Wednesday, August 31 through Saturday, September 3, 1966

INTRODUCTION: (by Gerry, 11/6/2005)

The year was 1966. Of course there were no cell phones or email, so we had to actually write letters—and wait for responses! I had saved most of the letters from those days which I recently rediscovered in a box in the basement— an interesting time capsule which has brought back things forgotten and clarified other memories distorted over time. One of the things I found was a copy of a letter I wrote to John Morgan describing our One Year Reunion. John was doing his alternative service at Camphill Village in Copake, NY and was unable to come to the reunion. Apparently it was quite important to me to write down my thoughts, because I saved the hand-written draft of the letter which I had used to copy out the letter which was actually mailed.

In March of 1966 Mikey (at Cornell University in New York) wrote to me (at the University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL) about a weekend visit from Susan who came up to Cornell from Harpur College. They had a great visit and Mikey was excited and relieved about being able to communicate with a fellow Olneyite in a way not possible with anyone in her new environment.. Mikey seemed to think that sharing thoughts and ideas with Susan helped to link her Olney and post-Olney worlds. In a letter to me dated March 13 she wrote, “I wish we could have a reunion.” That immediately set me to thinking and I wrote back with the idea of actually trying to plan a gathering which would be part workcamp, part conference and part reunion. The idea was well received and after rounds of letter-writing among several of us it was decided that the end of the summer would be best. I wrote to Tom Brown to get permission. He thought it was a great idea, and then a few weeks after the reunion, even sent me a letter of appreciation. (I fear I may have neglected to share that letter with anyone else, so it is included here—belatedly!)

Note: Anyone else who has contemporary materials which could be shared and posted on this website, please contact Dana or Gerry!!

What follows are an article which appeared in the Olney Current, Gerry’s letter describing the Reunion, a letter of appreciation from Tom Brown, and classmates' responses.

From THE OLNEY CURRENT, Eleventh Month, 1966:

1965 Class Reunion

On 9-1-1966 members of the Class of 1965 began arriving at Olney. What took place for the next four days (we think) is unique in the history of the school. Why did we return so soon? A one-year reunion does seem like an odd idea, but we felt it was perhaps more valuable to us have a five or ten year one. The idea arose from a concern to renew friendships and to appreciate the growth and experiences of each other since graduation. However, it was not only a “reunion” in the traditional sense of the word. We wanted to help with summer work at the school, thus expressing our continuing interest in Olney.

We began with only a very basic idea of what would happen. Mornings were spent painting, making tomato juice and doing some cleaning. This left the rest of the day for relaxed conversations and activities ranging from a hockey game (co-ed) to a trip to a small community which had been the scene of an AFSC workcamp. We enjoyed visiting with the staff and appreciated their hospitality.

Coming together on a new level was an exciting experience. Even though we had all gone on to something else—something outside of Olney, we were still able to communicate meaningful to each other. This reunion showed us that we were not so far apart. As we left, we felt this was not the end, but was something that could be continued.

NOTE: Contributed by Michaele Monger, Gerry Grant and Anita Custard. Thirteen members of the class were there for all or a part of the weekend.

Gerry’s Letter about the Reunion:

September 17, 1966

Centerville, Indiana

Dear John,

Since you’re not able to get away from your alternative service assignment at Camphill Village, I thought I'd attempt to let you know what happened at the class reunion, and perhaps clarify my own thought by writing them out.

First, I am generally quite well - pleased at the way it turned out and believe all others are, also. However, there was something odd about the whole thing - at least when one begins analyzing it. I got roped into helping Mikey write an article about it for the Current and when we talked a couple of days ago we spent most of the time saying over and over in various ways how great, but strange it was and not knowing what to write for the Current or even what to think ourselves. Out of four wonderful days blurred with activity, conversation and lack of sleep came conflicting feelings which seem to cancel each other out forming an enigmatic void. It was like traveling backward and forward in time, yet remaining suspended. Things, people seemed familiar, yet strange. Saturday night (the last night) I was anxious to leave yet wanted to stay. I think most others have the same mixed feelings.

Here's what happened - briefly as possible! ... Driving with my Grandmother who stayed with nearby relatives, Mikey And I arrived around 2:30 Wednesday, Aug. 31. After saying "Hi 'n' bye" to TSB we found Allen Starbuck drifting around the halls and took him as guide to Raven Rocks. 

Arriving again at school and unpacking, who should drive in by taxi; but Tony and Dana. We stayed pretty much together before and after supper. After dark it was Jerry Clark's idea to have a campfire which was great and finally broke up around 10:30. The males of '65 were supposed to stay in Rockwell's old house (the one on the walk) while the ladies got Peck's house, behind the Main Building. So we three fellows tramped down bag and baggage to have a look at the place. We unanimously agreed it was the most depressing place we'd seen since graduation - especially the (THE) narrow double bead in the turquoise dining room. So, we tiptoed up behind the Main and moved in on the floor above Mikey. Finally, lights out about 1AM; Dana in one room, Tony and I in another and Mikey downstairs. Our room was pitch black, and it's a good thing, too, because Mikey came calling dressed as a ghost and Tony was au natural. He thought she was Dana and let fly all the four-letter words he knew. Then, Dana walked in disguised as James Cooper, which created a few seconds of confusion. And so, by the time Mikey left in an hour and Tony and I resumed our conversation and exhausted all topics, it was after 3AM.

Thursday morning we scrubbed the gym walls - most unrewarding drudgery. I walked around all day bleary-eyed and developed a pounding headache which I got rid of by riding with Tr. Tom to Wheeling to pick up Penny Letson. Susan, Jean, and Ramona also arrived about the same time (Tony, Dana, and I had already evacuated to the boys’ dorm.) Also, Thursday morning Warren and Tim rolled in from California and Warren began at once compulsively washing his car and we got to visit briefly with him before he went to his room to get some sleep before heading on East, where I assume you got to see him as you wrote.

Fri. - more work. I helped Nan in the library in the afternoon, so am not sure what others did. Fri. evening most people went to a dance at the "Appalachian Youth Center of Warnock" community where Susan had attended an Olney-based work camp. I stayed to welcome Anita and Ed who got in from Richmond about 10. The others arrived back a little later and we gathered in the downstairs of the girls' quarters. Blasting Rolling Stones records encourage the familiarities of small group conversations. At no time was there real group discussion, and it's really just as well: complete informality was best - as was the complete freedom campus we enjoyed after staff were in bed, which was well-used but not abused.

What was, to me, I think, the most outstanding experience occurred around 3AM Saturday (or Friday night). Somehow Susan, Tony, Mikey, Dana, Ed, and I found ourselves in the dining room sipping milk and there we drifted as a group out to underneath the Boys' Porch where we just stood around. We just seemed to have run out of things to say and it was certainly bedtime; but no one made a move. The suspense was tremendous; it seemed that everyone wanted to say something, but no one knew what to say. The logical thing to do would been to say good night be we all simply hung around; finally, I suggested walking out the drive. It was a magnificent night. The moon was full and there were silver clouds drifting high in the sky. I think we all felt a strange, nebulous emotion surge around us which was indescribable-- almost religious. Intense excitement and a sort of inner bursting combined with a sense of peace, joy and fellowship. We reached the end of the drive in silence; we seemed to be clinging (figuratively) to each other and wondering (inhibitedly) why. Finally, Susan said she was wondering why we had come back. She had been previously talking with Mikey and Dana about it. After a while I made some tentative expression of groping thoughts expecting that someone else would have something to say. Tony, for once, seemed not to. Mikey said a few words. Then Ed, squatting on the ground, and, as I learned later on, wondering what the heck was going on, summed up the whole situation in inimitable Simonovian fashion, murmuring, "It's wet here." (referring to the ground). Spontaneously, Susan and I started back and after talking awhile turned in. Mikey and Dana got involved in communication for the first time and sat talking in the graveyard for a couple of hours. Lying on my sleeping bag in Room 12 I could hear 'Simon-govia' with his guitar on the Boys' Porch - a rather re-assuring sound which faded in and out with the breeze - a delightful effect.

Saturday afternoon Lola drove the German class plus Ramona to Barnesville to call on Tr. Kenneth. Browns had camp supper for us in the Girl's Woods which ended in watermelon seed-throwing and -spitting. Then came 'Horse and Rider'; (Tony's idea) with Tony and Penny against Anita and me-- and continued by others-- followed by a rousing game of hockey, the most memorable moment of which was when Tr. Tom bounced the ball on his stick half way down the field! After recovering, we went to White's (the one story brick house) for the evening and heard David Brown's spiel followed by discussion. Whites wanted advice from us as recent grads-- likes, dislikes, pros and cons of Olney in relation to present environments. I don't recall anything really outstanding having been said. One main idea was that the school should provide seniors with a better idea of what to expect in college-- with emphasis on mechanics such as credits, etc. The party broke up when everyone rushed out to greet the Zavitz family as they came putting in like a victoriously-returning girls' basketball team, their VW microbus bulging and loaded on top.

After leaving Whites’ and congregating at Pecks’ house in similar fashion to the previous night, I left to turn in at 2AM, ran into Ed and we talked on the Main's front porch until around 4AM. Meanwhile Bob Salov had arrived from goodness-knows-where and it seems there was a plan afoot for Tony, Susan, Dana, and Penny to leave with him that night for Georgia to visit Bill White. Well, Tony and Susan backed out and finally persuaded Penny, who was packed and in the car, not to go. So-- I don't know what happened but to Dana but he's now at Michigan State. I left right after meeting Sunday.

It is now Sunday, Oct. 2 and I’ve gotten a good start at Earlham. I'm horrified when I see how much I've written. I hope it doesn't seem too involved and trivial! But I feel, after several weeks, it is the details and small incidents which best describe what happened. It was a time packed with activity-- especially when some of us were putting in twenty hour days! I keep wanting to sum up my thought and to reach some definite and profound conclusion about the reunion, but as I reflect, I find I keep going around in circles. I constantly think of new angles with overlapping and interconnected themes and finally conclude that all I can conclude is that the Reunion was a success.

Tom Brown's Letter

Responses from classmates:

Dana Replies:

Many thanks to Gerry for sharing! I continue to be impressed with how accurately he documented the emotional/spiritual content of the reunion  as well as our activities. To me, the reunion ties together a number of threads, or paths in my life... Here's a few:

I got to the Reunion by first taking a long-haired, Easy Rider (is that a boy or a girl?) Greyhound trip from Spriegel's in Gallipolis to visit Tony at his home in Narrows, VA. Two things stand out: a great mountain climb, and Tony reading Sandburg ("Indian Copper"?) till I drifted off to sleep one afternoon. We hitched up to Barnesville on a glorious fall day... even the interchange of I-70 and I-77 was transfigured.

The moonlight night and cemetery formed the basis for some writing that's been almost finished for a long time and may remain in that state for a bit longer.

The ride to Georgia to visit Bill with Bobby was great fun. Probably best that others didn't come along... would have been stranger than it already was! Then the hitch back North with Bill: Most of the way with a circus carny, his stripper wife (trust me, I didn't want to see those clothes come off!), and their child, JoJo, affectionately referred to as "JoJo, you little shit." We may have stayed with Claudie in Pittsburgh... then on to study with 40,000 others at Michigan State. I know that after FBS and the reunion, I allowed myself to feel really disconnected at MSU. I think there are hints of similar feelings in others in Gerry's letter.

Speaking only for myself, I see the Cleveland "experience" as a natural outgrowth/attempt to hold on to Olney and friends. I wouldn't trade it or Olney for anything. On the other hand, we all grow up sooner or later (my case) and leave behind childish things...  I understand better now why Chester Doudna would us address as "Tender Youth".   Passionate, earnest, and (certainly in my case) whacky.    -   Love to all, DTZ