Post Reunion Summary
Hello Everyone! I just wanted to share some of the reunion happenings with those of you that were unable to attend.
Friday night:
We had a get together for classmates only and it was sooOOOooo great to see everyone again! Susan Barwick Wall had scanned everyone's high school picture onto their name tag. Hilarious to see our style back then. Ah, those baby faces!! We had close to 70 grads attend and from the comments made to me, everyone had a good time. Lots of drinks and visiting done. Tons of laughs and stories were shared. The beauty with growing older is that we have also grown up. We have learned to appreciate everybody for who they are, regardless of which circle they travelled in back then. Shelley Anderson Braun commented that she enjoyed this reunion more than the 20th for that exact reason. Everyone seemed more confident and more willing to get to know classmates that they didn't know 30 years ago. What a wonderful group you all are! I loved my visits with you! I just wish I would have had time to catch up with each and every one that came but time flew by so fast.
Dean Cook, with the help of Mark Leier had a great playlist of 70's and 80's music. Brought back a lot of memories. Thought Shelley Currie Listoe was going to cry when she heard "Puppy Love" play! I love to dance but we just ran out of time. Too much visiting!
We took group shots of the men and then the women. Thanks to Brent Shiels for putting his best side forward! I didn't realize it was a "full moon" that night! Kim Sabadash ended up in the arms of 3 of the guys-reminded me of Cleopatra! The only thing missing were the grapes! (okay, and maybe a few very well built scantily clad young men) Sorry guys! Close, but not quite.
Saturday:
9 Hole Texas Scramble Golf Tourney at Moon Lake: We had 22 golfers so ended up with 6 teams. 4 teams with 2 guys and 2 girls, one team with 2 guys and 1 girl, and my team that only had 1 guy and 2 girls (Sheila, Dean's wife who has never golfed, ever!). Larry Toovey was supposed to be on our team but his vehicle died out of town and he was apparently stranded in PA. That's what you get for having a fancy new vehicle! They just don't make them like they used to!!
Anyway, I tried to make the teams as even as I could without knowing how everyone golfed. Can you believe that when all of the teams were done we were all tied at 37, one over par? How weird is that! Did I mention that my team only had 1 guy (but what a guy! Thanks Jim King for tons of fun!) and 2 girls, 1 that doesn't golf? Oh yeah, I think I did mention that before.......
We drew for 1st place and last place. Had some little gifts for first place (Mount Royal water bottles, calculators, etc) We had a long drive competition as well as closest to the pin.
Men's long drive: Garry Klassen
Men's closest to the pin: Hugh Mack
Women's long drive: Charlene Sookeroff Rehn
Women's closest to the pin: Rebekah Quiring Farrant Valade
As for last place, I had a fun gag gift so had to draw for it too. Guess whose team got drawn? Mine! Lorne and I used to put on an annual golf tourney and it was tradition that the team who finished at the "bottom" of the teams had to wear Bare bum shorts and have a team pic taken. Quite hilarious looking! Well, Sheila, Jim and I put them on (Jim the goof put his on backwards-Looked quite ridiculous with the bare bum on his front) and bared all-I just thought of something! How appropriate that the tournament was at "Moon" lake. Ha!Ha!
Dinner and Program and Dance:
We had a lovely dinner followed by a short program. Shelley Anderson Braun did an amazing tribute to those of our classmates that have passed away. She has a wonderful insight on life. She also said a very lovely grace as well. Thanks Shelley for helping me out!
I then gave a little speech. See below:
Good Evening Everyone! I would like to welcome all of you here tonight and say how great it is to see everyone again! Hard to believe that 10 years have already passed since we were last here together for our 20th reunion. I'm beginning to think that this saying is true. "Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer you get to the end, the faster it unrolls". Let's just all hope that we are only a half a roll done!
I want to thank Shelley so much for the wonderful tribute in memory of the classmates that aren't with us anymore and for saying grace. Well done!
Speaking of the 20th reunion, just thinking about it still puts a big smile on my face. Great memories were certainly made that weekend. I love to dance, so having an awesome jive with Murray Sawatzky ranks right up there. Kathy Tinkler convincing an "angel" to take our group picture. I can still see the poor guy left standing there holding her neon pink camera, attempting to line all of our intoxicated bodies up for a photo.
And Dean, I still can't hear Aqua's "I'm A Barbie Girl" without thinking of you. Thanks for all of the memories! It really was a great time with good friends.
Kathy Tinkler sent me an email that made me chuckle so Im going to share it with you as it seems quite appropriate, given the circumstances of this evening:
How You Perceive a Situation: A man and his wife were sitting at a table at the man's high school reunion. His wife noticed that her husband kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sat alone at a nearby table. His wife asked, 'Do you know her?' Yes,' he sighed. 'She was my old girlfriend. I understand she took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear she has not been sober since.' 'Wow!' said his wife. 'Who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?'
So you see, there really are two ways to look at everything. Hopefully this doesn't pertain to any of us but hey, if the shoe fits...
I want to thank all of you for taking the time to join our website. It has been such an easy and cost efficient way of communicating with everyone. Technology certainly has made the world a lot smaller, hasn't it? It's been fun reading all of the profiles and looking at the pictures. We sure are a diverse group!
Some of the classmates that weren't able to join us tonight have said they really appreciate the website as it helps them feel in touch with everyone even though they couldn't make it this weekend. Dave Marshall expressed it this way: "I really appreciate the profile entries people have done, as I will not be able to attend. This web site is my reunion... "
I was able to locate and touch base with over 250 of us. It's been really enjoyable re-aquainting with "old" friends ((no pun intended!) and getting to know others for the first time. With such a large group, there was no way to we could possibly know everyone back then. You have all been so nice to chat with, that it makes me wish that I would have known all of you back then.
I want to take a moment to thank my wonderful reunion organizing team of Susan who spent hours doing up all of the name tags, posters etc, Wayne for taking care of the alcohol, Colleen (decorations) , Dean (music) , Lorna (decorations), Cathy (decorations) and Ian for the shooter glasses (private joke) . I couldn't have pulled this off without your help. And I have to say, our "meetings" were a lot of fun and a lot of laughs. Makes me wonder why we don't get together more often!
I also want to thank the big guy upstairs for blessing us with such a wonderful day for golf. After the crazy weather that we have been having, I have to admit I was a little nervous. But, the sun shone for us today and it was fantastic! Well, for most of us, anyway. I heard that Dean and Doug got themselves into quite a predicament at one point.
Toward the end of the golf game, Dean somehow managed to hit his ball into the woods and when he found it, it was in a patch of pretty yellow buttercups. Trying to get his ball back in play, Dean ended up thrashing just about every buttercup in the patch. It was quite something to watch. All of a sudden . . POOF! In a flash and puff of smoke, a little old woman appeared. She said to Dean, "I'm Mother Nature! Do you know how long it took me to make those buttercups? Just for that, you won't have any butter for your popcorn the rest of your life; better still; you won't have any butter for your toast for the rest of your life..... as a matter of fact, you will never have butter again, for the rest of your life!" THEN POOF!.... she was gone. After Dean got a hold of himself, he wanted to tell Doug what had happened so he hollered over to him, "Hey Doug, where are you?" Doug yelled back, "I'm over here in the pussy willows." In a panicky voice, Dean yelled back...... "DON'T SWING Doug!!!" "For the love of God, DON'T SWING!!
I had to share that one with you, for it is one of my favorite golf jokes.
Two of the golf groups weren't able to stay for the prizes so I would like to call up the winners of the men's and women's longest drives. Gary Klassen and Charlene Sookeroff Rehn! (gave them their prizes)
When I made up the teams, I wanted them to be as close to even as I could, but I had no idea how anybody golfed. Just did my best. Well, when all the teams were in, we were all tied at 37, if you can believe it! So we had to draw for 1st place and last place. Guess whose team finished at the "bottom"? Mine! Now Lorne and I have a tradition that when a team finishes at the bottom, that they have to bare their bottom, so we did. Well, for those of you that weren't there, we didn't want you to miss out, so.......(I turn around to the whole crowd and start lifting the back of my dress. Lots of hoots going on....and then I flipped up the back to "moon" everyone but had my bum shorts on under my dress! I think Brent and Kevin seriously thought I was going to bare all! Pictures were taken and I finally got a chance to see what if feels like to have a booty!)
I want to ask a favor of you-if you haven't already completed the survey about planning the next reunion, would you take a minute to do so? The general consensus is to have it in 5 years. Give us ideas about what you would like to do at the next one. Wayne wants to do a cruise for our 40th. Sounds good to me!
I think it is time for me to stop talking and let the party get underway. Does anyone else have anything that they want to say?
(Larry Brack came up and presented me with a lovely bouquet of flowers as a thanks for organizing the reunion)
Well, thanks once again for making this weekend a success. It is so great to see everyone again. Lets have fun tonight and please do me a huge favor-DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE! Be responsible like our kids are nowadays.
Live strong, love well and take care of your health so that each and every one of us can all be back here together to celebrate our 35th!
The rest of the evening was just spent visiting with everyone. We had music playing but no dancing was done with the exception of Jim King and his girlfriend Janice. You two dance very well together! Do a mean two step...Lorne and I love to dance together and that is my only regret but I was too busy selling tickets, etc and visiting and once again found the evening just fly by.
A few of the girls (Kim, Shelley and Cheryl) joined the boys at the clubhouse after our function was finished. I had to behave myself as I had my Dad's 80th birthday party the next day with 18 holes of golf followed by a barbeque for 80 people. Very busy weekend but a very successful one.
Well, that pretty much sums up the evening, ladies and gentlemen. For those of you that didn't come, you missed a really great weekend! I am serious when I say that it really didn't matter what circle you travelled in 30 years ago. Everyone was welcomed equally and some of us got an opportunity to really get to know each other for the first time.
I hope when the next reunion comes around (in 5 years), you will be able to join us. Hope to see you all then!!
Glenda