Welcome Class of ‘71 – Happy 40^th Reunion – you don’t LOOK a day over 40!

 

You’ve heard the story – one of our math braniacs did the arithmetic and posted a question on Alan Newby’s memorial website that the 40^th was coming up, and, that someone – Alan Stark, in fact, asked: Well, what we going to DO about it?”  More about that, in a bit. 

 

First, let me add to others’ welcome to you all and a wish that this reunion of the Class of 71 has everything in it that you hoped for. 

If not, I’m sorry to say, there are no refunds, because the reunion committee has already booked its post-reunion trip to Mexico from the windfall profits from this event.

But, wow – “President-for-life”!   Fun, but you’re thinking: “But is it for me?”  Well, the pay is lousy, there is NO pension plan, no holidays to speak of.  But, I guess, only having to work 10 minutes every 10 years, what can you expect?

 

Still I figured this must be some kind of record – this 40 year term, so I looked on this world wide net-web-thingy and found to my dismay that there was this OTHER guy, in Libya, who had just celebrated his 42^nd year as President.  You might have heard of him – Muammar Gaddafi ? – but apparently things haven’t been working out so good for him, lately, so with the writing on the wall, I think I’d better quit while I’m ahead!

 

And so, I am hereby announcing my resignation from this  “President for Life” gig. am passing the fame and big bucks that go along with this position to my much under-appreciated vice –  or was it that her vices were under-appreciated?? –  Patricia Brown, who will now finish this address...

 

OK, I guess it is up to me to finish this.  I guess I owe a debt to the committee for the so-called “opportunity” to address you tonight.  Normally, when I give technical talks to captive audiences of geologists, I have Powerpoint graphics on a screen behind me to help me through those ever-increasing “senior’s moments”.  However the reunion committee was QUITE insistent that they didn’t think a talk on: 

  “The potential for porphyry Cu-Au deposits in the southern Nicola Arc”

was really what they wanted, so you, poor captive audience are stuck with this boring speech.

 

Before I lose you, completely, I want to ask to you celebrate our Reunion Committee:

Sharon Bronson (SOB)

Gary Holisko

Anne Creber Girbav (Treasurer)

Gary Hall 

Robbie Walters (Mexican after--party coordinator)

Harald Bartel

Norma Hawkinson

Sandra Steinson

 

And of course our ex-officio member, the “Grand High Poo-bah” – Alan Stark

Now Alan kicked the whole effort into motion with a query on Facebook as whether “we” were planning on having a 40^th reunion. 

 

Any of you who have been on committees know that it’s a rule of thumb that the committee members fall into 3 categories:

1.  Those who talk a lot about the work that has to be done

2.  Those who make a big show about DOING the work that has to be done

3.  And, those who actually do the work

 

Some may be interested in how the committee was divided.  Well, I’m not going to name names, but this recent email, from a committee member who’s identity I’ll keep anonymous –– it might give you some insights – “Gary, I hope you don’t mind if I read this, do you?”:

 

“I think everything is in place.  Like I mentioned earlier, Sharon and Anne have done a yeoman’s (yeowoman’s?) job in taking care of last minute details.   Me?  I am just trying to look pretty.”

 

A special call-out to Sharon Franks, now Bronson, who came to the committee, begging to be given a job, being at such loose ends as a mew retiree.  Now, we’ve all heard about how we should keep our retirees active, good for the mind, psychological lift and all that.  So, make sure you especially thank Sharon.

...but, not by email.  Now, apparently, Sharon Bronson has a middle name, that she claims starts with an “O” When I learned that, it went a long way to ending my confusion, concerning what I thought were these angry emails from her, signed off as “SOB”

 

Maggie Mackenzie wrote: 

 I'll be thinking of you all!   I am very disappointed I cannot attend the Reunion however I will be fulfilling a dream of visiting India and hiking in Nepa

 The Class of '71 always knows how to have fun and it is wonderful to have an opportunity catch up with old friends.

 My thanks to each of you for organizing this event.  I know it’s a lot of work!  And I do wish I could be there with you.

Regardless of their role, please join Maggie, and me, in thanking the reunion committee for doing a terrific job, and, looking pretty!

 

and, please thank, with me the volunteers

Sandra Steinson, Barb Currie and Linda Newts

 

who helped decorate and be 'greeters' (don’t worry, there were scouts from Walmart in that crowd you “greeted” and you’ll no doubt get a call for your post-retirement “gig”, very soon).

 

Many thanks to David Steb, our photographer, whose images you’ll see up on the website, very soon.

 

Finally, please also join me in thanking Greg Robinson for closing his pub for us tonight so that we might enjoy this private party!

 

Speaking of the website, I’d like to encourage you to visit and join the class website.  It’s at:

 WWW.CSSS71.COM

Some images from last night’s school tour are already posted and there is lots of room for other photos, so chose your best shots and please contribute.

 

The site is secure, and it will be as good as we all make it and contribute to it.  Already there are nearly 50 profiles on the site and I hope to see yours there, soon.

 

Those of you who were at CSSS last night know what a terrific tour and spread of food that they put on for us – thanks so much to Terry McDougall who is the school head chef instructor .  And a marvelous speech by our Valedictorian, Deborah Turney-Zagwyn, which we’ll try to get up onto the website.

 

We were the last alumni through the school before it’s to be torn down and Rick Jones, the current principal, laid out the vision and plans for the new school.

 

But, those of you who haven’t been through the school, well, even now you’d notice some real changes

1.  The foyer is altogether different from when we there – vaulted ceiling with wood beams , but not as roomy.  The classrooms?  Haven’t changed a day...

2.  With Rick Jones as the example, I’d have to say that the dress code for principals has really taken a nose dive – will there ever be another Halcrow?

3.  Finally, and sadly, the Frontiersmen and Tillicums are no more.  CSSS teams are now “The Storm”

However, if you’d like a reminder of The Frontiersmen in their heyday – Harald Bartel has a very cool Frontiersmen football jacket with his athletic blocks on it.

What is perhaps even cooler is that I’d bet that Harald can still WEAR that jacket!  When I think back about the possibility of wearing the speedo that I life-guarded in....well, the mind boggles!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But even tho’ we’ve all embraced the digital media in our own ways – the reunion was advertised on CBC Radio 1 and Global TV, we’re on Facebook and, the website – I think that we all value is the personal, not the digital.  To really reach out and touch someone.  We’d rather talk than text, have a face-to-face sit down with our pal rather than a Facebook friend, have a good tongue-wag rather than Twitter, more blah-blah-blah than a blog.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It shows  in our desire to see each other.  You know, not every CSSS class has reunions.  We’ve had 5:

 

• the 10^th – when we were proud of our new job, or new house, or new spouse or starting the family
• the 20^th – when we talked of the stresses of bringing up the kids, the mortgage, our dreams for getting ahead
• the Class of ‘71 Turns 40 – brrr, the Big Chill – mortality lurking over the horizon?
• the 30^th – changes – maybe we’re not so happy with our job, our spouse, our teens, and, particularly, that we can’t escape that  we are REALLY starting to look like our parents!
• the 40th – perhaps the happiest, because it is time to rest on our laurels a little bit.  Our kids are launched, we may be retired – like Sharon – or seeing that on the near horizon.  We’re looking for and finding new directions in our lives now that the really heavy lifting in career and family is past.  We seem more comfortable in our skins – our only hope is that that skin doesn’t stretch any further! To the class of ‘71 – Salut!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think its really a mark of those enduring friendships that began as we were developing our first sense of community, the community of CSSS and all of the other communities-within-a-community, be it through sports or clubs or cars or home room or simply hanging out and driving around the Dog-and-Suds for the 45^th time on a Friday night.
 

 

 

 

But amidst all the fun and laughter and stories, I’m sure I’m not the only one who remembers a special someone or some ones who did not make the journey here.  I think we all know that these folks who died too young, ARE  here tonight and are forever young in our hearts and minds and are only a reminiscence away...

 

 

 

 

So, what’s next for us?  “Hope I die before I get old”  – well, like it or not, we ARE old!

 

 

 

 I ‘spose Pete Townshend–now deaf and 66–might be re-writing it as:  “Hope I die before I get Alzeheimers”...if he remembers the words, that is...

 

 

 

 

 

Like it or not, we ARE on the other side of the generation gap now. 

 

 

 

 

It might  still be “Don’t trust anyone over 20"... but now, it relates to your kids with your new car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But, for us, it’s probably more like: “Don’t trust anyone over 80" Certainly, not for directions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was an article in the Vancouver Sun last week, entitled, a bit breathlessly, I thought:

 

 

 

“Do people have sex at 60? I certainly hope so.”

 

 

 

And I thought: The Class of ‘71?  Damn right!  Even if there may be a slight, um, structural weakness from time to time, well, there is a pill for that!

 

 

 

And, the Class of ‘71 has ALWAYS been a fast friend of the pharmaceutical industry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, whatever is your prescription, may you enjoy a very fun night!

 

 

 

 

 

And, for the 50^th ?.  Don’t ask me, go talk to Sharon!