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PROFILE UPDATES


•   Jeanne Charbonneau (Smith)  10/22
•   Gregory MacGilpin  8/7
•   Holly Hall (Ivy)  5/8
•   Cordelia Rooks (Graves)  7/9
•   Donald Emerson  6/3
•   Richard Deroko  3/9
•   Jennifer Abbott  2/25
•   Ruth Wilson (Wright)  1/29
•   Robert Davidson  11/3
•   Leslie Wettingfeld (Johnson)  9/21
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WHERE ARE THEY NOW


WHERE WE LIVE


Who lives where - click links below to find out.

7 live in Arizona
33 live in California
10 live in Colorado
18 live in Connecticut
3 live in District Of Columbia
20 live in Florida
4 live in Georgia
4 live in Illinois
1 lives in Kentucky
17 live in Maine
9 live in Maryland
60 live in Massachusetts
1 lives in Michigan
3 live in Minnesota
2 live in Montana
1 lives in Nevada
14 live in New Hampshire
10 live in New Jersey
5 live in New Mexico
25 live in New York
5 live in North Carolina
4 live in Ohio
6 live in Oregon
10 live in Pennsylvania
1 lives in Rhode Island
3 live in South Carolina
4 live in Tennessee
8 live in Texas
1 lives in Utah
8 live in Vermont
13 live in Virginia
5 live in Washington
1 lives in Wisconsin
1 lives in British Columbia
1 lives in Ontario
1 lives in United Kingdom
5 location unknown

MISSING CLASSMATES


Know the email address of a missing Classmate? Click here to contact them!

Northfield Mount Hermon School
Class Of 1965

Change in the editing of this web site

Your editor has checked the statistics on this site, which notes each day how many of us sign in and visit, and the use of this site has dropped off tremendously.  There are gaps of days when no one stops by.  So far in April 2024 we have 5 visits, and at least one person has signed in more than once.  It is time to decide how we want this site to operate.  It costs a few hundred dollars a year to keep it active, and a smaller sum to maintain control of our name.  Some of you have helped out with the financial cost over the years, a very nice act.  Perhaps we can expect an occasional note from a member, and certainly our In Memory section is well received, that will be updated as needed. 

The school's web site, nmhschool.org, has all current activities listed, a reunion section and an alumni portion which allows anyone to post about themselves, family, other graduates, milestones.  The ease of operation and graphical content which includes photos is far less complicated than this site, which is a few decades old technology.  It's time to let NMH carry the alumni information, which you can sort by class year, and the publicity for events like Sacred Concert or Vespers.  Your editor won't be adding to the home page about such activities going forward.

So, drop a note to the Contact Us, which your editor will receive, let us know what you think about how we might go forward with our class site.  If you would like to spend some time working on this Class Creator built work, you could be given administrative permission, there are currently two of us.  We are looking at our 60th Reunion in 2025, are you interested in attending, is Reunion a thing of the past due to travel or health issues?  Time to collect our opinions and see what this year brings.  Thanks for reading.

Christmas Vespers 2023 

Hope you had a chance to enjoy this beloved NMH tradition featuring student musicians. Alumni, friends, and family came to campus on Dec. 3.  Visit nmhschool.org for details and any scheduled off-campus events.

There is no admission fee for NMH Vespers, either on or off campus.

 

Reunion 2023 was held in June, our next is in two years

Your administrator attended on Saturday, June 3, a day trip to see what Reunion ideas I could glean from what '63 and '68 are doing.  It was cool and windy, the Convocation was spirited and the singing was really enjoyable.  The staff and students really helped make the day smooth, I also spoke with the archivist, Peter Weis.  I have a lot of memorabilia and printed materials I plan to either give the school, or just shred.  Paper is getting more obsolete by the year. Our 60th (!) will be in two years, June of 2025.  You might think ahead this year for opportunities to visit the campus, see friends in your area, or when you are on vacation check in with classmates in that region.  If you are on the Massachusetts coast or visiting northern New England, you might decide to drive across Route 2 past the campus and over the Mohawk Trail, a great time and plenty to stop for if you are going west.  Watch this site for news and read the emails from the school, it's a really bustling place.  Hope you enjoyed the summer.  And think about attending our 60th, and maybe helping out with arrangements and promoting our class.  We will continue to post updates on this home page as 2024 and then 2025 come into view.

Archival notes for Special events from 2022, attend another year?

Celebrate the holiday season with this beloved NMH tradition featuring student musicians. Alumni, friends, and family are welcome to join us for Vespers, on campus on Dec. 4 or in Boston on Dec. 16.

There is no admission fee for NMH Vespers, either on or off campus.

On-Campus Vespers: Sunday, Dec. 4, Memorial Chapel, 3:30 pm and 7 pm

Please join us for a reception between services, from 5-6:30 pm, at Bolger House (the admission building). Guests will not have access to Alumni Hall.

Visitors to campus must be fully vaccinated and test negative on a rapid/antigen COVID-19 test the morning of their visit. Please be prepared to wear a mask indoors. 

A livestream link to watch the 7 pm service will be posted at nmhschool.org closer to the date.

If you are interested in donating a poinsettia in honor or in memory of a loved one, faculty member, or classmate, please email events@nmhschool.org.

Off-Campus Vespers: Friday, Dec. 16, 7:30 pm

Vespers service is at 7:30 pm at Emmanuel Church at 15 Newbury St. in Boston.
All are welcome to join us at a post-event gathering in Boston. 

For more information, email events@nmhschool.org or call 413-498-3600.

[Ed. note: copied from the school web site November 9]

Reunion 2022 

NMH welcomed classes ending in 0, 1, 2, 5, 6, and 7 on June 3-5. back to campus for Reunion 2022.  Our 1965 attendees joined with 1966 and 1967, staying in Wallace dormitory, sharing the rec room, and eating together in Alumni Hall at the "55th Reunion" tables.  We went to the convocation, sang hymns, hung out in the great weather on lots of new bright blue Adirondack style chairs scattered in groups all over the campus.  Our tour of the new Gilder science center was exciting, we saw how advanced the labs and classrooms are, and the second floor study areas look out over the valley with a view we never had!  The farm was open, the two Belgian horses stabled there were huge, we bought maple syrup and enjoyed the lower fields areas which did not exist when we were there.  There is a new photo gallery, 55th Reunion 2022, check it out now, there are a dozen photos taken by your administrator, and we hope to get others from attendees.  It may appear empty, just click on it and the pictures will appear.  A bit of editing in the futuremay clear that up.  A great weekend!  And, only 3 years until our 60th in 2025, so mark your calendars!  

COVID protocol was lifted in 2023, but check nmhschool. org for any changes.

Review the 55th Reunion section from the menu on the left and watch for specifics about 2025 Reunion activities for our 60th
 

Your administrator has taken part in several Zoom calls with the alumni planners for the 2022 Reunion, and details are pretty well set.  We had a final call on May 5, 10 days before Registration closed.  Our class will join 1966 and 1967 in kind of an enlarged group celebrating 55 years.  Aside from the usual activities like a convocation, a hymn sing, visits to new spaces like the Gilder science center, we will have three time blocks set aside for class activities: 3:00-5:00 PM Friday, 10:00 AM - Noon Saturday, and 3:00 - 5:00 PM Saturday (likely time for Class Pictures in this slot).  You will find further information here.  Feel free to contact us through this web site with questions or comments, or suggestions.  This will be a time to reminisce, tell stories, take a golf cart ride around the campus and check out new places or your old haunts.

More good news, this web site has been renewed for a couple of more years, thanks to some generous classmates.  If you'd like to help in the financial support to keep this going, contact us and we can tell you how.

 

NMH Gives was a success this month

[ information in this section was to promote the event, and is being left as an archive for now]

This 24-hour springtime celebration will include online activities to learn, celebrate, and support NMH. With even more virtual gatherings planned, there is something for everyone to experience.

Check out our list of volunteer-hosted gatherings for NMH Gives and (re)mark your calendars. You won’t want to miss it!

Please register to join an NMH Gives gathering. If you previously registered, there is no need to register again; however, there are new gatherings planned which you may wish to consider. You will receive the Zoom login information the week of April 4th.

One day. One Community.

Reunion 2021 Was Virtual June 4-5

I was able to sign in to a couple of activities this past June, a faculty and staff gathering on Friday, and the Class of 1966 group Zoom on Saturday afternoon.  It was great to spend about 90 minutes talking with those who were Juniors in our Senior year, about 15 guys from MH participated including Bob Bruce, who started with us.  A larger group from Northfield participated as well, but we separated Zoom breakout groups due to the large numbers, so your administrator missed out on the Northfield gang.  Please note that our best timely updates occur via the posts from the school via email, and you can see what may be posted about this year's Reunion under the Alumni section of www.nmhschool.org.  We now get an online version of class notes, which contains August 2020 columns from Henri and Wendy.  We can add to these if we wish, or post your own updates.  Any way we can, we can help each other get through the rest of this pandemic which is a very bumpy ride, toward the new normal.  Stay well!

Managing Pandemic Boredom

Some of our classmates have been curious about what we all have been doing during the pandemic.  Did you hole up?  Clean out your closets and organize the spice rack?  Go out and volunteer?  Stay in and volunteer?  Give to causes as a way of helping?  Start a new hobby?  Sew masks?  Read a lot of good books?  Binge watch TV shows?  Grow your hair longer than it's been since the '60s?  Inquiring minds want to know.  When you read this, think about it.  Your administrator will start:  We had our front porch rebuilt, and are justs finished renovating the upstairs master bath.  We've done a lot of work with our church, since we are having virtual services, so connections are harder to make and assistance with rides to appointments or meals are more difficult.  We take country drives to break up the tedium, two of which.took us to a lovely little canal town an hour from Albany and home, Little Falls NY, to get my two Moderna vaccinations, and more locally for the booster.  And lots of reading, plus televised sports.  What about you??

Why not also update your profile, check in with your friends, look at those shared times in our photo galleries.  Social distancing makes everyone edgy, try escaping it by reaching out on this and other sites like Facebook.  Or call someone.  I've been on the phone or texted more than ever, and enjoy the nice feelings which linger for hours after a good long chat.  We may be tired of Zoom, Facetime, Skype, but use the technological improvements over that pay phone on the wall outside Hayden we guys had to use to call home or across the river.  Don't stay isolated!

I am going to keep the balance of the text below on the site, even though it's outdated as of this editing in February 2021.  We have now had our second conference call about our 2020 55th Reunion.  A nice group of classmates joined in, discussing what we'd like to do that weekend, and who in the class they had kept in touch with.  (Darned preposition ending that sentence, what would our English teachers think?)  It's time to decide about attending and pencil in the dates.  We'd like to hear from you!  Please post your thoughts, thinking of coming, or not thinking of coming, and maybe why, so we can firm up what we might want to plan during the balance of this spring.  Email or call your friends, tell them too.

We will be posting information as it becomes available on this site, as well as sending email blasts to the larger group of classmates using the school's email list.  So if you aren't on this site, and the school doesn't have a current email for you, please contact them.

We will get to stay in a fine new building with air conditioning and an elevator, so add those amenities to your list of reasons to come back.  Consider maybe combining a tour of parts of New England and a stop on the reunion weekend at the campus.  I travel with a small group each year, focusing on areas in the Northeast, have stayed in Westport CT, Gloucester MA, and Newport RI, and most recently York Beach ME in mid-September.  Plenty to see and do besides reunion.  I enjoyed the 1964 classmates who returned for their 55th in June.  I also recommend the Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls, west of Greenfiend on the Mohawk Trail (Rout 2), the dahlias were in full bloom and the bookshops and restaurants were terrific.  We will be using this site to communicate with you all, along with email and phone calls.

We have a new Head of School, Brian Hargrove, who took the reins in the summer of 2019.  I was able to meet him on that Reunion Saturday, very engaging and  interested in alumni.  I was impressed, and right after our short conversation he was taking pictures with Pres Blake, an easy transition for him.  I am told that he has that skill of remembering everyone's name.  Check into the NMH web site to see updates on Brian and the incoming students, and what's new on campus as winter sets in.  I'm also happy that we continue a trickle of visitors, although diminished recently.  I get it, when there hasn't been new content, classmates not posting about what they've been doing, if they retired or moved, the usual, why sign in?  There is constant change though, let us know what's happening in your life!  We've paid for this site through June of 2021, just past our postponed 55th reunion, so take advantage of it!  Never know who might reach out to you.

One more question:  Did you attend a 2019 college reunion?  I know many of us are quite faithful in attending and in supporting the various colleges and universities we attended.   I didn't go to my Syracuse reunion in September, not that interested.  Perhaps some of you from any college or university could post something in your profile about your college experience and opinion on your 50th college year.

Harkening back to Reunion 2018, I got to campus on Saturday.  I didn't see any other 1965 class members, but caught up with a number of the 1968 men and women.  Saw Mark Auerbach '68, Peter Weis '78 (archivist),and Miss Mann from the Northfield campus, as well as outgoing Head of School Peter Fayroian, who will be sorely missed.  I added a few photos to our gallery, Reunion 2018, check them out.

I also encourage you to log in and and let classmates know what's going on post-50th, as we are now firmly into a new decade of our lives . Through email contact, I see classmates getting together, visiting each other, taking trips, checking off bucket list items.  Why not bring everyone up to date?  You could also connect through Facebook, I now have several classmates from both sides of the river whom I've been communicating with as "friends", an interesting term.  I consider everyone in '65 as a potential friend through social media, although we may not have known each other back then, and may not have seen each other in person since the '60's.  Our shared experiences give us more in common than I had ever realized until I had been to reunions and "got it".  And read the News magazine, Wendy and Henri continue to gather a lot from some of us which does not end up on this site, sadly.  Check with them for dealine on the next issue.

JUST DISCOVERED: A picture of 1965 losing to 1964 in the Shadow Lake rope pull!  Just added to this site, it's the last image (#44) in the early photos section.  Try to identify as many of the MH guys as you can!  It's not passworded so any classmate can access it.

(If you are looking for information previously posted on this home page about our 50th Reunion, it has been moved to the Announcements section.)

Through the generosity of a number of our classmates, our site will stay alive through June of 2021, well past our 55th reunion!  Much appreciation and thanks to the donors, who received individual thank-yous as well.  So, now post something in your profile.  Or create one if you haven't yet, and let those who also haven't know we miss them, it's actually a good percentage of us.  If we want to keep this site open after that date, let's discuss it, let me know what you think.  We've always been an active group.  Let's keep the Spirit of "65 rolling!

Reunion photos and articles on the NMH school web site

     Visit the NMH web site alumni page, http://www.nmhschool.org/alumni, for current information directly from the school about activities on and off campus, as well as everything the staff posts about Reunions.

Here is the direct link to view the posted by NMH: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nmhalums/sets/with/72157653842908870.  Lots from Thursday's lobster dinner, and many '65ers took part in the bike ride.  Let me know if the link no longer works.

     If you have any questions, or feedback, please contact Dave Stone (dstonester@gmail.com), web site administrator.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

ELIAS THOMAS UPDATE   Our own Elias has received one of the five 2018 National Association of Realtors Good Neighbor Awards for his work building dams in India.  He has spent 40 years fundraising and volunteering both at home and abroad with Rotary International.  In 2001 he traveled to India as part of a team with a mission to immunize children against polio, which he spoke about at a symposium during our 50th Reunion.  In 2008 Sanjiv Saran, a fellow Rotarian, made him aware of the need for clean water in the desert communities of the northern state of Rajasthan.  For the past ten years Elias has led a total of several hundred volunteers from all over the world, building nine dams and holding areas to serve over 45,000 residents.  Now Thomas says "...everything was green where it used to be brown and dusty ...waterfowl moved in."  Children have more time to attend school rather than fetch water from distant locations, parents can do chores safely, and crops are more plentiful, which boosts the area's economy.  If you have further interest in Elias' work in India, please contact him or go to Contact Us in the index on this site and we will put you in touch. (Administrator:  I have drawn liberally from Graham Wood's article in Realtor Magazine form November-December 2018, I am also adding a link here to information about the award.

https://www.nar.realtor/about-nar/awards-and-recognition/good-neighbor-awards-program

FROM ELIAS THOMAS:  About three weeks ago, I was notified by the National Association of Realtors, that out of 1.4 million members in North America, I have been chosen as one of five recipients of the GOOD NEIGHBOR AWARD - recognizing my community service, particularly in India. With this honor comes a grant in the amount of $10,000 for my charity of choice - The Rotary Foundation. This grant will be matched two and a half times to morph the total to $35,000 - which will be used to help pay for the construction of a tenth Water Catchment Dam in February 2019 - when I assemble ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 1019 to travel to India for immunizing children against polio and providing a portion of the labor force to assist in the construction of the dam, bringing clean, potable water to an outlying village, as well as gravity-fed irrigation to farmers in the region.

Here are links to a few articles:
https://magazine.realtor/good-neighbor-awards/article/2018/08/a-dam-bursting-with-generosity

https://magazine.realtor/good-neighbor-awards/elias-thomas-iii

If you or someone you know is interested in joining what will hopefully be the LAST National Immunization Day against Polio (and actually help immunize kids against this horrific disease) or better yet, to assist in the contraction of our tenth water catchment dam, please contact me at: ethomas@metrocast.net


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FROM BOB KOWAL: We just got back from the East Coast, including a visit to the 911 memorial in NYC.  My cousin's son, age 26? was on the plane that hit the second tower, so it was an emotional visit for me.  I mentioned to the ticket taker that I had a cousin on that plane and the he refunded our tickets, had a docent lead us to and let us into the Family room where there were momentos and pictures, letters to loved ones lost and a digital library with the history of each victim in digital format. My cousin Sally emerged from the pain of losing her son and started a foundation that built a girl's school in Afghanistan as her son was very interested in Middle east culture. There was a video that highlighted her doing that. 
 I was VERY moved by it all and it was difficult to go into the 911 museum displays where they had the day unfolding for each aircraft that was hijacked.  I saw the one that my cousin was on hit the tower in full color and the fireball that resulted.  It was unbelievable to think that really happened, and that the war of religions is still going on.  Has been since the Crusades, Christians weren't any better either. It's sad mankind can't accept each other and live the Love that is the major tenet of every religion in the world.  We also went to the play "Come from Away" which was what happened in Newfoundland when all the aircraft from Europe were prohibited from entering American air space on 911.  It was very well done, humourous as well as poignant.  Each day they mentioned what day it was and when they did all I could think of is what was my cousin doing and feeling that day after their son had been horrifically killed. WE have so much gratitude for all we have and I feel for those who have lost loved ones not only in the 911 tragedy, but hurricanes, fires, landslides, tornadoes, shootings etc.  How does it all make sense?  There is no answer.  All I can do is have faith that there is something beyond what we are living now and go forward with the hope that what is beyond our known dimensions is one that is based on Love.  Wasn't planning on sharing my philosophy, but so it be.

(From your administrator:  This announcement was inadvertently posted without Bob Kowal's name, he wrote the piece and asked me to post it.  At least one of us read it without the name, and assumed I (Dave Stone) had written it.  Apologies to you all, I hope this didn't take away from Bob's very personal observances.)

I attended Christmas Vespers on campus this afternoon. Today was wintry - gray skies, bare trees, temps in low 40s. Just like "back in the day", vespers was an inspiring event, especially the old familiar hymns like Sing We Noel. Several other pieces were unfamiliar to me and challenged the choir, although there were some very good voices to be heard. Orchestra was small, just strings. The congregation appeared to be nearly all parents and alums. The concert was followed by a nice dinner with students in West (er Alumni) Hall. I did not see anyone else from '65, but '63 and '67 were represented. Campus looked great.   -Don Emerson

Class of 1965 50th Reunion Followup

Check below for some fun video taken by one of our classmates at our 50th reunion, June 4-7 of 2015. (Sorry for the font changes, unavoidable).  Visit this home page to direct you to all information, photos, and stories from our four days on campus.  Glorious weather, amazing turnout, endless singing and darn good food accompanied the hundreds of stories told.  To those who shared our time on campus, thank you!  Whether you attended reunion or not, check out the 50th Reunion photo gallery.  Might inspire you to come for the 55th this June!

  • 108 classmates had registered by June 1, 2015, their names are on the list on menu to the left, see who was there, under "Who's Registered?".  If you were there, and don't see your name, let me know, I'll get it posted.

  • 50th Reunion Yearbook may still available...scroll down to the announcement section of this page for the link to order, pricing, and a link to preview the book if you need a peek first.

  • 50th Reunion and moving forward resolution: Promise to keep in touch with your dorm mates, your sports team members, your old friends, those who came and those were not able to make it.  Don't lose contact.  Think about visiting the campus during school time, stop into a few classes, see the continuing improvements in the best secondary education available.  And, consider swinging through during upcoming Reunions, when they occur in early June, there may be friends or faculty/staff who would love to see you.  Your site administrator should be there Saturday each and every year on a day trip from upstate NY, barring an early season hurricane of course.

  • Videos from the Reunion which Bob Kowal took at the hymn sing and the parade into the chapel are available.  To see/hear the singing at our reunion, here is the Youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIPeQ1pAgZHWCame1aMfSlA . This was Bob's first time trying to upload videos to You Tube, so please excuse any errors.   Every video HAD been given a title, but for some reason they all did not “stick”. Therefore, the DSCNO’s with the title are listed below in the next paragraph.  When the site opens it takes a few seconds for the Thumbnails to appear, and press the arrow on the right side of the Thumbnails, because there are 7 total.  The footage is raw and unedited and you will have to bear listening a few times to the unmelodious voice of the video taker.  At times it may be painful, but thankfully doesn’t last too long.  Fair warning.  If you would like to get them sent to you by e mail please contact Bob Kowal:  bobkowal@gmail.com.  That email version will also include some still shots of classmate at the reunion, June 2015.

  • 175 - Not sure of title of song, started video in middle of it

    176 Joyful Joyful we Adore Thee

    177- Class of 1965 Song, Come  Labor On

    178 - Lean on Me - everyone out of tune!

    182 - Angels We have heard on High - 

    183 - Oh Northfield Beautiful, starts in the second third of video

    222 - Class of ’65 Entry into Chapel at 50th reunion  June 2015

Fall 1965 Silliman Fire Video Link

The Silliman fire, which took place during the fall 1965 Deerfield football game, was attended by a large number of 1965 graduates, including your web site administrator.  Fox Sports I produced a short video about the fire and the football game, which runs just over 12 minutes.  NMH archivist Peter Weis and others from the school are interviewed.  Check it out at this link, provided by Tony Cantore: https://vimeo.com/146402208?cjevent=0259916b03aa11e9807f01ca0a240610

You may still be able to order your 50th Reunion yearbook

It's a great compilation of life stories and photos, you can have one mailed to you for $45.  To place your order, go to https://community.nmhschool.org/reu2015/1965yrbkYou can also use this link to see a preview, check it out.  If this is no longer an option, go to "Contact US" and let us know.

Open the link http://www.nmhschool.org/alumni/publications/nmh-magazine to read the current school magazine and our multi-page 1965 class news column from Wendy Swanson Avirgan and Henri Rauschenbach, our class correspondents.

1964-65 undefeated teams were honored Friday of Reunion

Were you a member of the 1964-65 undefeated football, cross-country, and wrestling teams?  These teams were inducted to the NMH Athletic Hall of Fame at Reunion 2015, with a ceremony Friday, June 5, 2015, at the Mount Hermon School Alumni Luncheon, at noon, under the tent at Ford Cottage.  The Mount Hermon luncheon is now a continuing event, it’s open to all men graduates from any year at every reunion, and has been great fun.