| Your Comments: | Well my brother George has asked me to write some comments about the recent BB Alumni meeting held on Friday October 13th. It was quite an emotional ride for most of the returning boys and I think also for the current staff who attended. I speak for myself but surmise that similiar feelings may have been experienced by others attendees. I didn't know what to expect from this visit and came without an opinion nor sense of purpose.
Immediately upon entering the Farm I began to move back in time and my sense was one of familiar excitement. My most enduring impression was coming in the Lane. It is the first and the last thing you see as a Bonnie Brae Boy. The first time you drive up that lane, your are filled with anxiety and concern of what lays ahead of you. And for so many boys, when you drive down it for the last time as a Bonnie Brae boy, you are filled with the memories of your time there and the emotions of whatever new frontier or directions your life will now take.
The connection with my former "brothers" and our predecessors initially took some time but soon was quickly and easily established. From this point it now became a harvest of memories,questions, and personal thoughts.
As for the current administration, Susan (you know how we reject formalities Dr. Roth) and her staff were gracious and sincere hosts. Both the staff and the alumni were eager to exchange feelings and some memories were quite compelling. Every boy there remembered and cherished their interaction with Mrs. Geraldine Day whose guiding hand was gentle and all encompassing.
A more immediate link to our past with the presence of Ted Osborne, grandson of Judge Harry Osborne. He brought with him his son and so the links continue between Bonnie Brae and that caring family.
A luncheon was held for the current boys and the alumni. Intermingling between us seemed to re-kindle our memories and we were peppered with questions about the time we spent at BB.
Our tour of the cottages and other buildings highlighted the changes over several different administrations. No longer are the cottages occupied and it is a sad fact that Gould cottage has been torn down. Osborne is now a thrift shop but for anyone who lived there, the locker room, dorms, and communal bathroom are visually evident despite the interior changes. Such is true of Kiwanis, Pauls and Metcalfe.
We were eager to assist the new BB with some sort of aid. And our own ego's prodded us to restore Paul's (now closed) and fix us Osborne. It remains to be seen how we can best help the farm and it's current staff meet their goals. One solid benefit was the lengthy article describing the reunion in the Nov 2nd edition of the Bernardsville News.
I wish to thank my brother George for his and his family's active participation in sponsoring this event along with the irasicble Murray Brothers.
I leave you with this one thought. As I drove back down that Lane, 40 years have passed since my graduation from Bernardsville High. I will always be a Bonnie Brae boy and I shall always cherish the brotherhood of the boys and the foundation which allowed us to enter our manhood. |