3p onesided, third page is shorter than the others. Mimeograph on matte off white paper.This newsletter includes events and news for spending th holiday at BMC
THIS IS NOT A COMMUNITY BULLETIN. Any resemblance to a community bulletin, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Furthermore, this is NOT Bodini type.
January 1, 1947 BMC
New Year’s Day at BMC is rainy with a threat of sleet if it continues to get colder, as the weather man predicts it will. The rock walk to the dining hall squirts muddy water upward; brown rivers follow the roadway from the Studies Building; the mountains are obscure in heavy mist. It’s a dreary day outside, but I see a cardinal in the tree near Wallen’s.
We all (that’s Southern, like “you all”) here at BMC have had a grand vacation. It has been grand from the very day when the bus left for Washington and the Bolotowsky car left for New York (sorry about the puncture, Ilya; we heard about it from the Niebyls) and Williams and Bergman, Inc. left for Chicago (pardon me, Hank, Beaver Dam). But we are beginning to miss all of you. Lore, it was good of you to write and ask when college opens; (in case other don’t know, classes begin at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, January 8; we expect most of you on January 7 and will welcome you back with spaghetti for lunch and hamburger for supper). And Hank, it was good of you to write for your ration book, which was probably in John’s pocket. And Pepe it was good of you to write for more money, especially since you wanted to buy your mother a Christmas present. All such messages are welcome by those of us shut out of the world in this rainy little mountain valley.
Hitting the high-spots of the holiday at BMC
Our new Caroling Group. Theme song: “Christmas is coming, the Goose is getting fat; Please to put a penny In the old man’s hat.”
A delightful round inaugurated by John Wallen, with Molly as official starter, and the rest jining in! Christmas Eve about fourteen of us sung carols, including the round, at Oteen Annex (formerly Moore General Hospital). While Bobbie, Franziska, and Evelyn hurried around hanging out song sheets to the patients and asking them to join in the singing, Molly pitched the tune (once or twice) then Rondy and John picked it up, and by that time the three paper girls were back and everyone got in on the second line. We sang in about twelve wards and considering our age, we kept fairly well on the key to the bitter end (not quite as well as does the barber shop quarter- boys, they want you to come down sometime!); anyway, our spirits were good, and after it was over we got more spirits at the Elliott Merricks.
2. Santa Claus; single or plural? There was a lot of discussion the day before Christmas about Santa Claus- whether he was or wasn’t; whether he was single or plural, etc., etc. Faf said NO to everything; but Asawa said YES, so in “the end the stockings were hung by the fireplace with care” in South Lodge, and Santa did come, and in the end, that is before morning, there were five Santas at work and the stockings were found at daybreak—filled—with left-overs in a corner for the unbelievers (Al found these). Like Morton Salt “it never rains but it pours”, so with the Santas. Two of them were seen by inquisitive members of the community at midnight in South Lodge; three were heard and seen in the early morning hours between 4:30 and 6 a.m. Faculty homes were ruthlessly entered (but no faculty were carried away). The Wallen’s felt the chill of the night air as their living room door was opened and closed; the Rondys heard the thud as one Santa fell headlong over their faithful watchdog, Jake, asleep in the hallway; the Levi’s were awakened by the giggling caroling; the Niebyls slept through it; Molly was semi-conscious of the intrusion; as for Eddie Lowinsky, he knew it was burglars climbing in the window (moral, Eddie, never lock the doors on Christmas Eve). Daylight brought the evidence – huge, ginger cookies in queer shapes- trains, cows, horses, faces with cow-catcher whiskers (guess whose)- all found on tables and chairs in the faculty households. But at breakfast at nine, there were no Santas present.
3. Forwarding Mail. This was B’s job. She did an especially good job on mail going to Tampa, Florida, and Crewe, Virginia. Forwarding mail is a tricky job, especially when we don’t have any forwarding addresses! We did know Neil was in New York, but we weren’t sure of Dan Rice’s address, but we hope he got all of his mail. Reading the postcards was exciting; but there weren’t enough of them. Wondering what was in the Christmas packages was exciting and we’ll be hanging around when Susie Teasdale opens those wonderful pears and Dan opens the box of dates from California. We might even hand around when Squeaky opens his big box of kapok sleeping bags. We tried to get Charlie Boyce’s package through to France—we knew about the girl there (maybe it was Germany), but in spite of Ed Adamy’s declarations, the package came back a third time and in here now, so Charlie is “alone in the pines, where the cold wind blows” so far as that particular girl is concerned.
4. COAL. With the studies building coal pile good to the last drop, and practically down to the last drop, we were glad to get a notice about two days before Christmas of the arrival of a car of stoker. Picture gallant Al Brody at the wheel day and night, night and day (with no pay for overtime), and the equally gallant, and equally grimy community members, faculty and students side by side, bringing in the coal! The Solid Fuels Administration had come to our rescue in spite of John Lewis! Not only that, but our regular coal dealer at Cleveland Cliffs also came across, and a second car of stoker arrived on Christmas Day. So picture Al again at the wheel (Casey Jones had nothing on him).
But don’t jump for joy about the coal being in. there is still a car of LUMP to come- about January 8- starting planning Manvel and put us on the sidelines!
5. Government Chairs. It was a bright, sunny day when Mrs. Rondy first sighted the government chairs down under the studies building wall in the march near the lake. Five days later it began to rain and the practical head of Mrs. Rondy remembered the chairs and feared for the leather upholstery. Down to the office she rushed (no she is too old to rush); down to the office she hurried with fast, short steps, to find her Rondy. HE would rescue the government chairs. The office was silent and empty, but one could hear the gurgling of Rondy and John beneath the floor as they worked happily on the installation of the Wallen’s new Montgomery Ward sink. Down to the basement hurried Mrs. Rondy.
“Rondy the government chairs are getting wet. It’s raining.”
“So are we!”
“Come and get them out of the rain.”
“Oh, hang the government chairs, we’ve got to finish this job or it will rain here.”
“Couldn’t you come, John?”
“No, we can’t get out of here.” (They were squeezed in between floor and dirt.
“Go find someone in the studies building to help you.”
So off pattered Mrs. Rondy in the rain to the studies building and tere was Anita Fein.
“Anita, the government chairs have fallen off the parapet, get everyone in the studies building to help put them back up.” And off pattered Mrs. Rondy down the stairway and the lower halls. There she found Franziska and together they pattered on down the marsh where the government chairs were getting wet. Soon Dick Roberts joined them, and in a jiffy the chairs were back in place on the terrace and were covered against the weater.
IN THE MEANTIME, Anita came to Bill Levi’s study. There was Bill sitting on the pillowed floor, artist’s brush in hand, painting the rear of a little church in Taos, New Mexico. Yes, Bill was in New Mexico. His pipe angled out of his mouth, veering slightly to the right, and smoked meditatively. He scarcely heard Anita’s sweet voice:
“Bill, Mrs. Rondy says to come help her get the government chairs.”
“The government chairs? What government chairs?” (Remember, Bill is almost out of the USA)
“The government chairs have fallen off the parapet.”
“Where is the parapet?”
“I don’t know.”
And so Bill stays on there in Taos, but his thoughts are disturbed- where is the parapet? He dreams of government chairs hurtling down from high walls as he dabs the brush into the mud-brown paint for the side-wall of the Taos church. (Bill will be back with us on Wednesday, January 8).
6. New Year’s Eve. There were two types of celebration on New Year’s Eve, a party in the dining hall early in the evening, and a quiet hour in the Quiet House where the fire burned brightly, later in the evening. Some went to both; others to one; others stayed in their own homes. Youngest member of the college community, Ann Noland, DID stay up until midnight, and KEPT her mamma and her daddy up also—nothing wrong, no crying; just joyfully conscious of a changing year.
This has been our vacation at BMC. The government housing plumbers, electricians, carpenters, after a Christmas week off, are now hard at work putting on the final touches. The stoves and ice boxes are in; the plumbing is getting in. work on the farmhouse continues; windows are in; inside painting is underway. Lukey is back from Christmas at home in New York. Anita left yesterday to visit Anne Banks in Bristol; Chick “thumbed” to friends in Tennessee for Christmas, but returned Sunday night; Ed Adamy is visiting friends on a farm down the valley. Cornelia and George are back; Malrey is now on vacation. Apple pie and French fried potatoes have been good. Peter Niebyl spent the holidays here with Karl and Elizabeth. Julie and Marge are back. Dave Resnik got a check from home and hasn’t been seen since. Ike’s mail is being held for him (? Where is Ike?)
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Dave Corkran, Sr. and Dick Roberts climbed Mount Mitchell on Sunday afternoon, enjoyed a beautiful Monday, and came back in pouring rain on Tuesday- slightly wet, but happy. Ted Dreier, Jr. is here for the holidays from Putney School. Much excitement here when word came through that the Urbain-Schmitt knot had been tied and that the bride and groom would be here after the holidays. Nick Muzenic is back and with him is his charming young sister. She is getting a real taste of BMC community life. All holiday guests have been put right to work on “routine” kitchen and dining room jobs. There have been various parties on the campus- egg nog Christmas morning made by Corkran and Roberts, Inc., and served to a happy group in the Corkran living room; delicious hot wine punch Christmas afternoon at the Dreiers; buffet supper in the dining hall; a student party at Wallen’s with Ed Adamy making the spaghetti; and a couple of group parties in South Lodge.
Sunday, Grady Hardin preached on the subject on New Year’s resolutions. We can here you all (not Southern) making them- we can hear them all the way from Dorlon’s Point (Markoff) to Tamps (Jose). Imagine what life will be like when you get back- no more borrowed china or salt shakers, no more tardiness on class, no more late breakfasts, much harder studying, more time tardiness on class, no more late breakfasts, much harder studying, more time on the work program, no more “girls” – say, don’t get to conservative!
See you on the SEVENTH.
THE OFFICE GIRL
p.s. those enjoying the turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, etc., etc., on Christmas Day at BMC were:
Students
Ed Adamy, Ruth Asawa, Al Brody, Anita Fein, Faf Foster, B Myers, Harry Noland, Evelyn Oxenberg, Dick Roberts, Joan Sihvonen, Oli Sihvonen, Julie Scheir, Marge Scheir, Cris Noland, Ann Noland
Faculty
Browns: Peggy, Stanley, Gerry
Corkrans: Dave, Sr., Marion, Dave Jr., John, Robin
Dreiers: Ted, Sr., Bobbie, Ted Jr., Eddie, Barbara Beate
Gregory: Molly
Jalowetz: Johanna
Levis: Bill, Mary Caroline, Estelle
Lowinskys: Eddie, Gretel, Naomi, Simon Leo
Mayer: Franziska
Millers: Herbert, Bessie, and Browns: Gustova, Petra, Buzzie
Moles: Clifford, Shirley, Diane, and Diane’s grandmother
Niebyls: Karl, Elizabeth, Peter, and guests, Mr. and Mrs. Kelly and little daughter, and Norval Welch
Rondthalers: Theodore, Alice, and Bobbie
Trayers: Ray, Dorothy, Susan
Wallens: John, Rachel, Kurt
Chief Cook: MALREY
Secretaries: Hagendorn; Gerda, Kulan; Irma; Larsen, Hazel
