Class Reunions

WV Sawmiller · April 30, 2022, 09:54:57 PM

Well, I went to my HS class's 51 year reunion last night. The pandemic stopped us from having one last year. Today we had a multi-class/school reunion. One of the highlights as we relayed various memories was one classmate who said he and several others played hooky and left school and went to our local gravel lakes and they stripped naked and went swimming. What they did not notice was the truant officer had followed them and he collected their clothes and left with them. :embarassed: The classmate said they could not leave the water and people came down to fish and were mad because they would not leave the water not knowing they could not. :( Around 2:30 pm the truant officer brought back their clothes so they could still get back in time for the bus ride home. The old truant officer showed up at today's event and another classmate asked if he remembered taking their clothes and he laughed and said he well remembered but did not remember any more problems out of them skipping school. :D

We had a good time and I am glad I made the trip.

sawguy21 · April 30, 2022, 10:40:50 PM

We had one in 2016, it was ok but probably my last. The old cliques resurfaced several classmates wouldn't even acknowledge a friendly hello after 50 years.

dogone · May 01, 2022, 12:45:21 AM

I went to one several years back. A few pleasant meetings. But like sawguy said too many cliques and apparent jealousy from some.

beenthere · May 01, 2022, 01:49:50 AM

High school class of 28, but 9 have passed away, and of the 19 remaining there are 13-14 that make it back to our reunion which now we have every year. Four we lost track of, soon after graduation.
But no cliques any more. We mellow with age and enjoy a reunion. Better than going to a funeral to see them. 8)

SwampDonkey · May 01, 2022, 05:55:44 AM

Don't really get involved. Never heard tell of all of them for years. Wouldn't know of any funerals anyway. :D When we amalgamated a lot of schools, what tended to happen is cliques formed between classmates from former schools. And then furthermore between college prep, industrial, business students. Never seen them for years, wouldn't even recognize them now. In fact had one fellow introduce himself in a Walmart, never remembered him at all, complete stranger. :D I did come across an old college classmate who was studying forestry, but dropped out. Looked like he did 34 years ago. He works at a hardware store. And had been working at a grocery store, where I first ran into him.

Sedgehammer · May 01, 2022, 06:03:31 AM

I was sent a facebook post about our class reunion this summer . it too was postponed due to covid . 'they' are planning a golf outing and then a dinner , as soon as I read the words 'golf outing' , that turned me off . i am not sure , but i wood say only about 15% or less golf , so the class reunion is just for them ......

Ron Wenrich · May 01, 2022, 06:56:55 AM

I helped with 3 of our class reunions. Its pretty hard to gather information on people, but the internet had been a lot of help. We never would have tried a golf outing, as its too much to set up. We just had a shindig at some local hall where we could get together. We get about a 20% class turnout.

High school was pretty much like Swamp Donkey said. We had a bunch of rural townships that went in with a local town to form a bigger high school. Cliques pretty much followed your major, or the twp you came from. Some of the friendships last, some don't.

I've been to all of ours. There are those that won't attend, and offered the excuse that those that attend try to relive their HS days. There are those that complain about the cost and don't realize how much things actually cost to pull something of this size off. But, of the ones that attend, its usually having memories of our joint experience and catching up with how life has treated us. We stopped having reunions at the 50th.

SawyerTed · May 01, 2022, 07:32:48 AM

I went to my 20th in 2000. Our class was 240 and about 100 attended. Those of us who moved away found that those who remained still hang out, golf, go to ball games etc together. The rest of us enjoyed a little time reconnecting.

I did see that the star athletes and most of the star students turned out to be everyday people with everyday lives. Many of the rest of us "exceeded" expectations.

I won't be going to another one. I stay in touch with those few who I want to anyway

Machinebuilder · May 01, 2022, 08:22:39 AM

I went to my 35th.

I had moved away soon after high school and had gone to VoTech the last 2 years so I had lost track of all of them.

As I said to one person, its meeting a bunch of strangers I knew 35 years ago. I won't go to another.

I do keep up with a couple on Facebook now

firefighter ontheside · May 01, 2022, 09:04:44 AM

I went to my 30th last night. It was a great time and great to see friends from so long ago. We were a class of 68. 5 have passed away since 1992. I did not experience any old teenage angst issues. We had it in the gym of our old school. Sadly the school closed in 2008, but the building is still being used by the church parish as a civic center. It was definitely nice to have it there. Brought back lots of good memories.

Al_Smith · May 01, 2022, 09:11:36 AM

They can be interesting at times depending how you look at things .My HS class graduated in 1966 and some of the locals with county roads with their family names on them are just the same .People such as myself who have been at least half way around the world and we obviously most of the time have different out looks on life .There was a thing called Viet Nam that forever set the stage for the rest of some of our lives .

It amuses me ,the one who acted like James Dean in "Rebel without a cause ".myself probably was thought to be the least successful in life became one of the most .Then hand in hand with the class sweet heart ,the blonde cheer leader is by my side .--Never judge a book by it's cover---

BTW her hair is still blonde with no dye although a tad bit lighter .My coal black hair however has tinges of frost or something and is a tad thinner in places .Falling off my head and growing wild on my ears ,go figure .

WV Sawmiller · May 01, 2022, 09:32:14 AM

Interesting observations from all. We only had a couple dozen show up with about half the spouses. We met at a Historical society building one of the members and my SIL is involved with. Two of her brothers, including one who was our class president, both were in our class as were their wives. We had no expenses other than travel and lodging to get here.

I did not see any cliques but yes the stars of the class often stayed here and worked the local bank or grocery store or opened a beauty shop while many of the more middle of the pack got out and traveled and did more. I know I traveled more than anyone else.

Our school integrated when I was in 8th grade the races did not socialize then. We tried to contact our Black classmates but the few we had or could contact did not come. I truly believe they would have been warmly welcomed. I know I would have as we all have lots more in common than we did back then.

A few of the local residents brought a covered dish or picked up a few pizzas and it was very low key but we had a real good time. Many local members did not show up due to health or simple lack of interest. I was very happy to see them all even ones I had no association with back then and the spouses were all very nice and interesting and I had no problem chastising the one with the Alabama jersey on an he bickered right back and we hope to see each other again.

At the multi-class school reunion my SIL and her sister coordinate that so she tasked me to fry 50 lbs of catfish so I and a couple of other derelicts cut up and fried the fish and burned the hushpuppies. When someone sent a pan of undercooked fish back we let it sit a few minutes and sent it back and the word came back it was now perfect.

I hope to attend more but time, health and economics will decide that. As to the funerals, Dad once told someone "I only have to go to one more funeral and I'd just as soon someone else go in my place to it."

Magicman · May 01, 2022, 10:25:56 AM

We had a fairly nice 25th reunion, but that was it.

We tried for a 50th but: LINK

I know where 2 of my classmates live but other than that we are blowing in the breeze. :

B.C.C. Lapp · May 01, 2022, 01:18:17 PM

Neither my wife nor I really enjoyed high school. More like we endured it. She did go to one of her reunions, she was one year behind me, and likely won't go to another.
Ive never been to one of mine. Just not interested.

GAB · May 01, 2022, 01:54:04 PM

Quote from: beenthere on May 01, 2022, 01:49:50 AM
High school class of 28, but 9 have passed away, and of the 19 remaining there are 13-14 that make it back to our reunion which now we have every year. Four we lost track of, soon after graduation.
But no cliques any more. We mellow with age and enjoy a reunion. Better than going to a funeral to see them. 8)

Dear beenthere:
If I am reading and ciphering correctly [many graduate the year they turn 18] you are 111 or 112 years old.
Congratulations, and could you share your formula for longevity.
GAB

sawguy21 · May 01, 2022, 02:48:59 PM

:D

beenthere · May 01, 2022, 04:18:20 PM

GAB
:D
Read that as 28 people in our class of '57, not the class of '28. ;)

SwampDonkey · May 01, 2022, 04:23:18 PM

Well, Kane Tanaka of Japan, recently died at age 119. ;D

GAB · May 01, 2022, 05:31:18 PM

Quote from: beenthere on May 01, 2022, 04:18:20 PM
GAB
:D
Read that as 28 people in our class of '57, not the class of '28. ;)

Boy oh boy did I read that wrong.
Sorry I gave you toooooo many.
GAB

farmfromkansas · May 01, 2022, 07:47:34 PM

Our school was consolidated 2 years before I graduated, don't think of those people as friends. Do see quite a few obits from my class. I went to a couple reunions, wasn't all that much fun, so don't bother. Our class president died 5 years ago, he was a career IRS agent. Haven't gotten a notice since then.

Old Greenhorn · May 01, 2022, 08:55:01 PM

I have been reading along since this thread started. I figured most folks would not understand why I would have practically zero interest in my high school reunion. But I was wrong.
I had an oddball experience. I went to a technical AND vocational high school that also had an academic track (the minority of students). It was one of the best best High Schools with such programs on the east coast. One other was Brooklyn Tech. The folks in vocational programs in my school were actually recruited directly by businesses and hired right into good jobs on graduation. The folks in the technical programs pretty much all went to college for their chosen program. I was in Mechanical Tech, college prep for engineering and manufacturing work. We also had Machine shop (voc), Beauty Culture (voc), Horticulture (tech), Auto mechanics (voc), automotive tech (tech), Instrumentation and automation (tech), and Ornamental Horticulture (voc and tech). My brother graduated from the same school in '63 in the last graduating class of Agricultural tech (tech) before they changed it to horticulture. The school has a campus of about 60 acres with working farm fields, a radio station, and observatory, many shop buildings, etc. I tell you all this to explain that the people in the school were largely fragmented by fields of study and our 'contact group' was mostly those 25 or so folks in our own grade and filed of study. I think there were 350 in my graduating class and I knew maybe 40 of them.
Just a couple remained lifelong friends, one was my best man. The rest I don't hardly know. Add to that the fact that I never was comfortable living in a suburban environment and in fact hated it. Most of my classmates remained in that lifestyle even if they moved away. They got good jobs, entered the rat race and set about earning more money than the guy next door. They retired and moved to FL In fact I saw on FB that a bunch of them have get togethers in FL all the time because they live in the same retirement communities. Not for me. I got out of there by the time I was 30 and never looked back. None of them would understand the way I live or why I prefer this way of life. Money was never a draw for me. Raising my kids in a good place was the priority and money came in abut 3rd or lower.
I don't really know any of those folks who are still talking about their own high school sports accomplishments. We did loose a bunch of classmates in 9/11 because many worked at the WTC and one of my still close childhood and HS friends was a Medic with FDNY responding to the Towers. Another Worked in the towers, but was delayed on his trip to work that day and survived. He watched the Towers come down from the ferry he was on in the river. I spent 5 years thinking he was dead. I cried most of that night when I thought he was 'gone'. We've since made and kept in contact.

I have no idea, if I was at a reunion, what I could talk about. We have nothing in common and they can't begin to understand me. It's a 2 hour drive, plus a motel room. I really just have no interest. I am surprised and pleased to see that I am not alone. Life is in front of me (what's left anyway), not behind me. At least that's how I see it.

I'll save that money for a pig roast in MI or a project in GA. :D

That's where my heart and head are now.

dgdrls · May 01, 2022, 09:34:51 PM

Quote from: Old Greenhorn on May 01, 2022, 08:55:01 PM
I have been reading along since this thread started. I figured most folks would not understand why I would have practically zero interest in my high school reunion. But I was wrong.
I had an oddball experience. I went to a technical AND vocational high school that also had an academic track (the minority of students). It was one of the best best High Schools with such programs on the east coast. One other was Brooklyn Tech. The folks in vocational programs in my school were actually recruited directly by businesses and hired right into good jobs on graduation. The folks in the technical programs pretty much all went to college for their chosen program. I was in Mechanical Tech, college prep for engineering and manufacturing work. We also had Machine shop (voc), Beauty Culture (voc), Horticulture (tech), Auto mechanics (voc), automotive tech (tech), Instrumentation and automation (tech), and Ornamental Horticulture (voc and tech). My brother graduated from the same school in '63 in the last graduating class of Agricultural tech (tech) before they changed it to horticulture. The school has a campus of about 60 acres with working farm fields, a radio station, and observatory, many shop buildings, etc. I tell you all this to explain that the people in the school were largely fragmented by fields of study and our 'contact group' was mostly those 25 or so folks in our own grade and filed of study. I think there were 350 in my graduating class and I knew maybe 40 of them.
Just a couple remained lifelong friends, one was my best man. The rest I don't hardly know. Add to that the fact that I never was comfortable living in a suburban environment and in fact hated it. Most of my classmates remained in that lifestyle even if they moved away. They got good jobs, entered the rat race and set about earning more money than the guy next door. They retired and moved to FL In fact I saw on FB that a bunch of them have get togethers in FL all the time because they live in the same retirement communities. Not for me. I got out of there by the time I was 30 and never looked back. None of them would understand the way I live or why I prefer this way of life. Money was never a draw for me. Raising my kids in a good place was the priority and money came in abut 3rd or lower.
I don't really know any of those folks who are still talking about their own high school sports accomplishments. We did loose a bunch of classmates in 9/11 because many worked at the WTC and one of my still close childhood and HS friends was a Medic with FDNY responding to the Towers. Another Worked in the towers, but was delayed on his trip to work that day and survived. He watched the Towers come down from the ferry he was on in the river. I spent 5 years thinking he was dead. I cried most of that night when I thought he was 'gone'. We've since made and kept in contact.

I have no idea, if I was at a reunion, what I could talk about. We have nothing in common and they can't begin to understand me. It's a 2 hour drive, plus a motel room. I really just have no interest. I am surprised and pleased to see that I am not alone. Life is in front of me (what's left anyway), not behind me. At least that's how I see it.

I'll save that money for a pig roast in MI or a project in GA. :D That's where my heart and head are now.

Where was the school OGH?
D

Old Greenhorn · May 01, 2022, 09:49:09 PM

Sewhanaka HS, Floral Park, NY

WV Sawmiller · May 01, 2022, 11:16:49 PM

What to talk about at your 50+ year class reunion? What you did after you left school, who you married, kids and now grandkids. We talked about the funny things we remembered in school.

I know what some of you mean about HS being the peak of performance for many and those who were high school stars did not always go much further while some of the more mundane students actually did very well for themselves and I find them much more interesting today. In some cases it was the spouses I met who had more in common and enjoyed meeting them.

I did not hate high school, I was in the upper tier academically but not a Rhodes scholar or such. I was more socially awkward in HS and my two brothers and I worked after school and weekends on the family business. I met my wife in college when she moved next door and we were friends for 2 years or so but I did not date her then. I joined the USMC and stopped by to see her on my way back to base, immediately fell in love with her as soon as I saw her again (January 2nd, 1977) and we were married 6 months later (July 2nd, 1977) and life for me was much more enjoyable and memorable from that point on.

I have enjoyed these 2 reunions, enjoyed a couple of my wife's that we attended (10 & 45 I think) and will try to attend more in the future but many of my classmates are much more interesting to me now than during my HS days. I would not want to go through HS again. I found many years ago I was a much better student at 30-35 than I was at 16-18 y/o and had no fear stopping the instructor if I was not grasping what he was presenting. I felt we were equals then and I was not a bottom of the barrel student while he was on a HS or College pedestal. As I result I learned more that way although some of the instructors had to scramble a little to explain themselves and their topic better.

Our reunions have been very low-key events and not fancy catered affairs that matched my personality more so I enjoyed them very much and regret some of you folks had less memorable/enjoyable experiences.

Ron Scott · May 01, 2022, 11:21:25 PM

My 70th will be coming up next year. We have them every 5 years and I have made them all back to Yooper land since 1953, but don't know if I will be able to make the trip back for this next one. We have lost about 5 more since the last reunion, so the size is getting down to only one dinner table from an original class of 89.