The Glenbrook North High School Class of 1970 began planning their 50th reunion in early 2020. I volunteered to be on the committee. Our initial meetings were long, involved emails and the first thing we had to do was try to find our classmates. The co-chairs compiled a database using several online people-finder sources. We emailed and called and asked people to help us spread the word. Then came Covid, the lockdowns, and those weeks and months of uncertainty. The one benefit was switching to Zoom for real-time meetings. In July we cancelled plans for the October celebration but held a Reunion Lite by Zoom that about 20 attended. We tried again in 2021. Surely our vaccinations would keep us healthy! We agreed on October 9. The venue was booked, invitations went out,. An upsurge of Covid made us press the pause button, but enough people had made travel plans that we decided to go ahead with a dry run -- just a party (hors d'oeuvres and cocktails), no school tour, no extra activities. 26 classmates and 10 spouses. The weather was warm so we could meet outside. What a nice evening! I chronicled it in in this post.
It wasn't long until the committee began plans for a real, true reunion weekend for 2022. Summer, for sure, to be outside. "The Class of 70 Turns 70" was the obvious theme -- celebrate our collective 70th birthdays. Same venue, same price. More than 70 of the 485-member class made reservations. (Interestingly, only about half of those who'd come in October came back.)
Kathie and I volunteered to make the nametags. She came to my house last week and we had a lovely time catching up as we stuck copies of senior portraits with names -- enlarged photos and nice big print to be legible!
There was a wine tasting Thursday (one of our classmates is an award-winning sommelier) and a casual gathering Friday. (I didn't attend those.) We had a school tour on Saturday morning with the principal as our guide. GBN is nationally-ranked for the quality and extent of its academic, athletic, and other programs. The student body has stayed about the same -- 2000 totalDo you recognize these steps we're standing on? You can see them in the background of this still from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. (Director John Hughes graduated from GBN in 1969 and used the school for scenes in the movie.)
The original school had an open-campus plan that was very innovative in the 1950's. A major addition the year after we graduated closed in the center drive, creating an outdoor commons.
The new entrance is grand. On the right: the main thoroughfare in our day.
Old pool on the left, new pool on the right. Fitness center. The gym is the same!. One of the smokers' restrooms. The same concession stand outside the gym. "Student Dining" has replaced "cafeteria." A dark photo of the performing arts auditorium.
Finally -- 6 p.m. Time for the party! We sat inside (despite our purposeful plan to hold the event in the summer so we could be outdoors.) No one wore masks (fingers crossed). Much conviviality, hugs and memories revived.
Right: we started kindergarten together at Oaklane School in 1957.
In addition to the memorial list there was a slideshow with all of the deceased classmates' photos.
What's a birthday party without cake?
The gang's all here!
Certainly looks like it was fun. My 50th class reunion will be in Minnesota in about 3 weeks, and I do plan to make the trip to attend. I am sad however that no school tour is planned. I've never been back inside the building - except the gymnasium - since my graduation. I attended a very small school. Our class of '72 had 50+ students when we graduated, and about 35 attended the last reunion, which was a pretty good turnout. Last I knew we had lost 6 classmates over the years who've passed away. I'm looking forward to going.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a good time was had by all. Mine was held in 2019. I went to Thomas Jefferson High School in Fairfax. I made it to the dinner but that's about all I could get to. It was fun but I don't really remember that many folks as we moved right before my senior year. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteMy 50th high school reunion is in October in California. Reluctantly, I decided not to attend after decades of vowing I would. We were a graduating class of about 245, and it’s my understanding that less than 40 have replied to attend. We’re spread out all over the world, and many have passed away. Our high school, which was about 2 years old when I first attended, was sold to a private school about 20 years after we graduated. But the blue and gold Royal Oak Romans still rule! (LOL)
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