74 Turns 60: Party On

February 2014

Dear Classmates,

What was the best part of MHC for you in the early ‘70’s? Was it the music we shared as young adults on the brink of our lives? We are going to have plenty of that, all Reunion Weekend! Was it the books, of all sorts, always accessible?  The Odyssey is celebrating its 50th anniversary, as we celebrate our 40th Reunion, and wants you to participate and help, by sending your Odyssey memories and photos to Joan Grenier at joan@odysseybks.com. Or, as it was for us, was it the friendships? Well, if you come, then we can begin the party! Better yet, contact your five best buds and tell them you will be in South Hadley for our 40th Reunion, May 16-18, 2014 because you want to see them. If you’ve lost contact information for someone, use the “Alumnae Search” feature on the Alumnae Association’s website www.alumnae.mtholyoke.edu or contact Alumnae Information Services at 413-538-2303 or ais@mtholyoke.edu for help.

Things to know and do to get ready for Reunion:

  • Do we have a valid e-mail address for you? 1974 and the College are working hard to preserve resources by communicating via e-mail as much as possible. Please contact Alumnae Information Services at the e-dress or phone above to update your information.
  • Register for Reunion at alumnae.mtholyoke.edu/reunion or by calling 413-538-2201
    ( Note – On-line Reunion registration opens on March 1, 2014.)
  • Register by April 15 to avoid a $25 late fee.  Register even if you are not 100% sure you can come; you can cancel up until April 30 for a complete refund.
  • Our class has financial help for classmates who may find it difficult to attend reunion this year. For confidential help, please contact Luisa Tavares in the Alumnae Office, 413-538-2201 or ltavares@mtholyoke.edu
  • Room Assignments in our Dorm Headquarters, Prospect (changed)
  • Do you know that one class actually has a Complaints Chair for Reunion? But ours is a No-Complaint-Allowed venue. Think college dorm, seniors partying late into the night before commencement, hard single beds and rough sheets, linoleum floors, group bathrooms – get the picture? Bring a chill attitude and earplugs, and think of this as reliving your youth.
  • Of particular note – include on the reservation form any housing issues you may have, being as specific as possible and, if you wish, including the name of a roommate.  There are a very limited number of singles available, so do include the name of a roommate, if you’d like to be rooming with someone you knew before Reunion weekend! We will not be able to change room assignments once on campus in May (see no complaints clause above!) The Reunion Reservation Coordinator, Luisa Tavares, can be reached at 413-538-2201 or ltavares@mtholyoke.edu.  She is happy to help with any concerns you may have.
  • Round up something white and fabulous – or not so fabulous – the fashion police will NOT be in attendance, but white attire is required for the class count – to wear Saturday AM.  Dress, skirt, pants, shorts – it’s all good.  Our class has consistently been a contender for attendance awards, and we have full intentions of keeping that up, with you there and in white.
  • Even though our class color is red, we are going to repeat 1974’s innovation from our last reunion, and be as green as possible. We are planning a beautiful red item to be the basis for our costume, but we ask that you complete the look by bringing your favorite red accessory from home.  It might be a scarf, or shoes, or a necklace, or the red reading glasses from our 25th reunion, or a hat or a visor.  Many of us have gotten to a point in our lives when we have all the stuff we really want or need.  Reuse, recycle and see how creative you can be!
  • Pack comfortable shoes (you are no longer 22 years old!)
  • Debby Hall and Jane Zimmy, our Head Class Agents, remind us that all gifts to the Mount Holyoke Fund are important, now more than ever.  Supporting this fund acknowledges our connection to MHC, her students, her heritage and her future.  Our goal is to have 74% of our class make gifts totaling $225,000.  As of the end of January, 152 have given a total of $115,000. With your gift we will be that much closer to reaching our goal. Contact Jale Okay in the Office of Advancement (1-800-MHC-GIVE, 413-538-2031 or www.mtholyoke.edu/go/mhcgive) or send your check to Office of Advancement, Mary E. Wooley Hall, MHC, 50 College St., South Hadley, MA 01075.
  • Our Nominating Committee, headed by Mary Feeney, is hard at work, continuing to gather suggestions and references, putting together a complete slate of class officers to serve from May 2014-May 2019. The following will be voted on at our Saturday afternoon Class Meeting. A few good women are still absent from this list, as we go to press.

President:
Vice President/Reunion Chairs:  Gail LaBroad LaRocco, Mary Feeney
Treasurer:  Nancy Marks Arcieri
Secretary:  Doris O’Keefe
Scribe:  Lynn Massman Mordan
Web Diva:  Laurie Averill
Nominating Committee: (two or three members voted on now, Chair and two members to be appointed by class president)
Head Class Agents:  Debby Hall, Jane Zimmy

  •  Plan to attend some of the extra events the Alumnae Association has planned for the weekend.
  • To enter “Transformation: Never Fear/Change,” check out the Back-to-Class listing at www.alumnae.mtholyoke.edu/go/reunion and come ready to continue to learn and have fun.
  • Take a tour (how has the campus changed?), attend a Department Open House (are any of your profs still around?), visit the Talcott Greenhouse and purchase a new plant (is your thumb greener than it was 40 years ago?)
  • And of course, enjoy all our 1974-planned activities Reunion Weekend.
  • Come to campus on Thursday and spend the night. Then, you will be all set to start off the weekend relaxed (when was the last time you treated yourself to that feeling?) Several from our class will be there to get things up and running in MacGregor, our dorm HQ, so we will be ready to rock and roll on Friday. We would love to have your company; we promise not to rope you into anything, but would love to schmooze with you over an informal dinner!
  • We will have a casual dinner for all in our dorm Friday night. It will start early and go late, welcoming you whenever you can arrive.
  • The music will be rockin’ all weekend, including a performance by our own V-8’s. They have been rehearsing hard, songs old and new, and will be performing Saturday night.
  • Questions?  Contact the Alumnae Association at 413-538-2159.

Congratulations!  You made it this far!  Now, contact your girl friends, get your red accessory, and register!

Warmly,

 

Jane Homan Antin, Reunion Chair                                     Carole LaMond, Class President

 


 


 

October, 2013

 

Dear Classmates,

There is something very special about the Class of 1974.

Our 40th Reunion is May 16-18, 2014, Commencement Weekend, and we expect our class will once again show up in record numbers! We still hold the attendance record for all 25th reunion classes, and we buck the attendance average by class for all reunions. We enjoy being together.

Over the years friendships forged at 18 or 20 have remained solid, circles of college friends have expanded to include friends of friends, and many of us have become friends with classmates we never knew in college but got to know later in life. I was 50 years old before I realized the nice girl I remembered fondly from a freshman year tennis class was none other than my “new” friend Jane Homan Antin who is not only our 40th Reunion Chair, but has a much better memory than I do. She was better at tennis too.

During our “74 Turns 60” mini-reunions we marked our 60th birthdays with events from Maine to California and it was wonderful to reconnect and make new friends. About 100 classmates made it to one – or more – of these celebrations and many gatherings included a classmate who has never attended an official Mount Holyoke College reunion!

We expect our 40th Reunion numbers to reflect those new friendships. Reunion is an opportunity for you to rejoice in your old friendships and to make new ones! We are counting on all of you to march in the reunion parade which honors this sisterhood and welcomes the laurel-chained Class of 2014 into our august band of alumnae.

The cost of attending Reunion is estimated at $350 for the weekend or $250 for Saturday only. We are very conscious of individual budget constraints as we plan class activities for the weekend, and there are some funds available for classmates who can attend if they receive a stipend. For information contact Luisa Tavares at the Alumnae Association who will keep your request confidential: ltavares@mtholyoke.edu

Our class officers are gearing up with reunion plans. Please open our reunion letters and read your emails – and help get the party going by contacting your friends and making plans to attend our 40th Reunion in May!

To streamline the reunion process and find contact info for classmates:

–       Update your email with the Alumnae Association at ais@mtholoke.edu. You can also request your password from this address if you have forgotten it. Your password enables you to access the Alumna Search on the Alumnae Association website: http://alumnae.mtholyoke.edu/

For up-to-date information on Reunion bookmark:

–        Alumnae Association Reunion website: alumnae.mtholyoke.edu/reunion/

–        Class website:  https://new.alumnae.mtholyoke.edu/1974/

–        Class facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/

 

Our goal for our 40th Reunion is to raise $225,000 with 74% participation — it’s an ambitious goal, but we can do it with your help! To give: https://www.mtholyoke.edu/giving/givenow.html

Fondly,

 

Carole LaMond                                                           Jane Homan Antin

Class President                                                           Reunion Chair

CLaMond@aol.com                                                   jantin1@partners.org


 

There has been some wonderful Mount Holyoke activity here at the Bold Colorful Life Inn and Retreat Center in Boothbay, Maine.

Columbus Day weekend, a dozen MHTs gathered here to celebrate what will probably be the final ’74 turns 60′ mini-reunion gathering. It was a delightful event. Members of the Class of 73 and 76 joined us, as well as our very own ‘co-ed’/husband. We spent three full days enjoying and wandering the Boothbay peninsula. Friday, we shared cocktails after a tour of the Inn and the waterfront grounds; then gathered at the nearby Watershed Tavern for oven-fired pizzas and home-brewed beers. Saturday morning was a big brunch, a great time to catch up and get to know each other better. Melissa handled the 4 burner griddle as the participants helped with the short-order cooking of omelettes and turkey bacon, and all the brunch accompaniments. Then the whole group declared ‘Mountain Day’ and piled into 2 cars to drive to Thomaston, to visit the Maine state prison showroom and buy souvenirs from a 3 foot ship model to cedar closet hangers. Then on to Rockland and Camden and up Mount Battie for spectacular views of the Camden Harbor, Acadia National Park, and the offshore islands. Some of the group enjoyed the Farnsworth museum, while others briskly walked 7 miles round-trip to see the Belted Galloway cattle farm and the Children’s Chapel in Rockport. More coastal wandering led us to the Salt Bay Cafe in Damariscotta for dinner, where a pumpkin festival was in full-swing; then home for milk and crackers and off to bed.

Sunday was filled with a breakfast at the Center Cafe on the Boothbay green and then a bold and colorful wander around the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens…just 4 miles away….then the Fall Foliage Festival for crafts and music…..then off to Boothbay Harbor to see what those shops had to offer…cocktails on the Inn porch and then off to Robinson’s Wharf for twin lobster dinners for under $20…(!!)….back to the dining table for 2014 reunion discussion and some ‘discover more about your classmates’ games…..and then milk and crackers, of course. Monday morning was time to gather up belongings and memories, gather for a final breakfast together and make plans to meet again just 8 months hence at our 40th reunion on campus, May 16-18, 2014.
And the next weekend, October 17-20, six of the seven 1974 V8s gathered here for their 4th annual, (now four day) reunion/rehearsal weekend. Again, the weather was superb…fully Indian Summer, with colorful trees all around. The group laughed, sang, cooked together, ate merrily, sang some more, wandered the estate and environs, sang some more, sampled some new restaurants, laughed and sang some more, wandered the Botanical gardens again, and generally had another wonderful time getting to know each other (and the songs) even better. One of the new songs, “Sisters”, describes the tone of the weekend….
The V8s will meet again for 3 days on the Cape in May, to fine-tune the new songs and warm up for reunion, where they will perform on Saturday evening, May 17th, after the presentation by Michelle Hurst and Bonnie Panson.

Melissa Thornton

 

 

Mount Holyoke Class of ’74 Turns 60  Encinitas, CA, November 9-12, 2012  Hosted by Mary Poteet and Roy Glass

The South may have the reputation for hospitality, but our class was welcomed in style to southern California by Mary Poteet and her husband, Roy Glass.  They planned the weekend for months and even “tested” several Happy Hours just to make sure that our group had the ultimate experience.  After three jam-packed days of exercise and sightseeing, the group was unanimous in its praise of Mary and Roy.  There were even requests to “do it again” next year.  Here is a rundown of the activities:

Friday
Class members arrived in town all day and into the evening.  The earliest arrivals lunched at St. Tropez Bakery and Bistro in downtown Encinitas.  After lunch we walked along the Batiquitos Lagoon in Carlsbad.  As more classmates joined the group, it was off to The Beach House Happy Hour for some refreshments and a gorgeous ocean view and sunset, at a table scouted by Mary.  Once the sun had set, we were off to Mary and Roy’s beautiful Cardiff by-the-Sea house for a fabulous dinner prepared by Mary.  We had cake and sang Happy Birthday to ourselves.  We were just getting warmed up.

Saturday
First thing in the morning, we headed to Swami’s Beach, surfing mecca and Beach Boy favorite, for a brisk walk.  Mary kept apologizing for the weather (60’s and breezy) because it had been in the 80’s before we arrived.  Most of us thought it was delightful.  No time to dawdle, next stop, the Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Gardens.  We enjoyed spectacular views of the ocean, saw many varieties of local plant life and witnessed people meditating.  Or at least trying to meditate.  Our group at times forgot about speaking in hushed tones because of our excitement.  Oh well.  We got many great pictures before leaving for lunch at the Lotus Café.  Encinitas folks believe in putting healthy food in their bodies, and sometimes it even tastes good.  Like at the Lotus Café where we ate al fresco and soaked up the California sun while chatting.  No time to dawdle.  Next stop, Mission Bay, for a bike ride or surrey ride (for the less adventurous) adjacent to the beautiful Hilton San Diego Resort and Spa.  The wind made pedaling a bit challenging, but no problem for our group.  We ended the day/evening with a sumptuous dinner at the BlueFire Grill at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad.

Sunday
First stop San Diego Botanic Garden, one of the highlights of the area.  The wind had subsided and the sun was out.  A perfect day.  We lunched at the Leucadia Farmers Market which had  impressive mushrooms, avocadoes and every variety of nuts you could want.  Vegan gelato anyone?  Mary says it’s awful so skip it.  Our afternoon activity was a hike through the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve with docent and MHC Class of 1960 Susan Buxbaum.  We learned about the Torrey Pine trees and why they are endangered.  More beautiful ocean views.  A small group stopped by the Torrey Pines Gliderport to watch the daring paragliders jump off a bluff and sail over the ocean as the sun set.  No, no one from our group did it . . . Last stop before dinner, a few of us went to see The Lodge at Torrey Pines which is the hotel at the famous golf course and spa in La Jolla.  It did not disappoint.  Our final dinner was at Bentley’s Steak and Chop House in Encinitas.  Mary had reserved a private room which worked out perfectly.  We presented her with the Tiffany bowl in appreciation for her efforts.  We also gave Mary and Roy a large poinsettia arrangement which was a big hit.  (Thank you Jane Zimmy for taking care of this.)  Clare Beverage Warner put on a slideshow of pictures she had taken over the course of the weekend. And finally, Mary thanked us for coming and gave us each a Torrey Pine cone as a memento of our time together.

The weekend was a wonderful gathering of old friends and new friends.  We talked about how many of us are transitioning at this time in our lives and how exciting and scary that is.  Some of us had never been to a Mount Holyoke reunion; many had not been to a mini-reunion this year.  This one was probably the largest (27 in all including guests/husbands) and yet it still brought us closer together.  We agreed to meet again in South Hadley for our 40th Reunion on May 16 – 18,  2014, if not sooner!

Thank you Mount Holyoke in this 175th year for the gift of a first class education and enduring friendships.

Janet Wilkov Twomey


List of Attendees
Leslie Bowen (Dennis), Florence Chichester, Barbara Lemperly Grant, Susan Harris (Beeta), Janet Hayes, Cornelia Loughran Heather (Peter), Stephanie Heim, Tina Hogan, Maria Meisenhelder Mandler, Judy McCormack Mariuz, Diane Hooke Mitchell, Deb Buitron Nuechterlein, Kate Murphy Pappas, Grace Perry, Mary Poteet (Roy), Susan Lawrence Roughgarden, Pat Showalter, Janet Wilkov Twomey (Tom), Clare Beverage Warner, Linda Murray Johnson, Emily Wentworth, Jane Zimmy.

 

 74 Turns 60 Nantucket

We Mount Holyoke women know how to celebrate friendship! And we did it again with Nantucket style on October 19-21, 2013, thanks to the warm hospitality of classmate and innkeeper Heather Barlow Sheldon! Eleven of us gathered at her beautiful, historic Carlisle House Inn (http://www.carlislehouse.com/). Heather is the consummate innkeeper … welcoming, gracious, attentive to detail and to her guests, and a superb baker of chocolate chip cookies and delicious breakfast breads!! Thanks to Heather’s careful planning, we had many opportunities to explore and enjoy the island of Nantucket. Although we kept fairly busy, we never felt rushed.

After arriving Friday afternoon, we enjoyed an island tour, seeing beautiful homes, cranberry bogs, an historic windmill, and windswept beaches. Early evening, we went on a ghost walk, led by a story-telling guide, along cobblestone streets. We then savored a lovely dinner at a nearby restaurant.

The next morning, we wandered around town to visit the Whaling Museum and quaint shops, before heading out on another tour to remote island beaches. Our patience driving over bumpy sand trails was rewarded when we watched close to 100 gray seals bobbing along the shoreline, looking at us with curiosity. And we came within just a few yards to a group of 20-25 seals beached on the shore, resting. It was spectacular! Before dinner, we visited the Maria Mitchell Observatory, where we were treated to a fascinating tutorial by a Russian astronomer and gazed through a powerful telescope at craters on the moon. Another delicious meal awaited us at the end of the day. The evening waned, as we shared stories and laughed over a game of charades, drinking Sambuca back at the Inn.

Sunday morning, we said our farewells, uplifted by the camaraderie of the weekend and vowing to return to Heather’s lovely Inn.  (See Doris O’Keefe’s amazing Nantucket photographs on MHC 1974 Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/148070727264/permalink/10151316693297265/.)

 

74 Turns 60: Celebrated in Arizona! 

What a weekend in Arizona! Marcia Halstead James organized a FANTASTIC Birthday party, our first one in a series of celebrations this year! On Friday Marcia and her husband Chuck hosted a Southwestern theme dinner prepared by Marcia and sous chef Kathe Munz Shinham. The scent of orange blossoms was a bonus as we dined on the patio under the stars. Tours of the Heard Museum and Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter studio Taliesin in Scottsdale kept us busy on Saturday followed by an elegant meal at Lon’s at the Hermosa Inn in Paradise Valley. It was back to Scottsdale for Sunday Brunch. We had 13 classmates and 6 guests attend.

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