An email from Tony Lavely '64, Class Secretary

’64 Class Council meeting takes 7 hours on Zoom

February 17, 2021

Classmates and friends:

The 1964 Class Council met via Zoom on Saturday, February 13, 2021. It was the first annual Class Council meeting that did not take place in person. With no travel and weather to contend with, it set a record for attendance with 31 Council members attending. It lasted seven hours! Some of the topics will be reported separately, in more detail, but a summary of the meeting is appended to this email..

There have been 24 new News articles posted since the beginning of the year, including more detail about the Class Council meeting and these classmates:

  • Bob Buchanan
  • Ben Day
  • Chas Freeman
  • Chris Getman
  • Stephen Greenblatt
  • Tony Lavely
  • Paul Manchester
  • Bill Morse
  • Tony Reno
  • Al Rossiter
  • Gerry Shea
  • Others

Sadly, I report we were notified of the deaths of three classmates since the March-April 2021 Class Notes were posted: Panos Koumandos, Andrew Reis, and David Ritchey. You can read their obituaries and remembrances at In Memoriam. If you would like to add a remembrance or purchase a Mory’s Memorial Brick for these men (or any other classmate), please let me know.

By now, I hope all of you have gotten at least one COVID-19 vaccination, if not two. Stay tuned for notices about upcoming Zoom meetings that will be open to all classmates and spouses.

Lastly, the May-June 2021 Class Notes will be posted by March 12. Please send me items of interest about yourself or any classmate.

Cheers,


Tony Lavely

1964 Class Council meets for 7 hours via Zoom

February 13, 2021

Class Secretary Tony Lavely reports on the first-ever 1964 Class Council meeting via Zoom. Thirty-one (of thirty-six) Council members “attended” the meeting, which transpired in seven hours, including a special panel of Yale undergraduates from the Latino Cultural Center at Yale (La Casa Cultural). Here is a summary of the meeting:

  • In Memoriam: We began the meeting by listening to the 1964 Whiffenpoofs album (Al “Pitchpipe” Rossiter was in attendance) and remembering the 18 classmates who have died since our 2020 meeting.


  • Financial Report 2020-21: Our Class Treasurer Chip Brennan was a last-minute scratch due to second COVID vaccination reactions, but his financial report was sound and accepted.


  • Class Contributions: Chris Getman presented a URI video report and moved to renew our Class support for this organization. Jon McBride presented a Squash Haven video report and moved to renew our Class support for this organization. Both motions for support were approved.


  • Yale Alumni Fund Report: Chair of Agents Ward Wickwire presented a 2019-20 YAF Report and a 2020-21 year-to-date YAF Report. Ward expressed concern that we are understaffed with Class Agents, and he made an appeal for new volunteers. Ward highlighted the new agent tool, Give Campus, which makes the process much more efficient.


  • YAA Assembly Report: YAA Class Delegate Bill Morse reported on the 2020-21 YAA Assembly events which have all been conducted via Zoom on the theme “The Arts and Humanities at Yale: A Legacy of Excellence in Moments of Challenge.”


  • Mory’s Memorial Bricks: Chris Getman and Sam Francis presented a status report on this tradition which honors all classmates with Memorial Bricks on Mory’s patio, donated by classmates. To date, 241 classmates have been honored. Chris is asking Mory’s for a location map of the patio, by name, at such time as Mory’s re-opens.


  • Class Golf Outings: Ted Jones updated the Council on the status of the Yale Course. Until physical distancing conditions change, Yale is discouraging gatherings in or around the New Haven area.


  • Zoom Reunions: Since in-person mini reunions are in abeyance for the foreseeable future due to pandemic conditions, four proposals were made to develop a series of Zoom reunions like the highly successful regional Zooms in New Haven, NYC, Boston, and Northern California. Joe Wishcamper presented a concept for topical Zooms, possibly two per year; Edward Massey presented a concept for book-club Zooms, possibly two per year; Robert Whitby presented a concept for using Zoom to conduct a reunion focusing on the “Yale Canon” (proposed last year as a mini reunion in NYC); Howard Gillette presented a concept for using Zoom to conduct a reunion focusing on civil rights (proposed last year as a mini reunion in Atlanta). All of these concepts were greenlighted by the Council. If you would like to join the planning committees of any one of these, please contact the designated chair.


  • New Council Members: Three new Class Council members were approved: Tom Barnard, Jerry Flannelly, and Ted Wagner. Read more.


  • Climate Change Series: Tony Lee presented an update on his Zoom series, “Can We Stop Climate Change.” To date, over 30 classmates and spouses have attended. If you would like to join a future series, please contact Tony Lee.


  • Yale Student Panel: As reported here, six students from the Latino Cultural Center at Yale shared their experiences with the Council. It was a highly informative and engaging session.

  • Appreciation: Special thanks to Jennifer Julier, YAA Associate Director, for supporting us in this meeting, giving up her full Saturday.