Summertime Greetings, Class of ’75!
This month, we begin our third year of a five-year cycle between Mount Holyoke reunions. It is an appropriate time to reflect on where we are going as we progress toward that monumental milestone, our 50th Reunion. More of us have joined the ranks of the retired, yet many ’75’s resolutely continue productive careers. Either way, as we emerge from our pandemic cocoons, I feel joy every time I hear of a classmate who has resumed travel, attended a family reunion, held a new grandchild, or even done something as mundane as going to the movies.
Have you joined one of our Class Zooms over the past two years? The Class Board has presented a variety of programming for these online events, including programs by classmates, purely social gatherings, and trivia contests. Getting acquainted with classmates we didn’t know back in college seems to be the most fun part of these Zooms! We will continue to meet virtually in the coming year. Please mark your calendar for September 21 at 8p.m. Eastern time for “From Dili to Ulaanbatar and Other Places in Between: The Unexpected Journey After MHC” by our own Kim Hunter. Kim has lived in Bangladesh, Mongolia, Indonesia, Timor Leste, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines. Join us as we hear about Kim’s firsthand experiences in Asia over the decades.
Our first mini-reunion last spring in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts was a success. Reunion Co-Chairs Judy Stein and Linnea Grealish will set up additional gatherings in the next three years. Planning is already underway for events in New York City this fall and Florida over the winter. If you live in a major metropolitan area and would like to host a mini-reunion, please email judystein13@gmail.com, or linnea1027@comcast.net. We intend to keep these events small enough to promote lively conversation and fellowship among all the attendees. We’d also love to have a volunteer to host a ’75 gathering at the Black Alumnae Conference Nov.3-6.
Your Class Head Agents, Sandy Fotiades and Ruth Dillingham, are always hard at work with fundraising for Mount Holyoke. In the past year, the Class of ’75 met their goals for donations to MHC both in dollars and in class participation for the Annual Fund, but Sandy and Ruth would like you to know that ANY donation you make to MHC in the next three years, such as buying an annuity, or making a gift to athletics, the Museum of Art, or musical programs, counts towards our 50th Reunion class gift.
Independent of fundraising for the College, the Class of ’75 has its own treasury account, which will be used to fund our 50th Reunion celebration. The account consists of Class Dues of $50 per person for the period 2020-2025. To pay dues, or to confirm whether you’ve already paid, contact treasurer Alice Maroni at acmaroni108@gmail.com
Each year, the Mount Holyoke Alumnae Association presents awards to graduates with exceptional professional achievements or service to the College or Alumnae Association. To nominate a classmate for such an honor, visit alumnae.mtholyoke.edu/award. We have so many accomplished graduates in our class who are deserving of such recognition!
Sadly, a portion of our class is totally out of touch with Mount Holyoke. This includes women who have never attended a reunion or other event, made a donation, or even given an email address to the Alumnae Association. In the coming year, your Class Board and other volunteers will reach out to these graduates to say hello and reconnect. We’d love to have these alumnae return to the Mount Holyoke fold. To help this effort, you can go to alumnae.mtholyoke.edu, review your own contact information in the Alumnae Directory, and at the same time, look up and reach out to a long-lost person from your Mount Holyoke day
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Stone
Co-president, MHC Class of 1975