President's Message Dec. 2019

The Lenox School Class of '69 Thunders Back!

Message from Bob Sansone, LSAA President:

 

What a tremendous turnout we had this year! The Lenox School Class of 1969 arrived in tremendous numbers with the same enthusiasm they displayed back in the day.

To top it off, it was a historical event for the LSAA as we accomplished some major initiatives with the help of the voting members at the business meeting. As usual, we owe a great debt to our friends at S&Co who were again warm and inviting hosts.

We had the great benefit of having the following masters in attendance:

Mr. Paterson, Mr. Putnam, Mr. Rogers, Mr. Fawcett, Mr. Dostourian, Mr. Kline.

The business meeting was in my opinion the most consequential one we have conducted due to the far reaching implications of the path forward we have defined. More details about this later in my message.

The luncheon and dinner served as a wonderful opportunity for classmates and alums to review the assembled memorabilia, get reacquainted, and reminisce about their Lenox School days. Perhaps most touching was Mr. Paterson’s reading of Howard Prestwich’s Lenox School Reunion Prayer.

Nol Putnam ’51 and Master Confers with Bob Kline ’48 & Master and Charlie Daniell ’48 While Zoe and Elizabeth Maintain Order!

Following the business meeting, we were again treated to Allyn Burroughs recitation of the St. Crispin’s Day speech from Shakespeare’s Henry V as a prelude to the raising of our flag. Every year, Allyn’s presentation and the words strike me as profoundly appropriate for our Lenox School band of brothers (“…But we in it shall be remember’d; We few, we happy few, we band of brothers…”)

With Thanksgiving approaching as I write this, we have much to be thankful for as an organization. The response to our appeal for fundraising to meet the challenge grant was beyond expectations! As of this writing, our target was to raise $12,500; and members responded with >$19,000!!! We are humbled and grateful for the overwhelming support.

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” —Seneca

As I alluded in the first paragraph, history was made at the reunion this year; and more specifically this history was created at the business meeting.

We have been discussing for several years the future course that we need to take to fulfill our mission to the memory, history and legacy of the school as the relentless march of time reminds us we only get so many trips around the sun.

“Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It’s the courage to continue that counts.” — Winston Churchill

It is not unusual during the reunion for some of the talk about Lenox School to reflect on why it was successful; and then why it failed. The interesting and positive aspect at this reunion, is that members demonstrated the courage and flinty determination to create a path forward to share the essence and legacy of Lenox School with countless future generations.

Determined to write a new chapter for Lenox School, the LSAA members. in a sense, rectified the closing of the school by supporting the establishment of a trust that will keep the history and legacy of Lenox School vibrant and ongoing in perpetuity.

We did this with the unanimous support of the voting members present; and as a result we were able to initiate and fund The Lenox School Alumni Association Fund with Berkshire Taconic Trust.

And so, we are now able to reopen the school (albeit virtually) to others through the future donations and scholarships that will be made in our name from this trust; and from the website that will tell the Lenox School story, contain digitized information and images on the school’s history, yearbooks, Pen & Scrolls, and other memorabilia, etc.

 Perhaps we’ll need a new flag and make an addendum to the historical plaque! Maybe we just tell folks we took a 48 year hiatus!

Berkshire Taconic specializes in supporting exactly the type of activity we desire after we are no longer an active entity. The members voted to invest $30,000 (thanks again in large measure to the incredible generosity of one alum who provided a $12,500 challenge grant along with the humbling generosity of other alums who donated well beyond our target challenge goal).

Our plan is to leave this fund to grow through the years ahead (while we’re still active) by affording alums and others the opportunity to make tax deductible donations or establish bequeaths in their wills to The Lenox School Alumni Association Fund. Berkshire Taconic will be guided by the fund mission statement we provided them and input from the LSAA board members (who will be advisers to provide additional input and guidance). The Fund Mission Statement that we provided to the Berkshire Taconic is listed elsewhere in this Pen & Scroll.

Once The Lenox School Alumni Association Fund reaches a critical mass, the trust will then be able to fund scholarships in our name with the investment gains (rather than eroding the principal). They will make donations in our name consistent with those we have made in the past; and provide financial support for maintaining a website that will portray all the important school documents, digitized year books, Pen & Scrolls, images of other memorabilia, etc.

Let me be very clear here on what has been accomplished and what it means:

• We have created the means by which we can reflect the tenets of our motto and honor our debt to the men who founded the school and to those headmasters, masters, faculty, staff, family, trustees and friends who selflessly sacrificed and dedicated themselves to Lenox School and to those of us fortunate enough to have attended.

• Establishing the trust ultimately allows the story and legacy of Lenox School to endure beyond our time.

Which brings me to the other point I need to make:

• We’re still an active organization! We plan to be active for several years into the future while the fund is concurrently allowed to grow through investment gains and donations from members.

• As such, we will still need funding (via tax deductible contributions to the LSAA) for the next few years to support our administrative costs (printing the P&S, making donations, awarding scholarships, etc.).

• Thanks to the incredible generosity of members, the LSAA is on good financial footing for this (see Treasurer’s Report) but we will still need to rely on the generous support of members to allow us to carry on.

Here is the way to continue donating to the LSAA for the above stated purposes:

Donations should be made out to the LSAA and sent to either Ed Miller or Bob Sansone at the following address:

Bob Sansone

69 Mount Sumner Drive

Bolton, CT 06043

Ed Miller

6130 N Via del Tecaco

Tucson, AZ 85718

Donations to the Lenox School Alumni Association Fund are also tax deductible and should be sent to the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation made out to The Lenox School Alumni Association Fund at the address provided below. Donations made to the Lenox School Alumni Association Fund will be added to the fund as they arrive; but will be allowed to accumulate until we authorize disbursements in a couple of years when the fund will have grown to the point where it is self sustaining. 

Rather than try to spell out the specifics of how, where, why, etc. to donate to the fund as well as the potential beneficial tax considerations for supporting the fund (especially if you happen to be in a position of having required minimum distributions from any of your IRAs or 401Ks; or wish to bequeath to the fund in your will) we encourage you to contact Berkshire Taconic directly to discuss donations and tax benefits for such actions. Our point of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation contact is Kara Mikulich:

Kara K. Mikulich | Chief Philanthropy Officer

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

800 N Main Street  | Sheffield, MA 01257- 9503  | o: 413.229.0370 x124 | d: 413.429.8404|

f: 413.229.0329

Please see the related article that Kara has been kind enough to write for this P&S as well. It explains the various ways in which you can help keep the history and legacy of the school alive through your donations.

We wish everyone a joyful and peaceful Christmas and Hanukkah; and a prosperous New Year.

Next Reunion – 16 & 17 October 2020 - “Be There!!”

Class of 1970, 1965, 1960, 1955, 1950 and 1945 … where are you?!?!?!