1909

The wheels of time continue to revolve at an amazing speed. Here's the call to bat out another column for the ALUMNI MAG, after a couple months' rest. Seems like a country correspondent's work is never done.

What's been cookin' this summer? One unhappy note is the passing of Al Hill, the oldest member of our class who died at the age of 87 on July 20 at Biddeford, Maine, outside of which place the family farm was located. A letter from his daughter Winifred tells about his last days: "Father saw much needing to be done here (at the farm) and could not restrain himself. He took his scythe in hand and went forth to do battle against tares and weeds and to create beauty. It was beyond his strength."

Winifred was in constant attendance during Al's three weeks at the hospital. "I know he was very tired and willing and ready to go, for he felt his work was done. As one of our friends truly wrote, 'His look into the future was never fearful, but always inquiringly philosophical.' "

Classmates will remember when Al and George Goodwin joined '09 along about the beginning of our junior year. Goodie was 42 and Al was 40, and they sure looked old to us young punks around 20. But they soon became a part of the group and went along with us to graduate. Winifred reports that the fellowship Al enjoyed with his classmates the last few years was dear to him. In his correspondence with me he submitted news items and Maine anecdotes that contributed to the reading pleasure of his classmates. One of his last gestures was to send me a book by John Gould titled, The Fastest Hound Dog in the State ofMaine. So long, Al. We'll be seeing ya one of these days.

On a Friday night not long ago, Childs gave a talk on the Aurora Story to a bunch of spellbound Kiwanians who dine at the Aurora Inn. Among the anecdotes he told about this classic village which is so rich in folk lore, concerned an epitaph on an old tombstone in the Aurora Cemetery. It reads like this:

Behold and see as you pass by, As you .are now, so once was I.

As I am now, so must you be.

Prepare to die and follow me.

One of the old-timers told about a tramp who was attracted to this bit of verse and wrote in chalk below the inscription:

To follow you, I'll not consent Until I see which way you went.

Reunion Year

Next June, as you know or should know, is the time for our official 45th reunion, to be held in conjunction with '10 and '11. A note from Sid Hayward, Secretary of the College, tells about the housing difficulty at Hanover around reunion time. The 25-year class and the 50-year class have been holding their reunions during Commencement week, and even this is beginning to strain college facilities when you consider that about 600 men, women and children from the class of '29 alone were on hand last June.

Sid suggests that our three classes, instead of holding our reunion the weekend of June 17, 18 and 19, hold the reunion the first half of that week (June 13, 14 and 15). That way, there will be plenty of facilities for both sleeping and eating. We can have a pick of the dorms and a good opportunity for inter-class visitations. It sounds like a good deal.

Do you guys know what T.U.M.S. is? You don't? It's THE UNDERPRIVILEGED MALE SOCIETY, an organization that was started in the spring of 1954 by Bill Geiger '92, Emerson Morse '18 (both of Lyme, N. H.), and Bob Raclin '40, of Evanston, Ill. As Bill puts it:

"It was designed to establish a mutual bond among those submissive married males of the human species who are allowed to exercise only 49% of authority in family affairs, as compared with the 51% exercised by the distaff members of the family. The signs and pass words of the Society are: The right hand touching the forehead, a low bow, and a humble, 'Yes, dear,' to indicate submission to the dictates of the '51ers whenever a difference of opinion arises. There are no dues or initiation fees. Applications for membership may be submitted to any one of the three charter members."

The mail address of Ed or Emerson is North Thetford, Vt. Maybe Bunk Irwin will be making application to Ed, for he was one of his pupils when Ed was principal of the high school at Quincy, Ill. Any of you birds who are eligible, get going. You might as well enjoy the consoling companionship of the '49ers. Ed says that he's pretty sure LeonMorse doesn't qualify, but then, you never can tell.

If Editor Charlie Widmayer prints that picture of me and Charlie Truman, the waiting world will want to know that it was taken by the David Pierce Studios in Hanover at the time of our informal 45th reunion. While we were waiting for the camera man to get set up, we banged out a few of those old familiar tunes and some guy who looked to be around our time of life came back from the front room where he was sitting and said they stirred memories of the good old days. Music sure tears down the barriers.

Let this be an invitation to you birds to send in more news about yourselves. A newspaper can't be write without news items. Lana, the glamour puss, sends her regards to all and sundry.

Jack Childs '09, banjo artist, visited his friendCharlie Truman, steamfitter for the Collegefrom 1903 until 1949, during a Hanover trip.

Class Notes Editor, Pioneer Trail, Aurora, Ohio

Secretary and Treasurer, Sandwich, Mass.

Bequest Chairman,