The extraordinary confab we call "assembly" began September, 1971, when the school went through a progressive revolution under the guidance of a young, new Head of School. Suddenly, the notion of free speech went from a constitutional principle to an enduring, daily practice. At least three days a week, we come together for about a half hour of spontaneous human experience: announcements by students and faculty and staff, skits, shows, scoldings, pleas, applause and lots of laughs. For these moments, we are truly together.

These moments are transformational, and define the nature of a community that is very committed to community. This morning, Pete Southworth conducted an assembly that used a spontaneous whiffleball game as the opportunity to cite some of our tendencies as baseball loving Americans: competitiveness, winning at all costs, selfishness, greed, perhaps.....

This hilarious stunt was followed by the usual stuff, including an emotional counterbalance: the Wise Center was left a mess the other day, and we need to tend to our nests. A student who came forward to clean it up, voluntarily asked the rest of us to be more responsible for how we treat our spaces. Of course, he was applauded. Over thirty-five years, these extraordinary, open, spontaneous gatherings have shaped our culture.

This archival photo comes from that moment when Patty Pond (I'm guessing) pointed out that the Red Sox had eliminated the Yankees on their way to the World Series.

When the chaos ends, at about 10:45, there is time to gather at spontaneous meetings and sign-ups, to socialize outside and to grab fruit, peanutbutter and crackers at the Wise Center.

Maybe there are a few minutes to hang out outside the Meeting House. A few years ago, the Head of another school came out of assembly, saying, "You are so unpretentious!" A recent visitor from another school observed, "What is different is that your students all seem to be pulling for one another."

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