Congratulations to our Winners
of the Best Reunion Story Contest!
Minda Burr
After Reading these Reactions, Why Would Anyone Miss Their Reunion?
Permit me to echo the echoes... I miss you guys so much already. A week ago tonight I held you all in a great swirling embrace. When I asked Judy Derickson to dance and we stepped onto that absurdly small dance floor I was swept away... the room widened out... suddenly I was dancing with all of you simultaneously!
This sort of irrational experience pervaded the entire weekend for me. Whenever I hugged someone, whenever I kissed one of the incredibly lovely women... women-who-defy-time... I had the distinct experience I was kissing ALL of you. And it just seemed to spread like that. The women were all so regal and gorgeous, the men so noble, heroic, ready to laugh! Our class is in a class by itself.
Thank God, there was still Sunday.
The walk around THS was wonderful... and then that evening at McMann's, as Dave Prouty skillfully tickled the ivories, a few of us gathered around a baby grand to gaze across the glistening expanse and sing love songs to each other once again. Again, I found myself singing to all of you.
One week later. It feels so abrupt. I'm suddenly back in New Jersey. Reflecting on the reunion, I ask myself: "Did this all really happen? Or did I just NEED time to fold back on itself?"
Love all of you guys! Thanks once again to Minda & crew. Thanks to Erne & Marge for putting me up.
To be continued...
Dan Zimmerman ..
Diana Wing
The East Anchorage (Alaska) class of 1976 had their reunion this summer. We had a three day event (gala, school tour and picnic). This story relates to an incident that occurred during the tour of the school.
Our school had undergone a major remodel that included the auditorium. We all gathered there in the new seats in front of an enormous stage that was three times the size of the one we remembered. We started bantering around about having someone sing something to show the acoustics. We had in our midst a fellow who after graduation had received a PH.D in Opera Performance and had been a professional opera singer. Of course we all just remembered him as the skinny kid in choir. Someone started a chant for him to sing. "Greg, Greg, Greg!!" Very calmly he stood up, and without any false modesty bids for us to coax him, he boldly began singing "God bless America" in a booming bass acappella. Midway through the song, he motioned for us to join him, which we did...at least those of us who could through our tears. To be together again after so many years, to be proud at the talent of one of "our own", to be humbled by the grandeur of our school and to feel blessed to be part of our nation was overwhelming. So together, cheerleaders and prom queens, athletes and nerds, punks and scholars we shared a moment of sublime unity. One fellow who had flown in from Hawaii said it was worth the trip just for that.
I can't understand people who don't want to attend reunions. "I wouldn't have anything to say" "Anybody I want to see I just keep in touch with. ''Those were painful years." I say it is a healing, rejuvenating, affirming event. A "love-fest" one friend called it. As age enters in, old class groupings and harsh judgments fall out. What is left are people who share with you memories of a time and a place of shared significance.
Diana Wing
John Crandall
As the reunion coordinator and Treasurer of Spotswood High School Class of 1986, planning the reunion was a very rewarding experience. What attributed to the experience was not solely one thing. It was a culmination of numerous things. I can't say there is one particular part that stood out among all others. The experience was a combination of preparation, planning, making contacts, networking, and following through with it all without deviation. Having a plan and sticking to it, even when you are met with some level of resistance along the way is a key element which attributed to making the reunion a complete success. I must admit, to see your plans actually unfold before your very eyes is very gratifying. During the course of the evening I just stepped back from the crowd and digested it all, and it was at that moment I was overwhelmed with what we had accomplished. Its a defining moment and one I will always be proud of. To share an evening with your former classmates after 20 years of separation was truly phenomenal.
1. Utilize all your resources - Ask your local police department if they have a resource officer assigned to the high school. We were fortunate to have a police officer assigned to our high school. Through the resource officer, we placed the reunion announcement on the local TV station. The resource officer also posted our reunion announcement on the high school marquis sign with a reunion contact number. I received dozens of phone calls from former classmates who saw the announcement as they passed by the school.
2. Consult your Senior Class Advisor from High School. If they are still there they can be very helpful and can assist you in your efforts to contact former classmates. You may even have funds left over from fundraisers you conducted in high school. If your former Senior Class Advisor is no longer employed, contact the main office and consult with the Principal or someone else who can assist you.
3. Contact former classmates that you know of still residing in the area and ask them to be on your reunion committee. This is essential and necessary in planning your reunion. Seek input and ideas for the reunion from former classmates through reunion or Alumni internet websites. Send periodic announcements concerning meetings so those interested can attend.
4. Build or create a website geared towards your reunion. They are inexpensive and a great way to initiate contacts.
5. Use your high school yearbook to locate former classmates. Their addresses and contact information should be contained in it. Even if the addresses are inaccurate or, if they have relocated, they're parents may still reside there.
6. Have a plan and stick to it. Deviation only invites confusion.
7. Maintain an account of all finances collected, and open a free checking account to make periodic deposits of reunion payments. Keep a ledger of monies received and monies paid out.
8. Designate responsibility to appropriate committee members. You will not get it done on your own. You find out quick how important a committee can be.
9. Conduct phone and email drives daily so you can generate a list of everyone's contact information. You will need names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, etc. Microsoft excel is excellent for this task, as well as for maintaining financial records.
10. Last, but not least...Enjoy it. The planning is the best part. You will find yourself during the planning stage reconnecting with many of your former classmates.
11. Have a great time at your reunion and be proud of what you have accomplished.
John Crandall
Spotswood High School
Class of 1986
Coordinator/Treasurer
Spotswood, New Jersey
(732) 690-3399
Patricia Scilingo
Sometimes people tend to dwell on the negative memories from high school. So, in order to avoid that, I wrote the question "What is your favorite high school memory?" on the reunion invitation. Another good question to ask is "Who was your best friend in high school?" This was great for matching up old friendships and letting each other know that the other friend was planning on attending the reunion. This was a 40th reunion, so I didn't ask about so-called accomplishments. At our age, just being alive is accomplishment enough.
Patricia Scilingo
Susan Willats
I spent most of the past year planning my high school's 30th reunion, which was held at the end of September. I wanted to remember those classmates who were no longer with us, so I gathered information from my reunion committee and others to create a list of the deceased. I ordered several 2'x3' posters through the Reunion Planner web site for decorating our site; three were enlarged pages from our yearbook, and one was titled "In Memorium." It included the names and senior pictures of those who had passed away. A dear friend of mine approached me about an hour into the reunion, and told me that she had just talked to her brother, who was good friends with one of the people on the "In Memorium" poster. She had called her brother on her cell phone, and asked "Did Keith X. die?" His response: "Not unless he did since 10:30 this morning." My friend then called Keith, and told him where she was and where his name was listed; fortunately, he thought this was hilarious, and wanted to know when and how he died. (The story was that he had committed suicide shortly before our tenth reunion.) As emcee, I got the microphone from the DJ and announced what had just happened, and that Keith was fine. The audience then watched as I walked over to the poster and wrote "Still alive!" under Keith's photo. People were very good-natured about it, but it was a big lesson to me, as the organizer, to VERIFY ALL INFORMATION!
Susan Willats
James Marshall High School Class of 1976
West Sacramento, California
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