Commencement Program For BFA-Fairfax June 18, 2011

[Henry]

I have posted the BFA Fairfax Commencement Program for 2011 under the BFA Alumni Topic:

http://www.vtgrandpa.com/forum/index.php?topic=11977.0

[Dick Brown]

Henry     Thanks for posting the BFA Commencement Program . It looked well done and very professional . A couple of questions : It's good to see that the award given in the name of Bernie Kuhn is still a part of the ceremonies . Does the Social Studies Department select the winner or does the whole faculty ? Are the other awards which were traditionally given at Commencement now given at other Graduation Events ?  Is there still a Last Chapel Perhaps some of the Forum readers can provide the answers . Thanks again for the posting. 

[FletcherGram]

Hi Dick, I think this is the first graduation we went to since Matt graduated. whew!! Wow, talk about short and sweet, it was awesome!! Done in about a hour, under a tent by the baseball field. woo-hoo. Don't know about Last Chapel. Matt went to his first Alumni Banquet. He wanted to be served by his son.

[Dick Brown]

Greetings   I have been out of touch for a few days this week and so I didn't get to thank you for the info about Saturday's Graduation. I'm glad it went well and also very glad that the Vermont weather finally cooperated with an outside event which is so important to so many people , after such a wet and crazy spring .

[MikeF9]

One last tradition at BFA bit the dust some years ago. It is no longer called Last Chapel. Now they have a huge Class Day, where most of the Awards are handed out. I don't think any awards are handed out at Graduation anymore. I think the teachers union select the Bernie Kuhn Award.
This year's graduation lasted about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Principal Mike Clark was shooting for just under an hour. It's now just speeches, acknowledgement of awards handed out, and diplomas.

[Dick Brown]

Thanks Mike     Between your explanations and Eva's , I have a better understanding of the Commencement Program now. It makes sense that the Teachers Association selects the winner of the Bernie Kuhn Award since I think I remember that they fund it.  As you know, many of the traditions at BFA had carried over from the original school, and as you mentioned , the Last Chapel was one of those that was meant to tie the graduates of the current secondary school with those seniors from the first Last Chapel held in 1904 ( ) , but then ,everything has a time and perhaps this event had outlived it's purpose.
Anyway , planning for the 109th year ( ) at BFA/Fairfax must be underway and I'm sure that Hiram Bellows would be both surprised and pleased with the school in it's current form.