SoCal Regional Event - December 15, 2012

Twenty-four Classmates and significant others gathered for a Class of 1971 Southern California regional meeting on December 15th at the extraordinary Vintana Restaurant complex in Escondido. An Official Greeting from Class President Podie Lynch was awaiting them, and they received a personalized menu review by San Diego's just named top chef, Deborah Scott, who donned a Class Blazer for the occasion.

Though there was some talk of the possible "fiscal cliff" effects on charitable gifts, this was a fun-raising event, not a fundraiser. The group shared stories and reminisced for hours. The long-distance award was earned by Carol and Mark Wine who traveled from Anaheim, narrowly edging Maggie and Laird Hayes from Laguna Beach. Laird, sporting his 2012 Super Bowl ring, was on short rest having refereed the Eagles-Bengals NFL game two nights earlier, including a pre-game dinner with baseball battery-mate and Reunions Chair Jack Hittson. Betsy and Rob Watson received special commendations as they arrived directly from the airport and an all day flight from Sarasota, FL to join the festivities.

Another sort of distance award went to Dan Ruchman who told the group, "This is my first foray into a live Princeton reunion of any kind since graduation in June 1971. Jeez, it's a long distance, in more ways than one, from the first entry of 1915 Hall in the fall of '67!" Dan noted that 3 Classmates attending the dinner lived in that '15 entryway freshman year. Small world. He was given Save the Wild Life uniform items for use on future '71 Reunions. Twenty years' worth of '71 PAW Class Notes Secretaries were present. Also attending were: Julie and Geoff Smith (a driving force behind the event), Susan and Bill Kuntz, Cree and Ned Scudder, Ellyse and Rick Ostrow, Brian Langston, Hilda Drummond, Margo and Scott Rogers, Ron Halpern, Barbara and Tom Sinclair, Carol and Mark Wine, Maggie and Laird Hayes and Nancy and Stu Rickerson. The group is pictured next to a Lexus LFA supercar raffled off. The Class expects to hold other regional meetings around the country. Watch for announcements or, better still, offer to help make one happen in your area.