B'ville 50th Reunion Banquet Presentation

Paul E. Robinson, Retired UM Pastor,

Grand Island, NY

revper@gmail.com

Wow. What a weekend we've had. And hasn't the reunion planning committee done a

great job! And welcome to those of you who have only just now arrived. We're glad you

made it.

When I was president of the MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship) of my Dad's church,

the Methodist Church across from the Post Office back then, one Beth Abbott was my

secretary. We all know how important it is to do what our secretaries and office

managers tell us, so this is what Beth, a member of the planning committee for the

reunion, told me to say when I got up here, though I tweaked what she told me to say a

bit!:

You will note that every table has a beautiful center piece. These are not gifts

for the Foxfire clean up crew. Actually they are to be given to the person at each

table whose birthday coming up is closest to today's date, which is September 14.

Also, if you brought any memorabilia, please take it home with you.

Part 1

A few weeks ago as my wife and I

were watching enraptured and awed

the 50th year memory of that March in D.C.

where the dream speech got rapturous applause,

Unbidden and suddenly sprang to my mind

that another anniversary was brewing...

And I thought of this moment...and you...and yes me

and all of the years still accruing...

And I wondered as well should this moment perhaps

be an opportune time for a speech....

Which brought to my mind the question: What kind?

should I philosophize, moralize or...preach?

But then in a flash it was clear to me,

as I glanced at my wife on the couch

That if I asked her, she'd surely demure

So instead, I decided to teach...

We are, after all, remembering the halls,

where so much was taught - and some learned,

So without commenting to Ellie, when we turned off the telli,

the excitement then started to burn.

After all at B'ville I learned as I should

under fine, caring teachers like Madam Gristwood,

And of course I must mention with no hesitation

her penchant for endless dictation.

And then, of course there was Goodfellow and Sennet,

and the guy who taught me to drive,

Gallaway was his name, as you all will recall,

and he's probably why I'm still alive.

So having been taught by the likes of Sir Keenan

in history, and then Oswald in math

You would think that my confidence to teach would remain,

and this knowledge would pour out from my brain,

But suddenly anxiety creeps into my breast

and I wonder how eloquent' I'm speakin'

'Cause I know there are some of you here who sat too,

in a class taught by cigarette-smokin' Skaden!

Who fortunately developed a convenient wide space

between two of his prominent front teeth,

So a cigarette placed there would stay there for sure

as we anxiously looked up from beneath.

But I stray from the subject which finally in fact

is that teaching right now leads us far off the track,

For tonight's for remembering and reflecting a bit

So let me end here and get on with it!

Part 2

First of all a little bit of humor is in order. Just a little bit. For starters, I trust that

many of you are familiar with Click and Clack, the Tappet Brothers who do their thing on

NPR on Saturday morning, answering phone calls about issues with cars. Well, my dear

wife gave me one of those small, square, tear off calendars for Christmas last year, with

anecdotes from their shows, and this one popped up on June 26, It was actually sent in to

them by a listener who wrote:

While waiting for my first appointment in the reception room of a new dentist, I

noticed his diploma, which bore his full name. Suddenly, I remembered that a boy with

the same name had been in my high school class some 40 years ago. Upon seeing him,

however, I quickly discarded any such thought. This balding, gray-haired man with the

deeply lined face was too old to have been my classmate.

After he had examined my teeth, I asked him if he had attended the local high school.

"Oh yes," he replied.

"When did you graduate?" I asked. He answered, " 1957."

"Why, you were in my class!" I exclaimed.

He looked at me closely and then asked.... (ready for this?)

"What did you teach?"

And then, this poignant story:

Two friends from high school days met after many, many years. One of them,

named Buddy, had always been very ambitious and had become quite successful after

years of hard work. The other man, named Paul, was lazy and unambitious, but appeared

to have been very successful, at least from the looks of the BMW he drove up in. After

a couple of....cokes...Buddy asked Paul how he became so rich. Paul replied, "Oh, it was

easy!! I opened my Bible and placed my finger on a word and it was "oil," so I invested in

oil. Boy, did those wells gush!.....A few years later I did it again. I placed my finger on

another word in my Bible and it was "gold"....and those gold mines are sure doing great!"

After Buddy and Paul concluded their reminiscing, they went their separate ways. But

Buddy ran right back to his hotel room, found a Gideon Bible in his bedside table, and

eagerly opened it up, He then placed his finger down on one of the pages. Trembling

with excitement, he looked to see where his finger was pointing. It said: Chapter Eleven!

Part 3

Which leads us to a more serious matter. It takes a certain amount of courage to

come to a 50th class reunion. In fact there are lots of wonderful class mates who could

have joined us....but just couldn't bring themselves to do it. I wonder why that would be?

Turn to someone next to you for a moment and suggest one reason why someone might

not want to come to such a gala and fun event as this?

Part 4

I had my hair cut this past week, and I mentioned what I was going to be doing here this

evening. You know what she told me? She said that she went to her 40th class reunion

and actually came away feeling better about herself! She was surprised that there were

people who remembered her; and the bit of weight she had added to her silhouette

seemed to be invisible to them. Everyone seemed to just understand that we are all still

just people inside.

Just people. Humans. And so we gather here this weekend to share memories, of the

kaleidoscope that made up the B'ville Baker High experience: The building, the halls, the

cafeteria, the class rooms, the stuff on the walls, the gym, the pool where guys swam

naked, the sports, the teachers, the photographers with the bright electronic flash, the

ice cream freezer, the library, the auditorium, the apple machines. 50 years ago all

that's left is our memory of it all, each other, and our year book...the Lyre. Edited by

Marty Smith, my close friend.

Marty was one of the very first to make the list on our bulletin board of deceased class

mates. In his brief intro words under his picture were, among other things, this

sentence: "It is my wish that this book will not only bring you pleasure now, but in future

years it will bring you many happy memories of "the good old days" at Baker high."

Well, you and I are now living those "future years." And the Lyre is indeed bringing back

happy memories...well mostly happy. For example:

Bobby Wysocki remembered my basketball game at Auburn when I actually

played. Someone named Mary wrote: "You are the worst minister's son I've ever met and

ever hope to meet. But just the same you're an awful nice kid."

Ellen Marie wrote: "Your cheery face every morning of the school year has ruined

everything. Seriously, have an enjoyable life and beyond."

Rosemary Boyle wrote: "I'm glad you can still cut lettuce with a fork..." (I wonder

what that was about...)

And finally from Mr. Arcaro, from the Phys Ed department:

"Good luck, Norm. You'll do well."

Norm was my younger brother!

This evening. An enchanted time when four special groups of people gather in mind,

body or spirit. Those who dared to enter this special time warp called reunion, those who

really, really wanted to be here but couldn't due to other previous commitments or health

issues, those who just couldn't take the risk, and those whose names made that special

list on the bulletin board, who are here in their own special way, deep in our hearts and

memories.

I'm sure you all will remember that great series of movies, beginning with "Back to the

Future, #1" which came out in 1985, 22 years after we graduated from Baker High. In

that bazaar series of movies, a Marty who didn't graduate with us, Marty McFly and Doc

Brown scramble our brains with their time travel and letters back and forth through

time. In the first movie, a letter to Doc that he was going to be shot by Libyan terrorists

ended up saving his life, though it appeared when Marty gave it to him in the past, that he

had ripped it up. A bullet-proof vest saved his life. Here are the two clips if you missed it

or have forgotten...And thanks to Beth's son, Andrew, for all his work in preparation for

this evening's program!

(Show movie clips)

So, an intriguing question came to my mind: If you could write a letter to yourself from

the future...that is, from today, that could be delivered to you during those high school

years from '59-63, what would you include in it that might have been good to know or

understand during those years; wisdom or knowledge that you have attained over these

last 50 years, like in the movie?

Talk about that at your tables now for a few minutes.

(Table talk)

Would such a letter have disrupted the "time continuum?" Who knows....and would we

have been able or willing to make any adjustments in our life?....

Memories are a strange and powerful mystery. What actually happened in those four

special years of our lives in B'ville is actually hidden in the fog and mist of history, and in

the bones and brains of the students and teachers and custodians and cafeteria workers

who shared those years. You see, in fact, each of us experienced different Baker High

Schools. Each of us was on our own personal journey, each of us on parallel but separate

paths. Yet, each of us breathed the same Baker High School "air." And it sustained

us...and in some mysterious and sacred ways, it sustains us still.

Now, will those who agreed to join me in the following song, please come on up. (Sung

to the tune of "Some enchanted evening," from South Pacific. Andrew gives the opening

note.)

This enchanted evening, we get to remember,

we get to remember, those days of long ago,

when children we were, and yet even then,

we cherished the touch of a dear classmate friend.

This delightful evening, we get to discover,

lot's more 'bout each other, that we just never knew

Some have much less hair, some have it elsewhere,

Yet share all the yearnings that all people do.

This enchanting evening, memories enhancing,

we will go out dancing, in this full crowded room.

and all through our lives, this night will survive,

and tickle our memories again and again.

This enchanted evening, you may soon be dancing,

You may soon be dancing, with someone else's spouse

Take care what you do, your spouse can see you,

And you might discuss it again and again.

Some enchanted evening, maybe this November,

maybe next December, this night we will recall,

and then we will smile, perhaps even sigh,

as mem'ries of B'ville once more pass our eye.

Fifty years of evenings, that's a lot of evenings,

soon we will be leaving, this Foxfire crowded room,

with stories we've told, and memories we'll hold,

Of times we have shared with our classmates ...now old.

Who can explain it, who would want to try;

All that we know is: we..... must.... say.....Good Bye!

And now.....Let's dance!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

(On the Memorial Bulletin Board)

MICHAEL BEDFORD (Deceased 2009)

DEAN CANE (Deceased 1967)

ROBERT CARRINGTON (Deceased 1998)

SALLY CASSAVAUGH (Deceased Year Unknown)

THOMAS J. CAWLEY (Deceased 1999)

CHARLES DANN (Deceased 2013)

ROBERT EDINGER (Deceased Year Unknown)

JOHN ENO (Deceased Year Unknown)

F BIRT EVANS (Deceased Year Unknown)

CHARLYNE FILAPELLO (Deceased Year Unknown)

SALLY FORDERKONZ (Deceased Year Unknown)

GARY HUBBARD (Deceased 2006)

HAROLD HUDSON (Deceased 2013)

RICHARD HUGHES (Deceased 2012)

JAMES R. HUNTER (Deceased Year Unknown)

LEONARD KERR (Deceased Year Unknown)

GEORGE P. KILBURN (Deceased 2013)

VIRGINIA KINDSFATHER (NATES) (Deceased Year Unknown)

SANDRA LYON (FESKO) (Deceased Year Unknown)

SALLY MISNER (Deceased Year Unknown)

GARY O'BRIEN (Deceased Year Unknown)

MICHAEL O'BRIEN (Deceased Year Unknown)

LARRY ORCUTT (Deceased 2011)

DIANE REEVES (Deceased Year Unknown)

GORDON ROOT (Deceased Year Unknown)

KARLANN SMITH (HUBBARD) (Deceased Year Unknown)

MARTIN SMITH (Deceased 1963)

TRACY TYLER (Deceased Year Unknown)

BRUCE WERNER (Deceased Year Unknown)

DAVID WRIGHT (Deceased Year Unknown)

ROBERT WYSOCKI (Deceased 2009)