High School Reunions

[ljbab728]

I just received an invitation to my high school's 50th anniversary reunion. (Norman High School). I just wondered how they are viewed by others. Do you really enjoy them or do you see them as more of a way to size up how well you have aged compared to your peers and boast about how successful you and your kids and grandkids have been? I suspect there is a little of all of that for most people.

[ctchandler]

I have attended my reunions, the 50th was 2011 and have always enjoyed them. I'm sure your thoughts about bragging rights happened but not when I was talking to my old friends. I highly recommend them.
C. T.

[ljbab728]

I have attended my reunions, the 50th was 2011 and have always enjoyed them. I'm sure your thoughts about bragging rights happened but not when I was talking to my old friends. I highly recommend them.
C. T.

I think you're probably right CT. Especially as you get to our ages. Bragging kind of goes away and is replaced with enjoying that we have all survived that long.

[Zuplar]

I didn't even know they did 50 year reunions, or anything other than a 10 to be honest.

[bradh]

Honestly, my 10th (6.5 years ago) felt really lame. With Facebook and everything else, it's so much easier to keep in touch.

However, I will always attend when I can, and I think the 20th and on up can be fun. Seeing folks in person can not be replaced by online encounters.

[Pete]

I've organized all my class reunions, starting with the 10th and every five years up to last summer's 35th.

As everyone gets older, it's much more about the shared experience of your high school years and what it was like to grow up at that time. At the 10, 15, and 20 people were much more concerned about looking good and coming across as successful, but even then it wasn't a big deal.

I've made a bunch of new friends at the reunions. My class was huge (almost 1,000) so I really got to know some people for the first time and have become good friends since.

I always tell people: You have absolutely nothing to lose by going. And if you don't go, you'll always wonder about having done so.

[hoya]

My 20 is next year. It certainly doesn't feel like that long. But right now I intend on going. People say I barely look 30.

[Bill Robertson]

I went to my 10th and 20th. No one got around to organizing a 30th. 40th will be in 2 years and there are a few already talking getting something started to make sure it doesn't get skipped.

I can see the bragging thing. I had a similar but different experience. I was one of the class outcasts. I was very quiet, too small to be a "jock", wasn't artistic at all, didn't care to put in the time studying to be a "brain", and was a bit too straight to fit in with the "stoners". Hence, I didn't fit in anywhere. I have nothing to brag about now but at the reunions I did feel very redeemed to see that as an adult I was much more like most of my fellow classmates. I ended up "normal" after all.

[SoonerDave]

My perspective is a bit skewed, but I'll toss in my $0.02.

Along with several other folks, I worked my tail off for close to two years for my HS 10-year reunion, and were rewarded with a nearly flawless event. It was great - over 600 people attended and I had numerous pats on the back from spouses who said they had a great time. I was invited to participate on the 20-year effort, but I was married and had small kids by then, and just had no time for it. Much of that original team had the same situation, and the crew who took it over created an event that was significantly more expensive and I ultimately didn't even attend. And I know a lot of folks who did the same thing. I was only peripherally involved in the 30-year event, and I did not agree with their venue selection for personal reasons, and didn't attend that one, either.

I participated in the planning because I had a knack for it, and it was fun to meet up with some people from back then. I had the luxury of being single at the time. I wouldn't go to seek personal ratification, but just for the fun of the event. Our class was too large (> 1,000 grads) to be close friends with more than a few people, but if you can enjoy recognizing a few faces and exchanging stores, it's very much an enjoyable time.

One thing that happens with large classes, however, is that getting so many people together isn't easy. It was *really* hard in 1992 to find a site that could accommodate our estimated crowd of 500-700 people. Obviously, there's no way all those people know everyone else. As a result, many who knew old friends that were coming into town just organized their own "mini-reunions," dinners, a round of golf, what have you. You might see if that's something going on if you are only so-so on the "official" reunion activities.

Bottom line, go for the fun of it. Don't worry about what anyone else thinks of you. When the weekend is over, you're likely never going to see most of them again, unless they show up to the next ten-year interval reunion

[BBatesokc]

Went to my 10 year reunion in 1999. Didn't particularly enjoy it, but it was what I thought it would be. Lots of people trying to one-up each other. But, considering we were all pretty much in our late 20's I think any other expectations would be unrealistic. But, I was engaged to be married at the time so it was fun introducing my wife-to-be to my high school friends.

Went to my 20 year in 2009 and it was very enjoyable. It was fun to see how people had aged, to hear their stories about life and catch up. There was some bragging, some envy and some "Oh my" moments as well. Caught up with old friends and even made some lasting new ones with individuals I never knew well while in school.

We had a 25 last year. Couldn't make it because of other family obligations, but it was on the rooftop of PLENTY and I hear it was a very good time.

Personally, every 10-20 years is fine with me. I'm fairly active on Facebook, so I keep up with lots of people that way.

I personally feel that the amount effort/thought put into planning the reunion has a direct effect on how well its received. Its not about 'just showing up.'

I know a couple of good friends that didn't attend the 20 or 25 because they felt they hadn't achieved enough in life. That's a real shame. In my 40's I personally don't care what someone else's job title is, the house they live in our their bank account balance.

[Filthy]

I was only peripherally involved in the 30-year event, and I did not agree with their venue selection for personal reasons.

Just curious, for conversations sake...what was the venue...and why did you not care for it?

[SoonerDave]

Just curious, for conversations sake...what was the venue...and why did you not care for it?

Well, the assumption was for some time they'd grab a spot in Bricktown. LOTS of interest I'd heard from folks wanting to come back and see OKC in general and Bricktown in particular....but the committee chose a casino instead, one way out of town.

Plenty of people like casinos, and that's fine for them. It just wasn't something I cared to patronize. As I said, personal preference.

Having worked the better part of two years organizing the first reunion, I begged off on the chance to participate on the planning for later ones, so I didn't have any real room to gripe or suggest alternatives. So I didn't. I just chose not to attend. I didn't make any mention of it unless someone specifically asked me why I didn't go, because until the venue selection had been announced I had at least offered that I intended to attend.

Again, plenty of people like casinos and that's great for them. No judgment here. It just wasn't right for me. That's all.

[Pete]

My reunions have always been pretty big (around 500) and here are some of the venues we used:

Vast (50th floor ballroom plus several side rooms)
Bricktown Events Center (had a band that performed on stage)
Leadership Square Atrium (back when the building was pretty new)
Marriott Northwest (again, when it was new-ish)

There are actually a bunch more that we looked at, like The Skirvin, National Cowboy Hall, the downtown Sheraton. Also, we did it at Quail Creek one year (not my idea) and most country clubs are big enough.

Most hotels have rooms that can be joined together for large events, but as the organizer I always try and find a newer, cool event site especially since so many come from out of town and haven't seen all the great improvements in town.

[SoonerDave]

My reunions have always been pretty big (around 500) and here are some of the venues we used:

Vast (50th floor ballroom plus several side rooms)
Bricktown Events Center (had a band that performed on stage)
Leadership Square Atrium (back when the building was pretty new)
Marriott Northwest (again, when it was new-ish)

There are actually a bunch more that we looked at, like The Skirvin, National Cowboy Hall, the downtown Sheraton. Also, we did it at Quail Creek one year (not my idea) and most country clubs are big enough.

Most hotels have rooms that can be joined together for large events, but as the organizer I always try and find a newer, cool event site especially since so many come from out of town and haven't seen all the great improvements in town.

My wedding rehearsal dinner was held at that Marriott, and this was back when it was a really nice place back in the day. Wonderful food and atmosphere. Really a shame the place has fallen on rough times, whatever the reason.

[Pete]

Yeah, we chose the Marriott for our 10th (this was 1988) because it was still pretty new and also happened to be in our school district (Putnam City) and near where many of use grew up.

They also comped the penthouse suite and that place has some of the most stunning views of OKC.

[MsProudSooner]

I've always enjoyed mine. I went to my 50th this summer. I got to see a few people that I hadn't seen in over 40 years because they hadn't come to previous reunions. I went to a small school and most of our class was pretty congenial. I have a friend who is 4 years older than me and he said everyone in his class acted like they got along fine but they really hated each other.

[Jim Kyle]

I just received an invitation to my high school's 50th anniversary reunion. (Norman High School). I just wondered how they are viewed by others. Do you really enjoy them or do you see them as more of a way to size up how well you have aged compared to your peers and boast about how successful you and your kids and grandkids have been? I suspect there is a little of all of that for most people.

As editor of The New Classen Life, a quarterly slick magazine published by the Classen High School Alumni Association, I attend quite a few such reunions to take photos and write a few paragraphs about each for the magazine. A couple of years ago I was at part of the 65th for my own class (1948) and found that I recognized only a few of those present. However I did run into a lady whom I had not seen for all that time -- our last previous meeting had been when I photographed her at work as makeup artist for WKY-TV in the Little Theater studios, for a shot published in Seventeen Magazine's "Teens at Work" department. She told me she still had a copy of that 65-year-old magazine!

Some classes seem to have a unity and solid core of organizers, while others are simply groups of people flying in rather loose formation. Different stroke for different folks...

And by the way, if there are Comets reading this who don't participate in alumni events, the association's next meeting will be this Sunday, Feb. 15, at 2:30 p.m. in the Alumni Museum that's in the school building itself, at 1801 N. Ellison. Stop by and get acquainted with us all over again! We meet there on the third Sunday each month except for June (Father's Day) and December, and you're always welcome!