On October 27 2022 Roosevelt House in New York, over 70 Old Stoics, Parents and other Friends of Stowe came together, in the company of the Head, to celebrate our common bond and kick-off what will be an exciting program of Centenary year events for the Stowe community around the world.
The evening was divided into three parts: drinks for the first hour, then speeches, videos and a spectacular singing performance by Tamia
Sibanda (Upper Sixth, West). We wrapped up the event with a delicious, catered dinner by a renowned Brooklyn-based chef. It was our most successful event in years and only ended when the building closed its doors for the night. The first, essential part of our mission at American Friends of Stowe (AFS) is to sustain a vibrant forum through which we can enable Old Stoics, Parents, and other Friends of Stowe to connect and reconnect – both with each other and with Stowe itself – and it felt extremely good to be able to get back to doing so at this wonderful event.
Raising awareness and financial support for Stowe’s most significant and ambitious development plans is the second vital component of AFS’s mission and I am delighted and honored to thank all the Americans Friends of Stowe who have supported us over the last 12 months. The continuing and remarkable generosity of our community, individually and collectively, means the world to us and we are profoundly grateful. Through this effort, Stowe will have the wherewithal to significantly increase the number of talented and deserving children from much less-privileged backgrounds to benefit from a Stowe education through the Change 100 mission.
We are delighted to welcome Mary Emerson as our new administrator for AFS. Mary has extensive experience in the education and cultural sectors. With a degree from Harvard and work at an independent girls’ school in New York City, Mary has also served in the President’s Office at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Frick Collection — as a fundraiser, the Seattle Art Museum and the San Diego Symphony. Mary has been working with Winchester College helping to run their American Friends organisation and so brings direct and highly relevant experience. She is already immersing herself in the world of Stowe and American Friends of Stowe and can be contacted at americanfriends@stowe.co.uk.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow board members. Their contribution as volunteers, as generators of ideas, active supporters of our initiatives, and of course as donors to the Stowe cause is immensely valuable. I know that the Head and Governors of Stowe join me in seconding that gratitude and in encouraging any of you who may want to become involved yourselves – I would be delighted to talk to you about the many possibilities to do so.
Noah Walley (Grafton 80) Chair, American Friends of Stowe