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Dear classmates:

The Jim St. Clair memorial bench has been installed. Here is an update from Sandy Harlow, NCHS class of '66:

"Thanks to your donations, as well as the vision and perseverance of Chris Schipper, Chairman of the New Canaan Conservation Commission, the teak bench in memory of Jim St. Clair was installed at the Bristow Sanctuary and Wildwood Preserve the day before Thanksgiving.

The inscription on the top back rail is “Non ignara mali, miseris succurrere disco” and the inscription on the front rail is “In memory of James St. Clair, New Canaan High School teacher from 1954-1971”

Chris e-mailed me that the bench has been “…placed in the sun by Jim’s Oak. Happy to have this beautiful Memorial in place. The Latin will beguile visitors!”

I hope you will be glad to hear that Chris went on to say that “The Conservation Commission is also preparing to create The Jim St. Clair Environmental Services Award for deserving NCHS Juniors who demonstrate active efforts to raise public awareness and complete projects aimed at improving the natural sustainability and biodiversity of New Canaan.”

There is a picture of the bench in News from Senior Row, the picture is too wide for Announcements.

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Dear Classmates:

As a Class, we donated $500 from our leftover Reunion funds to a Memorial for Jim St. Clair. Here is an update from Sandy Harlow, Class of 66:

Thank you for your interest and support of the project to commemorate the life of James St. Clair at the Bristow Bird Sanctuary and Wildwood Preserve in New Canaan.

As you know, a group of New Canaan students from the 1954-1971 era decided in May to create a living memorial to celebrate the life of this remarkable man and the impact he had on the lives of so many people.  We decided to try and raise $5,000 to plant an oak tree and place an inscribed teak bench in his honor at Bristow:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rPqBV931WBwqrdPYVkvzID8YoIanIXv8/view?usp=sharing

Thanks to your generosity, we have collected $7,133 to date.  A 15 foot pin oak tree has been ordered and should be planted sometime in September.  The bench is coming from Indonesia and we just learned it will not be in place until October. We received a draft work order that shows one of Jim’s favorite  quotes from Virgil’s Aeneid on the top rail (Non ignara mali, miseris succurrere disco) and a statement of his service on the front rail.  The Virgil quote is going to be italicized on the bench.  If you are like me and never took Latin, Google will be happy to provide you with an English translation.  I will let you know when more information is available about the planting of the tree and installation of the bench at Bristow, and I hope those of you who live in the New Canaan area will visit Bristow and take some selfies that you can share with the rest of us.

With respect to the funds that have been raised beyond what is needed for the tree and bench, I plan to support the overall Bristow mission and also explore the concept of a James St. Clair Mini-grant program that would encourage New Canaan students to submit project proposals that would include both a learning component and a “get hands dirty” experience at Bristow. Chris Schipper is my main contact at Bristow, and we think a program like this could be worked out with the New Canaan Conservation Commission.  Chris also sent me a message this week that I hope you will enjoy as much as I do:

“These are trying times.  Your leadership in planting an oak tree and placing a bench in the public space of Bristow Park is what the world needs. I'm sure Jim would be pleased. In our Conservation Commission meeting this evening one of our Town Councilors who graduated in 1971 fondly recalled JST and was very pleased by the commemoration.”

Thank you again for your interest and generous support.

Sandy Harlow

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Looking for the Survey?

The Survey on Future Reunions can be found at the end of the black menu column on the left side of the Home Page. The full name is "What is Your Opinion about Future Reunions"

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Dear Class of 1968 Classmates -

It is hard to believe that it was 2 years ago that we gathered to celebrate our 50th Year graduation from NCHS. And what a great weekend it was!  None of us could have imagined the reality we are living in now.

We sincerely hope that you are all well, and keeping you and your families safe by following social distancing and sanitizing guidelines.  As much as many of us would like to deny it, we are in the high risk group! Yet in some ways we were always high risk, and somehow we always came through!

Do you recall our graduation assembly? Mr. Kenny stood center stage in the auditorium, and with a slightly crooked smile and a twinkle in his eye dubbed us the "Clutch Class." We were usually a bit disorganized and last minute... like senior skip day when the telephone chain systematically called every class member the night before. We rallied at a NY State park in Pound Ridge, and in spite of traveling to several probable locations... poor Mr. Dunn never found us!

Speaking of clutching... it's a good time to do that. Clutch a memory, someone you love... an old friend (perhaps from NCHS 68) and connect.  Ask, "Are you safe and well?" "What's going on?" Are you washing your hands and respecting social space?" Recall, encourage, reflect and bring a smile to someone's face, maybe another member of the Clutch Class.

With clean hands and social distance,

Your reunion leaders and friends

(March 27, 2020)