1956

Decembers meeting of the Alumni Association brought a number of our classmates to Hanover for a stimulating consideration of the proposed constitution through the morning and early afternoon. It failed by a narrow margin. I didn't get a chance to talk with each of these guys, but numbered among those participating were: Doug Keare, Bill Tell, Jonathan Strong, Joel Ash, Leo McKenna, Flint Ranney and Link Spaulding. It's enough to say that their engagement in this issue is significant and represents the spectrum of positions on the intended revision. Watch for e-mail and snail mail announcements of the association's next efforts.

Tom Rosenwald put me on to The New CanaanAdvertisers' spread on Donald "Bud" Rosenthal's weekly gathering of the men of the Waveny Care Center and of the Waveny Adult Day Program for a discussion of the issues of the day. Bud uses The New York Times' "Week in Review" and Advertiser to get things started and uses his research on the affects of aging to engage these men, some of whom suffer from memory impairment. Bud's other activities since retirement from IBM in 1993 include volunteering with the Service Core of Retired Executives and engagement in several of the Care Center's development projects.

Odessa Elliott wrote to let us know that on November 2, 2003, the New York City council voted unanimously to rename St. Paul's Place, Father Joseph M. Elliott Place. Few clergy spend an entire career with a single congregation and its neighborhood, but Joe was committed to the urban place and those who struggle there to raise families and be good citizens. His commitment to the children of New York was evidenced in his family's continued management of the summer camping program. There aren't enough Bud Rosenthals and Joe Elliotts!

Al Friedman has reported his visit to Eastern Europe last spring with the Joel Ashes and the Hal Gordons, a trip he highly recommends. Al spoke too of Tom Kuhns hooking up with Dave Klein while attempting to follow the Lewis and Clark route into the Northwest. For those who rarely touch fiction, Dave recommends TheNightingale and The Da Vinci Code, two which have topped the airline passenger reading list.

I've been alerted to the deaths of R. Richard Fawcett from lung cancer on November 22, 2003, and Erik T.F. Hvistendahl two days earlier of unknown causes. Our hearts go out to their families, and obituaries will appear in the upcoming issue of the Alumni Magazine. Painfully, Len Neely reported that Don MacKay has recently moved to the Ralston Convalescent Hospital in Belmont, California, near Palo Alto, in the face of deteriorating health. His wife, Sandy, has encouraged us to send notes and, for those able, to visit.

Spring, summer and fall provide great mini- reunions, so ask a friend to help you stay alert.

P.O. Box 968, Quechee, VT05059-0968; (802) 295-8912; stewwood@aol.com