November 7, 2007
Dear Class of 1953,
It doesn't seem possible, but we will celebrate our 55th Reunion on the weekend of
May 29 - June 1, 2008. I'm hoping you'll join me in marking these dates on your calendar
... it is to be a gathering that you'll not want to miss!
A small group of our classmates met at Skidmore in early August to formulate some
preliminary plans for Reunion, which was followed by a September gathering in Boston
to make more detailed arrangements. We fine-tuned our plans in a subsequent conference
call and what follows is a summary of what we have arranged to date. For those of
you who choose to stay on campus, you'll be pleased to know that we'll be housed in
Wiecking Hall, which as you may recall, was named in honor of our classmate Kathryn
Wiecking at our 50th Reunion.
On Thursday evening, we'll gather as a class for dinner on the second floor of the
newly renovated Murray-Aikins Dining Hall, a space which will surely impress you!
Our dinner will be followed by a special gathering for returning alumni who will be
celebrating their post 50th Reunions … where we will be greeted by distinguished guests,
President Philip A. Glotzbach and Marie B. Glotzbach. At that time, we will be inducted
into the Scribner Society, a special honor reserved for graduates celebrating post
50th Reunions.
On Friday, we'll be able to attend mini-college classes led by members of the Skidmore
faculty, participate in the Reunion Golf Tournament, and/or just enjoy some time to
reconnect with each other. That evening we'll enjoy cocktails and dinner at the Gideon
Putnam Hotel, a famed location in Saratoga Springs that we all remember.
On Saturday we'll gather together for the Parade of Classes and the traditional Awards
Ceremony and Class Gift Presentations, enjoy a picnic lunch, and have our class photos
taken. That afternoon we hope to organize another panel discussion for everyone.
As you may recall from our 50th Reunion, we had a panel of classmates who spoke on
their work experiences. Since we are more removed from the workplace these days,
we thought about having a panel who would speak about unusual volunteer jobs, hobbies,
or new vocations. If any of you would like to participate in such a panel, or have
any suggestions for programs or activities, please let me know. We welcome your participation!
On Saturday evening we'll have cocktails and dinner together on campus at the Surrey
Williamson Inn, which will be followed by a spectacular fireworks display. We'll
pay tribute to classmates who are no longer with us after breakfast on Sunday morning
by gathering for a memorial service at the beautiful and recently restored Alumni
Memorial Garden. This special place has "bloomed" in recent years through the special
care and generosity of four Skidmore alumnae from the Class of 1957.
Of course we can't forget about fundraising for our Reunion class gift. We have
set a class goal of $100,000 for our Reunion year, and if you are interested in learning
more about a range of gift planning options, please contact Don Blunk, Skidmore's
Director of Gift Planning, who would be happy to discuss these options with you.
Don can be reached by calling (518) 580-5659. We hope you will give as much as possible
-- but most important, please give something. Our class goal is 80% participation,
but it would be wonderful if we could reach 100% through everyone's efforts.
I look forward to hearing from you with your ideas and suggestions to make our 55th
a great Reunion.
Let's go '53!
Carol Claflin Kurtz
Class President
kurtce@verizon.net
(603) 772-6505
P.S. If you are interested in assisting with efforts to help raise the funds for
our class gift, please feel free to contact Judy Wolfe at Skidmore by calling (518)
580-5624, or by sending email to jwolfe1@skidmore.edu.