on the charcoal grills But what really stormed their imagination is when we grill the dessert Picture four cooks in white each with a saute pan full of berries for the dessert Toss them as high as we possibly could without making fools of ourselves or wasting the dessert hunt a week later a hundred Food sections appeared in the United States First for the first time in color and the first time full page and all the headlines screaming things like Mesquite is it grilling is it now it's hard to believe that these were they were new at that time But they were and then for the first time the words California cuisine an enormous letters across the food section Was spread all over the United States? Overnight we were famous and overnight a new cuisine was announced to the world in the plane back to California My cooks were ecstatic at our victory One of them looked back at me over the seat Since I was sitting behind them and saw tears on my face. He was horrified then puzzled No worries. I told him. It's just that we got what we wanted and God help us all from now on So why did I concentrate on stardom after that sorry full view But I did in the early 1980s as well as the food service the wine and the bar To get the message across that we were not servants relegated to the kitchen basement and the servants hall To show loudly and clearly the really important message is that a successful restaurant did not have to be for the rich elite it could be great and popular and That true sense of the word as well But once on the road to fame and success it was hard to get off and the doers National billboard came in and hell broke loose Soon-time magazine said that I'd had more publicity than Meryl Streep as ludicrous as that sounds But a week later I did have my BMW and Finally to answer Renee's question to Alan Sander answer what keeps one going for me It's the ingredients when I wander up, you know after my coffee wander around a little town in Italy or France or some place And you see those huge squash flowers When I'm in Galicia in the winter and there's an enormous storm You know coming off the Atlantic and you see a big basket of Persebes at the entrance to the restaurant You know, I just I'm getting goosebumps now Mainly because they're so expensive I guess now So that always makes me want to get back in the business Actually, I hope to find an email today when I get back to the hotel that says I am But that's just breaking news But I do hate restaurant bureaucracy. I have never lost my love for perfect ingredients. I want to thank the team Ali and Gabe and Mark and James and All of you at Noma on both sides of the wall of the kitchen wall since no at Noma. There isn't one and by the way The teams who gave us those three pretty wonderful lunches But to close with I want to give you the advice from Elizabeth Taylor to me When the going gets rough Put on your lipstick Pour a cocktail and get on with it. Thank you You