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Latest News

Updated (04/16/2014)

Not Registered on the website?

Please go to the <Contact Us> tab and provide:

Name, Address, Phone number (optional), years at Brent, and names of two of your closest classmates at Brent.

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Click on this link to view Lou Jarika's video of Brent Memories

Brent Memories Video

Click on this link to view the latest on the 2013 Reunion Plans

Brent Reunion 2013 Plans

Also, the following link for Brent International School Baguio (BSIB)

BISB Ganza(s)

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Brent Reunion Plans - Washington D.C. Area
Labor Day Weekend September 3 – 5, 2011

Please Follow the following links for details:

Preliminary Plans

Reservation Form

Attendence Roster-as of 08-23-11

e-Mail: Susan Fertig-Dykes

Hotel Information

Brent Tour Video

The Sixties

Labor Day is Monday, September  5, so we’re suggesting people try to come in on Friday afternoon/evening or early Saturday morning.

Friday
Arrival day (nothing planned, people who arrive early can sightsee, whatever)

Saturday (September  3)
Lunch: a restaurant TBD (first planned get together)
Dinner: cookout.  Location: the gazebos above the swimming pools at Watergate at Landmark, in Alexandria (where I live)
(will plan for that also to be a gathering place if people want to be there all afternoon before the cookout that night)

Sunday (September  4)
Brunch/lunch: at Marion’s home in Reston
Dinner: a restaurant, maybe Clyde’s in Tysons

Monday (September  5) LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
People leave as they need to; those who are not rushing off get together for breakfast, lunch, whatever.

Susan

Some other things going on Labor Day weekend for activity suggestions:

Some things going on Labor Day weekend for activity suggestions:
Nationals play Mets Fri, Sat, Sun
Nationals play Dodgers Mon
Peter Pan at Wolf Trap Fri, Sat, Sun
Oklahoma! at Arena Stage Fri, Sat, Sun

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Tampa, FL Mini-Reunion

 

Hello, everyone..hope you're all having a great 4th.

I'm writing because there will be a reunion here in the Tampa area the
weekend of November 21-22, 2009. We hope you will put it on your
calendar. If you haven't been to this area, it is a wonderful vacation
spot with lots of beaches, great golf (esp. in Nov.), watersports,
etc...and includes the chance to see old friends again.

Would you please let me know if you are a) definitely not able to
attend, b) would like to attend, but not sure yet, or c) will
definitely be here.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Pat (Kelly) Fritz

patter516@yahoo.com

 

Wanted to give you an update on where we are with reunion plans and ask for any comments/suggestions: Sent notes to, but have not heard from, either Wayne Hammacher or Henry Schwesinger. Attached is an updated attendance list. Of the "maybe"'s, I would guess 7 out of the 10 will come. I've been doing some in-person visits and will go through them briefly: I visited the 5 following hotels, checked the premises, met with the sales person, and saw at least 2 different rooms at each hotel. Except for one, which I'll discuss last, they are all very close to the airport, all provide shuttle service, and all are accessible to the International Mall (Tampa's best). All rates do not include 12% tax. Springhill Suites ($89/night): rooms small but clean and acceptable, but not impressed with hotel itself, and they have no catering facilities, if that's what we want. Quorom Hotel ($89/night): rooms and hotel very acceptable, however they have no rooms available with 2 beds for that weekend, only kings. No good for the ladies who might want to share. Hampton Inn ($89): totally unacceptable and I'm a big fan of this chain. Hilton Garden Inn ($89): by far my favorite, rooms very nice and good size, hotel attractive, I personally would be very comfortable there. Then, just to see, because although I'm familiar with Clearwater Beach, this hotel was changed to a Hilton and underwent restoration. Its a 15 min. drive from the other hotels, straight run, sits right on Clearwater Beach, which is about the nicest beach in this part of the state. Their rate would be $129. All rates dependent on min. of 10 rooms. If booking independently, rates go up. The Renaissance Tampa Int'l Airport is another choice, located right in Int'l Mall, but only for those who want to spend the money. Don, I also went to Anna Maria Island (always wanted to see it anyway) and would not recommend it. Very much out of the way, a good 1-1/2 hours from the hotel area, very very quiet, nothing much to do except go to beach, very residential. A spot for people looking to get away and hide. Other beaches in the area much more accessible, all along the strip from south St. Petersburg all the way up to Dunedin. The Hilton Garden has nice meeting rooms and catering facilities, as does the Hilton at the beach. Otherwise there are restaurants at the mall, and I got information from a restaurant called Jackson's, which is down on Tampa bay, very nice, great location, family/friends all like it, and we can order directly from the menu. Prices range from under $10 for salads/sandwiches, to mid-teens to $20 for pasta/poultry, low $20's for seafood, and market price for meat ($20 for grilled pork tenderloin). So I'm thinking Hilton Garden for most people, but give them some choices if they want to book independently, and Jackson's for Sat.night dinner. I'll put together a list of suggested things to do in the area. Don't know how many people will come in for Friday night, but have ideas for that, too. What do you think, and when do you think we should ask for a more definitive head count? Now, have to feed the animals, turn off my homemade pasta sauce, and get off this computer, which is working for a change! Pat

Name Yes Spouse or other guest Maybe No
         
  Pat Kelly Fritz 1      
  Roy McDonald 1      
  Ed Benson 1      
  Don West 1 1    
  Howard Hart 1 1    
  Janet Lindholm Lindeman 1 1    
  Dawn Harmon Hull 1 1    
  Bruce Canaga       1
  Lary Kilgore       1
  Susan Fertig        1
  Father Bill Houghton       1
  Toni Lowry Heyer       1
  Kathie Ayers Janger     1  
  Karla Selwyn Lundgren       1
  Benson Bowditch     1  
  Terry Kneebone     1  
  Bill Jurika       1
  Sue Tewksbury     1  
  Kim Griffiths Yelas     1  
  Albert Wu       1
  Dave Martin     1  
  Mike Engstrom     2  
  Barbara Lowry Cotter       1
  Karen Stone Rowe       1
  Ann Thomas Catala 1      
  Lynda Crouse Arnold       1
  Teddie Hamilton Gaimari       1
  Scott James       1
  Jean Briggs 1      
  Beverly Spencer Bailiff       1
  Cong. Joe Pitts       1
  LuAnne (Jenson) Steininger       1
  Susie Culver Morris     2  
         
         
         
         
         
Total 9 4 10 16
         

 

Brent Centennial Reunion
Baguio, PI
Stateside Brentonians

Coming soon I will post pictures of the Brent Centennial Reunion. In the interim, here is a link of pictures compiled by the Brent Alumni Office:

Brent Centennial Pictures - From Brent

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Between now (September 2008), and March 2009, we will be providing a monthly countdown Newsletter that will be posted under the Reunion tab of this website, which will hopefully give you information about travel plans, accommodations, travel itineraries of confirmed attendees, a roster of who is going or planning, and feedback and information provided by many of you that will make our trip back to Brent a memorable one.

Due to the complexity of getting everyone on-board with a specific group travel or arrangements through any travel agency for group-like departure points, etc. we are going to only simplify the process and provide information for you to individually make your own independent plans and mark the events planned by the Brent Centennial committee as our gathering point.

The Reunion dates are officially March 6 – 8. By providing you a list of individual itineraries (which we would appreciate your sending them to us at rmcdonal@sesi.com (Subject: Brent Reunion - Baguio) you can choose to make your plans coincide with other Brentonians already committed to attending. So, click on the <Reunions> Tab and then <2009 – Brent Centennial (Baguio)> for the latest information. Make your plans, provide them to us if you choose to, and we will update the site monthly until we meet in Baguio!

For a quick reference, the following links are provided:

Schedule of Events in Baguio

Roster of Travelers

 

Itinerary of Travelers

 

Airlines, Hotels & More ...

 

Synopsis of Past News/Events:

... Baguio Country Club Room Rates (Mike P.)

... It is Official!!! Brent Centennial Reunion is set for March 6, 7, & 8th 2009!

... 2009 Saigon Kids Reunion Plans

... Baguio 2009 Reunion Committee Structure

... Update from Mike Pearson on Brent/Baguio plans

... Note from Louis Jurika on WWII Reunion of Brent students

... Evelyn Bolling WWII Baguio Internment

... Jim Young (64-66) Travel Coordinator

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Baguio Country Club Room Rates

BRENT ALUMNI
Baguio Country Club - Rates for 2009
Rooms BAGUIO COUNTRY CLUB  
Prices INCLUDE VAT Tax of 12% Dollar Exchange Rate at U$1 = 47 Approx. per Person (in U$ dollars)
Single Deluxe              3,696.00                   78.64                         78.64
Twin Deluxe              3,808.00                   81.02                         40.51
Deluxe Triple               5,040.00                 107.23                         35.74
Deluxe Suite (2)              6,160.00                 131.06                         65.53
Executive Suite (4)              9,520.00                 202.55                         50.64
Cottage (6)            10,640.00                 226.38                         37.73
Extra Bed / Person              1,232.00                   26.21                         26.21
This includes a set breakfast (choice of Continental, Country Club or Miner's Breakfast).
Meals
Mid-range Meal
U$ dollars
                     10.00 (without a drink, San Miguel Beer, wine, etc..) at the Club.  
Transportation
U$ dollars
                   100.00 Day trips, van, good for about (6) comfortably in and around Baguio.

 

 

Saigon Kids 2009 Reunion Plans

 

There were many of us "cross-over" students at Brent whose home base was in Saigon, South VietNam. They are planning on re-visiting Saigon (although the American Community School (ACS) is no longer in existence) in the same time-frame as the Brent Centennial Reunion in March of 2009. Check out their website: http://www.saigonkids.com and make it a multi-Reunion event!

=================================================

 

            The following alumni have volunteered their time and effort in the categories below to make the Brent Reunion 2009 (Centennial Celebration) in Baguio, PI a success! Updates to each category are refreshed periodically. Please contact them individually for any questions or comments. The latest status will be displayed to keep you current on the progress towards our Reunion 2009 in Baguio.

 

Brent Reunion 2009 Committee

Susan Fertig-Dykes (Chairperson)

Susan Fertig-Dykes [Brent100@gmdtech.com]

 

Brent School Alumni Coordinator

Liz Cartwright

Liz Cartwright [liz.cartwright@brent.edu.ph]

 

Travel Coordinator

(Vacant)

 

Accommodations Coordinator

Mike Pearson

Mike Pearson [mpearson@mozcom.com]

We are half way through February and the weather is already starting to heat up in the lowlands....

 

This is just a quick announcement for those that would like to look ahead and see what is coming up for Brent Alumni.

 

There is an alumni group of late 1950s and 1960s organizing themselves to get to Baguio for the school's Centennial in 2009. At the moment, the actual dates are consideration are the end of February 2009 to the first week of March 2009. Things are a bit fluid at the moment as far as how this will all work out. However, we need to start now.

 

On the school's side, there is Liz Cartwright lizc@brentschoolbaguio.com who is a parent, former Brent PTA President and currently on the Board of Trustees for Brent-Baguio. She has been tasked by the Board to head and coordinate the various groups concerned as Chairperson of the Centennial Committee.

 

The alumni are busy organizing themselves unofficially and the "unofficial head" of this group at the moment is Sue Fertig (1961) Brent100@gmdtech.com Sue is looking for alumni who would be interesting in coming, and in particular, anyone willing to help organize various groups of alumni - there are currently no representatives from the 1980s or 1990s....Anne Pearson (1973) heads the 70s representation.

 

While most alumni are either in the States or here in the Philippines, we would also like to see where else alumni are in the world...so if you have email addresses for alumni, please pass this message on to them. If possible, could they please contact me mpearson@mozcom.com (as I am VERY unofficial but still trying to keep an email database of alumni all over the world, in the hope that we can remain in contact...) so that they can be sure I have their email address for future postings/news updates, etc...

 

As usual with these emails from me (Mike Pearson, Class of 1976), I am always looking for MORE alumni, your brother(s) or sister(s) may NOT have contacted me yet...

 

It would be nice if you replied to this email...especially if you remember me from your days at Brent 1985-1995 groups!

 

Mike Pearson

 

Events Coordinator

 Louis Jurika

Louis Jurika [ljurika@yahoo.com]

Mabuhay! The Brent School Centennial Celebration dates are fluid. Currently, they are late February/early March of 2009 (See Mike Pearson’s note above). Check the [Calendar] button for specific events and planned activities as we near the deadlines for group travels, event schedules and other commitments if not stated below. Click on my e-mail link above with comments and questions … but please check the website first, hopefully most of your questions will be answered.

Dear Brent "Bulldogs"...

 

Some of you may already know that I have been working to track down attendees of the recent 62nd Reunion of the Baguio Camp Holmes civilian internees that was held in St Augustine, Florida, February 6-7-8, 2007. I have found a handful so far and they have told me all about the reunion - it turns out that 13 of the attendees were indeed Brent students at the outbreak of the war. Some even were "graduated" from the makeshift schooling received in the camp with "diplomas" written out on scraps of paper, as described in Jim Halsema's famous book about Brent School.

 

I am waiting to receive a list of all the attendees but in the meantime have tracked down and talked by phone with Betsy Herold Heimke (Brent class of 1946), Katie Sobeck (Brent class of ?), Martin Kallenberger (Brent class of 1942, and a good friend of John Eisenhower), Bob McKay (Brent class of 1942), and Reuben Shay (who was a Brent sophomore when war broke out. He escaped from the internment camp and joined the guerrillas!)

 

The reunion was held at the Hilton Hotel in St. Augustine and, unfortunately, when Roy McDonald drove an hour and a half from his home in New Smyrna Beach to try to find them, he went to the Hilton, among many other hotels, but the concierge was unaware of the group's presence, all 130 of them! The Chamber of Commerce was another place Roy went, but they also had no idea. So it was a fruitless exercise by Roy, but I want to thank him for making the effort on Brent's behalf. The actual name for the reunion was the "Baguio-Bilibid 62'nd Annual Reunion - The "Last Hurrah". Attending also were members of the Army's 37th Division that liberated the internees from Bilibid Prison in Manila to which they had been transferred from Baguio in December, 1944. What a missed opportunity, but at least we will be getting the list of attendees and I can track down all the Brent people from that.

 

Also attending the reunion were two professors from Florida State University in Tallahassee who are part of that university's Prisoner-of-War Archives - they interviewed most everyone willing to be interviewed. The St. Augustine newspaper had been contacted in advance of the reunion but did not respond or print any notice of the event coming to town - they only responded when contacted again by someone at the reunion who was a newspaper person and knew how to get the attention of the press.

 

During the reunion many of the attendees visited local public schools to talk to the students about their experiences in internment camp.

 

Incidentally, the Doctor Welles mentioned in the article, will be 100 years old in a few months. He was the doctor for the internment camp.

 

It is my intention not to call all the 130 attendees but only the ones that went to Brent in order to determine their dates of birth, the years they went to Brent and which class they were members of, and get all their addresses, phone numbers and emails to Roy for inclusion on the Brent Centennial website.

 

I might add that in the few conversations that I have had so far, each of these people were surprised that I was calling them (on Brent's behalf?), so they voiced their strong opinion that Brent has completely failed in keeping in touch with them and other alumni, that there has been no outreach to alumni other than my Brent Spanish teacher Senora Palacios' own individual effort back in the 1970's - many of us already know this, but I got another earful from these oldtimers about how Brent has really missed the boat on this and how the school could by now have accumulated a sizeable endowment from alumni. There was no doubting their memories and strong love for the school, but some said that as a result they plan to leave money in their wills to other schools, not Brent. Not surprising.

 

Personally, I am sorry that I did not know about this reunion or I would have flown down to attend it, both for my interest in finding Brent alumni and also for my interest in WWII and the internees. Hopefully we can tidy things up for the future and strengthen the bonds amongst us.

 

 

Louis 

 

URL to the Newspaper article:

 

http://staugustine.com/stories/021007/news_4395044.shtml

 

Evelyn Bolling WWII Baguio Memories ...

St. Augustine Reunion

I attended a POW Reunion put on by the Baguio/Bilibid POWs in St. Augustine, FL, February 6-8, 2007 and what a reunion.  The theme was OUR  LAST HURRAH and was very well planned by Dot Douglas Whittle, Katie Ream Sobeck {my cousin} and Betsy Herold Heimke with help from John Ream {yes, another cousin} and Fred Crouter.  It was an action filled 2 1/2 days with many wonderful shared stories, videos, movies, tears and POW's visiting the local schools to share their experiences with the school children.  On Wednesday night we were feted by the St. Augustine Lighthouse Museum at a dinner and program, on Thursday we were feted at a lunch at the St. Augustine Elks Club by the Veteran's for St. John's County.  In attendance were over 120 which included between 40/50 POW's, my brother Peter and I were the only 2 from Santo Tomas, the rest were Baguio/Bilibid and 1 guerrilla and about 6/8 liberators from the 37th Infantry, liberators of the Baguio/Bilibid internees, the rest were family and friends.  

Some background - Baguio was invaded on December 28, 1941 and those living in that area were interned then.  Most of the internees in Baguio were either miners or missionaries.  They were first interned at Camp John Hay, later moved to Camp Holmes.  I had 9 family members originally interned in Baguio, eventually 3 were moved to Santo Tomas.  Sometime during 1944 those Baguio internees for some reason or another were moved to Old Bilibid Prison.  No one was ever notified of this move.   Santo Tomas was rescued on February 3, 1945  by the 1st Calvary but Bilibid was rescued on February 4, 1945  and quite by accident.  The 37th Infantry looking for a certain street stumbled upon the gates of Bilibid, first rescuing the military prisoners there and then the civilians.  They were evacuated to the Ang Tibay shoe factory for safety reasons. 

Our lone guerrilla was Ruben Shay who first went to Brent School in Baguio and then later Bordner in Manila.  When the war broke out he was a 17 year old Boy Scout attending Bordner and tried to join the army but because of age was turned down so he instead joined the guerrillas and was in the mountains north of Baguio for the durations of the war. 

I have not attended too many POW Reunions - one long time ago in Palo Alto {just a dinner get together}, San Diego in 1999 ,  San Antonio in 2002.  I attended a BACE/Bay Area Civilian Ex-POW  Reunion in 2005.  I enjoyed all of them BUT this was really the best - so much interaction among the internees sharing their stories, videos, tears and hugs - I feel very much a part of this Baguio group because of my cousins.  I hope OUR LAST HURRAH will not be the last, I would hate to think that I will never again see those who were so much a part of this reunion. 

It was a most enjoyable experience and I certainly wish those other POWs who did not attend could have.  MANY THANKS AND MY SINCERE APPRECIATION TO THE COMMITTEE FOR ALL THE HARD WORK INTO MAKING THIS HAPPEN.

Met a man who was a young missionary child, interned first in Baguio and at the end at Los Banos and he would like contact with anyone who can share experiences about the Los Banos camp and its rescue with him.  E-mail me and I will put you in contact with him. 

                Evelyn Diehl Bolling