President's Message - Spring 2016

Message from Bob Sansone, LSAA President:

“I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” ~ Douglas Adams

Every year Ed Miller and I start to fret as the response deadline for the reunion approaches. Then we end up marveling at the turnouts we get; to the point that in recent reunions, we have record numbers of alums returning such that we are at the limit of the Lenox Club’s capacity to hold us. In addition, we are enhanced by the increasing turnout of the Masters and their families who seem to come in increasing numbers; and we have accumulated many friends of the school that we thankfully host as guests for the annual pilgrimage. All for this little school that closed but just will not die.

I guess what I am getting at here is an appeal to mark your calendars now (OCT 14 and 15) and contact us early. We have become rather The Event in Lenox of sorts for that weekend, with the press now writing stories about this incredible Lenox band of brothers that assembles each year. All this, for a school that has been closed now longer than it was open. Incredible.

“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!” ~ Hunter S. Thompson

We have a tendency to focus on the legacy class years for these reunions (those that are celebrating their 40^th, 45^th, 50^th, 55^th, 60^th, etc. That said, we are always the beneficiaries of all other class years that ‘skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke’ to enrich the event immeasurably.

To this point - I ended my last President’s message with the following:

“The class of ’66 has already begun the preparation and conversation of how to meet the challenge that ‘65 has created. The opportunity is before them and us for another inspiring, improbable and magical reunion for this school that just won’t die.”

There is a debate between ’61 and ’66 as to who held the record for the greatest reunion turn out.. Then the class of ’65 thundered in to unseat them both last year. Which prompts me to paraphrase the title to that wonderful TV sitcom, which preceded ’66’s graduation by about 3 years but started about the time ’61 graduated:

Class of ’61 and ’66, Where Are You?!?

Full disclosure - I’d be accused of sandbagging if I didn’t disclose that I have already been contacted by several ’61 and ’66 folks making sure they had the dates down properly. This is, after all, the golden 50^th for ‘66. Then again, perhaps ’61 is planning to upstage ’66 with their own uprising for what will be their 55^th? And lest we forget, the class of ’56 has a 70^th this year. Then we have the youngsters of the crew from ’71 who will mark their 45^th. The one thing we can count on these past few years - a full house.

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” ~ Dr. Seuss

Looking back, we should all recognize how fortunate we were to have our lives intersect with Lenox School. Yes, the school’s active mission is long over. But it is impossible not to see to see the smiles at the reunions because Lenox School happened, and we were the lucky ones to be there during its time.

As one gets older, the tendency is to look back and try to figure out if the spot you currently occupy came as a result of careful planning or from a series external forces or even random, haphazard, sometimes impetuous decisions.

One thing to me is clear – that Lenox School intersection, for however long it was for any grad or attendee, in large measure made all the difference in the world for us. I have in the past referred to our collective experience as Lenox School being the Hotel California of schools – you could check out, but you could never leave.

I think that is why, in Howard Prestwich’s (’61) moving “Prayer For A Lenox Reunion” (which we read every year), the two paragraphs that become emotionally poignant to all in attendance seem to be:

“In Western Massachusetts,

nestled in the Berkshire Hills,

she was but a small school.

But on many a day,

The golden sun shines on her

And it shines on me, and it shines on you

And it shone so brightly that day in June

When we walked between the masters there.

So let us recall those days,

But only those days when the sun was shining

And our school mates were smiling

Thank you for the gracious gift of memory.

Don’t cry for us, Lenox School.

The truth is, we never left you.”

Please join us OCT 14 and 15, and let the sun shine on you yet again during the Lenox School reunion; and see the smiles that abound. As Howard so eloquently phrased it ”..the truth is, we really never left.”