1936
I recently bought a new sofa for our home on Cape Cod. The young salesman was eagerly extolling the construction, the covering, and the various merits of the piece of furniture and wound up his pitch by stressing that there was a lifetime guarantee on the item: to which I responded that perhaps to him a lifetime guarantee was a big pius,but to me, approaching 72, such a feature was not a big deal. When I joked about the incident with another, more senior citizen out on the golf course in Florida, my friend said, in effect, "I agree with you, and, furthermore, today I don't even buy green bananas!"
Thank goodness such a philosophy is not subscribed to by your 50th-reunion committee. At the Class Officers Weekend in Hanover, May 3-5, that committee, along with a really full executive committee, spent - and is contemplating spending - long hours put- ting together plans for our long-awaited 50th reunion gathering, June 6, 7, and 8, 1986- Survival with Class. You all soon will be seeing the logo for this affair.
Bob Keeler, in reporting on the Early Bird Fund, said that as of May 3 gifts to the fund were a little in excess of $210,000, with interest to date about $27,000. Bob anticipates additional donations of at least $40,000 by the EBF closing date of June 30, 1985. This should eventually provide a fund of about $305,000 by the start of the reunion giving program.
Quite a bunch of green bananas!
If this word reaches some perennial pro- crastinators in the '36 family who just need a nudge to participate, give Bob Keeler a call — collect if necessary — at 513/871-3586, be- fore June 30.
Another industrious supporter of the green-banana syndrome, Boyce Price, with lots of help from Ed Higbee and others on the committee, is putting together the 50th yearbook, designed to reach all classmates around May 1986. The success of this venture lies substantially in the complete cooperation of every man in the class. You should have received by now a biographical data sheet and a class profile questionnaire. No matter what you may have sent to the Alumni Records Office previously, please sit down at once, complete these forms, and get them off to Boyce by return mail.
Failure to respond to this request will mean that all you will be in the book is a name, an address, and a telephone number - no "survivor with class" should be relegated to but a single line!
Some concern was expressed by the Alumni Fund workers in Hanover over the slow pace of the '85 drive - and the status of the class of 1936 in the Green Derby was included in that concern. We did learn, however, that head agent Norb Hofman and his wife, Pic, just returned from a safari into the Orient. It is not known whether they were trying to ferret out delinquent donors in the China-Japan area or if they were just confident that the class would meet its goal without further prodding. In any event, if you haven't already done so, do it today.
The Class Officers Weekend was crowded with activities, but about 50 class-affiliated members sat down Saturday night at the DOC House for a delightful dinner at which the annual class award was tendered to HarryCoronis for his services to his business, his community, and the class.
Earlier in the day, members of the class and friends gathered at the Church of Christ at Dartmouth for a memorial service for ElmerB. "Tommy" Thomas III. Boyce Price gave the Statement of Remembrance, and TedDearborn provided the music.
On Sunday morning there were no green bananas present as the class concluded the weekend activities at Bob and Tanna Fernald's. Our next class-oriented mini-reunion will be at Phyl England's house in Rye, N.H., on August 3, where the hostess and her workers insist that the lobster picnic will be to the North all that the now-famous Babcock gathering in Florida was to the South.
And while you all have your date books opened before you, mark the weekend of November 2 - the Yale game and Dartmouth Night. Accommodations are being reserved at the Holiday Inn in White River Junction. You will hear more on this from Bob Fernald and Barry Sullivan, both of whom thrive on green bananas.
And while you all are busy making all of these notations, why not drop your stalwart secretary a line or two on your accomplishments. I know you are all modest persons, but why not let me share your modesty!
June 9, 1985, was a special day for the Fraserfamily as Donna Fraser '85 graduated and herfather "Bud" Fraser '35 returned to watch hergraduate and to celebrate his 50th reunion withhis class.
12 Godfrey Road Mashpee, MA 02649
