WOSA-NA reunion 2004 - two reports

Nestled between craggy peaks in Rocky Mountain National Park, the YMCA of the Rockies provided a spectacular backdrop for one of the largest reunions in Woodstock's history. Over 400 former staff and alumni from classes ranging from the '30's through '90's gathered to help celebrate Woodstock's 150th anniversary. Principal David Jeffery and Woodstock Board President Dr. Prakash Masih were able to attend the special celebrations to bring greetings from the school.

The attendance roster read like a Who's Who list of Woodstock history. Many classes and families had also scheduled reunions to coincide with the weekend, bringing many first-time attendees to the reunion. The KWI Board and WOSACouncil took this opportunity to hold their annual meetings as well, which meant that several Kodaikanal School alumni were also present.

The program was as rich and varied as the crowd. In addition to the traditional Indian banquet, sing-alongs, silent auction, and evening programs, special activities were organized to educate, entertain and challenge participants. Indian cooking, hiking, India in film, chorus, drama, quilting, puppetry workshops, and much more were on the menu. The weekend culminated in an after-dinner program to mark Indian Independence Day (August 15) and to celebrate the many volunteers who have made the Woodstock 150 campaign possible.

The YMCA campus offered participants a wealth of additional outdoor activities, including swimming, hiking, and riding. Elk, deer, bear, and a plethora of birds were spotted. Shopping in nearby Estes Park was a popular diversion. Catching up with old friends and making new ones took precedence, however. Glenn Conrad '68 added to the ambiance with his chai stall, complete with charpoys brought from India for this special occasion. John FergerR '40 brought an amazing display of photographs taken by his father, the renowned Henry Ferger, to decorate the walls of the hall.

A raffle of an amazing quilt that depicts the Woodstock campus that was made by Harvella Baumann Stutzmann '49 raised hundreds of dollars, and the winner of the raffle, Vivian Nichol Norden '45, graciously promised to enjoy it for a year and then to donate it to next year's reunion to be auctioned again.

Reunion Chair Anne Lind, local organizing committee members and WOSA-Council members all worked hard to coordinate this mammoth gathering that spread over a square mile area. Special thanks to Li Chu '59 and Suzanne Turner Hanifl '63 for their unflagging commitment to staffing the auction and sales tables, which groaned under a wide variety of books, Indian handicrafts and memorabilia. Pulling off a reunion of this magnitude was a real achievement, and they succeeded with honors. Jai Hind and Jai Woodstock!

From David Scott, President, WOSA-NA

About 400 Woodstockites - former students ranging from the class of 1935 through 1984, staff, parents and friends - gathered in the beautiful YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park, CO August 13-16 for the WOSA/NA 19th Annual Reunion. This was a particularly special occasion - a celebration of 150 years of our school's providing top quality education in the lap of the Himalayas. It was a wonderful time of reminiscing and reconnecting; I met friends I had not seen since I graduated in 1952. Of course, singing familiar school songs, such as "The Hiking Song" and "Shadows" assisted in facilitating the reminiscing and reconnecting, as did a couple of class skits and several readings from the book Living On the Edge: Tales of Woodstock School. The main focus of our time together was on the school and its contemporary Indian context. Popular were a number of workshops - Indian films; Indo-anglian fiction; Indian politics, history & religion; Indian puppetry; Indian textile crafts, Indian cooking, and several more. The worship service this year was in the context of "a tribal tradition" of Northeast India, a change from the usual Indian classical tradition. Everyone appreciated the delightful and informative presentation on Woodstock today and tomorrow made by Principal David Jeffery. Believe it or not Hanson Field has been fixed - no more landslides cutting off the finish line of the 100 yard dash. The Middle States Association (USA) has renewed the school's accreditation for another statutory period. As of the end of June 2004, the Woodstock 150 campaign had realized 88% of its long term goal and 21% of its short term goal - at total of US$ 6,600,712. Midlands and the Hanifl Centre now both have physical plants amply commensurate with their needs. The academic achievements of the students, once again, is remarkable this year. Looking to the future David Jeffrey spoke of plans to complete the renovation of Ridgewood and the Quad facilities. The new Mumby gym is to be built as soon as possible so that the sports program can be significantly developed around the new facility. Ongoing throughout the weekend was much lively talk. There was a chai ki dukan, complete with Primus stoves and a couple of genuine charpais on which to sit while shooting the gup with one's friends. Popular also were the Bazaar, the Silent Auction and the KWI Booth - all featuring Woodstock related items for sale. The last night, August 15th, there was a festive khana to celebrate Indian Independence Day. After the meal and program, honoring those who had given leadership in the Woodstock 150 Campaign, Brij Lal (former staff) led us all in singing Jana, Gana Mana, and the concluding acclamation - JAI HIND! Happy and tired, many of us left Estes Park looking forward to next year's WOSA/NA Reunion at Silver Bay on beautiful Lake George, NY, June 23-26, 2005. Hope to see you there.