FW: Varsity letters of omission

[Wally Buschmann]

While this is directed more to Russ Fisher and Dave Truslow, I'm including everyone on the list.  The following communications between me and Dave Hard identify the issue.  Assuming Dave and Russ are in agreement, the suggestion is to contact the AD at Pomfret to see whether letters can still be awarded to those members of our class who were members of varsity teams during our senior year.

 

A major challenge is to identify those individuals and to see whether they are interested.  Certainly Dave is.  There is already a precedent for this since Pomfret awarded a letter in 1968 to John Bockstoce - a well deserved recognition, but one that he should have received in the spring of 1962.

 

I look forward to your thoughts.  Thanks.

 

Wally 

 

 

 

 

---

From: David Hard [mailto:hdav...@msn.com]
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2012 3:20 PM
To: Wally Buschmann
Cc: ralph....@sunywcc.edu; John R Bockstoce; ihma...@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Varsity letters of omission

Thank you, Wally, for your support and encouragement. I really didn't expect this to move as far as it has but, given the fact that so many who were deserving didn't receive letters, I recommend that those of you who represent the '62 Athletic Committee contact the current Athletic Director at Pomfret and state our case. I think that a call out to all surviving members of our class would be sufficient in finding those who were deserving but denied. 

   Personally, I imagine that the letter (suitable for framing) plus a felt "P" would be satisfactory to all. Because I have not donated all that much to Pomfret in the past, I would be willing to cover the cost of the letters and "P"s and maybe an additional amount for our class gift. (sounds  like blackmail but rhymes with justice)

   All the best,

Dave 

On May 18, 2012, at 10:55 AM, Wally Buschmann <w...@lawweeks.com> wrote:

David,

 

First, I support you in this venture

 

Second, I'm at a loss as to how to proceed

 

There were several seniors on varsity teams in 1962 who did not letter.  Ralph seems to recall that there were at least 3 members of the basketball team alone.  Would it be appropriate to contact them along with any other unlettered seniors who played at the varsity level; can we even identify everyone.

 

If we are to proceed, my preference is to go down this route only once and the sooner the better.

 

I have added Howie to this conversation for his input as well.  One thought is for Russ, Dave, and I, as the class representatives of the Athletic Committee back in 1962, to make a recommendation to the current Athletic Director on this subject.  Certainly I have a responsibility as the Commodore/Captain of Crew to speak up on your behalf.

 

Your thoughts.

 

Wally

 

 

WALDEMAR G. BUSCHMANN

WEEKS & HUTCHINS, LLC

P. O. Box 417

2 Park Place

Waterville, Maine 04903-0417

w...@lawweeks.com

Tel: 207 872-2783

Fax: 207 872-5749

 

The contents of this transmission may be privileged, confidential, and/or exempt from discovery or disclosure under applicable law. Unauthorized use or disclosure of this material by anyone but the intended recipient may lead to legal action against the unauthorized user. If you have received this transmission in error, please destroy it immediately and notify the sender of the error.

 

 

 

---

From: John R Bockstoce [mailto:john_r_b...@msn.com]
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2012 11:36 AM
To: hdav...@msn.com; Wally Buschmann
Cc: ralph....@sunywcc.edu
Subject: RE: Varsity letters of omission

David:
 
I'm with you on that.
 
All the best! John
 

> From: hdav...@msn.com
> To: w...@lawweeks.com
> Subject: Varsity letters of omission
> Date: Fri, 18 May 2012 08:11:09 -0700
> CC: Ralph....@sunywcc.edu; john_r_b...@msn.com
>
> Hi Wally, John & Ralph,
> So many emails flying that I missed a few....so here's catching up on one in particular.
> First, I was very pleased to hear that John finally received his letter in Crew; his hard work and win as NE Champion made us all proud.
> Second, I think that the Fourth boat was also considered NE Champions as we won every race including the field at Worcester.
> Third, it would mean a great deal to me and my late father to receive that Crew letter.
> Fourth, I thought that the silver-season Varsity B-ball team DID receive letters....I know I did as manager.
> Fifth, as I mentioned in my initial rant, I hold no one accountable for adhering to the "System" even though I had "issues" with Manny and Chic in their inflexibility. Wasn't Tony Moulton on that Committee? He was my nemesis throughout my years at Pomfret and wielded tremendous "Jock-Power".
> Sixth....One of the most exciting memories of that awesome basketball team's play was seeing little Ralph with that killer look in his eyes weaving and bobbing through a phalanx of opposing giants to make a critical basket...usually for the win! A true golden memory!
> Thanks, guys for allowing me to vent and reminisce.
> Dave
>
>
>

[Howie Mallory]

Wally many thanks for following up on this matter.  As you may recall we did discuss it a bit during one of our reunion committee calls. Although becaause of other perceived priorities , we didn't stay with it.  I for one believe that it  would be a great gesture to close the circle of the community of our class to award letters 50 years later.  As Dave Storrs lets not hold on to old issues/grudges but move on.  One thing that we don't have a lot of to waste is time. Count me in on getting P letters to those deserving. I am sure that Melissa our newest and prettiest classmate will be able to help us.
Howie

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Pomfret62" group.
To post to this group, send email to pomf...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to pomfret62+...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/pomfret62?hl=en.

--
Best Regards,
Howie

[MayoCon...@aol.com]

go for it wally and let's see if we can get varsity letters for those that should have had them back then.

 

hard to believe Manny did that wrong

 

fred

 

Frederic B Mayo
Clinical Professor
New York University
212/998-7102 (office)

Principal
Mayo Consulting Services
845/258-8363 (office)

[Jack Lochhead]

Actually I have no difficulty believing Manny did this wrong.  He stuck strongly to his point of view, no matter what.

Jack

[Wally Buschmann]

Best way to look at the subject is that Manny was "old school."  He was not to be deterred from the standards that he either established or that were in place when he arrived on campus in the late 40s.

 

WALDEMAR G. BUSCHMANN

WEEKS & HUTCHINS, LLC

P. O. Box 417

2 Park Place

Waterville, Maine 04903-0417

w...@lawweeks.com

Tel: 207 872-2783

Fax: 207 872-5749

 

The contents of this transmission may be privileged, confidential, and/or exempt from discovery or disclosure under applicable law. Unauthorized use or disclosure of this material by anyone but the intended recipient may lead to legal action against the unauthorized user. If you have received this transmission in error, please destroy it immediately and notify the sender of the error.

 

 

 

---

From: pomf...@googlegroups.com [mailto:pomf...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of MayoCon...@aol.com
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2012 11:42 AM
To: pomf...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: FW: Varsity letters of omission

[Pietro Nivola]

Amen.

 

Pietro

 

---

From: pomf...@googlegroups.com [mailto:pomf...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of MayoCon...@aol.com
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2012 11:42 AM
To: pomf...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: FW: Varsity letters of omission

 

go for it wally and let's see if we can get varsity letters for those that should have had them back then.

[David Hard]

Wally and Jack and Peter and Fred and, I imagine, many others:

    I see that I opened up Pandora's Box on the letter issue but feel that it's a good thing for several reasons, the main one being an honest and forthright sharing of our feelings as "brothers" 50 years on. I actually feel a lot closer to you guys now than I ever did at Pomfret.

50 years of maturing and life experience has a lot to do with that. 

    I hear it said that not receiving a letter as a senior disappointed most of us but did not force us into years of therapy. Of course we all moved on and did what we were all destined to do.

     Now, as we approach our true senior years we find that one small but important aspect of our school years was shared by many. As Peter said, "Hell, yes, I'd accept one!"  

    Oh...one thing...I hope that B-ball 14-1 silver season was '61-'62

 Dave Soft    

[David Truslow]

Dear Wally and classmates,

I have been away since last Wednesday on an island on a lake in Ontario where we have a family cottage without

any Internet, and with my phone off because of the roaming charges.  My God!  You all have been busy!

I am embarrassed to say that I have no memory whatsoever of serving on the committee that discussed letters.  I

think I was lost in the fog on my intense insecurities, and my recall of details from those years is dreadful.  But as

I try to catch up with all your emails, I certainly agree that an injustice has been done and that we should correct it

retroactively if we can.  I also apologize for whatever my part in this may have been.  Introvert that I was,

I certainly would not have been up to challenging Manny or the group on such decisions. 

I see in another email that Melissa has been "on the case", and I think that her suggestion of putting together the

basics of these discussions and bringing them to the AD and to the new Head of School is wise counsel.

I also wanted to say that I am grateful that we have this forum for discussion and catching up with one another.

Trus

--

[Toby Condliffe]

I earned a varsity letter in wrestling my senior year.  My personal record was 5-4 but I was proud that my five wins were all pins and my four losses were all envisions, I.e. I was never pinned.  I do remember, particularly on dance weekends, feeling acutely aware that I had not won a letter.  My letter came at the end of the winter term, I.e. with only one term left to wear my letter and no girls left to impress with it.

Under the new criteria that is now being suggested, I might have won a letter in soccer my senior year.  I was on the varsity, playing second string right forward.  I got some playing time but obviously not enough to letter.  Frankly, being awarded a letter in soccer at this point in my life would not mean a lot.  I am married to the only girl I want to impress and a letter would not make any difference to her.

If the new criteria were to award a letter to anyone who played on a varsity team in their senior year, then it logically should be applied to everyone in all classes requiring some considerable research effort by the alumni office.  I have no problem with the notion that Manny was "old school" and that the standards he set were rigid.  That's the way it was.  I doubt that a retroactive letter would undo the hurt that some may have felt.  I'd like to think the alumni office has more important tasks to do that all the research that would be needed to do this right.  If those who feel aggrieved want a letter awarded to them based on a revised criteria, that's fine but I, for one, am happy to have been judged by the criteria of the day.

Toby

 

A major challenge is to identify those individuals and to see whether they are interested.  Certainly Dave is.  There is already a precedent for this since Pomfret awarded a letter in 1968 to John Bockstoce - a well deserved recognition, but one that he should have received in the spring of 1962.

 

I look forward to your thoughts.  Thanks.

 

Wally 

--

[David Hard]

Hi, Gang (channeling Dave Twitchell?)

   I'm beginning to understand the difficulty in determining who among us deserves a letter, the standards by which they were awarded back when, and the huge amount of work required by the alumni office and/or the A.D. should Pomfret make a decision on the matter.

    Toby and I were both on that Varsity Soccer squad but did not letter because we warmed the bench more than trod the field. This I understood then and understand now. I also feel that, as one of us mentioned, had there not been benchwarmers in Soccer, B-ball, Baseball, etc., that there would have been no scrimmages in practices or a team to take the field or be at bat.

    This was particularly disturbing to me when it was mentioned that three members of that awesome Basketball team (14-1) didn't letter. Had I known then that I, as manager, lettered and three players didn't, I would not have accepted mine. Period.

    As for Crew....there were no bench-warmers....no substitutes....you were Varsity and rowed or you weren't and didn't. Whole crews rowed against each other in the hope of moving up to Varsity status....usually starting in Cleopatra's Barge. I remember Wally's incredibly strong Third Boat continually tormenting the First and Second Boats for the right to row against other schools' first and second boats. 

    My point here, as far as Crew goes, has always been that A. The Fourth Boat was Varsity and B. we were undefeated in regular season and New England Champions. We rowed all season as one unit....no substitutions.....and no one sat on the bank and watched the other four row. And no one received a letter.

     I will graciously accept whatever decision the school makes on this and I'm fairly certain you all will as well.

      Now.....about that sewer cover.........  

[marcus acheson]

russ fisher was perhaps harsh, insensitive and not altogether brotherly but i suspect his message was hard for some of us to ignore. nonetheless, i repeat, reunion is not a synonym for revisionism nor does reuning mean a few outvote the many.

regards, m a r k 

[David Hard]

I must be receiving only some of the emails because I can't seem to find Russ' message....only that he unsubscribed from the group. Unfortunate, because discussion is good and I have been fascinated by all the differing opinions, Pomfret experiences, etc. Would that we had had this discussion back in the '60s.

   I, for one, do not want to appear as a "revisionist"....my original thoughts were just that....thoughts, musings, and, as it turned out, a way to find out what kind of experience my classmates had while at Pomfret. It was a truly mind-expanding online experience.

   I don't feel like the Lone Ranger any more. Besides, I play a hell of a lot more music now than in pre-retirement days (solo and four folk groups) so everything is good.

   Cheers,

Dave H.