I sat with a family at lunch the other day. They were visiting from San Francisco, a city with long, deep connections to Proctor. They were having a fine time, but they had missed the morning assembly. This fact ruined my lunch, because you can gain all you need to know about this school in 30 minutes by experiencing the community together. It's starts, of course, when I ring the bell atop Maxwell Savage at 9:45 AM; (that's another story.) 

 

(I hate to admit it, but recent experience demonstrates that assembly happens even if I fail to ring the bell.) But back to the subject: a river of humanity flows out of the Learning Center, Shirley Hall, Maxwell Savage, the boatshop and dormitories....all converging on the Wilkins Meeting House and the Norris Family Theater.


 

Attendance is required, so advisors need to be there for attendance at 9:50. Students pile in in droves. 


 




So more than 300 kids (off-campus programs make it tough for me to be precise....the total student population is 352) pile into the Shaker barn-inspired Meeting House to find seats in an auditorium with approximately 90 adults (on a good day.) 


 

Here, the magic happens. It started in a stuffy Holland Auditorium (now Wise Center) in 1971, and it has been an open forum ever since, defining the community's true culture, day by day. This day, Brooks Bicknell '78 has the honor of running the show.


 

Following a set of presentations and slide shows, students and faculty are invited down to make announcements. This is when the community is revealed to visitors, because the process is spontaneous and transparent. Marcus addresses the community regarding recycling volunteerism as part of his volunteer role with Proctor Environmental Action.


 

My name is part of a list serve for New England communications directors, and we all received an email recently requesting advice on what to do--in terms of written policy--to combat students recording school assemblies with FlipCams. Here are Will and Zoli offering opportunities to donate for Haitian relief:


 

My very-public response was that at Proctor we are trying to encourage student use of spontaneous social media--knowing, of course--that all student behavior must be appropriate. Somehow, I sense that my observation was poorly received. This is the exodus following assembly: