“We are gathered to celebrate and honor the vision of Roger and Eleanor Fenn,” said Headmaster Jerry Ward, officially opening Fenn’s annual Founder’s Day celebration in the meeting hall on April 15.
Donald Castor, who will retire from the Buildings and Grounds crew in June, was honored for his 53 years of service. Describing Donald as “an amazing person,” and referring to the decades of shoveling, mowing, cleaning, arranging of chairs and tables, and the many other tasks that he has done, Jerry noted that, “Your day isn’t complete until you greet Donald and he replies with his traditional ‘How you makin’ it today?’”
With Donald (at left, holding pennant), as Grand Marshall, riding in a green John Deere Gator driven by colleague Steve Gasper, the traditional Founder’s Day parade featured the Fenn Marching Band, the sun glinting off of their instruments, and a Concord Police escort. The marchers led the community to the headmaster’s backyard, where blue and gold cupcakes were served.
When the parade reached the Wards’ house, Donald lingered in the Gator, talking to colleagues and holding the blue and gold pennant that he had waved during the festivities. Clearly moved by being honored, he declared, “The time has gone by so fast. This will be a hard place to leave.”
Also during the assembly portion of the Founder’s Day program, eighth grader Lucian Sharpe showed a video that he and classmate Whit Feather had created to show how the Fenn campus has changed in its 87 years, including the transformation of a donated boathouse that was pulled by a horse to the property from its former home nearby to become part of the dining hall. Lucian had employed a drone to get the aerial footage and the boys had asked Jim Carter ’54 to locate old photos in the archives, which they photographed, and to narrate much of the documentary.