1916's 55th
CLASS SECRETARY
Everything at our Fifty-fifth was salubrious- weather, food and the pretty dresses worn by the girls. All scheduled events went off as planned.
On Friday Betty Wilson's ginger flowers, and birds of paradise from Hawaii welcomed the registrants in Fayer weather. Cocktails in Hopkins Center, dinner in Thayer were followed ' reception at the home of President and Mrs. Kemeny and a concert by the Glee Club.
At the Class meeting on Saturday Colton's treasurer's report showed a balance of $877.48 with $676.32 on hand in the 1916 Memorial Fund. Dick Parkhurst's nominating committee submitted the for the next quinquennium: President. Parker Hayden; secretary-newsletter editor,John Stearns; treasurer, Jim assistant treasurer: Ralph Parker; class agent. Burt Lowe, bequest chairman Charlie Brundage; Executive Committee, chairman Ev Parker, with members Jib Dingwall. Dick Ellis, Ed Gumbart, Duffy Lewis, Dan Lindsley, Cap Palmer. Both these reports were accepted and the meeting turned The Memorial Service in Rollins Chapel Was impressive. The program listed the 66 members of 1916 who have died since our fifieth reunion. The class picture on the steps of Parkhurst was followed by the annual meeting of the General Association of Alumni, addressed by President Kemeny and others. Then came bus tours of the campus and a commencement symposium entitled: "Can We Afford the Future?" Cocktails were in the Tavern Room of the new Hanover Inn and dinner in the Colonial Room of Thayer, where Betty Wilson's flowers graced the head table and the silver offee service presented by the student body to President and Mrs. Nichols in 1916 was displayed. After dinner the "Max Morath" performance in Hopkins Center Theater was enthusiastically received.
On Sunday after the Commencement procession the class went by car to Grafton, N.H., and were lavishly entertained by Charlie Brundage in an interesting structure with a long history as an inn and as headquarters for a religious sect from which comes the name "El Nathan" (God gave it). It might seem impossible to restore this building in such a manner as to reflect the feeling of a New England inn with its wide floor boards of "punkin" pine and a spacious bar, while keeping the flavor of a religious edifice maintained by a pentecostal, evangelical sect of fervent worshippers. But Charlie did just this with the help of local craftsmen. The result is a pleasant place to meet old friends, which may be what Charlie had in mind all the time. His "picnic" was a fitting climax to the scheduled events of our reunion.
But the unscheduled events of a reunion like ours are significant too. You had a chance to show off those pictures of your grandchildren although this entailed looking at the other guy's grandchildren. There was an opportunity to explain in detail what the doctor said at your recent check-up and to hear in greater detail the symptoms of your friends. It was just the right occasion to tell now busy you have been since retirement and to elucidate your opinions of the non- conformist hairdos of the" undergraduates. You could sit on the senior fence and bonder why Joe didn't come back and then ask people to sign a letter to Joe explaining that we missed him. It was a great opportunity to find out why the College has omit all these new buildings. Is it just to confuse old grads or what? It was a great opportunity...
A resolution of thanks to Jib Dingwall, George Dock and their committee on reunion was formally voted but I have an informal question, Mr. Moderator. There wasn't a tiresome moment in the whole weekend. Why then am I so darned tired this Monday morning after our Fifty-fifth reunion? Must be lack of practice. Do you suppose it would help me if we had reunions once a year from here in? Write and tell me where you stand on this issue. Let's talk about more reunions instead of discussing coeducation, inflation, and conurbanization. Is there a second to this motion?
Reunion Chairman Reg Miner '21 holdsboth attendance cups won Commencement weekend. Their 58% of graduatesback won the 1894 Cup among all theclasses at the three reunion periods.
