Monday, September 20, 2010

A Good Time Was Had by All

The Golden Anniversary of the Point Arena High School Class of 1960 was a great success because alumni of classes 1950 through 1967 made it their reunion too. We filled the Gualala Community Center with about 100 attendees - the total of alumni, spouses, and family members. We began by milling around and talking while munching hors devours (and occassionally picking up a drink or two from the Point Arena Knights of Columbus bar) for the first two hours.

What a noisy bunch!

Just like the hallway at PAHS between classes.

Then we lined up and passed in a quick and orderly fashion through the buffet line, and filled up on Leslie Bate's scrumptious Chicken Marbella with flat noodles, salad, bread, and topped off with choice of dessert cake.

Not only was the buffet line more orderly and efficient than anything I saw in Air Force Basic Training - you can hold all your Air Force jokes - a teacher told me he always told his students that the Air Force was the best alternative to military service - but everyone quickly and neatly bussed their own dishes.

After dinner it was time for Foghorn Annual trivia. I gleaned a lot of information from annuals and photos from 1950 through 1962. Out of that exercise a quiz was produced - click on this link to go to it.

The quiz was a great success, if you discount the fact that no one remembered any of the things that had been written for Foghorn last wills and testaments.

Next we did class photos, aided greatly by the participation of Walter "Dale" Mason. In comparison with getting the class groups together for pictures, herding American short-hair cats is a lot easier.

Finally we danced to music provided by our DJ, William "Willie B" Brown.

The reunion started to wind down. Tired celebrants went out into the night, wending their ways to their very nearby motels, hotels, and guest houses.

A stalwart clean-up crew consisting of my brother Ron, Sam Oglesby, Walter Mason, Claire Farnsworth, and myself soon had all the chairs and tables put away, and all the linens bagged and decorations taken down and packed for next time.

About that time our Reunion Angel, Kristin Carnes - she planned and organized the decorating -  and her husband Steve came by to pick up the linens and table decorations and haul them back to the rental agency.

The next morning Alice and I hosted a most enjoyable post-reunion brunch at our house - egg and sausage casseroles provided by my sister-in-law Kathy, a variety of munchies and champagne provided by the Surf Super Market (and two bottles of champagne from our guests). Munchies were munched, mimosas were inbibed, and copious quantities of coffee and tea washed it all down.

And all the while everyone was chatting comfortably and enjoying the view of redwoods and coast.

At a moment of weakness during the reunion I committed to doing another one in five years. The acceptance of my offer was deafening, on the third try. The first time I offered to do it you could have heard a pin drop.

Anyway, after the success of the post-reunion brunch, I'll have a lot to think about the next five years. Somewhere between the two activities of this reunion is probably a really good idea for what should be done at the next one.

Everybody please stay in touch. I will be updating this website, primarily with more biographies as I plead and cajole alumni to provide them, and with pictures when Walter Mason and others email them to me.

Hail to the Pirates!

1 comment:

  1. Well, I certainly hope we're all able to attend in five years. I hated missing this reunion, but I was incapacitated by a complicated knee surgery and then trying to die, but all is well now.
    I once told a friend that I had never lived anywhere that wasn't scenic. The Mendocino Coast, Persian Gulf, Sonoma County, the San Benito Mountains and the last 38 years here in the Owens Valley.
    Chris and I met in the Peace Corps, during training in Austin, Texas, then, after two years in Iran, we came home and got married. We moved to New Idria, a mining camp in San Benito County, with our son Matt, and lived there for three years, teaching. From there, we moved here to Lone Pine, where Simon was born. We retired from teaching in 2001 and will probably live here forever, since Chris is very involved with the Lone Pine Film Festival, The Beverly and Jim Rogers Museum of Lone Pine Film History; he is the Executive Director, being the Film Commissioner of Inyo County, serving on the County School Board, and working with the Annenberg Foundation on projects. What do I do? Mostly follow him around and read.
    Our son, Matt, is a teacher in Santa Rosa and is also "the voice of the Santa Rosa Panthers," announcing their football and basketball games and also playoff games. He and his wife, Juli, live in Sebastopol with their three daughters. Juli has a preschool.
    Our son Simon and his wife, Wendy, live in Chico where he is service manager for Boradori Auto Repair and a musician.
    Life is good and I look forward to seeing everyone at the next reunion.
    Sandy (Petersen) Langley
    If you feel like sending an email, I can be reached at Cheefwil@aol.com.

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