REVERENCE FOR GOD AND THE HUMAN PERSON
RESPECT FOR LEARNING AND ORDER
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SHARED EXPERIENCE OF COMMUNITY LIFE
October 2003
Monthly Musings
This is the fifth in an ongoing series of informal communications with Portsmouth Abbey School's constituents. Current parents, alumni/ae, past parents and friends have all expressed an interest in hearing more about our school, more often. It is meant to be one element among a number of activities designed to keep you better informed about the School, the Monastery and our community.
Admissions Open House: This year's Open House will be held on Saturday, November 1st from 8:30 am to 1 pm. Visitors will have an opportunity to tour the campus, meet the faculty, listen to a student panel, and gather admissions information. Invitations have been sent to over 250 families so we are expecting an excellent turnout. Please spread the word.
Institutional Stewardship team expands: We welcomed Patrick Cosquer to the School on October 1st. Pat comes to us from the Institute for International Sport, where he served as the Director of the Rhode Island Scholar-Athlete Games. Prior to that he worked with high schools both in the Midwest and in Rhode Island helping them raise money for athletic related activities. Pat is a graduate of Bates College where he captained the Squash and Baseball teams. He will be working in Communications, Admissions and Athletics.
Martha Marie Grogan joined the staff as the Director of Alumni & Parent Programs. Martha Marie joins Portsmouth Abbey School after eight years as the Director of the Broadway Task Force in Newport. In this role she led the revitalization of Broadway, Newport's historic main street. Her background also includes experience in marketing as well as commercial and residential real estate development. She will focus on overseeing alumni and parent programming and directing special events.
Milestones from the Enclosure: Dom Julian Stead, '43 celebrated his 60th reunion. He recently returned from a weeklong pilgrimage to Medjugorje in Herzegovina. This town in Dalmatia is the site of the Virgin Mary's daily apparitions that began in 1981 when she appeared to six children. While climbing the steep path of Mount Krizevac, Dom Julian was able to view the monumental artwork depicting the Stations of the Cross. In addition to celebrating his 55th reunion, Dom Christopher Davis '48 also marked 50 years in the monastery on Monday, September 29th, the feast of St. Michael the Archangel.
Alumni Service Network to be formed: Our indefatigable Community Service Director (and Ethics and CD teacher and singer par excellence), Blake Billings '77, feels that our students (V and VI Formers) should be put in touch with our alumni who are connected to the world of not-for-profit enterprises for summer and spring break internships. Any Takers? Please email Blake at bbillings@portsmouthabbey.org.
College Counseling Update: More than half of the over 80 scheduled campus college visits have taken place already. Please consult the website for a list of upcoming colleges to visit Portsmouth Abbey School. Many students are working diligently to meet early deadlines, while others are gearing up their essays for regular decision application deadlines. Ms. Ohlin, our Writer-In Residence, will lead the essay-writing workshop in November.
Michael O' Higgins delivered the initial Dom Luke Child's lecture of the 2003-'04 year. Mr. O' Higgins is the parent of four Portsmouth Abbey School graduates, Mark '92, Brendan '93, Colin '97 and Sean '99. He runs O' Higgins Asset Management in Miami and is one of the top money managers in the country. His management style has been written about in Forbes, Barron's, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, and many other major newspapers and magazines. In his talk, Mr. O' Higgins addressed the students about strategic ways they might save and invest their hard-earned money in the future, including ways of building a nest egg and charitable giving. Mr. O' Higgins stressed the idea that the ability to get along with other people far outweighed either luck or brains as the key ingredient to success in business.
2003 Reunion Weekend: Over 140 Alumni and friends attended the October 3-5 festivities. Classes whose year of graduation ended in 3 or 8 were welcomed back with a full schedule of activities. Many graduates returned to campus with the school in session for the first time in years. Of special significance was the presence of graduates from the Classes of 1943 and 1953 who were celebrating their 60th and 50th Reunions, respectively. The Class of 1963 returned in strength with over twenty classmates. Many friendships were rekindled and the Class honored the memory of Peter Hartmann '63 and Brian Marshall '63 through the placement of a plaque in St. Bede's. A special video message was also recorded for classmate Tom Bodden who lives in Hawaii who, because of his battle with Lou Gehrig's disease, was unable to be present. Kudos goes to Red Cummings, Steve Ward, Curtiss Roach, and others for their devotion to the class and the School.
Scholarship Tournament a Hit: A crystal clear fall day provided the backdrop for a field of 76 golfers, including alumni, parents and friends, who hit the links at Carnegie Abbey for a day of fun. The 3rd Annual Golf Tournament raised over $25,000 in scholarship funds for the benefit of Portsmouth Abbey students. The presence of reunion foursomes from the classes of 1953, 1963 and 1973 greatly added to the event, as did the site of the post-tournament reception and awards ceremony, Carnegie Abbey's beautiful new Club House overlooking the eighteenth green and Narragansett Bay. The top flight Carnegie Abbey staff made the day a special treat for all of Portsmouth Abbey School's guests.
Varsity Football Downs Kimball Union Academy in Dramatic Fashion: The varsity football team had their first Evergreen Conference win since joining last year! In front of a Parent's Weekend crowd in Meriden, NH, the Ravens fought back from a 14-6 deficit out scoring KUA 16-0 in the fourth quarter to win by the final of 22-14. The go-ahead touchdown was scored with 5 seconds left on a 5 yard run by Sixth Form Co-Captain and Newport Daily News Athlete of the Week in September, Jerome Igle. Co-Captain Richard Mehlmann said about the game, "that was the best football game I've been a part of in my 4 years here at the Abbey!"
Third Annual Headmaster's Run: The Third Annual 2.5 Mile Headmaster's Run will be held on Monday November 10th at 3:30 pm. This day marks the end of fall sports and gives all members of the Portsmouth Abbey School community an opportunity to come together and enjoy this recreational and spirited event. Last year, we had a great turnout with over 200 participants including members from the faculty, staff, monastic community, and student body. In addition, the dorm with the highest percentage of participation wins a pizza party! All are welcome to run, jog, or walk and unite in Raven spirit.
Girls Ice Hockey Clinic on December 7th: NEW THIS YEAR!!! Instructed by Christa McDougall, Portsmouth Abbey School's Girls Ice Hockey Head Coach. Christa played ice hockey at Middlebury College for 4 years where she led the team to their first National Championship in 2000 and during her senior year, was selected to the National All-Star team. Click here for more information.
Annual Fund Update: This year's Annual Fund is off to a great start under the volunteer leadership of John White '80 who is assisted by over 100 class agents. John is taking over the role that was held by Tom Sexton '84 for three years. Parents' Committee Co-Chairs, Jamie and Debbie Wilson will lead the Current Parent giving effort, while Dane Baird P'95 will head the Parent of Alumni campaign.
Squash Center to Honor Dom Bede Gorman, O.S.B.: The new eight-court squash pavilion at Portsmouth Abbey will honor the life and legacy of Father Bede Gorman by being named in his honor. Fr. Bede's decades long commitment to athletics at Portsmouth is a lasting memory for generations of Portsmouth alumni. The School Community is honored that an anonymous donor has strongly supported the idea of remembering Dom Bede in this way. The steel outline of the new building is now clearly visible to the north of the McGuire Fine Arts Center (formerly The Barn). To view the latest construction photographs click on: http://www.portsmouthabbey.org/page/137/61. In addition to the squash courts, the 17,000 square foot athletic facility will include a state-of-the-art fitness center and inviting atrium space for student recreation. Alumni and parents are providing generous support for the $4.2 million project. Garnering additional financial backing for this important new athletic facility is of paramount importance to the School. If you are interested in learning more about supporting the project, including available naming opportunities, please contact Tony Klemmer '73 or Patrick Burke '86.
Did you know…Fr. Peter Sidler and his crew crafted all the pews in the church? He also built the main doors to the church and created the Latin relief work seen there. Do you know what is inscribed on the doors?
If you have questions, comments or ideas, please contact Tony Klemmer (tklemmer@portsmouthabbey.org) or Jim De Vecchi (jdevecchi@portsmouthabbey.org). We welcome the opportunity to communicate with you.
Tony Klemmer '73 Jim De Vecchi
Assistant Headmaster Headmaster
Institutional Stewardship
Visit our Website at www.portsmouthabbey.org
