Proctor's 360 students are served by approximately 90 educators.
But that is only one-half of the total employed by the school; another 90 serve as housekeepers, kitchen staff, buildings and grounds crew, admissions, communications, business office, fund raising, event management, tech support, reception, athletic support, athletic trainers, college counseling, health services, etc. So the total adult-to-student ratio is close to one-to-two.
If that sounds impressive, consider the uncounted population of adults whose contribution is voluntary. Approximately three dozen trustees...parents, past parents, alumni and friends of the school...dedicate whole weekends to oversee our fiscal health, and to make key decisions regarding mission, budget and capital projects.
This weekend's trustee meetings included encouraging news on many fronts: applications for admission (up), the annual fund (up), and the performance of endowment (up).
If anyone needs proof of the critical role played by trustees, he need only look across the valley to Proctor Ski Area, which--on Saturday--hosted 140 of the Northeast's most accomplished skiers for another FIS-certified event.
It was the Board of Trustees--a couple of years ago--that allocated funds to bring two trails up to racing standards defined by the International Ski Federation. Today, Proctor Ski Area is repeatedly cited by elite skiers and coaches for its single focus on racing, and everything that makes a major racing event work smoothly.
Just two hours after the FIS racers depart, busloads of students arrive, joining parents, alumni, and friends of Proctor for the annual Proctor Ski Area Celebration.
The slopes are brighter this year, because trustees allocated improvements to the facility, improvements that include the installation of 42 General Electric PF400 Power Flood lights, two new pumps for snowmaking, a switch from diesel to electric powered compressors, the purchase and installation of 21 HKD SV10 Impulse Tower Snow Guns, the purchase of a mobile Turbocristal Fan Gun, and the addition of 1200 feet of new snowmaking pipe.
The result of these improvements include a decrease from 77,339,091 to 11,041,434 units of compressed air usage this year. The new system brought our electricity use from 210,161 to 30,004 kilowatt hours this year. Running an average of 23 snow guns at one time brought the hours of snowmaking operation from 504 to 157 man hours. The savings on diesel fuel is $43,000. This is the power of wise, responsible trustee service.
But our topic is volunteerism, and this triumphant Ski Area Celebration draws on parent volunteers to set up tables and chairs, grill burgers and sausages, serve an assortment of chilis and other delicious items, and clean up.
Proctor students are the beneficiaries of a lot of teachers, a lot of staff and support, trustees whose vision is propelling us into the future, and parent volunteers who make a difference every day.
In Bowen's time-lapse photo of last night's torchlight parade, you can see a projection of the school's logo (left) on the ski jump, and the 1950-60s skier logo (right) on the base of the race trail. Traditions endure.
