As I write this blog entry, I am still basking in the glow of our 24 hour celebration of CWA’s 50th birthday!

The “biggest, boldest, birthday party ever!” began with a record-breaking crowd at the Headmaster’s Picnic Friday night. The Lower School carnival, hosted by the Middle School, was held outside for the first time. The change in venue was wonderful! Holding it outdoors gave everyone some elbow room, and the sounds of children thoroughly enjoying themselves dissipated into the air rather than reverberating from the walls of the Tarrier Dome. The usual lineup of games and activities was augmented by the distribution of “bam-bams” advertising the annual fund. Not surprisingly, swordfights broke out everywhere, and the silver metallic fringes were strewn across the carnival grounds.

The spirit at the carnival was joyful. As I walked around, greeting students and parents, having a tattoo applied to my cheek, and playing “Headmaster’s Croquet” (the wickets were decorated with photos of the five living CWA headmasters), I felt everywhere the warm spirit of the CWA community. It’s a place where people are known and accepted for who they are.

The outstanding dinner, prepared by food service Director Sheila Clemans and her staff, was held in the Murray Commons of the Middle School, and the line snaked out the door nearly to the end of the building!

The sporting events of the day included a girls soccer game, a boys tennis match, a volleyball match, and a football game. The football team, coming off of two convincing victories, faced the New Westminster (BC) Hyacks for the first time. For all of the first half and the first part of the second, the Tarriers had the worst of it, with the scoreboard showing 28 points for the Hyacks and none for the Tarriers. An electrifying 95 yard kickoff return for a touchdown provided the inspiration missing earlier in the game. Two scores later (including a recovered onside kick), and we were back in the game 21-28. With one second on the clock, a short Tarrier pass from the Hyack 5-yard line was batted down, ending the biggest nailbiter in recent memory.

The pancake flip started off the festivities on Saturday morning. Hosted by the Society of Elders (retired CWA faculty and staff), the crowd included a significant number of alums from long ago and far away. Listening to the conversations, it was clear that although the school of 2007 may look on the surface different than the one attended by many alums, the essence of the school has remained unchanged. The easy camaraderie, the recollection of hard work and hard play, and above all, the memories of inspiring faculty seem to be a constant over the half-century of our history.

The festivities continued late Saturday afternoon with a reception held on the site of Friday’s carnival. Tents were set up, one for each decade, artfully and whimsically decorated by parent Laura Reynolds and her team of volunteers. At least half the crowd consisted of faculty, alums, parents, and grandparents from past generations. The metallic bam-bam fringes, which looked like so much trash the day before, on Saturday looked to be part of the decorations!

The evening event was nearly indescribable! With over 700 RSVPs, the Dome was bound to be rockin’! The theme of Dr. Seuss’ Oh the Places You’ll Go was evident throughout the Dome, lending a whimsical air to the festivities. Knowing that folks came primarily to talk with friends they had not seen in a long while, we planned only a brief program. But even that was hard to carry off, as it was virtually impossible to divert people from their animated conversations. But one thing did get everyone’s attention: a fantastic video history of the school, made by parent Jennifer Rand. It was, in its own way, simply a great tribute to Sam and Nathalie Brown, who dreamed big, and started down a path that they couldn’t possibly, in their wildest imaginations, have thought would lead to such a strong school with the inextinguishable spirit that infects all, children and adults alike, who come to Peach Acres and who are open to having their lives changed for the better.

The successful events were the work of many people, of course, and the small army of volunteers was led by the joyfully spirited Anna Meadowcroft and Kendall McGuire Leith, who worked countless hours and kept dreaming up new angles to add to the event, right up to the end. As both of their families are deeply steeped in CWA’s history, with the two of them in charge, the weekend was bound to be “just Wright.”

While many were able to attend, quite a number of the dispersed CWA family could not. They missed the event of the (half) century; they’ll need to get the centennial celebration on their calendars for 2057!