Bethany Alumni from Greencroft and surrounding neighborhoods were invited to a gathering at Greencroft’s Community Center on Friday, April 26, 2024. It was a wonderful morning to get to know each other and listen to Bethany’s senior barbershop quartet.
Tim Lehman, Head of School, welcomed everyone to Bethany’s first alumni gathering at Greencroft and conducted a quick survey of those in attendance. Alumni from different decades raised their hands, and former faculty members also joined the gathering. Overall, 30 individuals attended the morning with class members from the following years: 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1970, and 1992.
The youngest alumna, Laura Yoder Moshier (‘92), also a chaplain at Greencroft, said, “I was surprised by the individuals who showed up that I didn’t even realize were Bethany grads. What a wonderful opportunity to connect further with these individuals as I visit and work with them.”
The senior barbershop quartet sang, Edelweiss, Will the Circle be Unbroken, Who Will Buy, I Sing the Mighty Power of God, and Be Thou My Vision. The quartet included Alina Bergstresser (soprano), Joryn Yoder (alto), Alysson Barkman (tenor), and Adam Siemens-Rhodes (bass). The quartet performed the song Who Will Buy in a district competition earlier in the year for the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) competition. As a result of their performance, they received a gold rating with a perfect score!
After the quartet performance, Lindsey Mason, Chief Advancement Officer, shared a Bethany update with the alumni. Highlights included news about the new lower school building construction and the addition of a kindergarten in the 2024-25 academic year. Lindsey, new to Bethany, emphasized the hope of hearing personal stories from alumni and getting to know them better in the near future.
After the update, Eric Dyck Hilty, Advancement Associate, offered a chance for alumni to ask questions or share a short vignette about their time at Bethany. Bob Brenneman (‘61) shared a story of traveling with Bethany classmates on their quartet tour to Michigan and the memories it brought back when listening to the current senior barbershop quartet.
It was a pleasure to have the alum share stories individually with the others present, especially as they gathered around tables with former teachers Leonard Gross, Wilmer Hollinger, and Dan Bodiker.
Bethany looks forward to future gatherings at Greencroft and hopes to provide more opportunities for interaction between current students and alumni.
