1949
Picture a full moon shooting it's rays across a calm, uninhabited cove; a gentle breeze from the East carrying the scent of nutmeg and other spices to one's eager nostrils; a mug of punch made from some of Eleazer's finest. That was the scene of the first of seven consecutive 1949 minireunions. And the reunionees? Herb andAnn Gramstorff, Sam and BarbaraKilner, yours truly and side-car, Doris. For those of you who have read and dreamed of such a holiday I cannot express well enough the idyllic existence of sailing to windward from Grenada to St. Vincent through the storybook Grenadine Islands in a shipshape 73 -foot ketch. The thrill of pulling in a rainbow-hued dolphin for evening's dinner; the romance of a barbeque on a deserted crescent beach in Chatham Bay; exploring the underwater wonders of the reefs around the Tobago Cays; climbing jungled promontories for a 360 degree view of islands and islets and the yacht below in unpolluted, azure waters; singing "Home on the Range" calypso style in the Frangipani Bar; changing headsails in a race with a trim yawl to Bequia; water skiing off Princess Margaret Beach, an untouched stretch of beautiful white sand beach with gnarled trees stretching almost to the sea; listening to the original calypso songs of the "Mighty Scraper" on deck under a mantle of bright stars; and always, the distinctive rum punches. Although we returned less than two weeks ago it almost seems unreal now. It must have been a memorable experience—Doris and Barbara wept crocodile tears whilst packing to leave our floating home.
We even expanded our mini-reunion enroute. Ran into John and Sally Gambling '51 in Chatham and Admiralty Bays. They, plus friends, had chartered through the Grenadines for two weeks. John's nose was on its fourth peel, I believe. Then, after the cruise, we parked in hammocks at Young Island, St.Vincent, for five days to sample its rum punch recipe, here we ran into a mini-reunion of the Class of 1931. This was discovered by Barbara Kilner when she gratuitously asked a gentleman who was crawling across the bar if he had gone to Dartmouth. That "gentleman" turned out to be John Cogswell '31 who is now retired in Hanover. He was accompanied in his sinful ways by Frank McCord of the same notorious class.
The trip was not without mishap: Sam Kilner suffered a small dose of sun poisoning the first day out; I suffered total deafness for six days with a slight respite at the Frangipani Bar; Barbara Kilner, we found, was sensitive to the "Mighty Snorers" the first day out we blew out the mainsail; and the last day we lost the jib halyard winch. All this made the cruise even more memorable.
By now, if you're not sick with jealousy you are bored with the first person singular, so, we shall turn to news of others.
The Charlie "Kirk" Morrises have been repatriated after having spent seven years learning how to speak the language in merry ole England, with side trips to see the sun in Monaco, France and the Algarve coast of Portugal. Charlie, Eileen and small tribe now reside at 5710 85th Avenue, New Carrollton, Md., and "Kirk" still marks documents "Confidential" and "Secret" for the National Security Agency. The frau makes all the loot as Credit Specialist for Woolco, which I believe is the credit arm of Woolworth. Son Barry hopes to follow in his father's footsteps at Darmouth—only intellectually, we all hope! Next year daughter, Annette, may be checking the effects of coeducation at the Big Green. Bryan isn't worried yet! Charlie, RogerBorregard doesn't live there anymore, go south and check 10160 S.W. 199th Street, Miami Fla. He's another cop-out!
And thus spake Zarathustra! But not of Gunther Perdue. I went south to find him and heard only reports that our castaway was headed north to sponge off our Dr. George Oliver who has recently joined the staff of the Merrimack Medical Center in Manchester, N. H. The last we heard from "Doc" was from the bluegrass country of Kentucky where he managed the Kentucky Optometric Association for ten years. "Doc" bowed out of the last reunion due to distance—he has no excuse now. Perhaps Natalie and siblings Peter and Melissa will help convince him of an appointment two years hence.
Sometimes (not often) literary effort produces an effect. When one responds to one of my letters even my secretary gets ecstatic. And what a fine surprise to hear from Doug Mott who has now become a New Englander again. After ten years in the Chicago area the Brockway Glass Company requested Doug to accept the position of District Manager in Bean Town. Despite relocation neurosis Doug and Molly enjoy working in Chestnut Hill and living in Acton, Mass. Who wouldn't? Younger Kevin Mott is working up to the front line of the Dartmouth hockey team, having played so well as to make the State Playoffs for his high school team. Doug's best customer apparently is another of our fair team—Don Durkee. And now a word from you, Don!
Another lost classmate surfaced in the news a short while back. Lou Mulkern, a senor vice president of the Bank of America, was pictured in the New York Times as a speaker at an American Management Association meeting on the problems of trade with communist China. Lous prognosticated that Mainland China would be a major industrial nation before the year 2000.
Our prexy Roland G. Becker, graced the Worcester (Mass.) "Telegram" with his visage on January 27, 1972. Brud, who is manager of Market Planning at Bay State Abrasives Co., had decided his job doesn't give him enough excitement. So, he announced his candidacy for the School Committee for Westboro, Mass., claiming that the commitee needs members with strong business experience and capable of making rounded business judgment. This is not Brud's first venture into the education field. While living and working in Pennsylvania before being re-New Englandized in 1968 he served as a member of a longrange planning committee of the Upper Moreland Township, Pennsylvania School Board.
I wish I could end this column as I did a month ago with a teaser about an upcoming voyage—alas! The late-winter, early-spring doldrums have set in again. Au revoir for a month.
Secretary, R.D. 2, Box 234 New Canaan, Conn. 06840
Class Agent, Proctor & Gamble Co., Box 599 Cincinnati, Ohio 45201
