Notes from Cardigan (January, 1987)

Notes from

Cardigan Cardigan Mountain School R.F.D. 2, Box 58 Canaan, N ew Hampshire 03741 603-523-4321 January 1987 Our 19th annual Christmas pagent on December 17th was the final school function for 1986. As usual it played to a packed house of students, parents and friends.

The traditional candlelighting with the brightness of several hundred candle flames gradually illuminating the chapel was a fittingly peaceful conclusion to the year, filling our hearts with the real meaning of Christmas.

Our hockey teams 11 take to the road" in December as they travel to various locations to practice on II rented" ice.

One bright ·a fternoon the coaches, mistaking their instructions, took off by private car to KUA while Coach Marrion drove the school bus filled with hockey players to Hartford, Vt. where ice time was reserved that day.

Upon arrival, he was surprised not to find any coaches there getting ready . for practice.

Nothing daunted, he slipped on his skates, "gave the boys a good workout 11 , then drove the busload back to 11 campus.

Boy was I tired, 11 he said when the day was over.

Guess who got the pep talk that evening!

Tuesday for a rare change dawned bright and sunny, a truly glorious day in New Hampshire with the sunlight sparkling on another 5 inches of new snow.

What a wonderful change after a long series of gray, cloudy days to be half-blinded by the dazzling glare that made the day seem twice as bright as · usual. The last snowfal I left a top layer of ice crystals which reflected the sunlight as though someone had sown diamonds like grass seed on the lawn. __ In celebration, . Headmaster Wakely announced a special treat: no jackets and ties would be required for dinner that night; nice looking ski sweaters over dress shirts wou ld be acceptable.

It really was more comfortable, and a happy break from the usual routine. Welcome sunshine!

Are New Hampshire winters getting warmer? Our snow cover this year has been very good, but temperatures seem to be milder than 11 in the old days. 11 In Cardigan 1 s early years, we remember skating on the _ lake; we played hockey there, too.

As the athletic program improved in quality, better facilities were needed, and the covered sports area was built.

This provided good indoor space for inclement weather in al I seasons, and it was natural to flood it for skating in the winter.

Most of us, at one time or. another, have made little skating rinks in the back yard.

Nothing to it; just need a hose and freezing weather. The method is the same here, except that for a hockey rink 85 1 x 200 1 it takes a lot more water and much colder weather.

Traditionally this is a job for the hockey coaches during the Christmas vacation. Turn on the hose, flood the rink, let it freeze, then repeat the process until ice builds up to 4 inches or so.

If, however, days are bright and sunny raising temperatures into the 30 1 s, ice can only be made in the cold of night.

So those left on campus during the holidays, led by Jim Marrion, treck to the CSA after the 11 pm news to start the water flowing.

And again early in the morning, way before dawn.

At that, there wasn 1t enough ice to use by the time the boys returned this year.

The co ld spell about January 16th finally made the ice freeze up in good shape.

Ski areas around us and even much farther north have installed snow making equipment to compensate for unreliable weather; we need artificial ice making equipment for the same reason. Our hockey teams deserve to have the advantage of practice in their own rink starting in December.

We hope the "campaign for ice" will really get started this year.

City dwellers are familiar with the process of having to truck snow away from streets where t here is no room to pile it. That's not usually a problem he r e, but with as much snow as we have had this Winter, we do haul some away from the edges of parking lots so there will be room to plow what the next storm brings.

To aid construction of a massive snow sculpture (to be completed by Parents' Weekend), this "surplus" snow was dumped in a big pile in the center of campus. Right now it takes a lot of imagination to picture this heap turning into an artistic masterpiece - but we shall see what time and a lot of boy-power can produce.

Since dormitory corridors are the most important centers of social life on campus, they are always looking for new and different ideas for monotony breaking treats.

Brewster 11 led the way with this season's first night-skiing expedition to Whaleback.

One of the few areas in the vicinity with lighted s lopes, (excepting of course our own Clancy Mountain) its bright lights show over the tree tops for miles around; they can be seen clearly from Canaan Street.

Night skiing adds a whole new dimension to the sport.

There is mystery and excitement in the darkness bordering each side of the lighted slopes. Depth perception is somehow affected adding newness and challenge to familiar terrain. We must do this again.

"The barbers will be here tonight" has taken on a new meaning with the retirement of the 2 barbers from Plymouth who have staffed the school's barber shop for several years. Now on the scene are Jean and Raphael from the Mane Street Cutters shop in Enfield.

Instead of the previous marathon bi-monthly haircutting sessions, the two new cutters will come to campus every other week and boys as well as faculty will be able to make appointments in advance to eliminate the waiting lines which have been a Cardigan tradition. Such a simple idea; why didn't someone think of this before? · We welcomed three new students who joined us in January: Josh Drees and Skip Abed, . both in grade 7 and both from California, and Patrick White - Thomson, grade 8, from Virginia.

For the first school meeting of 1987, the Headmaster surpris,e d us with a visit from "Mixed Company" - a singing group of 18 Yale students on tour during their Winter break.

What a varied and melodious program they presented to the great delight of everyone! The group spent the rest of the day on campus, sang a couple of songs in the dining room after lunch, and presented a program for Lebanon Rotary Club members who held their regula r meeting at the school that evening - an annual event. .The singers camped in sleeping bags in the gym that night, and left the following morning for the rest of their tour.

Admissions Director Jeff Hicks and Mr. & Mrs. Wakely will be traveling in February to area gatherings around the country where they wil I meet alumni, current parents and prospective new students. On their agenda are receptions in New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, Chicago and Washington, D. C. If you would Ii ke information about any of these gatherings, cal I the Development Office at the School (603-523-4321).