May 10, 2012
I write as another academic year draws to a close—and a wonderful one it has been for the Society. Attendance at lunches has been robust, and spirited gatherings of alumni/ae in New York, Washington D.C., Los Angeles and Cambridge showed unflagging interest in the Signet’s health and well-being.
This year’s Annual Dinner Weekend actually sold out weeks in advance. On Friday evening, April 20, several score gathered to celebrate and share favorite stories of the life of our beloved Reverend Peter J. Gomes, Associates President 1981-91, and to unveil a wonderful portrait of him by Signet Associate Stephen Coit ’71. Reverend John H. Finley IV ‘92 was a lively toastmaster for the dinner itself, on Saturday the 21st. Our speaker, Adam Gopnik of The New Yorker, parsed eloquently the differences between accomplishment and achievement. Edward Jones led the Harvard Choral Fellows in an excellent program, and Erica Funkhouser was our splendid Poet. The lovely and multitalented Rashida Jones ’97, actress, author and screenwriter, accepted the Signet Medal. On Sunday morning, Drones of all ages rallied around a delicious Southern brunch. Go to http://www.signetsociety.org/annual-dinner-2012/ for additional photos and remarks from events on Friday and Saturday evenings.
This summer, our energetic Signet House Secretary, Mark Hruby, has planned four major projects: replacement of the aging gutters to prevent water leaking into the building; a new floor for the library constructed from recycled old-growth heartwood pine flooring, which should last us another 100 years; installation of a restaurant-grade convection oven for the kitchen; and permanent stabilization of the foundation supporting the library’s bay window, which has sagged a good four inches.
It seems almost unnecessary to remind you that such crucial preservation and maintenance of our House, not to mention the daily operations of this wonderful Society, require support from all who share my love of the Signet. So I ask now that you make an annual gift of as much as you reasonably can. Please send a check, or make a gift via our website at http://www.signetsociety.org/donate/. And we hope you will visit 46 Dunster Street whenever you are in Cambridge. You are always welcome.