1968

What a reunion weekend it was! Amidst high humidity and occasional thunder storms, more than 65 classmates plus guests and family filled up their tanks at the Dartmouth gas station and left behind $903,114 for the College as our 30th Reunion gift. Our gift broke the record of the great class of 1953; we are indeed in good company.

It was a well-paced and -balanced weekend. After Thursday early registration, Friday saw a terrific morning symposium on "Decisions, Passages, and Transitions." Lunch at the Ledyard boathouse featured lobster. In the afternoon a few of us rehearsed with the multi-class reunion Glee Club while the rest attended an assortment of panels and talks. The evening reception and dinner were at the class tent opposite Mass Hall (safely away from the rain). The Glee Club concert was well attended, followed by great dancing and inspired singing around the piano (thank you, Jim Payne). Saturday's class meeting elected new officers and executive committee members: Steve Calvert, president; Clark Wadlow, vice president; RonWeiss, continuing as treasurer; DavidPeck, secretary; John Engelman, newsletter editor, and Mark Waterhouse, longrange planning for the class's 50th-year gift to the College. The meeting enthusiastically thanked Ed Heald for his work putting together the Reunion. Later in the morning there was a question-and-answer- session with Jim Freedman, followed by a panel on "Dartmouth: Then and Now." The afternoon was free time for all. At 5 p.m. we gathered for a memorial service in Rollins Chapel. Despite no organ (no one showed up to turn it on), virtually all the classmates were there, for a thoughtful service organized by Greg Marshall. Cocktails and dinner were in Alumni Hall, with twin highlights of the Aires and old friend Thad Seymour, whose comments were both hilarious and uplifting. Saturday closed with mdre dancing and time around the piano until the wee hours. Sunday morning opened with the reunion run (several of us '68s ran to modest glory...or at least ran and finished), and a leisurely breakfast in the tent for drawn-out farewells.

A few personal observations: • Many of us are entering a new chapter in our lives, whether through early retirement, change of job or home, or just plain change of direction.

Very few classmates smoke.

We need to add microbrews to the offerings. Only the Tri-Kap open house (Frank Couper and David Peck, intrepid investigators) offered microbrews.

We had a great tent—many other classes ('73, '82, '83, '84, '93, and even some '98s) came for extended periods to dance and join our piano cabaret.

As always, Gary Hobin won the traveled-the-farthest award.

Those of us who were in Hanover got our Dartmouth tanks topped off—as well as friedships renewed or even started. For the rest of you, I hope this column can do its part: to keep a sense of connection, to answer questions about old friends, etc. For this column to work, though, you need to do your part.

Please send to me, or to John Engelman, any news, large or small, that we can in turn share. This reunion, as with past ones, reaffirmed for many of us that we are a WE, a set of people with shared experiences who care about each other and for Dartmouth. It is a sense of belonging. Your news will continue and reinforce our '68 and Dartmouth connections. Write soon!

157 Sandwich Road, Plymouth, MA 02360;