AAC, New England Section. Un success fou! AAC New Englanders flocked to a hilltop in Weston, Massachusetts, on March 30, 1996, to fill our 70place capacity. The sound of conversation, punctuated with laughter, greetings and introductions, rose steadily as guests circulated during the social hour among a stunning display of photographs by our own Bradford Washburn.

Barry Rugo opened the dinner program by introducing Jed Williamson for a tribute to Ad Carter, to whose American Alpine Journal Memorial Fund we dedicated the proceeds of the evening. Festivities included drawings for door prizes (with a bonus copy of Bob Bates’ book The Love of Mountains Is Best to reward the generosity of dinner patrons) and the recognition of AAC notables in attendance: Ann Carter, Walter Tower (former Journal printer), Brad Washburn, Bob Bates, Ken Henderson and Sam Streibert among others.

John Roskelly came to us all the way from Spokane to offer the special guest presentation Adventures In the Land of Fire: Tierra del Fuego, in which he took us to the summits of Sarmiento in Patagonia and of Tawoche in the Khumbu region of Nepal. John brought many copies of his book Stories Off the Wall, all of which were snapped up by the guests by the end of the evening.

In the din of the conclusion of our eminently successful First Annual Dinner, Barry Rugo and all agreed that we should field a Second Annual Dinner in March, 1997.

Bill Atkinson, Treasurer