T he L exington School Pinp oints 50 th A nniversary E dition 2009
T he L exington School Pinp oints 50 th A nniversary E dition 2009
T he L exington School Pinp oints 50 th A nniversary E dition 2009
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38<br />
Thank You Very Much! By<br />
Amanda Hale<br />
T<strong>he</strong> enormous effort <strong>th</strong>at culminated in our <strong>50</strong><strong>th</strong> A<strong>nniversary</strong> gat<strong>he</strong>ring was four years in t<strong>he</strong> making, and<br />
was led by several very talented and dedicated individuals who gave generously of t<strong>he</strong>mselves to produce<br />
a weekend <strong>th</strong>at T<strong>he</strong> L<strong>exington</strong> <strong>School</strong> community would be talking about for years to come. We are most<br />
grateful to t<strong>he</strong>se friends of T<strong>he</strong> L<strong>exington</strong> <strong>School</strong>.<br />
Blyt<strong>he</strong> Clay, <strong>50</strong><strong>th</strong> A<strong>nniversary</strong> Weekend Co-Chair<br />
Blyt<strong>he</strong> Clay has an amazing ability to “dream big” and<br />
to see <strong>he</strong>r vision <strong>th</strong>rough to its final and splendid conclusion.<br />
Through <strong>he</strong>r always classy, always sweet style, Blyt<strong>he</strong><br />
<strong>he</strong>lped to marshal troops <strong>th</strong>at included past and current<br />
parents, alumni, faculty and friends of t<strong>he</strong> school to create<br />
a one-of-a-kind weekend <strong>th</strong>at celebrated T<strong>he</strong> L<strong>exington</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong>’s past even as it looked boldly toward its future.<br />
Blyt<strong>he</strong> joined T<strong>he</strong> L<strong>exington</strong> <strong>School</strong>’s Board of Trustees<br />
in August of 2005 and soon t<strong>he</strong>reafter began formulating<br />
ideas for t<strong>he</strong> school’s <strong>50</strong><strong>th</strong> A<strong>nniversary</strong>. Inspired by reunion<br />
weekends from ot<strong>he</strong>r schools — specifically <strong>he</strong>r almer mater,<br />
t<strong>he</strong> College of William and Mary, Blyt<strong>he</strong> and <strong>he</strong>r husband<br />
Robert began envisioning myriad ways to bring hundreds<br />
of members of T<strong>he</strong> L<strong>exington</strong> <strong>School</strong> family back to<br />
L<strong>exington</strong> for <strong>th</strong>is “family reunion of a lifetime.”<br />
Blyt<strong>he</strong>’s passion for T<strong>he</strong> L<strong>exington</strong> <strong>School</strong> is apparent<br />
and contagious. In ad<strong>dition</strong> to producing ideas for<br />
our events and celebrations, Blyt<strong>he</strong> has spent t<strong>he</strong> last four<br />
years working tirelessly to find new addresses for alumni<br />
and families whose addresses had been lost, <strong>he</strong>lping t<strong>he</strong><br />
school reconnect wi<strong>th</strong> alumni and past parents, and formulating<br />
marketing opportunities designed to generate<br />
excitement and anticipation <strong>th</strong>roughout t<strong>he</strong> community.<br />
S<strong>he</strong> even ventured into t<strong>he</strong> realm of fundraising, using t<strong>he</strong><br />
<strong>50</strong><strong>th</strong> A<strong>nniversary</strong> to <strong>he</strong>lp t<strong>he</strong> school procure t<strong>he</strong> matching<br />
PINPOINTS <strong>50</strong><strong>th</strong> A<strong>nniversary</strong><br />
funds available <strong>th</strong>rough t<strong>he</strong> <strong>50</strong><strong>th</strong> A<strong>nniversary</strong> Challenge.<br />
As co-chair of t<strong>he</strong> entire <strong>50</strong><strong>th</strong> A<strong>nniversary</strong> celebration,<br />
Blyt<strong>he</strong>’s excitement and energy inspired armies of<br />
volunteers and kept t<strong>he</strong> momentum high <strong>th</strong>rough years<br />
of planning. Her creativity coupled wi<strong>th</strong> <strong>he</strong>r love of T<strong>he</strong><br />
L<strong>exington</strong> <strong>School</strong> produced a weekend of activities <strong>th</strong>at<br />
engendered a sense of nostalgia and en<strong>th</strong>usiasm from t<strong>he</strong><br />
“first day” students and faculty <strong>th</strong>rough t<strong>he</strong> parents and<br />
students who walk <strong>th</strong>rough t<strong>he</strong>se doors every day.<br />
Blyt<strong>he</strong> is t<strong>he</strong> mot<strong>he</strong>r of two L<strong>exington</strong> <strong>School</strong> alumni,<br />
Heat<strong>he</strong>r Clay Frelinghuysen ’86 and Case Clay ’89. S<strong>he</strong> is<br />
also t<strong>he</strong> proud grandmot<strong>he</strong>r of L<strong>exington</strong> <strong>School</strong> student<br />
Anna Clay ’18. Her grandson James will join T<strong>he</strong> L<strong>exington</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong>’s Class of 2021 next fall. Blyt<strong>he</strong>’s kind spirit and<br />
enduring en<strong>th</strong>usiasm were t<strong>he</strong> perfect combination for t<strong>he</strong><br />
enormous job of planning t<strong>he</strong> <strong>50</strong><strong>th</strong> A<strong>nniversary</strong>, and we are<br />
grateful for <strong>he</strong>r service. Thank you, Blyt<strong>he</strong>.<br />
Nancy Grimes, <strong>50</strong><strong>th</strong> A<strong>nniversary</strong> Weekend Co-Chair<br />
Nancy Grimes is no<br />
stranger to volunteer<br />
service at T<strong>he</strong> L<strong>exington</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong>. As a devoted parent<br />
volunteer, Nancy has<br />
served T<strong>he</strong> L<strong>exington</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong> in a wide variety<br />
of ways, including as<br />
CELEBRATION chair<br />
in 1991, and as President of t<strong>he</strong> Board of Trustees 1996-<br />
1998.<br />
W<strong>he</strong>n Nancy agreed to return as a past parent to serve<br />
a four<strong>th</strong> term on T<strong>he</strong> L<strong>exington</strong> <strong>School</strong>’s board of trustees<br />
in t<strong>he</strong> fall of 2004, t<strong>he</strong> school’s <strong>50</strong><strong>th</strong> A<strong>nniversary</strong> had<br />
to be t<strong>he</strong> last <strong>th</strong>ing on <strong>he</strong>r mind. Soon, however, Nancy<br />
found <strong>he</strong>rself taking a front row seat in t<strong>he</strong> <strong>50</strong><strong>th</strong> preparations<br />
as co-chair for t<strong>he</strong> biggest reunion in T<strong>he</strong> L<strong>exington</strong><br />
<strong>School</strong>’s history.<br />
Nancy and Blyt<strong>he</strong> worked hand in hand to produce<br />
and refine ideas for t<strong>he</strong> wide variety of activities<br />
<strong>th</strong>at would provide “some<strong>th</strong>ing for everyone” as T<strong>he</strong>