The Society of Graduates

Welcome to New Readers: Mimi Doak Pakenham ’58.

Highlights:

Saturday, October 20 was a beautiful, blue sky day on the riverbank, a perfect setting for the Third Annual Homecoming Tailgate and the Annual Alumni/Student Soccer match. This year the game was won by the indomitable alumni team 5:2. There were 19 returning players from near and far, including SOG President Fred Mirsky ’74, of Burlington, Ryan Ellis ’06 from Switzerland’s Franklin College and the winner of the Longest Trip, Emirates’ pilot James Clyde ’95 from Dubai. What is your excuse for missing the fun? Obviously, distance is not one of them!! This was the place to be!

Circle the Calendar:

Saturday, October 27: The Annual RiverRun (8 AM registration before the 9AM start and the First Annual Pumpkin Festival beginning at noon). You have another chance to get in on more fun at St. Mary’s Hall-Doane Academy. See you there Rain or Shine!

How to Help Boost Enrollment at SMHDA:

If you live in Burlington, Mercer or Bucks County, send your children!

If you live in the Tri-state area, wear clothing with our logo.

Tell your neighbors with children and grandchildren about SMHDA.

Speak positively about the school and its successes and programs.

Display a school sticker on your car. (Contact the Admissions Office to obtain one.)

Buy an SMHDA mug and take it to work

Host a reception in your neighborhood if you have a lot of school age families (Contact Sue Gillespie in Admissions).

Take information about the school to the local library.

Wear your school ring! It’s distinctive and a conversation starter.

Annual Giving Campaign is underway. Fall is upon us and all the holidays will be here before you know it. As you make plans for family gatherings and gifts, please include a gift to our school. Audrey Winzinger has been hard at work writing grants and it is important that we all contribute to the school fund to boost the percentage of donors. Let us beat last year’s percentage of alumni contributors!

A big thank you to Julia Gleason Rhoads ’57 who gave her time and talent to the task of creating casings to store the school and SOG banners. Since the banners are old, they must be stored in archival muslin bags to conserve the fabric. Archivist Lollie Rogers x61 also contributed her expertise to this project.

Community News:

The Society of Graduates extends its sympathy to the family of Patricia Michael Stevenson ’70 upon the death of her father Samuel Michael on October 15. Mr. Michael is also the grandfather of Carrie Stevenson ’96.

Archives Question Update: Further internet research has revealed that Margaret Graham Howell was indeed the sister of Varina Howell Davis, wife of Jefferson Davis, at the time a US Senator from Mississippi. Miss Howell went on to marry a chevalier (third son with no inheritance!) in London, England, Charles de Wechmar-Stoess, a diplomat from Bavaria, in 1869, ten years after leaving St. Mary’s. Send your archives questions to Lollie Rogers at abr44@comcast.net

Right Onward,

Pam Borden Heckert ‘67

By LAURI SHEIBLEY
Burlington County Times
BURLINGTON CITY St. Mary’s Hall-Doane Academy is raising money to construct a children’s library in memory of a former student.

Katherine Potts was 6 years old when she died from a rare brain disease. She had attended kindergarten at St. Mary’s Hall, a private school along the Delaware River.

Headmaster John McGee said the school plans to convert a vacant classroom on the second floor into a cozy library that will be named after Katherine. McGee said the space will have tables and chairs overlooking the river, a stage where children can perform and a reading loft.

The school will hold a 5-kilometer race Saturday to raise money for the project. The Burlington River Run will begin at 9 a.m. at the school campus at 350 Riverbank. Runners and walkers may enter. The entry fee is $20. Registration starts at 8 a.m.

McGee said the school has a goal of $50,000 for the library. He said the school has already collected about $25,000 through fundraisers and donations.

Katherine attended the school in 2003-04. Peggy Majane, who worked as a teacher’s aide in the kindergarten classroom that school year, said she spent a lot of time caring for Katherine.

“She was the sweetest, happiest, most beautiful little girl”, Majane said.Majane said she started to notice changes in Katherine’s behavior during the school year. She said Katherine had difficulty focusing and would often wander off.

The summer after that school year, Katherine, daughter of Linda and David Potts of Lumberton, was diagnosed with a rare brain disease, metachromatic leukodystrophy. She died in early 2005.

Linda Potts said the faculty and students at the school were very supportive during Katherine’s illness, sending money and cards to help the family.

“Those children did everything they could to help her”, Potts said.

She said the library will be a nice addition to the school.

“It’s really a celebration for those children who helped us through those difficult times”‘ she said.

McGee said a library will be an appropriate memorial for Katherine because the young girl loved to read. He said Katherine’s parents would often find her hiding in a closet with a book in her hands.

“The minute she could hold a book, that was like her favorite toy”, Linda Potts said. “She was a very creative child”.

E-mail: lsheibley@phillyBurbs.com

Good luck to our freshman class of 2011 at college!

Highlights:

Channel 6ABC News Covers SMHDA Opening 2007: The annual senior canoe trip from the Red Dragon Canoe Club to St. Mary’s Hall-Doane Academy took place on Wednesday, Sept. 5 after an overnight camping experience and delicious breakfast served in the grand hall of the venerable old building in Edgewater Park. It was perfect weather, blue sky and sun, warm breezes, tide going upriver, with Mr. Curt Anderson on the bagpipes in traditional kilt, playing from the deck of the NJ Marine Police escort. The seniors, honored guests, Mr. McGee, and Kelsey Markowitz, who has been Mr. McGee’s passenger or canoe paddler since second grade, arrived to cheering crowds of parents, grandparents, schoolmates and faculty on the Riverbank in Burlington. The Rev. J. Connor Haynes, chaplain, led the chapel service on the riverbank, with music by the school band. The service ended with a rendition of God Bless America and the Alma Mater. 6ABC News showcased the event at the end of their 6:00 edition, prominently announcing St. Mary’s Hall-Doane Academy in Burlington. For some seniors, the whole experience required tremendous courage and they overcame whatever anxieties it caused, ready to tackle more challenges in this their senior year, the doorway to the rest of their life. Right Onward, Seniors!

Transitions:

Congratulations are in order to the Rev. J. Connor Haynes, Rector of St. Mary’s Church, Burlington, SMHDA Chaplain and trustee, and his family. Brenden and Patrick, twin grandsons, were born on July 3 to Fr. Haynes’ older daughter Teghan and her husband Tyler Noyes. Aunt and uncle are Bronwyn Haynes ‘06 and Gareth ‘14, currently a sixth grade SMHDA student. The boys arrived on Bronwyn’s birthday too! Happy Belated Birthday, Bronwyn!

Archives:

Have a burning question about our SMHDA history? Send your queries to Lollie Rogers ’61 and Dan Pugh ’02 at abr44@comcast.net or danpugh@comcast.net

Marilynn Cannon ’43 wanted to know if we had a record of a relative of Varina Howell Davis, wife of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. The answer was yes, we think so! There was a Margaret G. Howell at SMH for the summer term 1859 only, before the Civil War broke out but at a sensitive time, just before Abraham Lincoln was elected in 1860. This past weekend I visited Ft. Monroe in Hampton VA and read about Varina and how her husband was incarcerated there. I would never have remarked her name had it not been for Marilynn’s query and our wonderful archives collection! Thank you, Marilynn, for your question and thank you to Lollie and Dan for your work. It is just amazing to see what our school has meant to so many people and the connections to American history. What history are we each writing at this moment?

September Archives Query: If you graduated in the 30s or 40s and remember Timbers Hilton or Israel Scott, please contact Lollie Berger Rogers ’61, Archivist. Abr44@comcast.net Lollie would like to know what you know about these gentlemen who worked at the Hall.

St. Mary’s Hall – Doane Academy manned an information booth at the Wood Street Fair this past weekend.

Community News:  

The Society of Graduates sends condolences to Linda Reinhard ’74 and her family upon the death of her father George Reinhard, former trustee of St. Mary’s Hall-Doane Academy. Mr. Reinhard died on September 5, 2007. There is a viewing on Tuesday from 6 - 9 p.m. at Perinchief Chapels, Mt. Holly, with the funeral service to be held on Wednesday at 11:00 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, Mt. Holly.

Circle the Calendar:

Saturday, October 20: Homecoming Varsity Girls Soccer Match at 11 AM followed by Alumni Match and Barbecue Competition in the Circle. Check the website for more details. www.thehall.org

Friday, October 26: Doane’s Dungeon

Saturday, October 27: 5K Race, Pumpkin Festival and Doane’s Dungeon.

“Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and true progress”.  Nicholas Murray Butler (Thanks to Karen Berger Levin ’67!)

Right Onward!

Pam Borden Heckert ‘67

Welcome to: Payal Patel ‘96

Congratulations to members of the class of 2003 who have graduated now from college! Let us know your successes! What are your plans for the future??

Highlights:

Back from a month without IvyLeaflet news, I am ready to report the latest!

Festival of Lights: Plan to attend this event on Sat., August 18. Food, friends and fireworks along with a lighted boat parade. Reserve a spot ($3 per person) on the riverbank today by calling or emailing kathys@thehall.org
Proceeds will go to support the crew team. Local graduates will be receiving postcard invitations. The 5K race has been postponed to October when it is cooler!!

Class Agents: Please send in your news to Alice Fisk at bcfisk@aol.com by Sept. 1.

Mailing Addresses: Please update your addresses if you are moving or have graduated and found your own place! It is nice to have an excuse to pick up mail at the parents’ house, but sometimes they move and then we lose you too! Please contact Sally Thomas at s252thomas@comcast.net if you want to change your mailing address. Thanks!

Community News:

Who is Hal Taussig? He was the commencement speaker this year and he runs a company called Untours out of Media, PA. Learn more about Mr. Taussig by going to
www.msnbc.msn.com , search his name or scroll down to the story about the Millionaire who Spreads his Wealth (July 5).

Gene Barretta ‘78 illustrated another children’s book “Sheetzucacapoopoo: My Kind of Dog” that was published in September 2006, written by Joy Behar of ABC’s The View. I apologize for not printing this news earlier but it was lost (and just found) in my inbox!

Jeanne Hornberger White ’44 died June 29 in Ohio after a brief illness. Her classmates will miss her sense of humor. She is survived by three children and her husband Bill. Locals will recognize her name as there is a street in Roebling named for her father who was a beloved doctor.

Corrections:

After reading the Burlington County Times article about this year’s commencement, several graduates wrote to say that there have been outdoor commencements in the past, including 1974 and 1976. So perhaps the writer should have said that it was the first outdoor commencement of the 21^st century! After 170 years of existence, it is hard to say anything is first, unless it is related to technology!

The 2007-08 Bishop Doane Annual Fund opened on July 1. Please make plans to support our school this year. Your time, talent and treasure go a long way to write the continuing story of St. Mary’s Hall – Doane Academy. Call the school for volunteer possibilities: archives, fundraising, gardening, painting, or work days. There is a part for all of us to play. As Mr. McGee says every June, it is the best year yet. Help us make it one again in 2007-08!

Right Onward!

Pam Borden Heckert ‘67

Welcome officially the class of 2007 who graduated on Saturday, June 9 on a beautiful day. See previous post for the complete article on the days events. Welcome back also Joan Wright Konecny ’59 with a new email address.

Highlights:
Development News: The 2006-2007 Bishop Doane Fund is closing on June 30. Have you contibuted yet? To reach our annual giving goal, we need everyone’s participation. There is still plenty of time for your gift to be counted toward this year’s Fund. Thank you to all who have responded to the reminder cards!

ChessCamp at SMHDA: USAChessCamp is offering a chess camp on campus this summer the week of July 16. Go to www.chesscamp.com for more information. This is an example of the creativity of Mr. McGee and his staff looking for ways to increase our visibility for recruiting students. It is also possible because of generous gifts to fund the newly renovated and AIR CONDITIONED Odenheimer III!

Odenheimer Window Project is ongoing. Please contact Kathleen Keays kkeays@thehall.org if you would like to sponsor a window. Thank you in advance!

Keep in touch with your SMHDA friends. If you would like a copy of the Alumni Directory, please email Sally Thomas s252thomas@comcast.net. It’s as easy as an attachment in excel.

See what is new on the SOG website: find it through www.thehall.org or go to www.societyofgraduates.org Set your homepage to one of them and have instant access to all the latest news. (Ed Note: Please also checkout the Bulletin Board - just an easy click from this page - look to the right and click on the Bulletin Bord link!)

Email Address Competition: OK we can’t have field day competitions so easily online, but the decades can compete for numbers of email addresses in my contacts! Here is how it looks: Winner: 70s with 113; 60s with 107; a tie between 80s and the 21^st century: 74; followed by 50s (53), 90s (49), and 40s (23)No complaints about percentages. I will have to do more research and math to come up with those numbers for another issue! Sorry, no prizes will be awarded. Just listen to us all clapping!!

Community News:
The Class of 1971 mourns its classmate Bette Rathauser ’71 who died recently after spinal surgery. Please contact Wendy Russell wendyrussell@tiscali.co.uk for information about plans to memorialize classmates whom the class has lost. Luke Wallace ’98 and wife Amber welcomed Avery Lynn on June 5. Avery’s aunt is Rebekah Wallace ’00. Congratulations to the whole Wallace family! Cristopher Sefransky ’03, Arcadia University’07, Bachelor of Science Honors graduate in Accounting, co-wrote with Thomas Brinker, AU Professor of Accounting, an article on “The Expanding Definition of S Corporation Ownership: An Overview of the Basics” in the May 2007 issue of the Journal of Financial Service Professionals.

Circle the Calendar:
Saturday, August 25: The Annual SMHDA RiverRun. Stay tuned for details. Contact Kathy Szczepanski to help: kathys@thehall.org Ivy Leaves deadline: (August-September) Send in your personal news to class agents or directly to Alice Collins Fisk ’61 bcfisk@aol.com for the fall issue of Ivy Leaves. Please contact me if you need a new class list or if you don’t know who your class agent is! Right Onward!
Pam Borden Heckert ‘67