Class of 1965

President Welcome | VP Connections | Events

Welcome From Our Class President

Each reunion I marvel at how all of our lives are on much the same track. I joke with my family that every five years there are always three major issues in the class record book and that reading it gives me the issues that I will identify with soon, if I don't already. This time—June, 2005--it appeared that about 1/3 of us had retired, 1/3 were still working without retirement thoughts, and a 1/3 were working out retirement in their minds or in reality. Between now and 2010, most of us will turn 65, more of us will retire and most of us, if past is prologue, will become deeply engaged in new pursuits. I don’t expect an increased sale of rocking chairs for our dynamite class as we head into our late 60s, but what will the future hold and how will we communicate with one another?

I do know whatever the issues that we as women face, our class is an invaluable network of trusted support, information, intelligence, humor and friendship. Those moments on the Saturday morning of reunion when we gathered in the living room of Cazenove to share our passions and concerns represented for me the importance of being a class and staying connected.

Our goal, as your officers, is to find ways between now and June, 2010, for each member of our class to feel connected and to help each other make the inevitable transitions of these years from our childbearing and working years, to our well deserved enjoyment of the lives we have built for ourselves. Certainly, as our Wellesley education helped prepare us for the past forty years, our personalities and developed strengths will allow us to make good use of our next decades. Who better to share these experience with than the members of our class who were with us when we first ventured out as independent almost adults?

We welcome and solicit your involvement and ideas. You will find our individual contact information on this page. Please use it!

Joyce Quenneville Lower
President

From Our Vice President

Joyce has presented the reasons why we need to stay connected -- trusted support, information, intelligence, humor and friendship. My job and goal are to help put in place two of the vehicles -- mini-reunions and the website. There was a flurry of e-mails right after reunion of people interested in a website, some from individuals with expertise, and we are now back in contact. Phyllis SantaMaria is playing a lead concept role from London (distance does not matter in an age of e-mail!).

This simple site is our first Class of ’65 foray into the web world and has capacity to allow us to post questions and responses about health matters and other issues by taking advantage of the Class of 1965 Discussion Board, which is already active. Phyllis SantaMaria e-mailed everyone on her contact list in early August about what to do to become part of our discussion group, but very few of us have yet signed on.

It is easy to “connect”. Visit the Class of 1965 Discussion Group in the online alumnae Community. You’ll be asked to sign-in. If you already have a Wellesley user name and password—use them. If not, or if you have forgotten yours, there are hotlinks (to the left) to get them. With your user name and password you can subscribe to our Class of 1965 Discussion Group.

This website and discussion group are a vehicle to the same sharing experience -- although nothing beats face time -- that meant so much to many of us in the living room in Cazenove in June, 2005.

Please, please, subscribe to our Class of 1965 Discussion Group and start using it today.

Jo Anne Chester Bander

Events

Face time matters. Joyce, Jo Anne, Cynthia and Joan met at Joyce’s oceanfront condo in Delray Beach in March. We had such a productive time (yes, we also had fun, sunshine, a great nature trek and great dinner) that we hope to repeat the experience in 2007 and want to piggyback a mini-reunion for all members of the Class of ’65 who are usually somewhere in Florida or looking for an excuse to come down.

Our idea is a Saturday or Sunday mid-day gathering somewhere between Naples and Palm Beach on February 24 or 25, 2007. If you might be interested (no commitment required at this point) please e-mail Jo Anne Bander at joanne@fromthesource.info) and include e-mail and phone information; preference on location and day; and ideas.