1917

It is with genuine regret and sorrow that I must report the untimely and sudden death on Sunday, September 26, of our good friend and classmate, Archie Gile. He and Mary had been with us at Bonnie Oaks Inn at Fairlee, Vt., the preceding evening and Archie had taken an active part in our executive committee meeting which followed dinner at the Inn. When they left to return to Hanover, Archie was in the best of spirits and apparently in good health and the receipt of a phone call from Mary early Monday morning telling me of Archie's death shocked me more than I can say.

A more formal notice appears elsewhere in this issue but I would like to pass on to our classmates a little personal sketch of a man who will be sorely missed. Archie would have been the first to brush aside any words of praise. He had a real north countryman's pithiness of expression and his terse comments went to the heart of any discussion. He was as beloved by young people as by his contemporaries and it is no surprise to learn that both friends and flowers filled the church to overflowing at the services. Our class will always be deeply indebted to Arch who never let us down on the many calls for help that were sent to him. To Mary, his able partner in ail our Hanover contacts, and to Joy, who contributed so much to Arch's contentment, there are no words to express our feeling of loss. Barney and Adele Thielscher, Jack Saladine,Slats Baxter, Pay Barber and his wife, Butchand Lee Sherman, Sam MacKillop and his wife, George Clark and Bill Eaton represented the Class of '17 at the services.

It seems fitting to publish part of a letter from Mary Gile sent to me but addressed to the Class of 1917.

"Dear Don: Please extend to each and every member of 1917 my warmest thanks and appreciation for the very beautiful spray of white carnations which came to Arch's funeral. I think your class had no more loyal or devoted member than Archie, and the heartwarming flood of telegrams and letters, flowers and personal calls, has meant much to me in these trying days. Mary Gile."

The proposed Cape Cod summer reunion, as such, did not materialize, primarily because of the arrival of an unwelcome intruder named "Carol." She came unexpectedly and completely disrupted the few plans for getting together that had tentatively been made. The damage she caused on the Cape was considerable, with the result that the little cottage we occupied was without electricity for the four-and-a-half days that we stayed on, before.giving up in disgust, and'.returning to Montclair. During those days we had no light, water, refrigeration or heat for cooking, so as you can imagine, life was extremely primitive.

Before Carol hit the Cape we had numerous good visits with Pete and Lucy Olds and their daughter Nancy. Our visits with Moltand Fran Brown were all too few but on one such occasion we enjoyed one of Fran's out-of-this-world lobster suppers. This gave us a fine opportunity to toast the arrival of their new granddaughter Deborah, born to Kay, and Dr. Pierce Smith on August 18.

Just prior to the arrival of Carol Spiquearid Ruby Maclntyre stopped in and we expected to see them again at their cottage in Falmouth, but never did. (Note by your Secretary's secretary. Don went down to see how Spique and Ruby fared, found they had been evacuated to a nearby inn and was forbidden by a policeman to go there as he had no pass. Probably thought your ex-Treasurer would be up to his old trick of looting.) Giland Marie Swett and Gene and Lucile Towler had been invited to spend the weekend with us but those plans had to be hurriedly cancelled. However, it turned out that the Swells, who were visiting in Brewster, and Helen and I enjoyed a dinner together at the Olds' cottage, which was in far better shape than ours. After our departure for home the Browns were hosts to the Swetts, Olds, Maclntyres and Phil and Josephine Evans, first at their Chatham home and winding up at the local golf club. We had hoped to see Sherm and GladysSmith but here gain, never did. Hurricanes don't hit the Cape too frequently, so perhaps we can look forward to seeing more people more often next summer.

Nine of the thirteen members of our executive committee met at Bonnie Oaks Inn, Fairlee, Vt„ on Saturday evening, September 25, with Bill Eaton, Sumner Emerson, ArchieGile, Mose Hutchins, Len Reade, Walt Sisson,Vic Snrtli. Gil Swett and your Secretary in attendance. Mose Hutchins was elected editor of the Sentry to take the place of Hank Loudon who found it impossible to continue in that capacity. Then followed a lengthy discussion of a most interesting plan proposed by Mose. The object of the plan is to obtain broader participation among our number in class affairs. The plan was referred to a five man sub-committee which will undertake to implement it. It was voted, also, to hold a similar meeting next year at the same place over the weekend of the first home football game of the 1955 season.

The business meeting was only one highlight of the weekend which began on Friday with the arrival of most of the committee members and their wives, including among the latter, Charlotte Emerson, Pauline Hutchins, Lorine Reade, Ruth Sisson, Irene Smith and Helen Brooks. Bill Eaton came over from Hanover for dinner and the evening on Saturday as did Mary Gile with Archie. Gil andMarie Swett arrived on Saturday and we were happy to have Pete and Lucy Olds, Bob andAnita Scott and Wendell and Eleanor Reycroft join our party for the weekend. We hope next year that more of you will be able to be with us. Can't promise you a heart-stopper like the Holy Cross game but the countryside is beautiful and Mr. Avery made us very comfortable.

Our entire group attended the DartmouthHoly Cross game and then returned to Bonnie Oaks for a delicious steak dinner. The business meeting followed.

Friends of Bill Sewall will be sorry to learn that his son, John '42, was stricken with polio in August while on vacation in North Carolina. Many will remember John, his wife Nell, and their two children who attended our last reunion with Bill and Sally. John has been moved to Richmond where he will undergo treatments that we hope will eventually restore him to health. Anyone who knows how long the days are in a hospital may send cards or letters to John Sewall, Medical Gollege of Virginia Annex,.Richmond, Va.

Second reminder of pre-Princeton game luncheon at the Princeton Inn on November 20. Cost of luncheon including tip will be $2.75 per person. Individual checks will be rendered for any other services. It is suggested that the group meet at the Inn not later than 11 for cocktails, with lunch to be served at 12. Game scheduled for 1:30 P.M. For further particulars, if needed, contact Sumner Emerson.

Gil and Marie Swett announce the arrival of a second granddaughter, Joan Ellen, bom September 25.

Please note the following address changes:

Tracy A. Dibble, 8 Buchanan Circle, Lynn,. Mass.; William C. Eaton, 6 Wyeth Road, Hanover,. N. H.; Herbert W. Griffin, 251 Franklin St., Boston 10, Mass.; Morris G. Hammond, 404 College St., Burlington, Vt.; Thomas S. O'Neill, 161 William St., N. Y. 38, N. Y., and Laurence G. Sherman, P.O. Box 173, Brattleboro, Vt.

Secretary, 9 Park Terrace, Upper Montclair, N. J.

Treasurer, 315 Oxford Rd., Havertown, Pa.

Bequest Chairman,