December 2021

EHSA President’s Message: Thanks to You! End of the Year Reflections.

EHSA President & CEO, Mike Thomas ’67 and Caitlin Murphy, current English High Head of School on the field at Harvard Stadium to celebrate the big English win over Latin

It’s been an unusual progression of Alumni events in 2021, the year we all thought we’d beaten the COVID experience, but not so fast. Many are still wearing masks indoors, have received booster shots, Zooms galore still, etc. But let’s not look back but forward to the accomplishment side of things, English High and your alumni have made significant progress during this dark time.

We are thankful for:

• We beat Latin in THE GAME for the first time since 2013. No, we trounced them 66-42!
• School/students are back matriculating in-person sessions, albeit with masks.
  Most have survived the worst (we hope) the Virus can throw at us.
• We presented a wonderful 200^th Anniversary Virtual event, first time with robust alumni attendance and response in breakout rooms afterwards.
• We have enlisted more new donors than ever before, with many contributing $200 in honor of our 200^th Anniversary.
• Pumped out a record 14 Alumni newsletters with panache, and unearthed stories of many unheralded alumni, too many to mention.
• Relocated and upgraded our alumni office to Class A space in Dedham, MA, with an “E” welcome mat for all alumni.
• English High Football Coach Ryan Conway made NE Patriots Coach of the Week for a second time in 3 years.
• Kicked off our 200^th Fundraising Campaign, with corporate and individual sponsorships.
• Graduated 125 students of the 2021 class from Fenway Park, the oldest Ballpark in America, Proud to be 200!
• Added the youngest alum, a recent 2021 graduate, and a retired Superior Court Magistrate to our alumni Association Board.

Who made this all possible?

This Who’s Who of our many Alumni Association Teams is noteworthy:

• Liz Page Associates made huge contributions all around, but especially with the virtual event and guidance overall.
• Newsletters (like this one) editors/creators, Penny (PJ) Welsch and Dan Eramian’66 (our all-around MVP).
• 200^th Committee for organizing, ideas and direction
• The English High School Association Board’s support.
• Development Committee: Jerry Burrell ’67 and Richard White ’70 doing corporate and foundations research in the trenches.
• PR development and focus on public/media awareness: Stan Hurwitz ’67, has contributed in other areas as well.
• Bill Gallagher, Director of Operations, IT guru, for bringing us into the 21^st Century.
• All of those who did videos, statements of support for our 200^th and behind-the-scenes work.

Finally, to all those who donated this year to our many campaigns and initiatives, We Thank You!  We cannot sustain this alumni effort without your yearly support.

Upcoming 2022 Highlights

• 200^th Anniversary Gala Event will happen in the Boston area, Fall, 2022.
• New class Zooms; 1959, 1964 had great success and fun. Plan one for your class.
• Breakfast Reunions will be back! Organize one in your area.
• Business Mentoring Zooms will be back.

Our hope is we can call upon you again next year, in our anniversary celebration year, with an even greater show of support for our 200^th Gala (in-person) event. We need your financial backing to be the full-service Alumni Association to strengthen English High School and our alumni ties.

Thanks, for your help, Onward!

Mike Thomas’67

mthomas@englishhighalumni.org

Honor…Achievement…Service to Mankind