February 2008
Back to 1958 home
I could not be more impressed with our classmates who have stepped up to the plate
to volunteer and make this Reunion a great success. I can't say enough about the
Skidmore staff, especially Tim Clemmey, Erin Martinovich and Mike Sposili, and the
support they have been giving us.
Our schedule for the weekend has been drafted and it is filled with some wonderful events.
Let me start by saying that Monica Reis de Janosi is still waiting to hear from many of our classmates so that she can put our "Reflections 50 Years Later" together. If you haven't already done so, please send your materials to her by January 31st.
Dinner arrangements for Friday evening have been made at The Gideon Putnam Hotel,
where we'll dine in the "Arches" Room, which has floor to ceiling windows and should
be beautiful in May. Day light savings will give us an opportunity to have beautiful
views of surrounding landscape! Fran Garrett Crew has met with the staff at the Gideon
and they are working on the details for a wonderful Friday evening.
They have been working on details for our "Parade Dress" and have come up with the
following: Black pants, white tops, a silk scarf designed by Joosje Wethly Anderson-Boehm
and straw 'boater' hats with a yellow band identifying our class. (By not having
1958 on our silk scarves, we will be able to wear them at home and not advertise that
we are 72 years old!).
Joosje has been helping Monica with a design for the cover of our "Reflections" booklet and she is designing a silk scarf which will be a special momento of our Reunion. Joosje is designing the scarf using the computer application Adobe Illustrator. Consequently, Joosje has enrolled in a computer class and is now learning the new illustrator software. She said she is having a hard time unlearning and relearning, but she is so honored to be asked to take on this task that she is determined to do a great design and make this a special item which will give us a lasting memory of our weekend.
We expect a good turn out of Nursing Majors. Claire Steinmetz McCleery has volunteered to chair that committee and she is being assisted by Gail Dodge Meade. Connie Masciale Carino will be offering a seminar on Saturday at 2 p.m. in a health related field.
Sid Wright Coursen is chairing the '58 Memorial Service which will take place in the Alumni Memorial Garden at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. It will be a meaningful way for us to remember our classmates who have died since we graduated. She is being assisted by Maggie Holahan Bilek and Phyllis Atwood Walsh.
For those of you who play golf or have a guest coming who does, there will be a golf tournament at the Spa Course on Friday (late morning) so bring your clubs.
Jane Goodman Hunter has volunteered to chair the Hospitality Committee. Assisting
her are Shirle Jankowich, Martha Walsh, Maggie Holahan Bilek, Phyllis Atwood Walsh,
Barbara Osborne Vulkoff, Joan Bowles Averette and Elaine Merola Canavan. Several
of these classmates had conflicts with our July meeting but wanted to volunteer.
Jane and her husband, Randy, will arrive on Wednesday to be sure everyone is properly
welcomed. Maggie and Bob Bilek and Martha Walsh have already committed to arrive
on Thursday and we are expecting several more to do so.
Several classmates have already reserved a room at Longfellows so that will be our
secondary location. We are expecting a majority to stay on campus but it will be
nice to have everyone else at the same hotel if all of their rooms have not been sold
out.
We do have several more people working on fundraising. Bev Beatson Grossman, our Class President, and Betty Jennison Brady, our Fund Chair, have come up with an excellent committee. On the Reunion letters you receive from Skidmore you will see all of the Class Agents who have been willing to volunteer. You should have received a post card from Nancy Wiedenman Lester regarding Skidmore College Charitable Gift Annuities. It was so persuasive, that I picked up the phone and responded.
Lastly, I will be in the San Diego area until March 15 and can be reached continuously by email. In the meantime, thank you for all of your help. We'll all benefit from each other's efforts to contact friends and make sure they are planning to attend Reunion!
Sincerely,
Mary Avery Gessner
Mary Avery Gessner '58
50th Reunion Chair
maverygessner@comcast.net or (858) 459-3918