If one were to announce the imminent arrival of the sons of privileged families at your dinner table one would not perhaps be surprised to see a moxie of raised eyebrows, painful stares, and a dull thud of that evening’s Cabernet. That might have been true perhaps of another era, of spoiled lads going on to win all society’s triumphs, idly spinning their yachts in Caribbean seas and flopping in their beige loafers without scant regard to the world around them save for the taste of a good Cognac. That however would not describe the fine assemble of gentlemen I came across this past Wednesday evening who with their valiant breed of ethos, integrity, valor and ardent desire to re assert positive affirmation to society and perhaps those less fortunate than them. Meet therefore the new breed of gentlemen, Stuart Orenstein, Jonathan Cohn and Andrew Gamache “Ties to the Future,” who have set something wonderful and utterly compelling amongst a too often tawdry landscape of young men misbehaving.
It is fast approaching 9pm at the eminently desirable food establishment Quality Meats, whose smoldering languid scents can be gulped halfway down the street when I finally come across the visage of a tall brood of men quietly scanning the room, laughing with good cheer and reminding one of the relaxed attitudes of gregarious fellows. Upon meeting the three lads we are quietly escorted to private quarters, courtesy of the benevolent Jonathan Goldberg, the house’s proprietor where we are to take stock in this evening’s sublime food samplings and a heartfelt discussion of the role of society and what it is that we as a collective can do to address some of the imbalances that exist. Imbalances that I am assured by Ties to the Futures Chairman – Stuart Orenstein that need to be asserted specifically in a young person’s education, or rather as he points out succinctly their access to a type of education as well as ethos, attitude and commitment to invest back into our society.
“You have to understand, all three of us, we were fortunate to have come from the background of a privileged private education, Browning, but even then we realized when we graduated and went on to college how much more affirmative it would be if there existed an alumni of sorts where you could be guided, challenged, had recourse to. Then we thought about all the other kids who don’t even have the privileges we were all so fortunate to have. It’s one thing after to get into a good school and have that give you a leg up, but it’s another thing once you arrive at that opportunity to then have the resources that will allow you to build on your education.”
