Centennial Day

BACS celebrated Bryn Athyn’s 100th anniversary last Thursday in a day we called Centennial Day. We began the morning with a chapel talk by Eric Carswell on the sacrifices of our town’s founders and then watched a documentary by Reed Asplundh on Bryn Athyn’s history. Students spent the remainder of the morning travelling through multiple activity stations. These included music performed by Keith Genzlinger and friends, local story telling by Reade McCardell, 1916 games, and a photo booth put on by Cairnwood. Students were also able to see hundred year old coins and Native American artifacts from the area. In the afternoon the school marched, with 48-star flags, up to Cairnwood where we re-enacted a photo of early New Church picnickers on Kinght’s Hill and saw the carriages and antique car. From there we continued on to deCharms Hall, the 1916 home of the elementary school. While there we re-enacted the 1916 school portrait and ceremonially planted a new cherry tree to replace the well-loved one that had been there a hundred years ago. Centennial Day was a chance for the students to come together as a whole school for the day and also to strengthen their connection to the town. The list of people and organizations who helped to make this event happen is too large for this space, but we would like to especially share our gratitude to Reed Asplundh, whose vision and hard work gave the students a day they will remember for years to come.

Greg Henderson