Lucky bag

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This article is about the Naval keepsake. For the Japanese grab bag, see Fukubukuro.

1975 Naval Academy Lucky Bag

A Lucky Bag is the term for the United States Naval Academy 'year book' dedicated to the graduating classes. A traditional Lucky Bag has a collection of photos taken around the academy and photographs of each graduating officer along with a single paragraph describing the individual written by a friend. While no one knows for sure, it is speculated that it is named after the 'lucky bag' that contains the possessions of sailors who lost items at sea.

A Lucky Bag is gifted to each graduating officer and is archived by both the US Naval Academy and the USNA Allumni Association.

[edit] Lucky Bag History

Every man-of-war, you know, has her Lucky Bag, containing a little of every thing, and something belonging to every body.

For variety of contents, a regular Lucky Bag may vie with the caldron that witches boil and bubble “at the pit of Acheron.”

Shoe of middy and waister’s sock,

Wing of soldier and idler’s frock,

Purser’s slops and topman’s hat,

Boatswain’s call and colt and cat,

Belt that on the berth-deck lay,

In the Lucky Bag find their way;

Gaiter, stock and red pompoon,

Sailor’s pan, his pot and spoon,

Shirt of cook and trowser’s duck,

Kid and can and “doctor’s truck,”

And all that’s lost, and found on board,

In the Lucky Bag is always stored.''

“This bag,” Mr. Editor, which I am about to overhaul, has been open for fifteen or twenty years. The facts collected about the Navy during that time — hints dropped by messmates — opinions, notions, &c., have, been picked up and carefully preserved in this “bag.” Before I proceed though, to arrange from this medley of the “bit o’ writin” for you, mm, I must in good earnest bespeak the indulgence of your readers, and seriously invite their attention to the facts which go to show a link to 10 pages,1840 Lucky Bag article on Naval Reform, by Lieut.Matthew Fontaine Maury , U.S.Navy.

Matthew Fontaine Maury, USN, used the term "Lucky Bag", and defined it, long before the United States Naval Academy was created. Matthew Maury wrote many articles about the "Lucky Bag" and called the articles, "Scraps From The Lucky Bag". It was information on Naval reform in all its venues and more. This is well-known by serious historians. The use of term goes back further than 1820 in the United_States_Navy and back to the British Navy. Read the link to see a typical "Lucky Bag Scrap" on US Naval Reform. The United States Naval Academy, to a huge extent, was created due to Maury's "Scraps From The Lucky Bag" that were published under noms de plumes in newspapers, copied, and passed around in flyers in and outside of the USN to stir people to action for changes in the Navy.