The Gunnery’s 2019 Holiday Celebration: Saying Goodbye to the Meeting House

by Ava Lee

On December 17, 2019, The Gunnery commemorated the holiday season much as it always does, with a traditional celebratory dinner and a holiday concert. What sets this school year’s celebration apart, however, is that it was the last time the students would perform in the school meeting house. 

Every year, The Gunnery community celebrates the season with a holiday dinner. Students and faculty gather in their advisor groups to look back on the year and share holiday traditions with each other. On top of that, The Gunnery continued its tradition of raising money for the Make a Wish Foundation by letting students buy candy cane grams and wear ugly Christmas sweaters. Between the students’ enthusiasm and the holiday decorations, it was a very festive dinner. 

Each year, The Gunnery sells candy cane grams to students for $1 so they can send nice messages to their friends. This program is organized by the prefects and helps raise money for the charity as well as raise the holiday spirit at the school. Between letting students wear ugly sweaters for $5 and buy candy cane grams for $1, the school raised over $1,200 for the Make a Wish Foundation. 

The performers said goodbye to the meeting house with energy and enthusiasm. The Troubadours sang traditional holiday songs and the student body’s favorite, “12 Days of Christmas.” The Chamber Ensemble, jazz band, and two rock bands also performed, playing crowd-pleasing classics like “Life is a Highway,” “Don’t Stop Believing,” “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Use Somebody.”

Although students are incredibly excited to be using the new Thomas C. Perakos Arts and Community Center (the ACC) for future winter concerts, saying farewell to the meeting house was bittersweet. Surely, current and past students alike will always fondly remember the tradition of having the winter concert in the meeting house.