1919

This is the Period of the Great Silence. All 19ers are vacationing in warm climes. They don't write letters, they get them. Freddie, our pet fly, is doing better than we are. Just yesterday, he had a letter from King Cole in Delray Beach, Fla. It was full of scurrilous remarks about us and egged Freddie on to beleaguering us further. From the postman's reaction you'd think there was something demeaning about delivering mail addressed to "Freddie the Fly." With no mail, time hangs heavy on our hands. We sit about grumping and reading The Smoke Signal in installments.

To break the boredom we decided to take some golf lessons. The fact that the golf pro is a luscious young lady had nothing to do with it. Her teaching technique is wonderful but has on occasion led to confusion. She sometimes reaches around us, grabs our arms, and swings us both back, up, and down. "How does that feel!" she asks. We reply, "Wonderful! but wouldn't it be better if we got rid of this golf club?" Little progress is made in either direction. Our reflexes, if any, are not easily budged from their ways of 50 years.

Our wife Mary, on the other hand, dashes about this sun-drenched peninsula with the abandon of a 14 year-old. Recently, breezing through Sarasota, she saw Bunny and Mad Collins and reported both in fine shape. Mad had just rolled in after an 18 hole golf match, and Bunny looked as if he might be about to take off for one. Bun said that he had seen Champ Clements and that he was not in as good shape as might be hoped. Here's hoping you feel better fast, Paul.

From the College came a Holyoke Transcript-Telegram clip about Paul Clark "... former well known Holyoker, has written a one-man play for the Christmas Season. It is called "Billy" and he is producing it as well as being the performer. Clark resides in Brooklyn, N. Y. and in recent years had been prominent in the off-Broadway stage.... While a resident here, he was active in theatrical work and in local music circles."

From Nick Sandoe we have three pieces of intelligence. One, a disturbing note from Pearl Adams saying that Ray is back in the hospital and his condition serious. We're sure everyone joins us in wishing the best possible for Ray. Two, he encloses a newsclip which states that his son Robert '46 is to be headmaster of The Cambridge School in Weston, Mass. Nick was surprised to learn from Jack Clark who sent him the clipping, that Jack's son Tom went there on our recommendation. As a matter of fact both the Davis children went to the Cambridge Lower School. The Cambridge School is a good school which Bob will doubtless make better. And three, Nick announces the appointment of Spider Martin as chairman of our 55th Reunion Committee, and JackMcCrillis as assistent chairman. We ask you, where could you find two guys more likely to do the best possible job?

Ours is the distressing news that Ray Adams died on January 25. The loss of this universally popular member of our class will be a sorrowful one. We are sad, and send our sympathy to Pearl.

Secretary, Box 122. Chandler Rd. Wilder, Vt. 05088