1972

Hail, noble '72s far and wide! As your humble scribe prepares this last epistle of 2005, Christmas is but a memory and New Year's is a mere four days away. I look back over the past year counting my blessings for all the good things that have come my way. I pray earnestly for relief for those less fortunate among our brethren whose lives have been shattered by natural disaster and misfortune. May 2006 be a much kinder year, and may we move a step closer to peace on earth for all.

News of classmates was sparse, probably as we all were busy either wrapping up the year in business, preparing for the holidays or both. It was thus with great delight I heard from John Sharer, who shares: "Bill Roberts, rector of St. Gregory's Episcopal Church in Deerfield, Illinois, www.stgregoryschurch.org, and dean of the Waukegan Deanery, participated in the summer 2005 Cwrs Cymraeg (Welsh course) in Rio Grande (near Gallipolis), Ohio, and, for the second time, received first prize for his level in the Welsh writing competition. (In 2 004 Bill spent two weeks in Wales and preached twice in Welsh.) Bill and Ingrid, his bride of 32 years, spent a wonderful vacation on Prince Edward Island via the 9-mile-long Confederation Bridge. Their son, James, a sophomore in the coveted theater program at Ball State, performed as Claudio in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing-his first paid role. Their daughter, Karen (Hollins University '01), continues to progress in her career in the annuity customer service business unit at Allstate in Chicago."

I wasn't about to let John off the hook by merely forwarding news of another, sol pressed him for an accounting of his own behaviors! I learned that on January 19 John was inducted as a fellow of the Virginia Law Foundation, www.virginialawfoundation.org, during a dinner and induction ceremony in Williamsburg, Virginia. This honor is conferred on lawyers who have distinguished themselves by professional excellence and service to the bar and to their communities. Fellows membership is limited to 1 percent of the active and associate membership of the Virginia State Bar residing in Virginia. John currently serves as section chair of one of the Virginia State Bars district disciplinary committees. He is an elected member of the Virginia State Bar Council, the bars governing body. For more than three years John taught on the faculty of the Virginia State Bar's mandatory course on professionalism for new Virginia lawyers. He is an essay grader for the Virginia State Bar examination. John and his wife, Kathy (Colorado State '72), will celebrate their 25 th wedding anniversary on February 14. Their daughter, Stephanie, is a second-year law student at the University of Richmond. They live in Henrico County (west of Richmond) with Emma, their Norfolk terrier. Nice work, Counselor!

In the New Year, gents, I look forward to continuing to serve you. Please, please stay (or get) in touch to share your own lives and times with us! Until then, be well!

Yours in green always.

P.O.Box 580, Hanover,NH03755-0580;lauren.cummings@dartmouth.edu