Advice - Going to 50th HS Reunion

[nodpete]

Most of you had more kids in your class than my entire school had. When I graduated in 1960 there were only 121 kids from kindergarten through 12th grade. And it went down from there. They closed the school in 66 in our town and several others and combined them. Our kids were bused 12 miles to the closest school.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

None of the people on my Black List were at my 50th-a couple of them were in the In Memoriam Book, as were a couple of people I'd like to have seen again. I had a number of friends in the other classes, so my class wasn't that much of a point of focus for me.
I remember one girl-not at the reunion. Foxy blonde girl. I saw her in 1976-Fat Momma! She had put on the pounds-and did not carry them well. She was always nice to me, so when I tell that story I never mention her name.
An interesting follow up. The woman who organized it lives in the same town as me, a few months later I attended the inurnment ceremony for her father-WWII, Army, Signal Corps, served in Italy. She told me the night
before when they were opening their mail they found my card. Her husband-a doctor, battling Alzheimers-passed away last November just before Thanksgiving. I sent her a condolence card then a holiday card, I received a very nice personal note from her.

 

[DWalt]

The only HS reunion I attended was my 50th, in 2009. I graduated from a smaller school, we had around 120 in my class. It was largely a disappointment for me, and if I had to do it over again, I wouldn't have attended. It was painfully obvious I had little in common with most of my classmates and didn't have much to discuss with them, and I won't say anything about what 50 years had done to the (relatively small number of) then-hot girls who had been in my class. It might have been different had I stayed in my home town area after graduation, but after I left, I rarely returned.

 

[Iggy]

Started school in a one room school house between two ranches.
Two boys and the teacher.
We eventually wound up in high school in a farm town 40 miles away.
Hated every minute of those 4 years.

We were in the largest graduating class in the school's history. Thirteen of us in 1961.
Never went to a reunion. Don't know if they had one.


That other ranch kid and I are the only survivors from that class.

 

[Dave_n]

What is a "Class Reunion?" I graduated, though the term was not used in the UK in 1956 at 17 having skipped a year. In those days if you were in an academic school (the 11 plus exam being the weed-out), you would have two streams, one, the majority leaving at 16, the other, much smaller, headed for University (usually <5%). In those days, if you wanted to become a lawyer, accountant, other forms of business, etc., you became an "articled clerk at 16" and if you worked properly, you became a chartered accountant or a lawyer, etc., at 21 to 22. University was basically for the sciences, medicine, some engineering, languages, history. So class reunions from those days were unknown. Dave_n

 

[TLflag]

Reunion

Thank GOD for name tags !!

 

[bigmtnman]

"Boomers" to the MAX (820)..... class of 1964 Northwestern High School College Park, Maryland (next to Wash D.C.). JFK 11/22/63 .... Everyone of us could tell you what class they were in when we heard.... Then an "invasion" came in from Britain and only "Motown" survived.
We had about 130 classmates at our 50th reunion with about 250 total people. We had very well attended reunions EVERY five years. I only missed two.

 

[Benchrest1]

My 50th is next year and I have no desire to go. I didn't do a lot of the usual school stuff. I always had a job and usually worked 32 hours a week plus school. I had a lot of friends , but a lot of them went to different schools.

 

[Llance]

I attended four (4) different high schools. Two in Colorado and two in California. I missed my 50th, 45th, 40th, in fact every one except the 10th, which was such a disappointment I didn't think I'd want to attend another. But truth be, I was disappointed I'd missed the 50th. 55 is coming up next year, and yes, I'll go if things work out and I get notified.

As far as appearance is concerned I know, you would still know me if you saw me, my looks have not changed that much. I was ugly back then and not much has changed. There was one girl I still have fond memories of, whom I'd like to connect with.

 

[mark brewer]

they stopped inviting me to the reunions. and it's just as well. if i go to one, i am going to figure out who in the crowd was the biggest bully jerk to me back then and throw a drink in their face. or some other anti-social move. my HS experience was pure waste on every level.

 

[Rustyt1953]

My graduation class was over 300. I got along with all but a very few and over the years even they eventually warmed up. I loved my time in High School.


I learned long ago that a party is what you make of it. Tom, just wade in and enjoy it. I'll bet that as the evening progresses everyone limbers up and turns into human beings.

Have fun and hoist one for me.

 

[jag312]

At the first high school reunion that I chose to attend, I drove there in my Ferrari. There was another car, a Nissan 280X or some kind of Z car, that parked in the next row across from me. I happened to park nose to nose with that car. The driver got out and looked at my car. I didn't recognize him. He walked over and opened the door for his passenger. Who should get out but Linda, the girl that I took to the Senior Ball. They both looked at the Ferrari. I'm sure they were wondering who had the car. I got out of my car. Linda looked at me, looked at the car, looked at me, looked at the car, and the expression she had was as if someone had thrown ice water in her face. Total shock. I loved it.

Last year's reunion was cancelled due to covid, and it was supposed to be rescheduled for this year. It never happened. I'm thinking about getting another Ferrari, either a 550 Maranello or a 360 Monza. If we have another reunion, guess what I'll be driving. If I finish the restoration of my 1954 Jaguar XK120 roadster, I just might drive that.

 

[Beemerguy53]

Another Class of '71 member here.

I went to a small college-prep high school (85 in my class) and hated every minute of it. I was not in any of the cliques, and had few friends in school. The two closest friends I had both died very young. Nevertheless, I've gone to every reunion, and enjoyed them. People change as they age, and nobody is the same at 67 or 68 as he/she was at 17 or 18.

I was involved in the planning for our 50th, which we're doing in two stages. We had a virtual reunion online back in June, and we have a live reunion scheduled for next April. I'm looking forward to it...

 

[raljr1]

I was class of 73 with over 750 graduates. I went to our 10 and 20 year reunions and really enjoyed them. Then, one of our very popular graduates, a Naval Academy grad and all around good guy, was on the first plane to hit the tower 20 years ago today. A few of his best friends from school created a scholarship in his name and conducted a fund raiser/reunion every year. So we got together once a year. Two years ago was the last one as the planning had become onerous for those doing it.

The scholarship is the largest single scholarship offered in our alma mater, and has enough reserves to continue indefinitely.

Long story, but go. Everyone is likely mellower now and if you go with the right frame of mind, you'll likely be glad you did.



Robert