FROM YOUR CLASS PRESIDENTS
Hello 1955 Classmates;
We may have given up riding our bicycles in favor of letting others transport us wherever we want to go, but our ’55 spirit is still strong! We keep up with the changes that have 
taken place since our 65th Reunion. We use Zoom for meetings and gatherings, text or email instead of gluing stamps on envelopes, Google instead of relying on reference books, carry a cell phone so we are always available, and check our bank balances online, etc. We have become more aware of our fragile planet and bodies, spend less time behind the wheel, try to exercise regularly and eat wisely, and are careful with water and electricity. We use credit cards instead of checks, and support the Smith Fund, our 1955 Scholarship, interest to and Smith areas of special us with online donations.
The list of changes, new gadgets, new ways of doing things to which we have adapted seem endless. Happily, although these details may change, the Smith essence remains: the pride we have in our alma mater, the quality of her education, the leadership skills we developed and the friendships we made, nurtured, and maintained. When we arrived in 1951 we were welcomed by our courtly president Benjamin Wright, who told us that as graduates of a liberal arts college we would never be bored. At our 70th Reunion we will be welcomed by our new president Dr. Sarah Willie-LeBreton, who told a recent gathering in Northampton that “Students who study at Smith change the world.”
Covid did do a number on our 65th Reunion but didn’t spoil it – just changed it completely! For our 70th’ at Smith’s request, we each will bring a companion of our choice. This will give us an opportunity to show them our pride in the things at Smith that are near and dear to us. Smith will treat us royally at reunion and cover many of the expenses we have paid in the past. As we near our 70th these reunion details will be clarified. We will use our treasury of $12,400 to make our 70th very special!
For a class of almost 90 year-olds we are for the most part, doing remarkably well even if our balance is wobbly and bicycling skills may have departed. We wear hearing aids and glasses, sneakers and flats, and if we feel like it, indulge in a facelift or a tummy tuck, color or enhance our hair. We may live in a weird world that we never dreamed of when we walked through the Grecourt Gates in 1951 but at heart we still have the same special spirit we arrived with.
Our very warm greetings to each one of you.
The Sallys (Bailey and Paynter)
January, 2022