Mollie Stone Pride

The always beautiful Mollie Stone

Any other night I would have been rashed if I had to dress in my three-layer suit after a long Tuesday at St.Anne's.  But yesterday was different.  That evening we sported our white sweaters, knee length skirts (some rebellious girls didn't follow that rule), and our flimsy white bows for an important purpose: it was the birthday of our boarding house, Mollie Stone!  Besides a delicious three-course dinner, a short but relaxing chapel service, and a war cry rally on Front Lawn, a house's birthday is accompanied by many other upsides.  First, on your house's birthday you don't have to go to chapel.  While everyone enjoys a bit of spiritual uplifting in the mornings, having 45 extra minutes to loaf around the dorm in the morning is much more enjoyable! Second, you wear your comfortable sport kit (consisting of track suit pants, a blue game shirt, track suit jacket, and a pair of arch-supporting tennis shoes) instead of the normal uniform (track suit pants, long sleeved collared shirt, tie, sweater, and the notoriously uncomfortable school shoes). 



The dreaded traditional school shoes



At quarter to 7 pm the whole of Mollie Stone arrived at the dimly lit, ancient chapel.  The main part of the chapel has been used since the school was first founded in 1877 and the holy feeling comes naturally to the environment through the wooden benches, vibrant stain glass windows, and woven seat cushions.  The girls from all five forms sat together, unlike the usual grade-dividing seating arrangement we normally sit in which enhances the apparent grade hierarchy at St.Anne's.  I'd like to say that we were all sitting silently and patiently in our seats, embracing the moment of house unity but...I'd be lying.  Instead, girls rapidly chatted and attempted to whisper (emphasis on attempted) as if they had not had the opportunity to gossip literally since they awoke at 6 am.    But all the background noise ceased as the reverend approached us all and began to speak in her soothing tone.  That chapel service was one of the most intimate I have experienced during my stay; the prayers were meaningful and relevant, the girls were awake (yes, sometimes during early Tuesday morning chapel some girls tend to doze off while bowing their heads), and the hymns were sung to the best of the girls' abilities. 

It's a good thing I wasn't zoning out during this service as I heard the reverend calmly say, "And now I'd like to call up Katie so we can pray for her before her departure on Thursday."  I felt my poker face drop and a blushing expression of embarrassment swept across my face.  I've realized that for an actress I'm not very good at suppressing blushing and embarrassment on my face.  But nevertheless, I embraced the reverend's loving intentions as I walked to the front of the chapel.  As I turned around to face the rest of the Mollie Stoners I saw that I wasn't alone, but instead I was surrounded by some of the closest friends I've ever made.  Mostly fourth and fifth form Mollie Stoners, girls began to grab hold of some part of me, my shoulder, arm, sleeve, even to another person who was touching me so we could all be connected.  Reverend began leading the prayer and we all allowed our heavy heads to bow.  I listened intently as the reverend prayed that I might have a safe return home, embrace all that I've learned while at St.Anne's, and remain in the girls' hearts long after I've physically left this place that at first was just an educational institution but now rests with me as a home.

As we led from the Chapel to the Dining Hall for the main attraction, the meal, we were immediately hit by the luminescent orange the covered the Dining Hall.  Our house color has never been used on so vast a level;  the napkins, table clothes, flowers, and even the juice glowed varying shades of orange!  At each table the different groups of people at St.Anne's who are attached to Mollie Stone were represented: one girl from each form and a teacher, and at my table we were seated with Mrs.Mansfield, our beloved house mother! 

This Mollie Stone house dinner was a momentous occasion with all of the forms meshing together, the different age groups chuckling fondly over Mollie Stone memories together, and might I just add that the three-course meal should have been served in a gourmet restaurant, not at a boarding school.  However, the night was also one that brought tears to my eyes (and that's saying something--at boarding school I've learned to "suck it up" and "rub some dirt in it" and not cry no matter the situation.  But this night I couldn't hold back the tears).  This year is Mrs.Mansfield's last and in so many ways an important part of Mollie Stone will go with her when she departs.  Our Head of House described Mrs. Mansfield as "the perfect combination between strict and lenient", the reason why Mollie Stone's parent meetings attract non-Mollie Stoners too, and "the most loved of all the House mothers".  As our Head of House presented Mrs.Mansfield with a bouquet of orange flowers, the room went fuzzy as my tears broke through the dam that had suppressed them these past two months. 

But knowing Mollie Stone girls we couldn't end the night on a sad note: instead (after cleaning up the Dining Hall and rearranging the tables for breakfast the next morning) we all sprinted onto Front Lawn, the massive chunk of grass in between the other boarding houses (Andrews, FB, MB, Macrorie, and Usherwood), and sang our Mollie Stone war cries.  Mind you, even with stomachs full of lamb chops, pudding, prawns, and potatoes, we still managed to sing three war cries with such dedication that we disturbed all of the boarding houses during their study times.  Heehee.  Walking and taking it easy as we headed back to Mollie Stone, I looked around at the mob of girls; sure, we might all come from different families, homes, backgrounds, and origins, even countries, but we all were united by a common force: Mollie Stone.