Fathers Dinner 2014
by Malcolm St. Clair
Last night the fathers and the faculty gathered at the University Club for our annual Fathers Dinner. After cocktails, all funneled into the club’s grand dining room. The room having undergone renovations this past year with a loss of 8 feet in the back, this Fathers Dinner felt like our best attended to date.
Back
Last night the fathers and the faculty gathered at the University Club for our annual Fathers Dinner. After cocktails, all funneled into the club’s grand dining room. The room having undergone renovations this past year with a loss of 8 feet in the back, this Fathers Dinner felt like our best attended to date.
Certain members of the faculty were recognized for having reached benchmarks in their careers. Honored for 10 years of service were Bill Schneidmuller, a coach, and Matt Clavel, a Grade V homeroom teacher. Clearing the 15-year hurdle were Doug Davis, who teaches Grade IV, and Pedro Pelaez of our maintenance staff. Oliver Bowcock joined the rarefied “Quarter-Century Club” and has taught grades VII and IX and served as the Head of English. Evan Moraitis, coach, Grade VI homeroom teacher, and Head of Math, celebrated 30 years, and Bob Miness, our Head of the Upper School, whom none would dream of surpassing, reached the Olympian heights of 35 years. Mr. Johnson, himself reaching the 30 year mark as headmaster, lauded each and exclaimed our great good fortune at having such dedicated persons among our ranks.
Andrew Gilmour, Director in the Secretary-General’s Office for Political, Peace-keeping, Humanitarian and Human Rights, was our speaker. He ranged in topic from the potential ill-effects of after-dinner speeches, to the presence of the United Nations in New York, to the many difficult political and humanitarian situations we face across the globe. Our time, he said, perhaps more than any other in modern history, is the least stable the world has been. With the Ebola crisis in Africa, ISIS and Syria in the Middle East, Russia and Ukraine, and rising tensions in the South and East China Seas, the world now has 45 million refugees and many threats to democracy and peace. And that’s not even to mention unchecked population growth and global warming.
Freakishly balmy weather untethered most from the yoke of outerwear and the dreaded coat check, but speedy getaways were still impeded by a formidable line in the Gents.
After-parties continued into the wee hours; due to their unofficial nature, we cannot make more than winking acknowledgment of them here, except to say, “Happy Birthday, Mr. Hagon.”
