How About A Birthday Bash in 2027 for ‘Y69ers?
The Class Council wants your thoughts on an idea for an 80th birthday bash in 2027 for members of the class and their guests.
We had a great time together at our reunion last spring. At our age, why wait five years for our next regular reunion? Most of us will turn 80 in 2027, two years from now and two years before our 2029 reunion. How about getting together then to celebrate our birthdays?
The inspiration for this idea comes from some other Yale classes. The Class of 1964 aggregated pictures of classmates following an off-year mini-reunion celebrating everyone’s 80th birthday in summer 2022. Last year the Class of 1991 held an off-year reunion for their 55th birthdays. As reported by the YAA:
Yale College Class of 1991: In January 2024 the Class of 1991 organized and held an amazing off-year reunion. A total of 191 classmates and guests met for a spirited weekend in New York City to celebrate their 55th birthdays together, an impressive number for such an event. Using the Yale Club of New York City as their base, they also ventured to the Brooklyn Brewery, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Booth Theater. The class missed its 30th live reunion due to COVID, so this celebration was particularly meaningful. After this weekend event, many members reported feeling more connected with the class than at graduation.
Many other classes, including our own, have held off-year reunions, involving varying numbers of people (usually relatively small) and different locations.
Should We Do This? If there is sufficient interest among classmates to consider this idea further, we would need to answer questions about where, when, what we should do and who would organize it. The basic idea is not waiting five years to reconvene and perhaps doing something different. The field is wide open on the shape that this gathering could take. It would be fun to include several events like what the Class of 1991 had, plus ample unstructured time for conversation, and, of course, music. New York City has a variety of advantages, but we should not limit our thinking at this point.
What’s involved? If we proceed, we will need to get some help — brainstorming and planning for now. The Alumni Office can help us, but most of the burden would be ours. The Class of 1991 is willing to host an informal Zoom with people from several classes who have expressed an interest in learning how to organize such a gathering.
I’m in for the 2027 birthday gathering.
Sounds like a great idea. I have two thoughts. One would be to do it at whichever game is in New Haven: Yale-Harvard to Yale-Princeton. The other would be a cruise. It would limit the amount of walking etc as we age. Maybe, tie into one of the Yale Travel voyages or have them plan one for us.
I am interested. New York City seems difficult for 80-year-olds.
I like being able to reach out to a bunch of my classmates at once, and value the posts that I see. Trump’s attempted destruction of the government and the rule of law perhaps increases the importance of communications with one another.
There will be a few outliers in our class, but most of you are, as I am, deeply disturbed by what the Trumpists are doing to our government, laws and courts. I am losing sleep over this—awakening in the middle of the night, wondering if this was what it was like to be a lawyer—or a Yale graduate—in Germany in the 30s.
There is a lot of talent among us. Should we not come together as a group and talk over how we can hold the line? There are a lot of people who are going to need help—individuals that get squeezed and need lawyers. There are no doubt civil society groups that would step forward to hold the line as well, and will need counsel.
Should we gather and brainstorm? Zoom and brainstorm? I dearly love my classmates, and I have always said that when the shit hits the fan, you are the people I want in my company.
I think 80 th birthday gathering makes sense.
I would want to attend. And I agree with need to hang out together but also to discuss and confront Trump’s/musk’s and MAGA followers’ assault on law, precedents, human rights, free speech etc.
Rob Shlachter
Portland, Oregon
Intriguing idea. Devil’s in the details. I’d favor relatively low-key, unprogrammed, socializing and celebratory focus, location a bit more central than either New Haven or NYC. Time of year? Fall? Have to admit the idea of a cruise appeals, but we need to keep from raising the bar too high financially and otherwise.
I’m interested. (Not to be morbid, but if I’m reading the actuarial tables correctly, it looks like a bit more than 10 percent of those of us still around will be gone by the 60th reunion. If I’m not in that 10 percent, I’d like to see those who are one more time. And if I’m in that 10 percent, I’d like to see everyone one more time.) I also agree with Mike’s comments about agenda, or lack thereof.
I would be happy to attend . Our 55th was such a success that we ought to continue the momentum
While nothing beats New York for theater and other entertainment, Chicago is a more centrally located, less expensive than the Big Apple, and a wonderful, walkable city with some great museums and no shortage of drinking and eating destinations, including several private event spaces from 25 guests to several hundred.
That said, Donna and I are all in for a 2027 Yale 1969 gathering, wherever we do it.
Sounds like a great idea, and NYC would be a fine location.
I would very much welcome a ‘27 mini-reunion, and like NYC or NH as possible venues. We cannot get together too often nowadays . . .
I would find it fascinating to participate in planning and organizing a thoughtful and diverse reunion for our class – also welcoming our spouses, partners, offspring, etc. … without overwhelming the event with too many folks or too much complexity. I would be glad to participate in brainstorming and planning. I live now in Brookline, MA and can easily drive to New Haven, stay overnight at a motel, etc. It also happens that I taught 3rd and 4th grade in the New Haven public schools (at the MLK School on Dixwell Avenue) just after I graduated from Yale. I’ve heard recently from some of my King School students from that era, so I may be coming to New Haven for a reunion with them — perhaps in May or June of this year. I last saw them — for two full years — when they were 8 to 10 years old and now they are grandparents! My phone number is (617) 905-3156. My email address is barney.brawer@thenationalclassroom.com . If you Google http://www.thenationalclassroom.com you can see a good chunk of the professional work I’ve done in public schools in New Haven, Boston, and Vermont. Please count me in for the planning of the Yale event(s) and let me know how I can be involved in the planning. I still have some connection with Dwight Hall and students and staff involved there. I’d love to hear from you!
Barney Brawer, 16 Beals Street, Brookline, MA 02446 (617) 905-3156
barney.brawer@thenationalclassroom.com
Concerning the 80th birthday party: great idea! New York is the obvious place as it is easy to get to and has lots of places to stay and things to do. (I think even at 80 we can manage it….) Maybe late spring as the weather is still not overly hot. We should avoid late May/June to avoid all the ceremonies that happen then. Perhaps April? Maybe we should float possible dates asap so that people keep free those times. I would be happy to help.
Greg Coleman, Trumbull ’69
Concerning the 80th birthday party: great idea! New York is the obvious place as it is easy to get to and has lots of places to stay and things to do. (I think even at 80 we can manage it….) Maybe late spring as the weather is still not overly hot. We should avoid late May/June to avoid all the ceremonies that happen then. Perhaps April? Maybe we should float possible dates asap so that people keep free those times. I would be happy to help. (gregcole534@comcast.net) Address: 534 Kenwood Road, Drexel Hill, Pa. 19026 (outside of Philly); phones: landline (610) 623-5099 and cell (267)-234-11140.
Greg Coleman, Trumbull ’69