Class of 1972

Dear 1972 Classmates,

It was great to hear how much everyone enjoyed the reunion and the expressions of gratitude to the Committee, but all those who attended deserve credit too for coming as your participation made it the success that it was. Thank you for doing so, particularly those who pulled the trigger at the last moment. And for those of you who couldn’t make it, you were certainly missed. 
 
Many of us have a “complicated relationship” with JBS. Some great memories along with the challenges of finding your way as a teenager. It is difficult no matter where you go to school. Over the last 50 years when JBS came calling for financial help, I often felt like they will be just fine without the small contribution I would be able to make. And if you have seen the campus, it has been totally rebuilt and expanded thanks to the generosity of so many. One place that hasn’t been improved in the same way is Drey Land, but thankfully that is being addressed now. Some of us in our class were lucky enough to be in the first group of Senior counselors who went there for several days in the fall of ’71. It was fun to see the 7th graders get to know each other and bond in a way those that those that came before missed out on. Since that first fall, Drey Land has been an integral part of the Burroughs experience. Alice Walz Galt ’70 recognized this and donated $500,000.00 for its improvement and challenged the rest of us to match it. It inspired me to give to this project in a way that other JBS giving efforts in the past had not. Perhaps due to my own memories there, but also from watching my own children navigate the social media and mental health landscape of today. It made me feel that a few days in the wilderness without the distractions of todays world would do everyone a lot  of  good. Certainly, John Burroughs himself would totally agree. Dollar for dollar, minute for minute, I believe Drey Land provides such great value to the Burroughs experience. Just ask those that went there and so often they say it's an important memory of JBS. 

We came away from the reunion reawakening memories of our times at Burroughs and creating some new ones. Its what reminded me of Carson's quote from “The Crown”, 

‘The business of life is the acquisition of memories, in the end that’s all there is…’

Our class gift is going to help improve the buildings at Drey Land, and if we meet our goal, a cabin will be dedicated to the class of ’72. Although the money will go to renovations, what it will really be doing is helping to create memories. What greater gift could there be than helping make those memories for those that are sharing in the experience of Drey Land? I hope you will agree and support the class gift of ’72 . Below is the original letter that was mailed out to you earlier this fall.

Sincerely,

Art Brereton

Letter that was mailed in September 2022 from the Class of 1972 Reunion Committee.

Classmates,

Our 50th reunion coincides with the 50th anniversary of the first 7th grade class to experience Drey Land, and we propose that our class gift be dedicated to this remarkable outdoor environment.

The tradition of 7th graders spending three days at Drey Land began in the fall of our senior year when 20 of us were the first to participate as senior counselors, and we were instrumental in ensuring that these new students had a safe, exciting, and memorable immersion. Those of us who participated not only bonded with the 7th graders and each other in a unique environment, but also had the opportunity to stretch our leadership skills and interact with faculty in an interesting new way.

It is a tradition for 50th reunion classes to give a gift to the school in appreciation of the extraordinary educational experience we were given. With input from classmates, our committee has chosen to make a gift to Drey Land, a place quite new to us then, yet important enough that a stunning photo of the property graced the cover of our yearbook. In addition to our class's inaugural role as senior counselors, many of us helped build cabins there the summer before. We were part of what has become an important component for the growth and development of Burroughs students

Our gift will help fund much-needed Drey Land improvements, including updating infrastructures, construction of a new lodge, and an endowment to ensure camp programming and facility maintenance. Our class goal is to raise $50,000 to name two cabins at the camp. An anonymous classmate and spouse will match all donations, dollar for dollar, up to $25,000. We are also inspired by the Alice Walz Galt ’70 challenge to the Burroughs community. Our gift and the match from our classmate will be matched again by Alice – the impact of our gift will be multiplied twice!
 
In the 50 years since we graduated, JBS has remained a school of nationally recognized academic excellence. From the top down, the school believes that to define and ensure continued personal and academic excellence, Burroughs students need to embrace and celebrate every person as an individual, acknowledge and appreciate that there are multiple learning styles, recognize the critical importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and understand that a truly successful person values, learns from, and respects differences.

We believe that the Drey Land experience reflects all aspects of this philosophy and is consistent with our desire to make a gift that would help support students’ social and psychological well-being. The programs and curriculum at the camp give all participants the opportunity to unplug, to learn from and in a natural environment, to be introspective, to see their classmates through a different lens, to develop new skills, and to interact with faculty in a unique way.

Your 50th Reunion Committee,