1941

Tim Takaro, as I was saying, wrote about Takaro's 29 months in Nicaragua. Turns out to have been his son, Tim, a chip off the old medical block, who was joined in the mission by his wife, Dr. Susan Cookson. "They spent their time," writes classmate Tim, "doing public health work in the area near the war zone, and witnessing bad scenes left by the Contras, including burning the clinics, schools, ambushing ambulances, and kidnapping some the brigadistas or health workers that Susan and Tim had trained." This is "not something," adds Tim, "for future Class Notes about me. Sorry about that!" Fair enough, but this kind of selfless endeavor does somehow pay a compliment to the parents. At least so it seems to me.

Hey, it's October again. Time to stuff the old duffle and head for Hanover middle of the month for a so-called mini-reunion of the illustrious class of 1941. You'll see some regulars, folks who make the minis year after year, and an assortment of now-and-againers, maybe 30-40 or more all told. Yes, it's late to be getting started with arrangements, but why not give it a shot. It'd help to tune you up for the 50th, now less than two years down the road. If you're coming, bring along some good news to share, and I'll be there to collect it for this column.

Apropos sharing, anybody have any hot tips for Elderhosteling? Dickie and I tried one out for the first time injune: Oak Island Inn and Marina in Nova Scotia. Great fan with first-rate location, facilities, food, program, and people from the States and Canada. So we signed up for another one: a week of sailing on the Figaro, a 51' yawl out of Camden, Maine, ana I'll let you know how that worked out.

Lou Young and Barbara visited GusBroberg and Stewart earlier in the year. Dan Provost is devoting himself to caring for Maxine in her illness, but still managed a rousing letter to all of us regarding loyalty to College and class in conjunction with the reunion that will mark the passing of 50 years since commencement. Hal Newell and Ruth reside in Potomac, Md., wherefrom he continues to commute to his Washington, D.C., law office. Dusty Rodes, whose letter I did mention previously (but no more because I had mislaid it), calls me to account for overlooking a couple of items in my Aegis class review in the May DAM: the late Buzz Willis was president of the Glee Club (having bested Dusty by one vote in the election), and what about the junior year Phi Betas? My yearbook has nothing to say about those juniors, but here are a few late starters in the 1941 parade to senior class eminence: Pete Keir, Palaeopitus; Bob Thomas (deceased), Interfraternity Council; Monty Winship, Interfraternity Treasurer's Council; Jim Jacobs (deceased), Interdormitory Council; Bill Danforth, Undergraduate Fire Squad; LarryThompson and the late George Ladd, Council on Student Organizations; and Norm Locke on the 1941 Aegis. Now it's back to the rack with that Good Book of Green Mold. And shalom for now from me, except to add the following from a Lebanese poet: "Thought is a bird of space which in a cage of words may spread its wings but indeed cannot fly."

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