1931
I asked Bill Schuldenfrei to give us a brief history of the annual winter mini-reunion of '31 in Florida. He responded as follows: "Lee and I started the ball rolling by inviting every '31er in Florida to a cocktail party about eight or nine years ago, but due to distances involved for just a couple of drinks, we had a poor response and canceled the party. Next year we joined forces with the Jim Swifts, the Magees, and the Williamses. We planned a dinner party and had an excellent turnout. Since then, and until last year, there have been dinner parties, at times with a speaker from Hanover or slide or movie showings of reunions, etc. In recent years Si Leach, Bob Wallace, and Matty Matteson have joined the 'host group, and the cocktail party has been at the Leaches' before dinner at a restaurant. Last year the West Coast group hosted the party in Sarasota." And that, friends, is a brief story of how a spontaneous gathering of '31ers developed into a class tradition.
Bill Walsh writes: "Just returned from Costa Rica late in January and reported that at times bread was hard to find," just as we had discovered. Costa Rica has a lot of coffee to sell and the price these days is quite low. On the other hand, wheat, oil, and other necessary imports are scarce and hard to come by. Truly, some days there is no bread. If I read Bill and Patsy right, I am sure they found some jazz here and there, with a familiar cold libation to go with it. They have some exciting plans afoot for the eastern Mediterranean. Ho hum.
A clipping arrived here from Chuck O'Neill, describing plans that Baxter Ball and his wife Barbara have for a Displaced Homemakers' Center in Stamford, Conn. The program is designed to help area homemakers who find themselves in the job market once again after an absence of many years. Classes at the center began in September.
From Sam Taylor: "After drooling over the glamorous travels of my classmates and after a few shots of Glendullan I thought I should share some of my hegiras with you-all. A recent weekend was a fun trip: the 20th anniversary of the Hilton in St. Louis and the 1963 prices were rolled back. Room $30, bourbon shot 30¢, full breakfast $1.12, Scorpions and Mai Tais at $1.15 each. Next week Hilton was back to normal but they are thinking of doing it every year. Other parts of darkest North America revisited have been the Keys, Bermuda, Hawaii, and Roor County, Wise., home of the 'Cherry Bomb,' short drink of cherry juice and vodka. A few years ago I took the rubber band off the billfold and took in Orkney, Sutherland, Argyle, and the Hebrides. Islay is the.'place for me seven malt scotch distilleries and 3,500 population. I'm sure they could support one more malt scotch drinker." And a few other odds and ends I couldn't translate.
A fiery letter from Ralph Maynard: "Dear Rog Adrian 'Whip' Walser '32 claims to have more passports than anyone else nine, with two of them with over nine feet each of extensions. You or someone probably will be hearing from the likes of Dick Henry, Jack Weisert, Harry Townsend, and others, but in the meantime I do not intend to let this claim go unchallenged by the illustrious class of 1931. [Cheers!] Today I dug out all my passports and found that I had ten not nine including my present valid one and the nine cancelled ones, the first one being dated February 26, 1941, Medellis, Colombia. This was issued to me by the U.S. consul in that city to replace my first passport, which was dated January 10, 1940, which, along with all other U.S. passports outstanding, was taken up by the State Department, and not returned marked 'cancelled,' as was and is done with subsequent expired passports. (Otherwise I would have 11.) . . . One of my passports has extensions totalling 14 feet; another has seven feet of extensions, and a couple of others have fewer extension sheets." So there, Whip Walser '32; go back into the corner with your nine passports and lie down.
This past weekend saw Dick Henry and Ori Hobbs attending the Dartmouth seminar held at Rollins College. Dick, Ori, and myself were the strong '31 delegation included in a group of 99 alumni and spouses. Ori and June Hobbs stayed with us a couple of nights and played bridge while it rained, as is our custom. Following their departure, in came Peg and Ed Brummer, driving from New Hampshire to Sarasota. They stayed overnight with.us, and we had a good scraggly bridge game with them. Prior to their arrival here, Ed and Peg had visited with Ernie and Angie Moore in Zellwood. Trudy and I still have Zellwood on our list before we head home.
Early spring signs leaves stirring on the trees and in the mailing rooms of Blunt Alumni Center. Here comes the mail. Don Stoddard says the organization is all set. Reports from the College show that 1931 has already made its campaign goal? How can this be? Don't we realize that we have to put something in the bank for a rainy day? See you in June.
R.F.D. Box 33 Chebeague Island, Me. 04017
