Is there a good excuse?

Our good friend and former Reunions magazine editor, Mary Fobian is co-chair of her Oelwein (Iowa) Community High School Class of ’69 reunion. One of her responsibilities is the newsletter in which she included the following.

If you are not coming to the reunion, you need a good excuse and a note from your Mom. The following reasons have been tried and are unacceptable.

Excuse #1: I’m overweight.
Rebuttal: You’re not alone. Note t-shirt sizes being offered.

Excuse #2: I’m a different person than I was in high school
Rebuttal: Lucky for you, we ALL are. Let’s face it: we could only have improved.

Excuse #3 I don’t look as good as I’d like. I (choose one or more) am bald, have wrinkles, saddlebags, grey hair and no one will recognize me.
Rebuttal: Guess what! You won’t recognize anyone else, either. Using the reunion committee as a representative sample, our whole class looks like a “before” photo in a plastic surgery ad.

Excuse #4: I’m not successful. I’m not (choose one or more) a lawyer, a doctor or rich.
Rebuttal: You’ll be pleasantly surprised to find how much everyone has matured. We may be plump and wrinkled (see Excuse #3, above) but we’re not stupid. Money is not success.

Excuse #5: I was not in a popular clique in school
Rebuttal: Now that we’re old and smart, those cliques have dissolved just like the superficialities they were based on. The only cliques you’ll notice at the reunion will be the sound of your joints as you walk around.

Roll away the stone
Here’s a grave idea.

A funeral director donated a vault to the Minerva, Ohio, High School Class of 1980 to be opened on their 20th reunion in the year 2000, the month of June, to be specific.

A ghoulish affair?

‘Fraid not.

“It was a lot of fun,” remembered class member Lisa Dunlap. Into the vault went school memorabilia: cap and gown, the valedictory speech, a spiral-bound notebook with student predictions for the future, even a bottle of wine for a reunion toast.

As planned, the vault was opened in June, 20 years after graduation. “It was really neat,” enthused Dunlap. Unfortunately, some water leaked in, and there was damage, even though everything had been packed in plastic. “We salvaged most of it, though,” Dunlap said.

The items generated lots of interest during the class reunion. So much, in fact, that Dunlap said classmates were going to bury more memorabilia for their 45th reunion.

Can you dig it?


Reunion Business

In a recent discussion, Paula Sheagley said she often teases that the “perfect side-business” for her reunion company would be a REUNION PREPARATION CENTER!

Imagine the amount of money spent for this once every five- or ten-year event! There is not only the cost for one or two people to travel to this big event plus lodging. Attendees shop for the perfect flattering outfit to wear with impressive accessories, plus the women need a new hair-do, and for heaven sakes ….. don’t forget the trip to the tanning parlor for a couple of months and a new set of acrylic nails!! On top of all of this ….. they pay reunion costs and buy mementos (memory books, class pictures, t-shirts). And bar costs. Reunions are known for high bar tabs, probably second to none.