Final answer:
There is no specific routine that marks the opening of meetings in 'A Separate Peace'. The focus is on Gene Forrester's reflections during his return to prep school.
Step-by-step explanation:
At the opening of each meeting in A Separate Peace, a novel by John Knowles, there is no specific recurring event that marks the beginning of meetings depicted in the book.
Since the query might refer to a general practice within the novel's setting or a singular event, the only relevant reference would be the first chapter where the protagonist, Gene Forrester, returns to his old prep school and reflects on events past, rather than the opening of meetings.
A Separate Peace is focused on the experiences of a group of students during World War II at a fictional New England boarding school.