the metaphor of the quilt

The quilts displayed at Bromley Brook all girls school are over one hundred years old, coming from the hands of Vermont women who pieced them in front of fires in the long winter evenings. Gathering in parlors and grange halls all over the country, women would bring their "piece bags," containing bits of the their lives---a piece from the overalls of a departed husband, a shred from an old flannel nightie, a bit from a first-Communion dress and, in the case of one of our quilts, a first-prize ribbon from the Stormont Agricultural Show. These quilts are the expression of the quiet history of unknown women who, with every stitch, spoke in voices of order and strength.

Quilts have been emblematic of women's lives for years. At Bromley Brook, these beautiful works of art are symbolic of the lives of the students we serve. Our girls come to us "in pieces," the component parts of their lives have been torn and fragmented. Through the work they do here with the therapists, teachers, and community coaches, the pattern of their lives re-emerge whole and stronger at the joins.

The renovations take place in the hearts and minds of the girls; think of the profound and complex beauty of the quilts made by Amish women, who are so plain in their outer lives, so rich and complex in their interior landscapes.

Quilts also stand for all that is unitary in the lives of women. They are the ultimate statement of women's community. The image of women sitting together, peacefully crafting a work of art that emerges slowly from their work together could well stand for our emphasis here on the importance of community, family, and the sustenance of friendship. We want our students to understand the healing power of relating to each other in healthy ways and to reconnect with the support of their families. Our quilting class is taught by one of our dorm coaches, and it is always moving to see the girls laughing and talking together as they make their quilt squares.

Finally, quilts stand for bravery and revolution in women's lives. Who has not been moved by the profound truth embodied in the AIDs quilt? Slave women made "signal" quilts to hang on washlines that would tell runaways the way to the next station on the Underground Railway. As with any tradition deeply rooted in the reality of lives, quilts can be made "new." I want to point out the very colorful quilt in the corridor. It is a modern quilt made in a sheltered workshop under the supervision of one of our corporate VP's mother. It is bright, happy, and wholly part of our daily world, calling our community to service. The quilts our girls make are composed of self-awareness, academics, and community life. It is a risky business for our girls as they shape a vision of the future for themselves, built from past learning and hope for the future.

They reconnect while they live in a small town in Vermont with solid values. Through community service, internships, and local activities, our girls get to see an America that they may not have known existed - -a simpler, quieter place where they can not only craft their own voice, but listen to the voices of others, audible to them now without the rush and hurry of the mall, the high school corridor, and busy family life. They also do significant and strong work in the classroom. As you have seen in your tour, our labs are for serious science, our classrooms are places where girls are fostered in critical thinking skills, and we have added teacher led language classes: two years of French and two years of Spanish. We do not ignore the fact that many of our students come to us needing learning support and study support, and we have a full-time learning specialist on staff. We will be adding a Kurtzweil scanner and Inspiration software, so that students will have the assistive technology that they need. And in this credentialing universe, we offer SAT prep and college counseling.

They remake themselves here and emerge with unity, strength, and challenge with hope for the future.