1916's 50th
Has there any old fellow got mixed with the boys?
If there has, take him out, without making a noise.
Hang the almanac's cheat and the catalogue's spite!
Old time is a liar; we're twenty tonight.
We're twenty! We're twenty! Who says we are more?
He's tipsy, young nackanapes! Show him the door!
Thus wrote Oliver Wendell Holmes, erstwhile Dartmouth professor, in his poem "The Boys" on the occasion of his fiftieth reunion at Harvard in 1879.
And our Class realizing that there is but one Fiftieth determined that if not in fact, then in fantasy, we would be twenty for the night! And it turned out to be just such a merry making from the time of the earliest arrival on Thursday, June 9, until the last departure from the post-reunion at Lake Morey, around the middle of the following week.
Cliff Bean's committee of Dick Parkhurst,Jim Colton, Ed Craver, and Alec Jardine had put in an enormous amount of work and the result, even to the smallest detail, was fantastic.
The reunion in its entirety will be described in the July Newsletter. Some of the highlights: Dutch Doenecke's determination despite illness to get there, come hell or high water, and to travel the route to Hanover which he traversed on his first trip there in September, 1912, namely by train - the New Haven-Boston and Maine. Yon will hear more of Dutch's trip in the News-letter. George Kreider once again making the trip from Springfield, Ill., by iron steed, a Harley Davidson. George described the trip of 1200 miles which took him three days, as a practice "Run For Seventy One." Stout fellas, Dutch and George. Fletch Andrews' speech at the Commencement lunch- eon which had the big crowd "rolling in the aisles," and which prompted President Dickey to name Fletch as the permanent speaker for the 50-year class at the Commencement luncheons. The Class meeting at which BurlLowe, who did a fabulous job as class agent, announced that 1916 had indeed made good its slogan "Let's Arrive with Twenty-five." In fact the amount was over $27,000, the largest alumni fund gift in the history of the class.
Then the election of class officers: President and Bequest Chairman, Charlie Brundage; secretary, Pete Cleaves; treasurer, JimColton; assistant secretary, Ralph Parker; newsletter editor, John Stearns; executive committee: Dan Dinsmoor, chairman; Jib Dingwall, Dick Ellis, Park Hayden, Ken Henderson, Cap Palmer, and Ev Parker.
The solemn and beautiful memorial service in Rollins Chapel with the dedication of the chapel furnishings, the pulpit table, lectern and bronze memorial placque - our reunion gift to the College; and Ken Tucker's singing of Mallotte's "The Lord's Prayer." The brief service and the placing of a wreath at the Arch in Memorial Field by Dick Parkhurst and Cliff Bean in the presce ence of class members. The extraordinarily beautiful day on Sunday and the incompanhle Commencement exercises on the lawn in front of Baker. 1916's winning the 1884 TUP for the highest percentage of attendance nd the 1930 Cup for the greatest number of alumni present —the first time we have defeated the perennial winner, 1911, and won such awards.
The Philip G. Nordell exhibit of lottery tickets in the corridor of the Treasure Room in Baker and the exhibit of 1916 memorabilia one in Hopkins Center and the less formal one, arranged by the ladies, in Massachusetts Hall. The pleasant post-reunion at the Lake Morey Inn, Fairlee, which 34 people attended.
The great success of the reunion was due in large measure to the wives and widows of the class, who believe it or not, out-numbered the men. There were 77 men, 78 wives and widows, and 14 other family and friends, total 169. Without the devoted interest and work of the ladies our attendance would have been far smaller. Probably Perce and Aline Burnham of Seattle traveled the greatest distance, but honorable mention should be made of Dan and Jean Dinsmoor, Los Angeles; Dan and Chris Lindsley, Sierra Madre, Esky Eskeline, Santa Barbara; Ev Parker, Denver; Horace and Peg Fishback, Brookings, South Dakota and Hi and Laura McLellan, Tyler, Texas. John and Elsie Stearns, Hanover, N. H., traveled two blocks east and two blocks north to make it.
Dr. Holmes' notes conclude this report:
Yes, we're boys, always playing with tongue or with pen; And I sometimes have asked, Shall we ever be men?
Shall we always be youthful, and laughing and Till the' last dear companion drops smiling away?
Then here's to our boyhood, its gold and its gray!
The stars of its winter, the dews of its May!
And when we have done with our life-lasting toys, Dear Father, take care of the children, The Boys!
CLASS SECRETARY
