1953

"And that's a promise; and that's a fact." That recommitment spoken by our King of Hearts during the memorial service captures the essence of the 45th Reunion. It is our legacy of promises kept. It will continue, as Don Goss said, "until the last breath of the last classmate." The legacy of leadership is a "promise" and a "fact." As always, Don has wrapped words around what we all feel in our hearts.

Within the space we have here, let me give you the summary of summaries:

It rained and fogged at Moosilauke; the weather deterred nothing as the climbers ascended to the top. The view of the fog was extraordinary.

It rained during the golf tournament as our intrepid linksters completed their rounds in sort of a St. Andrew's ambiance.

It rained during the gathering in the tent as old friends spent time doing just that—being old friends. Nobody noticed the rain. The numbers for the 45th cannot begin to tell the story of the legacy of love. Here is what happened:

196 classmates returned to Dartmouth out of about 600; about 33 percent. That is awesome and an all-time record for the College, and a tribute to our dynamite Dick Fleming and cast of 100 who pulled this incredible gathering together. Thanks, Dick, at al.

With wives and family, friends, and enemies, and all manner of Dartmoutheers who love this class, we multiplied to 395, another all-time, spelled ALL-TIME, record.

The class presented to President Jim Freedman a check for $1,025,000 for the Alumni Fund, a new record for the 45th, but of course, and a special new record in that Chuck Reilly and his cast completed that fund raising before the reunion began.

The class announced that the charitable trust had grown in these past five years from naught to over $3,000,000, a new category of records. No other class has done this. In short, the trust will be a special gift to Dartmouth on the occasion of our 50th Reunion, a gift to provide an enhancement to Dartmouth life forever as our way of saying "thank you, Dartmouth, for all you have done for us."

Breakfast seminars are in! The internationally recognized Brock Brower and Rod MacLeish enlightened and entertained us with "Today's Politics, Uncivil Wars." And David Picker educated and entertained us with "Looking through the Lens," about his personal journey through a lifetime of making the movies we see. We think we made David's day when he asked for a show of hands on movie attendees within the past month, and virtually the entire room raised its hand. David's career is star spangled with many, many of the great films in his CV, but the James Bond series has to be #1. We feel enriched with Sean Connery as a relative.

A brand new reunion event was the 1953 Talent Gallery showing the arts and crafts of so many of our very talented classmates. The quality and diversity of the items presented was staggering. One really comes to know the "whole classmate" when one views their art, their poetry and prose, and their music. Thank you, Ann Brower and Marion Blodgett.

The rain seemed almost a blessing because everyone was always there in Thayer and one could visit with dozens and dozens of classmates in the short time that we have together every five years. And, while an auction in Thayer doesn't seem to be in the same class as one at the Bema, how can you miss with auctioneer Al Collins, the newly elected chair of the 50th Reunion. Great items were organized by Dick Goodman and others, and the proceeds of $16,000-plus were added to the charitable trust for the 50th.

In the class meeting led by our outgoing president, Bob Malin encapsulated not only the past five years, but also the legacy of love of this great Dartmouth class in his presentation of a portrait of Don Goss to the King of Hearts. Don was too moved for words, as was Paul Paganucci the next day, when Pag was honored for 50 years of giving to Dartmouth, this class, and all of us, at the incoming-President Jim Wright luncheon. And that's the point. Our love for each other doesn't require words; it is just there.

And to cap it off, the Reunion banquet in Spaulding gave us an opportunity to show that we could clean up pretty well. Dick, Bob, Chuck, and Don were provided a deafening ovation of thanks from 400 grateful '53ers, Bruce McGorrill tickled our funny bone with his stories of Maine, and we were treated to one of the finest bands any of us has ever heard, the renowned East Bay Jazz Ensemble.

We have a new slate of officers for the next five years, which Don will include in his newsletter. Chuck Reilly is the new president, and the best choice this class could possibly make. His helpers are equally as talented. What a class!

"Men of Dartmouth, set a watch; lest the old traditions fail! Stand as brother stands by brother! Dare a deed for the old Mother! Greet the world from the hills, with a hail."

Icon Associates, 700 Spring Valley Road, Altamonte Springs, FL 32714-5820;