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E-Notice 2002-05

Donor Contribution Form 

THIS IS E-NOTICE 2002-5 OF MAY 1, 2002

Hello Hornets!

Here are some items that might be of interest:

1. ATTENTION ALL GOLFERS (AND GOLF OUTING SPONSORS)! Golfers and sponsors continue to sign-up at a brisk pace for this years Foundation Golf Outing, to be held on Friday June 28 at Andrews. This is certain to be a fantastic event, just like the great Y2K Golf Outing. The setting, the company and the logistical organization are sure to be superb, and the weather is likely to be outstanding for golf on that date.

A ticket order form, and a sponsorship form, are attached and reprinted below. (Please dont forget that were seeking general sponsors, and special sponsors to purchase golfer tickets for members of the current Surratts golf team so they can participate in this event.)

2. ATTENTION ALL MUSIC LOVERS! Less than two months remain until one of the most unique musical events in the almost 100-year history of Surrattsville! Tickets for the June 29 Surrattstock event are moving fast. The thirty-one Classes from 1961 to 1991 are now well represented, along with a contingent of parents, faculty and assorted groupies. Tickets are still available, but probably not for long. Remember: teenagers of all ages are welcome, theres no limit on the number of tickets you can buy, and tickets are freely transferrable. (Note to members of the Woodstock generation: Remember how you felt afterwards when you passed up the opportunity to attend that singularly unique festival? Dont let the same thing happen again with Surrattstock!)

A Surrattstock ticket order form is attached and reprinted below. Also, short bios of the five major bands performing at Surrattstock are included below.

3. RUN TO THE WALL UPDATE. Tim Pierce (77) is still riding from Nevada to the Ft. Washington Harley Davidson dealer for the Rolling Thunder Run to The Wall to honor Viet Nam POWs, MIAs and veterans on Sunday May 26. Tim will be meeting up with Greg Laxton (81) and the Blue Knights (the law enforcement officers motorcycle club) at the Ft. Washington dealer before the 10 a.m. departure for the Pentagon parking lot and The Wall. Hopefully, some of you Hornet motorcyclists will be able to join Tim, Greg, me, my wife Donna Rae Sturtevant Smith (70) and other Hornets for that special event. (The Blue Knights are making a weekend full of activities out of this event, and Ive reprinted their information below if youre interested.)

Look for the distinctive green and white Surrattsville - PPMC t-shirts in the crowd at the Ft. Washington dealer to hook-up with the Surratts contingent for the Run to The Wall.

4. ANNUAL ALL CLASSES RIDE UPDATE. Speaking of Rides, dont forget the Annual All Classes Ride, this year to Solomons Island, leaving the School at 10 a.m. sharp on June 30. We have a wide assortment of vehicles (with various numbers of wheels) signed up for this years Ride, with representatives from Classes from the 50s to the 90s.

5. SMALL WORLD UPDATE. Thanks to the efforts of Rix Mills (62), we were able to track down Deb Beaumont (71) and, indeed, the Class ring found by the very kind Grace Gibbs in her garden was Debs! To make the story even more interesting, Deb has no idea how her ring got into the dirt in that Annandale garden! Thanks to both Rix and Ms. Gibbs for their selfless efforts!

6. CULINARY UPDATE. I received this informative restaurant review from Susan Loweth Melton (63): Dear Henry: I refer to your note in the last e-Notice from Kathleen Cianci about Patrick O'Connell, chef and co owner of The Inn at Little Washington. Just thought I would mention that Patrick was from the Class of 63. I did not see this years Washingtonian restaurant review article, but have read past articles about The Inn at Little Washington. I have heard it is considered to be the only 5 star restaurant on the East Coast. The food, ambiance, and service are absolutely wonderful. The prices are high, but well worth it for special occasions. Susan Loweth Melton (63)

I hope some of you will be able to find an excuse to stop by The Inn and enjoy Patricks artistry.

7. CLASS OF 61 PICNIC. Joan Penn Revis (61) reports that the great (and highly organized) Class of 61 will be holding a picnic during the Surrattstock weekend. Here are the particulars: the picnic will be held on Sunday June 30, at the home of Don and Karen Byroads, at 1 p.m., right after the All Classes Ride. Interested Class members are encouraged to call Don for details at 301-475 0127.

8. MORE COMPUTERS FOR THE SCHOOL. Thanks to the efforts of Foundation Board member Dan Bayne (71) and his wife Darlene Dodson Bayne (75), the Foundation was able to acquire 20 computers and related peripherals for the School from the federal governments surplus computers program. Thanks also go to Anne Reck and Dwight Benjamin at the School for their logistical assistance in making this happen.

In addition, thanks go to Jay Crisler (82), who has arranged for his company to donate three additional computers to the School.

This equipment supplements the ten computers and peripherals previously acquired by the Foundation for the School from alumni donors, and goes a long way toward bringing the Schools computer capabilities into the 21st century. However, the Foundation is still seeking others who would be willing to donate computer equipment of any kind to the School. Please send me an email at hsmith@smithdowney.com if you or your business would like to do so, or if you have any other ideas about how the School might acquire some much-needed computer equipment. For example, if you work for a federal government agency, and wouldnt mind checking to see if your agency would be willing to donate some surplus computers, it would be very much appreciated.

9. CLASS OF 91 REUNION PLANNING. The Class of 91 is planning their first reunion event. Interested Class members are encouraged to contact Tameka Young Byrd at lovebyrds_feb99@yahoo.com, or at 301-702-2928, or Katrina Hayes Hillman at 301-203-7296. Also, Tameka and Katrina would appreciate any information any of you have on the whereabouts of members of the Class of 91, or family members of 91ers.

10. MARCIA GAY HARDEN TIPS HAT TO SURRATTS. With the success of her current TV series, The Education of Max Bickford, Marcia Gay Harden (76) is more in the public eye than ever. I note that Marcias bio on her web site at www.marciagayharden.com. makes prominent mention of the fact that she graduated from Surratts, which is a nice plug for the School. You might want to check it out. (As far as we know, Marcia is the only Oscar winner to have graduated from Surratts.)

I hope this finds you well and enjoying the promise of Spring, and I hope that none of you or your families were affected by the terrible recent storms in LaPlata and the surrounding areas.

Best regards, Henry Smith (71), hsmith@smithdowney.com

IN MEMORIAM

NAOMI VIRGINIA CARRICO (18), believed to be the oldest Surratts graduate at the time of our Y2K events, died on March 10, 2002. Naomi is survived by at least two Surratts graduates, her niece, Carolyn Carrico Summers (51) and her sister, Cathreen Carrico Samsel (26).

GERALD O. DAY died on March 10, 2002. Gerald was the father of Donna Day Deters (67) and Diane C. Day (71).

BANDS PERFORMING AT SURRATTSTOCK:

OBNC (OLD BUT NOT COLD)

Old But Not Cold is unique among the Surrattstock performers in that it is a current professional band composed of former Surratts musicians. OBNC is composed of members of a number of much-loved bands that played at Surratts during the Golden Age of live music at Surratts (roughly 1960-1980). These bands included Butlers Orchard, Big Boy, United Orange and Mystic Blue.

UNION

Union is composed of members of a number of bands that played at Surratts during the Golden Age. The members of Union recall various Surratts Teen Club gigs as their most polished. The bands fondest memory is of having been asked never to return to the John Hansen Junior High Teen Club because of their vulgar lyrics to Louie, Louie, and because of their being way too loud. Of course, the kids loved them, and they were asked back soon thereafter by popular demand! The members of Union plan to play several warm-up gigs leading up to 6/29 to refresh their chops.

CLINTON ALL STAR ORCHESTRA

The facetiously named C.A.S.O. was an actual band that performed, on a pick-up basis, in the D.C. area in the early 1970s, typically filling in on a last-minute basis at gigs other Surratts bands had to cancel. Perhaps the opposite of another band on the Surrattstock bill, Butlers Orchard, C.A.S.O. was anything but polished, and played a repertoire of standards that all of the band members were likely to know or be able to play by ear, plus odd arrangements of then-current tunes that were campy enough to arrange on-the-spot. On one storied occasion, C.A.S.O., having run out of material, was required to fill the last 20 minutes of the Bladensburg Junior High Christmas Dance with an extended version of Brownsville Stations Smokin in the Boys Room, a situation that did not exactly go over big with the chaperones present. At Surrattstock, C.A.S.O. hopes to bring the audience substantially smoother versions of some classic material from the Golden Age.

BLUE SOUTHERN

Blue Southern was a rare Surratts band from the Golden Age that concentrated its repertoire in the Southern Rock genre. Blue Southerns members also played in a number of other bands that played at Surratts during the Golden Age. The members of Blue Southern recall shows at Charlie's in Annapolis and at "Beneath It All" under the Crazy Horse in Georgetown as particularly memorable gigs. Blue Southern may be the only Surratts band to have ever been invited to perform at the massive July 4 celebration at the Washington Monument, which they did in 1980. How dare James Watt suggest that the July 4 celebrations at the Monumnent attracted an undesirable element!

BUTLERS ORCHARD

One of the finest bands in the D.C. area during the early 1970s, Butlers Orchard was The Tuesday Boots of its generation, forming a natural historic bridge from that great Surratts band to another great Surratts band, DC Star (which has often been called The Butlers Orchard of its generation. Bulters Orchard was a highly polished band composed of highly trained and skilled musicians who played extremely challenging and eclectic material, while offering a very strong stage presence. Butlers Orchard may have been the only amateur band of the golden age that could perform note-perfect versions of material as diverse as Jethro Tulls Aqualung and Three Dog Nights Celebrate. Both their instrumental and vocal arrangements were in a class by themselves for the time period. We are particularly fortunate because, at Surrattstock, the complete, original line-up of Butlers Orchard will be performing for us.

 

 



 

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