January 18, 2022
Dear GLS Alumnae,
As we look forward to 2022, we hope you are well. We have listened to you. This message is to inform you of some recent developments related to Girls’ Latin School alumnae. A brief history informs the pathway to the changes. The Girls’ Latin School Alumnae Association was established in 1880 when the newly founded Girls’ Latin School graduated its first class of youn women. From its inception, the Association has been an active one with the two-pronged mission of fundraising and friend-raising.
In the latter part of the 1970’s, with the admission of boys to the renamed school, Boston Latin Academy, the GLS Alumnae Association morphed into the GLS/BLA Association. Besides supporting BLA financially and directing the annual awarding of scholarships to BLA students, that Association has in recent years undertaken many other projects aimed towards preserving the history and culture of the school.
In the fall of 2019, Nathan Blecharczk, BLA ’01, pledged one million dollars to the school with promise of another million if the GLS/BLA community could match it. This challenge is known as the Ad Astra Campaign. The GLS/BLA Association joined forces with the Friends of BLA to take up the gauntlet. In the process, a merger was proposed to form one board named the
Boston Latin Academy Association, made up of GLS Alumnae, BLA Alumnae/i, Friends of BLA, and parents. Thus, the proposed new organization would not be restricted to GLS and BLA alumnae/i. The GLS/BLA board would cease to exist, and GLS alumnae would have a limited voice on the new committee despite contributing most of the assets.
The GLS/BLA Association board decided to not go ahead with the merger in order to survey the GLS membership, recognizing that this change required much deeper consideration. Accordingly, GLS alumnae were surveyed in 2020 and in 2021, and 78% of 618 responders chose to “stand alone” rather than to go ahead with Boston Latin Academy Association.
After three offers to mediate a new role for the GLS/BLA Association were rejected and in order to keep the organization that has represented GLS alumnae for over 140 years, it became clear a different path forward was required. After much reflection about events that transpired over the last year, a number of GLS alumnae decided that an independent association of GLS alumnae should be created. This new organization would go back to our original name and purpose, Girls’ Latin School Alumnae Association, Inc. With our last GLS class graduation in 1976, we are aging and decreasing in number. We recognize that with the passage of time, there will be no GLS alumnae, but it is not that time yet. While we can, we want to celebrate the talented women graduates of Girls’ Latin School. We also remain wholeheartedly committed to supporting the students of BLA.
We were fortunate to have the pro bono services of Attorney Patrick Sweeney, BLS ’73 t create a new GLS Alumnae Association (GLSAA), Inc. The GLSAA is a non-profit Corporation under the laws of the Commonwealth, organized November 22, 2021, and formed for charitable and educational purposes. More specifically, the GLSAA intends to raise funds to educate all in the history, contributions and societal role of Girls’ Latin School of Boston, Massachusetts; to foster and promote the association of alumnae of Girls’ Latin School; to produce educational materials related to Girls’ Latin School and alumnae of
Girls’ Latin School and assist in improving the quality of public school education in the City of Boston; to engage in any and all activities necessary or incidental to the aforesaid purpose; to engage in any charitable activity which may lawfully be carried on by a corporate original under Massachusetts G.L. c. 180.
We are excited to reclaim our roots and hope that you too will be pleased with this action. We look forward to your input and collaboration as we undertake this refocused endeavor. In the coming weeks, we will be providing more information and directing you to a new website.
Sincerely,
Girls’ Latin School Alumnae Association Board of Directors
Julianne Glowacki ’62, President
Tammy Tower Quinn ‘75, Treasurer
Dorette Gelzinis Markham ’62 Secretary
Mary Bishop Manning ’62, Director