Though the month is still not over, there have been and continue to be many celebrations, ceremonies and open houses in November. It’s a month of Thanksgiving and reflection, after all, a month when we look for ways and reasons to come together to eat, laugh, discuss and hopefully learn something about the past year and the year to come.

It may have been a chilly November night, but in the Grand Ballroom of the Oak Brook Marriott all was warm and convivial as an estimated 700 people celebrated the inauguration of Dr. S. Alan Ray, Elmhurst College’s 13th president. Since all the speeches had been given at the formal ceremony earlier at Hammerschmidt Chapel, guests were free to meet, greet, dance and eat, not necessarily in that order.

College staff and their significant others were on the dance floor with invited Elmhurst residents, whether elected, appointed or voluntary members of the many organizations and boards in town.

When not dancing or eating, guests were mingling and table hopping. It was a night when people put aside differences in order to chat, laugh and find reasons to rejoice. I saw friends, acquaintances, fellow volunteers and lots of friendly strangers all coming together to wish Dr. Ray and his wife, Angela, a successful tenure at Elmhurst College.

There were aldermen, park and school board members, and Mayor Marcucci with his wife, Mimi. There were college trustees, including Judge William J. Bauer, Wes Becton and Abner Ganet; friends such as Ana Eng and Joe Cavolick, Bob Mills and Cathy and Phil Jordan. There were college students, including sophomore Arielle Zakos, and notables such as Pam and Lee Daniels and Sally and Ray Allen. Did I leave anyone out? You bet. In fact, I was having so much fun, I left my program and notes on my chair when I left. Now that’s high praise indeed!

On Veterans Day, I attended a more solemn gathering in Wilder Park to pay my respects to our soldiers past and present, who, in the words of Marcucci, “sacrificed and committed themselves to preserving our freedom and our land.” He went on to recall how he enjoyed growing up in Elmhurst but as a kid took freedom and safety for granted. This was the first Veterans Day ceremony I had the honor to attend, and though the air was chill and damp, the feelings of those gathered were warm and sincere. There were quite a few of us who paid our respects to the three families who have lost loved ones over the past three years and to all those other soldiers who have served and continue to serve us. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, we all turned east and bowed our heads. Overhead, the leafless trees rattled a sad benediction while we all realized we were enjoying a special freedom to honor our veterans.

Because I volunteer with District 205 as a mentor, I attended a luncheon on yet another damp November day to interact with other mentors, as well as the social workers and staff from York High School and Sandburg, Churchville and Bryan middle schools. We shared our love for kids and our experiences learning from and hopefully being a positive influence on the young people we mentor while we enjoyed a lunch prepared especially for us by La Brigade, York High School’s culinary students.

I was told that a group called Citizens for Chris Nybo hosted an open house at Café Amano one recent evening. Some of those attending included Ken Kubiesa, Colette Kubiesa, Kim Goddard, Gus Makris, Fay Stein, John Valle, Don Puchalski, Diane McGinnis, Lee Daniels, Dan Hiffman and Aldermen Pat Shea, Steve Morley, Moira Moriarty and Norm Leader. Aldermen Nybo, after gracefully praising each of the aldermen present, made a plea for the need for cooperation and nonpartisanship on the City Council in particular and other governing authorities in general.

November continued with a dinner at the River Forest Country Club to benefit the Elmhurst Children’s Assistance Foundation. During the evening, the small painted firetrucks and adirondack chairs that adorned our downtown this past summer were auctioned off. The Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare Board of Governors dinner also took place at Drury Lane.

There are early holiday open houses culminating in Thanksgiving. Outside the air grows colder, damper and darker. No wonder it is a month of get togethers!

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