the radle Winter | 2012 TAKING FLIGHT: One Cradle Baby Shares his Passion with Another radle adoptee Bill CRADLE Event Rands (’43) has a FIRST LOOK FOR CHARITY C passion for planes. He Thursday, February 9, 2012 earned his private and com- McCormick Place, Chicago mercial pilot’s licenses in the 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. mid-1960s, during a stint in the Navy, but stopped flying This exclusive black-tie preview of the in 1968 to focus on work and Chicago Auto Show, the night before it family. After a nearly four- opens to the public, will benefit The Cradle decade hiatus, Bill took to the and 17 other local charities. The Cradle skies once again in 2007. Reception at First Look will feature Artbeat Live! – an entertaining and explosive perfor- Flight instructor Charlie Hilbrant gives student A story in The Cradle’s 2010 mance of expressionist speed painting. Blues Paden Taylor the thumbs up Annual Report caught Bill’s attention. He read about fel- Traveler will perform on the showroom floor low Cradle baby Paden Taylor (’05), and how the boy likes to visit with and every guest will be entered in a draw- the flight crew when he travels with his mom and dad. When asked what ing to win a 2012 Cadillac Escalade or SRX. he might like to be when he grows up, “a pilot” was among Paden’s top Tickets are $250. choices. Bill wanted to help foster this interest. For more information, visit: “I always had a strong interest in flying,” said Bill. “I was in the Navy from www.cradlefoundation.org/firstlook 1965 to 1967 as a NROTC officer stationed on a destroyer in Norfolk. I was a bachelor living on a ship, with no family or expenses, and a mess bill of around $30 a month, so I spent my wages on flying lessons at the local CONGRATULATIONS ! airport.” By the time he came out of the Navy, Bill had amassed 290 flight hours, earned two pilot’s licenses and was working on his instrument rating when he decided to put his love of flying on hold to pursue a different love. Elizabeth “Happy” Endicott was a fellow Cradle adoptee (’44) Bill had known since childhood. The two played together as kids and attended the same school, but didn’t start dating until college. They married in 1967 and settled in the Detroit suburb where they had grown up. The couple had two children and Bill pursued a career in investment research. Jump ahead to 2011. After reading about the polite and engaging young boy who always gets invited into the cockpit, Bill contacted Cradle President Julie Tye and offered to underwrite a private flying lesson for Paden. Bill had gotten back into flying a few years ago (“I had sort of for- gotten how much fun it was,” he remarked), taking lessons and learning all Dannette and Reginald Ford the current regulations. By March 2008 he was fully licensed, and by May welcomed baby Daniel into their 2011 he had earned his long-desired instrument rating. family on November 9th. (Continued on page 2) The Cra ilies. dle's mission is nurturing fam to benefit children in and preserve ... by providing education, guidance and lifelong support to create, susta TAKING FLIGHT, continued from page 1 Bill takes every opportunity to encourage young people Besides the memories of his first flight lesson, Paden took who wish to fly. “I love getting kids involved in flying,” he home a beautiful logbook. “This is a ritual I always do,” Bill declared. The chance to get another Cradle baby involved was explained. “Give the child a logbook and enter the lesson in especially meaningful for him. the book.” Paden’s mom, Sharon Wilson-Taylor, called Bill to make arrangements. “I was so moved by the generosity of someone who didn’t even know Paden,” she said. On the morning of Saturday, October 1st, just a week after Paden’s sixth birthday, Sharon, her husband Dwight and Paden headed to Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling, where Windy City Flyers is based. They were met by flight instructor Charlie Hilbrant, who gave them a pre-flight lesson and walked them around the plane they’d be taking out: a four-seat, single-engine Cessna 172. Charlie, who himself had started flying at 15, let Paden take the pilot’s seat. He was impressed by Paden’s calmness and composure, despite the boy’s obvious excitement. Sharon and Dwight climbed in the back seat and took lots of pictures to document this momentous event in their son’s life. Bill Rands with the Aeronca Champion tailwheel plane he flies During the 45-minute lesson the foursome flew downtown, where they had beautiful vistas of the Chicago skyline, Lake Bill’s own logbook currently has around 700 hours. He is Michigan and Soldier Field. They did some turns, climbs and president of a flying club out of Troy, Michigan that has forty descents. At one point Charlie said to Paden, “I’m going to let members and two planes. His current delight is piloting a go now and you’re in charge.” Paden rose to the occasion like WWII-era tailwheel plane – an aircraft which Bill says is more a pro, taking the wheel (or “yoke”) and experimenting with subtle, and requires more finesse than a nose wheel plane, pulling it toward him and pushing it away. “He loved it when and is therefore more satisfying to fly. the plane sped up,” Charlie observed with a laugh. “He’d give me a big smile.” Although Paden’s big adventure was a little rocky for his mom (who battled airsickness throughout the flight and won!), she And what was the hopeful young aviator’s favorite part of the marvels at the connection that was made that day. “It was a lesson? “Seeing where the Bears play down below us,” Paden wonderful experience we would not have had except for The replied enthusiastically. Sharon reports that as soon as they Cradle,” Sharon said. “We called it ‘Cradle in the sky’.” landed, Paden said, “Mom, let’s do this again!” In the thank you note she sent to the Rands, along with photos from the Windy City is one of the Chicagoland region’s largest flight day’s flight, Sharon wrote, “Bill and Happy you have planted schools. For more information visit www.windycityflyers.com. the seed, it is now our job to see that it grows.” REFLECTIONS FROM a Cradle Baby Father Ken Simpson (Cradle ’52) is pastor at Chicago’s St. Clement Church. Following is an excerpt from his message in a recent church bulletin: My adoption is the cornerstone of my life. This is my definitive experience of grace. It is the source of the overwhelming gratitude which guides my best days. It is the motivation to give back in some way. It is always about receiving and giving – the generous and courageous gift of my birthmother and the loving reception of my parents into their home and hearts. I imagine that my beginnings were in some sense problematic. But that has become the fact that has shaped a truly gifted life. In light of my adoption, it is easy to realize that everything I have and am, is begun as pure gift. I am owed nothing. And I have a responsibility to carry on as heir in honoring that which has been passed on to me. 2 The Cradle Newsletter MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Dear Friends, THE YEAR in Review Cradle “babies,” “alumni” or In the Winter issue of The Cradle Newsletter, we like to “adoptees” – however you take a look back on our previous fiscal year (FY11 ended choose to refer to them – are on 9/30) and share with our readers some of the year’s a wonderfully diverse, talented highlights and challenges. While we continued to see a and generous group of individu- decline in domestic and international placements, as well als. They sit on our boards and as fewer Nursery admissions, The Cradle experienced a 9% help plan Cradle events. They increase in birthparent inquiries over 2010 – due largely to new, well-received television ads targeted to expectant speak about adoption in Cradle women that just started airing in August. classes and in high school classrooms. They support The Cradle with their time and their financial resources. They Countries such as China, Russia and Guatemala that for are some of our best advocates and ambassadors. many years had robust international adoption activity have erected barriers to adoption or shut down their programs In our cover story a Cradle adoptee, born in the 1940s, entirely. The slowdown in domestic activity cannot be as shares his love of flying with a Cradle baby born in 2005. easily explained. Factors that may be contributing to this Directly following that story you can read the reflections decline include the lingering weak economy, along with the of a 1952 Cradle alumnus who considers his adoption to proliferation of online adoption brokers who use unscrupu- be the “cornerstone” of his life. A Cradle mom featured on lous practices to entice pregnant women and hopeful adop- pg. 8 won her office’s charity bake-off using her 18-year- tive parents. The Cradle is working intently to combat these practices and ensure that every organization offering adop- old Cradle baby’s recipe. tion services in Illinois is a licensed not-for-profit. We are thrilled to welcome into our family the ninety-two Following are some key statistics from fiscal 2011: babies who make up The Cradle Class of 2011.