1969

TENTH REUNION

Despite Hanover's Friday afternoon rush-hour traffic, my wife Paula and I arrived on the reunion scene in a record-shattering 49 seconds. Immediately upon arrival, I was set upon by a host of scheming ex-friends who plied me with cold draughts and only much later bothered to inform me that the task of writing this column was thenceforward to be my unenviable lot in life. Accordingly, let me briefly recapitulate the events of the weekend, especially for those of you who were unable to make the trek to the Hanover plain.

Friday's registration was followed by a D.D.A.-catered dinner at Thompson Arena, where Robie Cann, in full hockey regalia, scored the hat-trick by downing three portions of mystery meat. From there, it was back to the tent adjacent to the Alpha Delta house for more refreshments and general hysteria. The turnout was good, with about 268 alums, wives, friends, and assorted others making and renewing acquaintances. In addition, a number of familiar faces were momentarily visible under the '67 and '68 canvasses, as a cup was occasionally lowered long enough to replenish the oxygen supply to the lungs.

Saturday morning dawned warm and humid and, after breakfasting on aspirins Benedict, a contingent of revelers from the previous night sallied forth to do battle on the courts and links. I convincingly demonstrated my golfing prowess on the fourth fairway of the Hanover Country Club by instructing Bill Donovan and Tupper Kinder in the fine art of crater-digging with a five-iron, all the while under the watchful gaze of the club marshal. The two barristers fortunately entered a plea of insanity in my behalf with the result that I have been mercifully banished for life to the local Pitch 'n Putt course. Bill and wife Mary are temporarily back from San Francisco where attorney Donovan has been defending I.B.M. against all comers. Tupper heads up the Environmental Protection Agency for the New Hampshire attorney general's office and, when not embroiled in the Seabrook nuclear power-plant controversy, works on such interesting projects as the restoration of Atlantic salmon to the Connecticut River.

While the action on the tennis courts was billed as a tournament, I don't believe it was played as such. Had an engraved silver bowl been at stake, however, I have no doubt but that the dynamic duo from Fairfield, TomWeldy and Jim Gardner, would have talked themselves into the winner's circle. Tom and Jim are both professionals for Bridgeport World Team Jai Alai; Don Bigda is team mascot. Other event winners included RogerWaterman, who came all the way from New Mexico, in calf-roping, and Pete Schaeffer in the swimsuit competition.

The morning's activities were topped off by a picnic at Storrs Pond where again the D.D.A. outdid themselves with mounds of burgers and yards of ale. Dimitris Gerakaris stopped by to recruit some muscle and I went along for the ride. Dimitris is getting ready to move out to his new digs off the Goose Pond Road in Etna, where he has also been hard at work constructing a new smithy from whence to ply his trade. The forge is an impressive structure of fieldstone, and the roof is a real engineering feat using pegged arched beams for support. The locals refer to it as "that new church up on the hill." Mike Stratton did the bulk of the lifting as we helped Dimitris set a large chunk of granite up over, his fireplace; it will serve as the mantel in his new house adjacent to the forge. A number of beer-drinking supervisors were present in case they were needed.

Saturday evening's nostalgic dinner at Thayer Hall was immediately followed by the class meeting. Reunion Chairman Norm Jacobs was warmly applauded for the tremendous amount of time and effort expended on behalf of the Class to ensure a successful Tenth; fortunately for Norm, he was able to lean on his wife Irene for a good deal of assistance. Also receiving snaps in appreciation of jobs well done were Secretary Dick Glovsky and Treasurer Bob Houser. Likewise, Bill Donovan acquitted himself admirably in his role as president. Let it be known, however, that he was not easily dissuaded from the notion that the appearance of his memoirs in this report would spark great reader interest. In spite of his ptero-dactylous bent, Newsletter Editor Dave Prentice was reappointed to his post by popular acclaim. Dave has done an extraordinary job and I would welcome any tidbits of information which he might feel do not merit publication in the newsletter. We'll print anything here, and Lord knows we may have to. Get those cards and letters coming in if you don't want to read a lot of drivel for the next five years. Anyone who fails to inform me of his whereabouts and calling will receive careful consideration for appointment to the office of secretary at our Fifteenth. In other elections, Head Agent TomParks was elevated to the position of president for the duration of the next five-year plan. Filling his shoes as head agent will be DickGlovsky. Yours truly, of course, will be secreting, or whatever it is a secretary does, while Bob Shellard takes over the teasurer's duties. The meeting closed with the presentation of the Tulley Mott award which is given each reunion year to that member of the Class who travels the longest distance to attend the festivities. This year the award was presented in absentia to Tulley Mott (he seemed the logical choice) who was to have come all the way from Rome, Italy, but for unknown reasons failed to show up to receive his Dartmouth mug. Tulley's bags were recently discovered at Lebanon Regional Airport; Tulley himself later turned up in Beirut. Dinner was followed around 11:00 p.m. by the world's loudest rock band performing fifties numbers in Alumni Hall. Then it was back to the tent where, into the wee hours of the morning, former Beta bag Dave Boyle led the vocal accompaniment to Bob Lundquist's piano renditions.

Came Sunday morning, the great migration homeward began. A sure sign that everyone had a good time: most of the wives were driving. See you back in Hanover this fall.

1 Meadow Lane Hanover, N.H. 03755