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Attending:
Ellie Plowman Abboud, Nony Moore Barr, Jim Bruce, Nancy Gowing, Nancy Reese Graham, George and June Hansell, Elsa Hunter Lopusniak, Bruce McCutcheon, George and Marsha Pappas, Carol Seymour, Dwight and Barbara Sipler, Bill and Rosemary Warden, and Barry and Kc Wright.
We met at the Wardens' home in Berwyn, PA from about noon 'til 3 or 4 to continue planning for our reunion on Saturday April 28th of 2007. Here's a summary of the planning we did - - we did a lot of other fun things too.
Bruce reported that we've received payments for 39 of us for lunch ($25ea.) and 45 for dinner ($75ea.) and that 25 of us have indicated we'd like to join a "Dutch treat" breakfast on Sunday. 22 classmates returned their "sign up sheets" showing near unanimous preference for "hanging out" and adequate preferences for yearbook group photo's, self-guided walking tour, "Guess Who" quiz, and College Avenue school tour to firmly schedule those activities. Bruce will work with Roz and Jane to determine how to proceed with the "finding posture" and yoga events for those interested.
We reviewed the financial forecast we had made last April and concluded that we were sufficiently close that no major changes were required, we'll adjust some of the optional items to fit the income we receive. We agreed to work to get commitments from the classmates who have indicated interest but not yet signed up or paid.
The Swarthmore Community Center (www.swarthmore-boro.com/swcc) is scheduled and a deposit has been paid so that we will be able to meet there and begin "hanging out" at noon. Nony has spoken with the manager of the catering section of the new - and much improved - CO-OP and he will provide an informal lunch for us (hoagies and stuff like we've done at the last two planning meetings and which seems to have worked well) and promised to give us a good price. Nony asked classmates to help by bringing cookies and stuff to complement the garnet and white ice cream she'll get for dessert.
We have a contract with the Springfield Country Club for dinner. Ellie has spoken with some folks there and, not surprisingly, they've had some change in personnel but still seem very cooperative. She plans to arrange a "tasting" to help decide what menu we want for dinner. Several of us plan to join her for dinner one evening early next year (Dutch treat) where we will be able to try several menu choices to decide what we want for the reunion. If you'd like to join that dinner party, let Ellie know (610-543-0885).
Nancy Graham was favorably impressed when she visited Brodeurs, in the old Post Office on State Street in Media, and will likely choose that for our Sunday brunch now that she knows many classmates want to join that event. Those plans can be firmed up when we complete our next effort to get commitments from classmates.
Dwight showed samples of Name Tags and all of us were favorably impressed with them. They use pictures from our yearbook and our names are in large print. We each had one and found that they were not uncomfortable to wear in stretchy cords around our necks. The stretchiness was a boon for those who are resisting eyeglasses and need to hold things at arms length to read them. He plans to make them for each classmate and will make ones for our guests without pictures. Inside will be some old time pictures, a reunion schedule and perhaps some other information.
Dwight has been busy keeping our website www.swarthmore57.com up to date, we're now up to more than 20 "50 year stories" and he has recently added a "Message Board" where notes can be posted for all classmates to see. Please check it! To access classmate info, use SHS57 as your sign in and garnet as your password. (No username/password is required for the message board).
George Hansell reported that the village tour will be self guided and that we'll have copies of the "Swarthmore Historic Walking Tour" brochure which features College and Town buildings of significance. Also, the "Swarthmore Town Center" brochure which shows the shops in the "ville" (find more on www.swarthmorepa.org). Putty Willits, our girl's gym teacher and coach is now active with the town and will help us solicit some special deals from some of the shops which we will advertise to you.
Bill Warden reported that "Guess Who" is progressing well - - it's probably his background as a real spy which allows him to keep it very secret.
We agreed that we will try to round up attending members of each group pictured in our yearbook and take a picture of them - sort of before and after - probably about 1PM in the community center. We hope everyone can be there.
Dwight and George Hansell had met Friday evening with Rich Graham, Nancy's son, and he agreed to help us do a "slide show" to use at the end of the evening. They will work out the details.
Carol Seymour showed some prototypes of ceramic items which could be used as keepsakes from the reunion. It was agreed that Carol should display the items she selects - all were appreciated by meeting attendees - and establish prices for them. At the reunion classmates can place orders and pay Carol, then she will custom make the items and ship them.
Another form of keepsake which will be produced will be a DVD which will include the slide show and some added features. It will probably take about a month after the reunion to produce it so orders will be taken at the reunion, payment accepted, and mailing labels filled out. But wait, there's more! Along with each DVD will sent be a printed copy of all the 50 year stories which have been submitted to the website.
It was agreed that we should hire an outside photographer to take our reunion group picture - just before dinner, so we'll need to pry everyone away from our cocktail hour. George Hansell will work on that.
Nancy Gowing eagerly reported that her plans with John Davidson are in place and that she will handle his logistics. She will work with George Hansell and the Sp. CC to make sure the set up is good, and she will rent the necessary sound equipment. He will play and sing for us for an hour after dinner.
Remembering how independent we all were, we're expecting classmates to want to make their own arrangements for lodging. To assist in making your choice, Janice Yaglenski Page has located these places:
In Swarthmore:
Longfellow House B&B at 124 Park Avenue www.thelongfellowhouse.com (610-544-4588) has three rooms.
Magnolia House B&B at 314 Harvard Avenue www.magnoliahousebandb.com (610-544-6779) has three rooms.
Purcell Darrell House at 315 N. Chester Road http://PurcellDarrellHouse.home.comcast.net (610-690-4421) has three rooms.
Nearby is the Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge. It's at the site of the old Alpine Inn on Baltimore Pike in Springfield, a short distance from both the Swarthmore Community Center and the Springfield Country Club. It reopened in May of 2006 with renovated rooms. It has a restaurant on site which opens at 8 AM and a shuttle service to and from PHL; it should be possible to car pool with classmates if you don't want to rent a car. We will make arrangements for classmates to reserve queen bed rooms for $89, doubles for $99, and kings for $109 (plus taxes). These are reduced rates so ask for the SHS '57 rooms. Their phone is 610-544-4700.
House guests? There is also the possibility that "local classmates" would like to have "away classmates" as guests and vice versa. You can share such information via the Message Board on our website www.swarthmore57.com.
This information will be added to our website.
We had a great discussion about how we could encourage classmates who have shown some interest in this reunion but have not committed to it (signed up, paid, and sent in their pictures and stories). It was agreed that they should be personally contacted and asked to send their sign up sheets and money to Bruce McCutcheon (PO Box 567, Beaufort, NC 28516). Also, their recent pictures and 50 year stories to Dwight Sipler (SHS57@small-farm.org). Here's a list of who will contact whom:
Bruce Wilson - George H.
Rita Magoon Sweeny - Ellie
Jim Noyes - Jim
Charlie Wentz - George P.
Roz Trosley - Nancy Graham
Gunnar Quist - Nancy Graham
Mary Leigh Elmore Miller - Nony
Vicki Kumpf - Ellie
Janice Yaglenski Page - Carol
Priscilla Much Elko - Nancy Graham
Joe Prather - Bill
Cal Coleman - George P.
Mark and Steve Plafker - George P.
Tad Ritzinger - Bill and Dwight
Jane Hay Price - Carol
June Holt Moran - Nancy Graham
Dan Jackson - Jim
Ken Crothers - Ellie
Dave Thomas - Dwight
Frank Andrews - Ellie
Taylor Barnett Slaughter - Dwight
Al Hanser - Nancy Graham
George Kumpf - George P.
Randa Roess Sutch - Ellie
Grace Scott - Carol
Carolyn Wright - Carol
At that point in the meeting the list of classmates who have passed on was read and it was the only time we were all silent. We will find a way to remember and honor them at our reunion.
Nobody could think of anything we have missed in our planning so we decided that we should probably meet again abut 6 weeks prior to the reunion (March 17?) to be sure that everything is going as planned.
Just like our previous planning meetings this one was a lot of fun. So much good work was done before the meeting that the "difficult business" is not so difficult, and there are eager volunteers to do the work which is still necessary. If our planning is a good indicator, our reunion will be great.
George Hansell, November 12, 2006