As a 1965 Belmont High School grad, I enjoyed reading Eric Perkins’ piece on his school reunion experiences. From my “Boomer’s” perspective, the 10, 20, 30-year reunions really take a backseat to the 50th. Either get ready for a spectacular experience or one that mirrors some of the past ones. As co-chair of our 50th, the mission was simple: create an experience so that the classmates have ample time to catch up with each other, renew their friendships and make new ones. We had a 40% classmate turnout plus significant others. How did we get people to show up? We reached out and found them over a three-year period using the available tools and a tenacious team. It doesn’t happen by itself, and the team did not take no for an answer. Our class also had some uniqueness:
- The senior football players were part of a state championship team
- 1965 was the largest graduating class with over 400
- A scholarship fund was established in memory of classmates who we lost in the Vietnam conflict
- We involved the high school principal, the assistant chief of police, town treasurer, former selectman, and the local newspaper.
This reunion started on a Friday evening and continued through Sunday at noon. Why? Refer back to the mission statement. People did not want to leave. So, I urge Eric and his classmates to connect and find skill sets among the classmates that will enable them to create memorable reunions in the future.
Rick Semerjian, South Cottage Road