Class Reunions in Texas
It’s summertime…..when all the class reunions are held.
Yes, I attended my school’s class reunion last weekend. I’m just now about recovered enough to sit down and write 
some about it. Yes, we did have some partying going on, but it was all in good fun. The room was jam packed with grads from all classes. By any measure, the hard working organizers had a big success on their hands.
We all grew up in a small isolated West Texas town and the school was also small. We didn’t have air conditioners, computers, digital workstations, cell phones or televisions in the classroom. We did have pretty drum majorettes and our fun was marching in the band and playing every sport in its season. And draggin’ main.
The school we all attended has been remodeled and renovated and the halls don’t even have lockers. Where do the kids hang out and flirt with their girlfriends? They don’t have lockers because they don’t have books for every class. The books are apparently on computers or eReaders of some sort. The blackboards don’t use chalk, they are smart boards and display computer animations, short instructional videos, and powerpoint presentations. The new school in the old hometown seems to take advantage of every available technology option out there.
That’s a good thing. Why? Because it is a different world. I have actually kept up with most of the technologies and can twitter, facebook, WordPress, YouTube, tweetmeme, Kindle, blog, Ipad, and Iphone with the best of them. Oh, I still can’t program the coffeepot, but I have someone who can.
I enjoyed seeing the new school and when it is completely finished, I’ll call someone and take another tour. All the renovations reminded me of sitting in Coach Page’s science class right next to the radiator that warmed the room. Bet they don’t have radiators in the new school building. Or a boiler room to sneak off and smoke in.
I also enjoyed seeing all the classmates older than me and younger than me. Some of them (Tommy Rees and Bobby Hubbard) looked like they could still play a good game of basketball. Since I kept up with many of them through 
the newspaper for so many years, I know most of them personally. Several of my classmates also attended and it was great getting reacquainted with them. Some folks are cynical about class reunions and some are not. I’m in the not category. You can sit home and just get old or you can get out and get going. I just enjoyed seeing classes from all years and re-living some good memories. Mostly the funny memories.
And I did hear the real story on why senior trips were banned from the class of 1964 forward. My friend Charles Milwee spilled the beans on that story. Senior trips are probably a small town thing, but turn a bunch of small town kids loose in the city and see what happens. My good buddy Eddie Burkett can still hit a golf ball a mile. It was easy to recall why he was district medalist as a freshman and Tommy Hayes, Jr. was State Medalist as a sophomore.
Remembering some of the old teachers and seeing a few who taught school to us heathens was good also. Although I should have reported to my old algebra teacher that I was right about algebra being useless. Algebra is completely useless to the average student. I never, ever, ever used it in real life and still see no redeeming value for it in the average student’s curriculum. Nix on algebra.
But Yes to all the good teachers who put up with us and to all those grads who entered the field of education. We recognized all the educators who are RCHS grads and a good number stood up.
Special presentations were made to Roger Goertz who overcame some physical handicaps with never a word of complaint or discouragement. Another class recognized Bobby Walls an exceptional athlete and outstanding person of determination. I have my own special memories of most of the grads. The memories are too numerous to mention. To me, the girls are still glamorous and the boys are still strong and fast.
If you have a chance to go to your class reunion go ahead and get up and go. Nobody cares about your financial status, your weight, your car, your age or your divorce. They care about you.
Here is an Animoto of my class reunion 2010. Hope you enjoy.
And here is a video of the presentation I did at the reunion. Yes, it’s a lot shorter this way and the graphics are much improved. I did take note of all who clapped when I finally finished my presentation. Don’t worry, I’ve probably been banned from hosting any more reunions. And…thanks to Ramona for editing these videos for us to enjoy all over again.
And finally, if you are not a subscriber to Real Texas Blog.com you are really missing out. Go right now and find the little guy sitting on the bench reading the newspaper and subscribe by email. Just put your email in and we will send Real Texas Blog by David Werst out to you whenever there is an update. Enjoy!
Feel free to forward this link to your RCHS friends who want to see all the photos.
I’m David out in Real Texas
Older, wiser, still enjoying childhood friends
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you, Ramona, for that Animoto…. a great representation of the RCHS alumni at the reunion.
Thank you, David, for your “right-on point” description of the event. I especially agreed with your comments about algebra! Coach Williamson just passed me because he knew I was trying to make sense of it all. I guess that’s why I loved teaching the dyslexic students to read, write and spell. I understood their confusion! And, I loved your comments about those who choose to “sit home and get old” (they missed a great time) and “No one cares about your finances, weight, car or divorce. They just care about you.” Perfectly stated.
I am already ready for the next one to roll around. Hopefully, those that chose to “sit home and get old” will decide to show up!
Great video. “A good time was had by all.” Too bad that after it is over you remember those several people
with whom you never got to visit….just a quick smile and
a hello. So many of my former students have been really
successful in life (not just financially) that I could surely get boastful. I cannot mention them all—there are many
of you. But, I do want to mention Dr. Hector Mendez. As
I recall, he went from high school to Viet Nam. After coming home, he pursued a career in education; he is now
Superintendent of Ector County (Odessa) schools. I’d like to say, “I taught him everything he knows,” but truth is my
students taught me far more than I ever taught them,
and for that I am truly grateful.
Great videos! I enjoyed seeing friends and former students. I look foward to attending this event when we get back to Real Texas!
I don’t think there were ever any radiators in the high school building, so you must be talking about Jr. High.
David and Ramona,
I just wanted to thank you on behalf of those like myself, who wanted to go to the reunion badly but couldn’t, for capturing the spirit of the event in both words and pictures. I think that we were truly blessed by being raised in Big Lake during the 50’s and 60’s, and it is always a wonderful experience to relive that time with the people that inspired and influenced us. It seems that most of us share the same core values, and I have always thought that there has been a disproportionate amount of truly successful people that were nutured at home and at school in Big Lake.
Thank you David and Ramona! I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the pictures and the whole reunion. This was my first reunion, ever! I was one of those sitting at home, growing old, but thanks to cousin, Penny, I have broken that streak in me.
The trip was a good one, but as I drove into Big Lake, I was struck that I knew nothing about the town. I wasn’t even aware that the streets had names. I met Penny at the Motel and we began talking about our memories and she also didn’t know the names of the streets. Pondering that, we realized that we were brought in by bus from Midkiff, dropped off at school and then picked up for the trip back to our homes. Our lives were centered around the oil field and gas field camps. Now those, I know very well but they are all gone.
We all lived in identical housing and of course I thought that because the houses were the same, all the employees made the same amount of money but Penny pointed me in the right direction on that.
My own children and some of my students have asked me about dating. How funny is that? No one from Big Lake was willing to drive forty miles to pick up a date and then drive forty miles to a movie and then make the trip twice more. We didn’t have movie theaters or bowling alleys, but we did have a lot of fun. We created our own entertainment.
I, unfortunately left RCHS at the end of my freshman year and moved to Stephenville. Upon my registration there, the vice principal told me I would have a difficult time making good grades because I was coming from a small school. Ha! Was he ever wrong. I received a strong educational background from Reagan County ISD and didn’t have to work nearly as hard at SHS.The teachers I had were top notch and because of them, I became an educator.
I have now attended two class reunions in one month and another discovery was made. I found out that I fit in and had much more in common with the RCHS people. Yes, I have always known, somewhere in the back of my mind, that I am a West Texas girl.
Thanks again, for the memories, the laughter and the friendship.
Thank you David and Ramona. Have not met you Ramona, but we are looking forward to it. I believe this is the first RCHS Reunion that we have missed since in ’54. We missed seeing many of our first real friends. We are still active with our RV and touring Alaska when all of this went down. Thanks again David.
David and Ramona, thanks for a great video on the reunion and for all the time and effort ya’ll put into it. It’s always so much fun visiting with old friends and making new ones.