Report on Class of 1958 50th Reunion

Rachel (Hebert) Reilly and her husband, Mike Reilly, attended the Gardner High School Class of 1958 50th Reunion held recently on September 26, 27, and 28. Below is her report on the event.

* * * * *

"The Class of 1958 reunion was very enjoyable. We had a wonderful time and would redo it again in a heartbeat. Mike (and I) got to see people who we had not seen in 50 years! I believe that "most" people went to all three events. It was worth the time and effort for the three events as it gave everyone enough time to be able to speak to fellow classmates over the time. I believe there were about 65??? classmates plus spouses. It was amazing how many people looked so much like they did and there was no problem knowing who they were. The classmates looked VERY GOOD!!!

The Friday night "Social Hour" was held at the Gardner Museum) was very good. We arrived about 6:10 and the place was packed already.

The Saturday night Reunion Dinner was held at the Old Mill in Westminster. The photographer took a wonderful picture - WE GOT IT THAT SAME NIGHT ($10.00). I have his name and telephone number.

The Sunday morning "Brunch" (held at the new Gardner Public library) was probably the best location out of the three. I think we should keep that one for ours. Catered breakfast (very good), tour of the library, elevator available for second floor. There is a historical room which we all concurred would be a good place to spend a whole day in. Very, very interesting. Especially for those out-of-towners who had never been there - which seemed to be quite a few of the class/spouses. Mike and I plan on spending some time there next year (when there for the 59 reunion) because now we know about it.

Considerations for the GHS Class of 1960 50th reunion:

Friday Night Social Hour - The social hour provided more face-to-face time for visiting.
Saturday Night Reunion Dinner - I would suggest the Wachusett Village Inn, if the space is large enough, and is available. For out-of-towners, it is also nice to stay right in the hotel where function is being held. Our class and class of '59 have had previous reunions there and it has always worked well.
Sunday Brunch - A tour of the new library provides a new resource for classmates.

Summing Up: The 50th Class Reunion is a significant milestone. People might be at their LAST class reunion, some may not have come in years, if at all, and fly-in out-of towners spent anywhere from $1,000 to $2,000 (couples) for the total weekend, if coming from far away. I know that some people were not staying for the Sunday morning brunch and others did not arrive until Saturday morning and missed the Friday evening event. Still, I do believe that most people attended all three and we should consider this format for our own planning."

* * * * *

Now it is your turn. As a member of the Gardner High School Class of 1960, what do you think of the three-event format? Would this add value to your participation in a reunion? What questions would you like to ask Rachel? What additional ideas would you like the planning committee to consider? Click on the comments icon to submit your reunion ideas as a follow-up to this post.