"High School Reunion"

The Class of 1966, had a reunion last Saturday.  It's hard to believe

35 years have passed since that day we marched into the auditorium

with Mrs. Bea Schwarzweller playing  "Pomp and Circumstance" on the piano.

We walked across the platform, shook Mr. Kimble's hand,

and accepted our diplomas.

There were 106 in our class.  I remember some tears on graduation night

and a little joking, probably to ease the tension, because

deep inside I believe we were all a little fearful of leaving the safe

environment that we had known for so long. 

We were all about to go our separate ways.  There would be no more

waving and smiling at each other in the hallways of KCHS,

and it was as if somehow we realized that some of us

would never meet again after this night. 

It was a realization that everything we had taken for granted over the years was coming

to an end.  There would be no more book reports handed in just before midnight

at Mrs. C's house.  "The door is open, just leave them on  top of the piano," she would say.  (Mrs. Cornelius made book reports a lot more fun) 

Mr. Myers and Mr. Cloyd would be having band and chorus without us.  We

wouldn't see the gallant Mr. Brown bringing his wife, our speech teacher, to

school each morning, carrying her books for her, nor would we hear the roar

of the school busses and the clanging sound of many lockers opening and closing.

Our class was the third one to graduate from KCHS as it was a

new school then with lots of new experiences for everyone.

Where have the years gone?  It seems only yesterday that I climbed

on the school bus and heard Richard Clark's greeting,  "There's Pammy Wammy

from Alabamy!"  I can still see Colleen O'Brien walking into

first period English class carrying breakfast in her

purse, and who can forget those ugly green gym uniforms

or those alien tuna log objects that we were supposed to eat on Fridays?

It seems Mr. Roush was everywhere or at least that's what

I've been told by the ones caught in the hallway between classes.

Here we were 35 years later, climbing aboard a float (with help) to wave

and throw candy to the children along the street. The minute we all got together,

it was as if we were all 17 again.  The jokes and stories kept going.

Sid Coughlin told about how his Dad flew his plane under

the Golden Gate Bridge in California.  Ivan Hall asked if I was

going to put his name in the paper.  I think he was worried about it

but he should know I would never do that!  As we rode along, it began to rain

 but it was only a fine mist so it wasn't bad and no one seemed to really notice,

we were kids again and I felt like I was on a hayride laughing and having a great time.

Later that evening, we all met for dinner at the country club.

We were so very fortunate to have our two coaches attend our reunion.

Kenny Roberts and Laverne Dabney were our coaches in high school and they told what

 it was like for them being at KCHS back in those days.  The "new school", as it was

commonly referred to, began classes in the fall of 1963, and we were sophomores. 

The coaches said that prior to the high school opening that fall, they went

around talking to students and parents in the county, trying to get interest in football. 

Football had not been offered until then.  Coach said that when they began football

practice, they split the boys in two groups.  Coach Roberts took a group to

work "one on one" and Coach Dabney took the other to see if any of

them could throw or catch a football.  They were good coaches and they ended up

with a good football team.  I remember going to the football games and yelling with the

cheerleaders, "First and ten, do it again!", and some of us had no idea

what we were saying but we were excited.

The Statler Brothers sing a song called "The Class of '57.  A part of it goes:

"The Class of 57 had it's dreams

We thought that we'd all change the world

With our great words and deeds

Or maybe we just thought the world

Would change to fit our needs

The class of 57 had it's dreams"

The class of 1966 had it's dreams too.  The one thing I noticed

at our reunion as each person shared what was going on

in their lives is that it seems to me that there are a lot

of us who still have dreams.  For instance,

we have Kenny and Lois Hunziker, who will

be running in the Boston Marathon next Spring.  Let's cheer them on!

I noticed that many classmates were into some kind of "helping" activity

such as Hospice or special education.  Some have occupations

where they give of themselves and some spend time teaching

grandchildren some important values that seem to be

missing in our world today.  I look around and I'm so proud

to be a part of a class that not only dreams but puts actions to their dreams.

Here are some words of advice from a couple of classmates

that you might want to take to heart:

"You can be right or you can be happy" (Reese Blaine)

"ALWAYS get in the last word...."Yes, dear"  (Jim Pinson)

By

Pamela R. Blaine

September, 2001