The department maintains a close-knit, collegial network of current staff members and alumni who continue to practice or maintain their homes in Vermont. Annual events sponsored by the department include: the summer picnic, when the families of current staff members and alumni converge on the Chairman’s house; the winter holiday party; and the Mazuzan-Abajian Classic, a golf tournament that raises money for The Johns’ Fund. Quarterly socials are organized and funded by the attendings throughout the year for the residents. The gatherings provide a casual, low-key atmosphere and a reprieve from the daily hustle and bustle of clinical responsibilities. Departmental members also play key roles in the advancement of continuing medical education for practicing physicians in New England and from abroad. The department sponsors two conferences in Stowe, Vermont; Vermont Perspectives in Anesthesia is held in March and Northern New England Critical Care Conference is held in October. Finally, staff members occupy various positions in the admissions committee at University of Vermont College of Medicine, and the administrations of both the Vermont Medical Society and Vermont Society of Anesthesiologists. The department recognizes its long history and commitment to the health care for the entire state and these traditions play a vital role in bringing together the department’s past and present.