None of us can do this alone.
FEATURE
By Barbara Keith Brown Payne ’85
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eing part of the Harpeth Hall community has been an essential and joyful part of my life — as a student, alumna, and now as a parent. I have always understood the privilege of a Harpeth Hall education and the confidence and independence instilled here, but more than ever I value the friendships, support, motivation, and inspiration from my classmates from the Class of 1985, the community of alumnae, past and present faculty and staff, and fellow parents. I know for sure, especially after the past year, that we truly need each other and the support of our community. It has been a privilege to give a little back to this community by serving as president of the HHPA this year. My tenure looked a little different than my predecessors to say the least. There were many, many Zooms, and we stayed connected as the HHPA continued to do our best to fulfill our goal of “fostering a connected community.” With none of the usual parent gatherings, we kept our attention focused on our faculty and staff who were committed to keeping our girls in school and who deserve all the love and support we could provide. Volunteers served monthly coffees outdoors with treats and all the Dunkin’ coffee they could drink. We provided pumpkin bread at Thanksgiving, takeaway dinners from Corner Market mid-December, raffles at faculty meetings, homemade Valentine’s treats, and hosted a celebratory spring lunch cookout. I hope they felt the immense gratitude of the parent body in these small gestures.
The Harpeth Hall community is one of strength and purpose with our girls at the center of all we do. It has been abundantly clear to me during the pandemic that none of us can do this alone, and that being part of a community who cares deeply about the same values and goals is essential. Being part of a community means giving back. Harpeth Hall parents are immensely generous with their time and talents. The creation, planning and execution of the 2021 Main Event was an exercise in practicality, creativity, and teamwork by parent volunteers and the Advancement office that was a huge success. Our community once again stepped up in a big way financially and in volunteering and taking part. With tenacious and hardworking chairs, we continued our tradition of fundraising and bringing the community together through an event that culminated on a sunny March day as we drove through the
beautiful campus and celebrated optimism about the waning of the pandemic. Our entire community embraced The Main Event enthusiastically and as a result the HHPA will be able to make a meaningful contribution to the Bullard Bright IDEA Lab, a place that our girls and the entire community will enjoy and use for years to come. The Harpeth Hall community is one of strength and purpose with our girls at the center of all we do. I am proud that even during a pandemic the Harpeth Hall Parent Association has continued to fulfill our commitment to our connected community that enhances our girls’ experience and our own. SUMMER 2021 | 25
