Bulldog News

Ceremonies honor donor commitment

Monday, December 21, 2009

Two campus dedications this fall highlighted the continuing support of donors and friends of Hillside School.

The dedication of the new Chase Chapel on September 13 was one of several activities taking place on Registration Day, the annual event which marks the start of the new school year. Later in the month, the dedication of the Weezie Courtyard paid tribute to a long-standing supporter of the school.

Named in honor of Board of Trustees President Edward Chase and his family, the Chase Chapel has become the spiritual center of the Hillside School campus.

The structure, located across from the Academic & Health Center, was formerly the site of the Hillside Wrestling Barn. With wrestling matches now taking place within the Center’s multi-purpose room, Hillside School Chaplain Abby Pettee helped spearhead the effort to create a place of worship at Hillside.

Mr. Chase and his family proved instrumental in leading donor support for the barn’s transformation. The result is a space of quiet reflection that features a country chapel atmosphere with wooden pews, an altar, and tributes to the world’s leading religions.

Most recently, the chapel proved to be the ideal location for Hillside’s Thanksgiving Service in which members of the school community gave thanks for their many blessings.

In welcoming the community to the newly dedicated Chase Chapel on September 13, Ms. Pettee had high praise for the outcome of the chapel initiative. “Now, we have a wonderful chapel where those who walk through its doors will be able to experience a clarity of vision, grace and serenity,” she noted.

Meanwhile, Headmaster David Z. Beecher was among the many Registration Day participants who paid tribute to the chapel’s honoree. “Both Ed and Rosemary Chase and their family are people of deep, spiritual faith who have provided Hillside with the gift of support and enduring faith in our educational mission.”

In response to such praise, Edward Chase expressed anticipation about the chapel’s impact on the Hillside community. “We hope this chapel will help students to harness the power of their own faith so they may be able to face whatever challenges take place in their lives,” he said.

Later in the month, the Hillside community gathered again to pay tribute to yet another school benefactor with the dedication of the Weezie Courtyard.

Located between the Stevens Wing and the Academic & Health Center, the Weezie Courtyard’s beautiful flowers and other landscaping have enabled this space to become a prominent location on campus.

In dedicating this highly visible Hillside landmark, Hillside Headmaster David Z. Beecher offered heartfelt thanks to its honored namesake. “We are especially pleased to name this courtyard in tribute to the Weezie Foundation and its namesake, Louise Frances Walker, because of the strong, enduring dedication and generosity to Hillside demonstrated by both Hillside School Trustee Betsy Carroll and her foundation,” noted Headmaster Beecher.

Addressing the gathering of students, faculty staff and guests, Betsy Carroll explained her foundation’s origins while also providing insight into its continuing support of Hillside School.

As she noted, the foundation was formed by her grandparents in honor of her aunt, Louise Frances Walker, who passed away as the result of a tragic horse riding accident when she was a young girl.

Carroll recalled how a close relative, as a child, had difficulty pronouncing Louise’s name, instead calling her Weezie. “And so, when she passed away, my grandparents created the Weezie Foundation in Louise’s honor.”

Carroll noted that, over the years, Hillside has always held a special place in the foundation’s interests.

“We are so proud of Hillside and what you have accomplished,” said Carroll. “So, for what your school has become and where you are going, we are delighted to support Hillside on behalf of a little girl who will forever be ten years old.”

At the Chase Chapel dedication (left to right): Derek Chase, son of Edward and Rosemary Chase; Hillside School Headmaster David Z. Beecher; Frank Perrine, former Fessenden School headmaster; Laura Perrine; and Hillside Board President Ed Chase.

Ovie Ojeni '10 speaks on behalf of Hillside students at the Chase Chapel dedication.

Members of the Hillside Board of Trustees, including former Board chairperson George Fiske, student speaker Tomas Alvarez '10 and Marlborough City Counselor Trisha Pope help celebrate the Weezie Courtyard dedication on September 18.