Notes from Cardigan (March, 1975)

Notes

Nonprofit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Canaan, N.H .

Permit No. 1

from

Cardigan Cardigan Mountain School Canaan, New Hampshire 03741

Volume 3, Issue No. 5

March 1975

SKI HOLIDAYS A GREAT SUCCESS Schools thrive on traditions, and one of our most thriving ones is Ski Holiday.

The Senior Class sets the pace by having their own exclusive senior ski holiday usually in January. The day before Parents Weekend they abandoned us for a day at Cannon Mountain. When school resumed in February, speculation began about the all-school ski holiday. Every day the sun shone bright and clear anticipation was in the air. By the time athletic and academic schedules were a bit caught up, we were hit with a mid-Winter thaw. The date was set, busses were ordered, then postponed day by day. Every morning there was an emergency conference on the weather. "Burlington radio forecasts possiblilty of snow flurries"; Boston radio says continued mild"; "The Mt. Washington station reports a cold front on the way." So it went for almost a week until the suspense was almost unbearable.

When the day was finally set, it proved to be worth waiting for. Those who went can describe it better. Winner of a mini-contest for the best short report on the day' s activities was Nico Harmon. His report follows: As the double chairlift laboriously pulled the chairs to the top of Mt. Tecumseh in the Waterville Valley, I looked down and trembled as I saw the only open trail, caked with ice. I could see myself in the hospital with a broken leg.

It wasn't as bad as I thought. It was sheer pleasure but also very tricky.

This I soon found out as I glided over the hard packed white mass which covered the once green mountain. When I reached the ~ottom of the slope, a sigh of relief ran through my body. I shuddered as I looked up the towering monster of a slope.

The next slope was· a soothing sight to my eyes. It was a fun, speedy slope for all skiers from intermediate to expert. The sun was out and it was a warm refreshing spring-like day with a temperature of about thirty degrees.

Mr. Wakely couldn't have picked a better day. I don't think that there was a person who went that didn ' t have a wonderful time.

ENROLLMENT STRONG Education is evidently still considered a good investment even with the economy in an unsettled state. Inquiries and applications for the 1975 Summer Session as well as for September admission are very strong. Does this signal a trend toward renewed interest in the basics of education, a recognition that some of the more exotic course offerings of recent years are not too meaningful if a boy doesn ' t h ave a firm grasp on the essentials of arithmetical calculation or is not able to express himself well orally or in writing? Perhaps so. At any rate, Cardigan r emain s committed to strengthening basic skills before reaching for alluring electives. New Winter and Summer Session catalogues are now on hand, and we will be delighted to mail them to anyone you know who might have a son interested in Cardigan. Just send us their names and addresses.

MORTGAGE IS PAID It ' s just as great an occasion for a School as it is for a homeowner when the final payment on a mortgage has been mailed and the original note, signed s o many years ago, is returned marked "Paid". At their next meeting in May, the Trustees and Inc orporators will burn the mortgage for $100,000 which was taken in 1962 to help f inance the completion of the present campus. This reduces the long-term indebtedness of the School to under $110,000 - a very small load for a school this size.

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SPELLING BEE WINNERS It takes weeks to run out a spelling bee. Each English class starts it; these winners are put together by classes for a spell-off . Finally the top spellers in each class are determined for the last round . It took almost an hour to spell them all down to find the top speller in the school to be a seventh grader from New York City - Victor Sein. In number two spot was Hugh Covert in grade eight. Last year as a seventh grader Hugh was in the top spot . Charles Hickox upheld the honor of the ninth grade by taking third place. Will their parents please note that despite what you may have seen in their weekly letters home, your sons~ spell .

GIFT TO CHAPEL You may not have noticed it over Parents Weekend, but the new carpeting in the Chapel - up the stairs and throughout the balcony - is a great addition . The gift of a current parent, the carpeting was installed over the Christmas holidays.

Scuffing sounds made by 30 boys in the choir during Chapel services used to echo throughout the building . The floor acted as a natural sounding board. Now the noise is cut to nothing, and the appearance certainly is improved . Many thanks for a practical and beautiful addition to the School.

NEWS OF CARDIGAN BOYS From time to time as occasion warrants, press releases are sent out telling of awards or honors earned by Cardigan students . We would appreciate knowing whether any of these actually are used by your local papers. If you see any mention of Cardigan in the press, we would be grateful if you'd clip this and mail it to the School.

FACULTY SKATER IN EUROPE What would induce a man who did competitive speed skating in college and then stopped for the next 37 years to put on his skates again and enter competition?

"My daughter and son-in-law entered my name for the 'Senior Olympics' at Lake Placid last year", modestly reported Larry Goldthwait. "I kept receiving notices of the meet, so I went. The Senior Olympics were organized to provide opportunity for men and women to participate in competitive sports in their own age group . Larry entered the speed skating races last year and at that time first learned of plans for a trip to Europe this Winter. Devoting the same time to skating that he usually did to keeping in top physical condition, Larry began planning for this Winter.

One week after the competition at Lake Placid, a group of four men and one woman left for Europe . Arrangements had been made with skating clubs in four countries to set up races matching the Americans with skaters in their own age groups. This was done everywhere but in the Netherlands, where Larry raced a 20 year old boy who was in training for the Olympic team. It was the only race he lost. In two weeks they raced at Davos, Switzerland; Oslo, Norway; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and at Insul, Germany. All but one of the tracks had artificial ic e. (The US has only one track in the whole country with artificial ice.) Speed skating tracks are similar to foot racing tracks - oval in shape and 400 to 500 meters in circumference.

There are two lanes in each track and only two skaters race at a time . The tracks are so large that in one city the area inside the track contained a hockey rink as well as separate areas for figure skating and curling. Competition in each city consiste d of one short race (400 to 500 meters) and an intermediate length race of 1200 to 1500 meters . Larry tied one race in Oslo, was beaten by the 20 y ear old Dutch boy and won all the rest - and he's still wondering how it happened. We are all very proud of him and delighted that he had the chance for this once-in-alifetime experience.

"Notes from Cardigan" is published monthly by Cardigan Mountain School.

Third Class postage paid in Canaan, N.H. 03741