It is strange having all of our fall meetings via Zoom. It is yet another fallout, though certainly not the most heinous from our epic battle with the Covid-19 virus. In what is relevant for this column, I think of the ’24s who have been deprived of the unique and wonderful entry into Dartmouth that we all enjoyed upon our matriculation. At the same time, I applaud the efforts the College has made to welcome our freshmen in as warm and memorable manner as conditions allow. I hope at some time during their college career, this dreadful plague will have run its course and they can partake in the subtle and not so subtle DNA of our alma mater. One of us who remembers those wondrous days is Anton Phillips. A native of the Netherlands, he has carved out a brilliant career in business. He writes that he has joined a group called Basic Income Earth Network. It is an organization that provides a way of answering poverty and giving more people a chance to live a productive life. There are chapters starting up all over the world. He writes that it will reduce by 60 percent the poverty in the Netherlands, where 1 million out of the country’s population of 17 million live below the poverty line. Ron Lazar writes, “We’ve done it again! Our loyal agent team of Dick O’Connor, Phil Beekman, Dick Loewenthal, Fred Stephens, John Avril, John Cernius, Tom Duke, Carl England, Bill Friedman, Dave Halloran, Don McMichael, George Sarner, Bob Simpson, Bernie Sudikoff, and Tim Thomas, along with 161 generous donor classmates, of whom 60 have given every year since graduation or missed only one year, raised $183,000. The great class of 1953 had the third-highest participation of 74 classes, 72 percent compared to the College-wide participation of 37 percent. We were also one of three classes to establish a year-out participation record. Fantastic! Thanks to all of the above. Sadly, I report the deaths of the following dear classmates and offer condolences to their families: Larry Barnett, George Middleton, William Stubbs, and Joe Stevens (honorary).

—Mark H. Smoller, 401 Lake Shore Road, Putnam Valley, NY 10579; (845) 603-5066; dartmark@gmail.com