45th Reunion-2010

45th Reunion Report

Jim Pierce

The 2010 Reunion is history… a series of fabulous memories etched into our minds.  Everything went well and everyone had a wonderful time.  There were 120 Classmates with 61 spouses and guests.  Over 100 people attended each of the three main events.  Classmates came from all over the world…

There were several thousand emails planning the event, but the central class contact point has been the wonderful website that Kate “birthed” and Sue “mothered” during the past year.  Over half the classmates are now registered… Everyone Loved the website… even other classes want to learn how to do it.  Hopefully in 5 years we will have all interested classmates linked in and on line.

Friday evening, Barb, Don, Suzanne and others organized the VUE as classmates poured into Corvallis to begin the festivities.  Smiles, handshakes and hugs filled the room.  The buzz of 50 conversations resonated in everyone’s ears.  The nametags were invaluable as heads were cocked to see Reunion 2010

...who this unfamiliar face belonged to.  The finger foods vanished.  Kate’s “Gone too Soon” presentation on the overhead screens gave everyone moments to pause in remembrance.  The views of the Coast Range and the setting sun were stunning.  We even caught the triangle of Venus, Saturn and Mars after the sun set.  After four hours, I was hoarse from listening so much :--)

The Saturday picnic was organized by Judy and Susan with lots of help.  The Avery Park setting was relaxed, spread out and quieter.  The weather gods smiled on us with cool, but dry conditions.  Sue’s displays from the Chintimini Yearbook were a big hit.  The continental style food and drinks were mostly gone… but many classmates found they could not eat and talk at the same time.  We adjourned after 4-5 hours of gabbing.

Eric organized the tour of the new High School.  Over 20 people enjoyed seeing the finery for today’s high School students.  Classmates also availed themselves with other local activities including the Farmer’s Market, the County Fair, golfing and forest walks.

The Saturday evening culmination was the lavish creation of Sharon and Nancy.  The old Adair Officer’s Club was another perfect venue.  It was difficult for me to interrupt the flood of conversations to announce that the fabulous buffet was ready.  It was all good, even though I could not find room on my plate for everything.  Just before dessert, John welcomed everyone, congratulated the organizers, gave us a history of Camp Adair, and reminded us of the reasons that we attend High School Reunions.  We added our own layer of ambiance to the storied history of the officer’s Club. 

Sometimes I was not engaged.   (yes, there were a few times that I was NOT talking).  It was fun to stand to the side for a moment to rest my voice, to admire the sea of smiling faces, and to listen to the pleasant hum of voices that filled the room.  After another 4-5 hours of jabbering, we said our fond farewells.  The standard line was “See you in five (years).” 

And so we shall.  As we bask in the afterglow of this warm gathering, preliminary planning for the 50th reunion in August of 2015 is already underway.  See you then :--)