LET’S FINISH OUR “GOLDEN YEAR’ STRONG!!
Fellow Classmates of the Fabulous BLS Class of 1974!
As we approach the Holidays, let’s remember the GRATITUDE lessons of Thanksgiving
and the GIVING lessons of Hanukkah and Christmas! Our BLS74 50th Reunion Year
has been a blessing of renewed lifelong friendships, cherished mutual memories, and
thankful lessons learned from each other and our beloved Alma Mater.
We’ve loaded our bls74.com WEBSITE with DOZENS OF FABULOUS PICTURES,
VIDEOS, and MEMORIES from our May 50th Reunion, and we hope they transport you
back to those two glorious days of reconnection and remembrance!
While you’re in a good mood walking down Memory Lane again…..we’ll gently remind
you that it is “THE SEASON OF GIVING”!
So far this year, we have raised $ 260,000 for our BLS74 50th CLASS GIFT, and we
are at 87% of our $ 300,000 Goal! Amazing generosity, and we are truly grateful!! The
BLSA has EXTENDED THE GIFT DEADLINE to Dec. 31st, 2024, SO…….
IF you ATTENDED THE REUNION and HAVE ALREADY MADE A GIFT - Bravo, and
Thank You!!
IF you ATTENDED THE REUNION and have NOT YET MADE A GIFT – DON’T
WORRY! Simply CLICK HERE, and you can easily make 1) an unrestricted gift or a gift
to a specific interest area (e.g., “Music” or “ATHLETICS”) OR 2) The Saturday Success
School initiated by Chuck Longfield ’74 OR 3) The BLS Oral History Project founded by
Phil Bonomo ’74 and Guy Marini ’74. YOU HAVE UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 2024 to
MAKE A GIFT to be included in our BLS74 CLASS GIFT! Thank you for Giving!
IF you DID NOT ATTEND THE REUNION….Please enjoy our roster of heartwarming
BLS74 50 th Reunion pics and honor your BLS74 classmates and pals by GIVING to THE
BLS74 CLASS GIFT HERE!!! We NEED YOUR HELP, and WE CAN’T THANK YOU
ENOUGH!
I am so proud and thankful to be your Class President, but even more proud to be a
member of the Fabulous (and Generous!) Boston Latin School Class of 1974!
In Gratitude,
Dan McCarthy ’74
President, The Fabulous BLS Class of 1974
Directed Giving
When making your gift on the BLS website, consider directing it to one of the initiatives undertaken by our classmates:
To do so, select either "Saturday Success School" or "Oral History Project" in the "My Gift Supports" dropdown of the "Designation" section.
You can even invest in a program that was most important to your experience at Latin School (Athletics, Music, Sciences, etc.)!
Saturday Success School (Chuck Longfield)
Saturday Success School seeks to support students in strengthening their academic success through the use of volunteer adult tutors.
This program runs every Saturday for 20 Saturdays during the school year. Students will work one on one or in small groups with an adult tutor for about 40 minutes per session. All tutors are CORI checked and come to us from various sources such as local hospitals, colleges/universities, marketing firms, retired secondary educators, current BLS teachers and BLS alumni.
Program Applications are required as students are taught three subjects of their choice in three different sessions each Saturday for the entire year without changing into other subjects.
This is a focused program, not a drop-in platform. Students must commit to attending this program every Saturday.
Oral History Project (Guy Marini and Phil Bonomo )
Generationes Virtutes - An Oral History of the Boston Latin School
Guy and Phil have been leading the effort to create a permanent Oral History of Alma Mater. Three chapters of this video oral history have been released thus far, featuring graduate interviews from Classes of the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s.
Using a professional film and video company, we ask BLS graduates to share memories and anecdotes about their Latin School experiences, using the school as the backdrop. Historical references abound, displaying the deep meshing of world events with the daily rigors of a classical education. And because the Latin School draws students from every corner of Boston proper, each student must make major adjustments to integrate with a melting pot of neighborhood and ethnic cultures - multiple threads for powerful stories. While the participants are generationally diverse, they also present common threads uniquely found in Latin School graduates.
Chapter 4 is currently in development. Meanwhile, we look forward to the day when BLS74 graduates will be called to tell their own special stories. We hope you will share Guy’s and Phil’s pride in this effort and support The BLS Oral History Project with a directed gift.