PA 1959 Class Notes
May, 2008
David Othmer
DavidOthmer@aol.com
Top Ten Reasons Why You Should NOT come to our 50th Reunion, June 11-14, 2009.
Number 10: I’ve got Bad Memories of Andover. Bad memories? What bad memories! Face it, at our age, none of us can remember s---, no one ever really meant to tease you and Mr. ah, Mr. well, Mr. What’s-His-Name, deep down, he was a very nice guy who did those things just because he really cared.
Number 9: There were no girls there when I went there. Yeah, but put it in perspective—just a decade before we were there, you had to take Latin. Civilization advances a step at a time. Just be glad that even though you don’t know what in loco parentis means, PA was a way to get away from the parentis, and that was good. Ipso facto. (BTW, it means “my parents were crazy”).
Number 8: They tore down Will Hall. Yeah yeah yeah. You’re just mad just because they succeeded where we failed.
‘
Number 7: They only want my money. No. They want your love and affection too. And, seriously, while you’ll be asked to support one of a few initiatives designed to improve the school—and the world—between now and the reunion, the sooner you give, the sooner the requests will stop, and no matter what you do, no one will ask you for money at the reunion. Not once. Promise.
Number 6: I can’t afford to come. Can’t afford a measly couple of hundred bucks? Do you know how much it costs to go to PA today? If for no other reason, come just to walk the Vista and say “I came here for $1400 bucks a year. Wow!” Besides, there will be a scholarship fund. Really.
Stay tuned for the top five reasons in my next class notes.
Reunion planning is in high gear. The two guiding principles for June 11-14, 2009, are: first, everyone who ever had any relationship to the class of 1959--four years or four days—should be at the reunion. We want 100 percent participation. And second, the goal of the reunion is to give us all many opportunities—informal and formal—to talk with each other about our lives, about how they have been influenced by the incredible changes—large and small—that we’ve seen in the world over the past 50 years, and our plans for the next 50. Details at PA59ers.com.
The activities, spread over four days, will range from an exhibition of our creative talents (organized by Quinn Rosefsky), to discussions of how our lives were shaped and often unexpectedly changed by large forces—from the Vietnam War, for example, to the Women’s Rights and Civil Rights Movements, Globalization and the fall of the USSR, or small forces—a job decision, or a wrong turn in a car, a casual meeting. There will also be golf outings, tennis, and squash, a Memorial service for the two and a half dozen of us who have died, and many, many opportunities to just sit and talk one-on-one or in small groups about Diz Bensley, Piggy Chase, Joe Namath, the rise of sushi, American Idol, Big Bird, and yes, the demotion of Pluto. Among others.
A huge number of people from the Andover and Abbot classes of ’59 have been working on these plans, (for a full list go to PA59ers.com) and we need you to help out in two specific and easy ways: first, call two people—your roommate and another friend—and make sure they come to the reunion, second, look at the list of deceased classmates and consider delivering a 30 second eulogy of one you knew well at the Memorial Service.
May, 2008
David Othmer
DavidOthmer@aol.com
Top Ten Reasons Why You Should NOT come to our 50th Reunion, June 11-14, 2009.
Number 10: I’ve got Bad Memories of Andover. Bad memories? What bad memories! Face it, at our age, none of us can remember s---, no one ever really meant to tease you and Mr. ah, Mr. well, Mr. What’s-His-Name, deep down, he was a very nice guy who did those things just because he really cared.
Number 9: There were no girls there when I went there. Yeah, but put it in perspective—just a decade before we were there, you had to take Latin. Civilization advances a step at a time. Just be glad that even though you don’t know what in loco parentis means, PA was a way to get away from the parentis, and that was good. Ipso facto. (BTW, it means “my parents were crazy”).
Number 8: They tore down Will Hall. Yeah yeah yeah. You’re just mad just because they succeeded where we failed.
‘
Number 7: They only want my money. No. They want your love and affection too. And, seriously, while you’ll be asked to support one of a few initiatives designed to improve the school—and the world—between now and the reunion, the sooner you give, the sooner the requests will stop, and no matter what you do, no one will ask you for money at the reunion. Not once. Promise.
Number 6: I can’t afford to come. Can’t afford a measly couple of hundred bucks? Do you know how much it costs to go to PA today? If for no other reason, come just to walk the Vista and say “I came here for $1400 bucks a year. Wow!” Besides, there will be a scholarship fund. Really.
Stay tuned for the top five reasons in my next class notes.
Reunion planning is in high gear. The two guiding principles for June 11-14, 2009, are: first, everyone who ever had any relationship to the class of 1959--four years or four days—should be at the reunion. We want 100 percent participation. And second, the goal of the reunion is to give us all many opportunities—informal and formal—to talk with each other about our lives, about how they have been influenced by the incredible changes—large and small—that we’ve seen in the world over the past 50 years, and our plans for the next 50. Details at PA59ers.com.
The activities, spread over four days, will range from an exhibition of our creative talents (organized by Quinn Rosefsky), to discussions of how our lives were shaped and often unexpectedly changed by large forces—from the Vietnam War, for example, to the Women’s Rights and Civil Rights Movements, Globalization and the fall of the USSR, or small forces—a job decision, or a wrong turn in a car, a casual meeting. There will also be golf outings, tennis, and squash, a Memorial service for the two and a half dozen of us who have died, and many, many opportunities to just sit and talk one-on-one or in small groups about Diz Bensley, Piggy Chase, Joe Namath, the rise of sushi, American Idol, Big Bird, and yes, the demotion of Pluto. Among others.
A huge number of people from the Andover and Abbot classes of ’59 have been working on these plans, (for a full list go to PA59ers.com) and we need you to help out in two specific and easy ways: first, call two people—your roommate and another friend—and make sure they come to the reunion, second, look at the list of deceased classmates and consider delivering a 30 second eulogy of one you knew well at the Memorial Service.
Bill Anderson reports that George Steers, both live in Seattle, has been an estate planning lawyer working especially on opportunities and problems of owners of closely held businesses. He’s been involved with a ton of non-profits, including the Seattle Library and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Bill, meanwhile, tells of trying, unfortunately unsuccessfully, to get in touch with Rusty Hale while playing in a bridge tournament in San Francisco last year. Bill—former generalist corporate lawyer for Unilever and Dairygold, a Seattle dairy coop—sails, plays squash, gardens, travels, consults/advises non-profits and more—check him out at PA59ers.com under Bill. It was Bill, by the way, who pointed out that our lives were as affected by small changes as they were by large ones.
Lea Pendleton, also a lawyer, practices in the Boston area. Lea worked for a large firm in Boston until he got tired of the commute, and in 1994, with two friends, founded a small firm—which has grown considerably since then—that concentrates on high tech companies, specifically on the early stage issues that they and venture capital firms face such as dealing with corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and patent issues. Lea is semi-retired, spending time with his wife Suzie who is in remission from a form of leukemia.
So get your essay and six worder for The Book to Bill Bell, make your plane reservations, check PA59ers.com for updates both on the reunion itself, on The Phillipian 50 years ago, on various blogs, and on your and everyone else’s essays posted in the Pot Pourri section of the website. Did I mention that that was PA59ers.com?
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1:47 PM
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