November 2005 · Volume ll · Number lV
The eNewsletter of the Boston Latin School Association

THANKSGIVING ROUND-UP
As we return from a brief holiday reprieve, albeit with loosened belts on ever-tighter pants, we do so with the satisfaction of giving profound thanks for yet another proud win over arch-Thanksgiving-Day-game rivals, the English High Bulldogs. Though their fight was as valiant as ever, the Wolfpack did indeed "bomb the blue" at Harvard Stadium with a final score of 36-12. No doubt the team was inspired by the more than 250 alumni who turned out on Tuesday, Nov. 22 for the annual Alumni Dinner, held at the Boston Park Plaza, where Distinguished Graduate of the Year Stephen Greyser '52 and Recent Graduate of the Year John Hanlon '92 were honored for their contributions to BLS and beyond.

IN THE WRITER'S ROOM
The dedication to discourse and the written word is alive and well in the lives of young Latin School scholars, including recent graduate Anna Schnur-Fishman '05, who recently published a booklet under the title "Thank-A-Book: The teachers and staff of Boston Latin School thank the books that have made a difference in their lives." Now a freshman at Brown University, Schnur-Fishman worked on this project as part of her senior year internship with The Writers' Room of Boston, a nonprofit organization established in 1988 as the only urban writer's colony in New England. Schnur-Fishman recently spoke about her experience at an event held at the Boston Athenaeum, where she was later joined by fellow Writers' Room alumna and Newton resident Anita Diamant, best-selling author of "The Red Tent." As for the inspiration of her own work — which will be distributed to all 2,400 current BLS students thanks to donations from interested alumni and others — Schnur-Fishman said, "What I learned, as an observer, was something I already had an inkling of: the power of a book to be a personal touchstone, the power of a book to teach something profound, the power of a book to change the course of your life …. I hope that the Writers' Room can continue to support the extraordinary efforts of its emerging writers, as well as literary outreach projects in the community like my internship and the creation of this booklet at a Boston public school.".

CHARITABLE INCENTIVES
The federal government's charitable giving incentives, put in place to encourage donations in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, are expected to help boost giving to all charities. In fact, charitable cash gifts made by individuals to BLSA by December 31, 2005, will not be subject to the traditional 50 percent annual charitable deduction limitation, nor will the deduction be reduced for those with higher income or those who itemize. If you're already considering a year-end gift, please do so prior to the Dec. 31 deadline to receive the full benefit of this incentive. Online giving to BLSA is available by clicking here.

CALL FOR CLASS NOTES!
Share your news of a recent promotion, an addition to the family or recent travels nearly instantly by posting a note with the @blsa Online Community. Sign in by visiting the BLSA website, and then clickiing on "Online Community".

If you have not yet registered, you will need the following User ID number for step three of the registration process: xxxxxx. This information is only needed the first time you enter, and then you can establish your own personal ID and password.

Please note: to have your class note also posted in the print edition of the BULLETIN, please submit your information by clicking here.

GIFT GIVING MADE EASY
If you're looking to give Alma Mater something special this year, consider the novelty of a recurring gift. If you already bank online, you can set up a recurring payment, or gift, through your online banking account, with installments sent to BLSA on a pre-scheduled basis (weekly or monthly) over the year, thus permitting a significant gift over time without the pain of writing a single check, or making a large charge to a credit card. For more information on recurring gifts, or to make your annual gift, please contact Kate DeForest.

A SOFT SPOT FOR SCIENCE?
Preparations for the 2006 Science Fair have begun and alumni mentors — working in chemistry, physics, biology, engineering and other related fields — are needed to work with young BLS scientists. Whether working at the school, in a lab or wherever the project takes place, mentors help students pose a scientific problem and guide them as they seek the necessary avenues to a solution. Last year, 42 BLS Science Fair winners went on to the city fair, where 36 took home prizes; another 20 students went on to the state Science Fair and won 16 prizes, including first place winner Anneke Schwob '06. For more information on how you can get involved in the mentor program and the February 4, 2006, BLS Science Fair, or to review volunteer guidelines, please e-mail Lynn Flaherty.

A TEST OF TRIVIA
"Youth! There is nothing like youth," wrote playwright Oscar Wilde. Given the recent spate of young BLSA trivia winners, it would appear that Wilde knew of what he wrote, though our own fading youth allowed for a recent mea culpa which must be mentioned. Giving credit where credit is due, September's trivia winner was John Paul Russo '61, though we inadvertently gave the prize (again!) to August's trivia winner Kaitlyn Leahy '96. Our apologies to John Paul, who now officially joins the august group of former trivia winners, along with October's prize taker, Notre Dame student Roselys Esteve '02, who — despite the 65-year difference in their graduation dates — somehow knew that it was Brigadier General Robert F. McDermott, USAF (Ret.) '37 who served as the first permanent dean of the United States Air Force Academy. Congratulations Roselys!

With the turkey and pecan pie of last week all but a sweet memory, our trivia master Malcolm Flynn is back at it again and better than ever after a brief reprieve from his trivia and school duties.

November's question:
"This 19th century man of letters and Boston Latin alumnus compiled a work in eight volumes that is still the standard reference for scholars in his field."

Letter writers and readers seeking a free T-shirt should send responses — including name and class year — magna cum celeritate via e-mail to BLSA.

CONTACT US
101 Huntington Avenue, Suite 200, Boston, MA 02199
Phone 617.450.0004 Fax 617.450.0284
Web www.blsa.org
E-mail blsa@blsa.org