1945

You'll be reading this in August, but I'll bet that there are very few of you (especially of those in attendance) who didn't recall early in June the grand Coming Together of 1945 a year ago. If you did or didn't, it would be OK to take a moment right now and relive that great renewal of the "pledge of fellowship."

On Commencement day this year, Ruth and I were privileged to be guests at a dinner hosted by Penny and Bill Obenshain '62 in honor of their twin sons Andrew and Gregory '96, cum laude. Foremost among their comments about their Dartmouth experience was the importance of coeducation. In their view it has not limited but enhanced the Dartmouth spirit. They valued communication and friendships with Dartmouth women clearly in a context much broader than romantic. They did note, however, that dual Dartmouth marriages are prevalent among their friends. According to their understanding, the first dual legacies are already present in the Class of '99. It would be interesting to know how admissions judges these applications.

Those of you who have recent or current family members or friends on campus I ask one more time: please share their views of Dartmouth with the rest of us. We have our perspectives. What are theirs?

Once community leaders, always community leaders, though the locales do change: Nick Sandoe is chairman of the residents' council at River Woods in Exeter. (See page 61 of the June DAM for the River Woods ad featuring smiling Nick.) Dick Hinman is president of Highland Ridge in New London. CraigCain is treasurer of Kendal at Hanover. At Berrill Farms in Hanover, Bud Elder is first mate and supporter for Alberta, who is the actual captain president, while Shirley Robinson is the secretary.

Round the Girdled Earth Department: The Elders on a Panama Canal cruise; they barely got through the canal when the ship's engines quit and they were flown back to New York instead of the planned goal of San Francisco. John and ShirleyRobinson island hopping in Hawaii for three weeks. Howard and RoseanneGermain on an eco tour of Costa Rican national parks and rain forests. Dave andValerie Mott enjoying a "perfect respite" in the Bahamas. George and Betsy Barr on the Rhine with a Dartmouth Alumni College Abroad. Spence and ConnieJohnson in Montreal to see their daughter Martha and son in law Jim Beatty (both '76 Jim the new GM of the Expos). Daveand Ann Kendall camper vanning across to Arizona (first sighting of the Grand Canyon for geologist Dave). DanCarpenter joining in a Bermuda residents luncheon at the home of Bob Farmer '60, the U.S.consul general.

Whew! Too long a paragraph, but aren't we fortunate? I wasn't able to fit in the Elderhostel trip that Ruth and I made to Baltimore, where we enjoyed a lovely dinner with Joe and Dorie Young and I had a chance to lunch with John Washburn at Sisson's Brew Pub (OK place). Joe is still active as senior U.S. District judge in Maryland and up here vacations in Norwich. John, retired from his immigration law practice, is doing genealogical and related historical research on the illustrious Washburn family at Johns Hopkins and the Library of Congress.

There is now a paperback version of Ross McKenney's autobiography Languageof the Forest, edited and augmented by Dave Kendall. Look for the cover picture of Ross in a bright red shirt, or order from North Country Press, Unity, ME 04988. Dave offers continuing thanks to the classmates who helped get the original book into print via the DOC.

Think kind thoughts.

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