Postpartum Reunion Syndrome sets in!

After 6 months of reunion preparation, which required over 250 hours of machine time for 8 Lithopane Lamp Awards, 1 Diamond Engraved Lantern Award, 16 Class Award Plaques, 28 Table centerpieces and 45 Reunion Souvenir plaques, I suddenly find the lack of tight scheduling to get the job done has been a shock to my usual daily regimen for these many months. Once I am able to again approach some sort of normalcy, I will once again resume the many projects that were put on hold once the reunion preparation started. Elaine and Jean are going through the same withdrawals!

The Blog has been a very time consuming but worthwhile project. A blog is very labor intensive and posting a single picture may take 30 minutes or more. First you must download the picture and scan it into a file. Then the picture is examined and determined if it is good enough to appear once it is posted on the blog. If not, it is then ushered into Photoshop to make the necessary changes. Many of the pictures posted required quite a bit if time to restore them. I mention this to illustrate the time for each picture that was posted on the blog and there are well over a hundred or more.

I'm happy to have had the chance to gather all the historical data and pictures about Berkeley and BHS and consolidate these facts for future reference when we are all gone. I also thank the many classmates who contributed material and pictures to make it interesting. Without your help, much wouldn't have appeared on our Blog and I thank you all again for your input.

I am posting pictures of the Reunion on the Reunion Pictures tab and if you have any you want posted, send them to me preferably via email.

The "Last Hurrah" Reunion was a great affair and hope you enjoyed it as much as I have. All the many preparation hours were worth every bit of the time spent. And most of all...seeing all you wonderful classmates again was such a thrill. I think we could say...

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!

Thank you all for your many cards, letters and emails. They will be saved in my memorabilia scrapbook as treasures. 

Finally, thanks to all for such a great turnout! 

Check the REUNION PHOTOS tab...

I have just started to post pictures taken at the "Last Hurrah" Reunion and it will take some time to get them all onto the Reunion Photos tab. I wasn't able to get some names, as things moved too fast for me to keep up. Therefore, I ask for your help to identify unnamed individuals in posted photos via email and I can then post their name with their picture.

Thanks to all for coming to our LAST HURRAH REUNION!

Many thanks for the support and attendance at the Red School House & Berkeley High School Reunion. What a great turnout and I hope all had a great time. It was such a heartwarming gathering to see so many old friends that we haven't seen for so long.

A separate TAB will soon be added to display pictures taken at the reunion. If you have any you want to be added...send them to me via email or Snail Mail and I will add them. Please include a list of names or class years to identify the picture/pictures. 

Thanks again,

Joe H. Sowders

Report on Reunion Reservations!

As of today, May 10, 2012...we have received 203 reservations for "The Last Hurrah" reunion. This has exceeded our wildest estimate almost two fold and we thank all Classmates for your support to this Reunion.  We have worked long and hard with the intent to make this Reunion one of the best! We will have representatives of all classes from 1943 to 1960. Many of us haven't seen each other for 60+ Years. It will be great to see everybody again and hopefully all in attendance will have a great time. Thanks again for your support! See you in two weeks...(May 27, 2012)

Class of 1955 Class Will and Prophecy

Check out THE 1955 Class Will and Prophecy as to the accuracy of the prognostication...
                                   Click on SCHOOL DAY MEMORIES TAB 
             This should generate some interesting conversation at the reunion!

Check Out the Classmates Photos Tab

Here is a little teaser of what Bob Hampton sent to Mel Walls who forwarded them to me for posting.
Shirley Wilkins also submitted a nice 50Th. Reunion Picture of the Class of '58 

Class of 1941

Berkeley Elementary School

(Bob Hampton is in the middle of bottom row with arms crossed.)

An annotated picture is posted on the Classmates PhotosTab

Class Representatives needed!

We will be presenting each class year a Memorial Plaque and would like to have someone from each class to become the custodian of this memorial for the future. If possible, please give some planning to this as to who will become the custodian or it can be a spontaneous decision at that time. Just a small token of our appreciation for such great class response. So far it looks like we will have representatives of each class from 1943 through 1960.