30-Year Reunion
Summer 1999
Troy Marriott Hotel
Below are photos that were transferred from our original website. If you have any information or photos from our 30th reunion that you would like to be posted here, please email them to Nancy Corgiat Ford, [email protected].
High School Reunion Memories
by Ted Magnuson
High School Reunions are pretty popular in Oregon. In the summer time you can see them taking place behind placards at hotels, restaurants, brew-pubs, pizza joints and in parks. If the demand is big enough some boomer reunions are even booked in the fall.
In fact, these reunions can even disrupt business. At a conference I was at a while back, at the Portland Airport Sheraton no less, business was bought to a stand still by the 40th Reunion of Hillsboro High (Class of ‘57). They cranked up the PA and the tunes from the Everly Brothers and Patsy Cline echoed all through the hotel’s lobby and banquet rooms. Some of the older conventioneers even left our social to buy drinks for the Hillsboro Highers.
We had canned music at our own 30 year Groves Class of 69 reunion at the Troy Marriott too. In addition, Rosen, Bon Rose (Fine) wrote special verses to Hey Jude sung by all assembled. There were streamers, balloons, a really fine momento board, meatballs, chicken wings, all the women of the homecoming court together again, a room full of smiling faces and catching up on various tidbits of news too numerous to mention here. There was dancing and happy memories. The next day at the picnic, one could meet children and spouses of our classmates at their best.
Some people may wonder why the bother about reunions. Interesting question. Is it an attempt to tie one’s life altogether? I think so. Whatever anyone thinks, unlike high school, no one is required to attend a reunion.
One of the more interesting things I observed about our reunion was the number of high school sweethearts who not only married but stayed married. I suppose that isn’t so unusual, though. My own parents were high school sweethearts.
People tell me that sometimes teachers attend these reunions. Since I didn’t attend the tenth or the twentieth someone else will have fill in that detail. Still, as I left the 30th reunion, flying high over Detroit, memories of teachers occupied my thoughts. In particular I remembered the Spring day after school when Mr. Finney (US History) and Mrs. Nosanchuk (Algebra II) suggested I consider a career in teaching.
Ann Nosanchuk pointed out "that being a teacher was like tending an orchard." Back then I just laughed and assured her the pun did not go over my head...since our school is called Groves.
In memory, in the present day how much more poignant her comment was. We live in a world of specialists: Still- perhaps under it all we are all grovers; people who work with trees; We tend, prune, plant, spray and harvest trees every day. Our trees though are not the kind that grow apples, pears, cherries or even board feet of good ol’ cutstock Northwestern lumber. Our trees are simply thoughts, words, and actions that we are responsible for.
As I flew back to my home in Oregon then, it pleased me to think of the whole country, no the whole world as one big ol’ orchard busy with grovers, each of them tending, pruning, planting, spraying and harvesting trees. Could it really be all that simple?
In fact, these reunions can even disrupt business. At a conference I was at a while back, at the Portland Airport Sheraton no less, business was bought to a stand still by the 40th Reunion of Hillsboro High (Class of ‘57). They cranked up the PA and the tunes from the Everly Brothers and Patsy Cline echoed all through the hotel’s lobby and banquet rooms. Some of the older conventioneers even left our social to buy drinks for the Hillsboro Highers.
We had canned music at our own 30 year Groves Class of 69 reunion at the Troy Marriott too. In addition, Rosen, Bon Rose (Fine) wrote special verses to Hey Jude sung by all assembled. There were streamers, balloons, a really fine momento board, meatballs, chicken wings, all the women of the homecoming court together again, a room full of smiling faces and catching up on various tidbits of news too numerous to mention here. There was dancing and happy memories. The next day at the picnic, one could meet children and spouses of our classmates at their best.
Some people may wonder why the bother about reunions. Interesting question. Is it an attempt to tie one’s life altogether? I think so. Whatever anyone thinks, unlike high school, no one is required to attend a reunion.
One of the more interesting things I observed about our reunion was the number of high school sweethearts who not only married but stayed married. I suppose that isn’t so unusual, though. My own parents were high school sweethearts.
People tell me that sometimes teachers attend these reunions. Since I didn’t attend the tenth or the twentieth someone else will have fill in that detail. Still, as I left the 30th reunion, flying high over Detroit, memories of teachers occupied my thoughts. In particular I remembered the Spring day after school when Mr. Finney (US History) and Mrs. Nosanchuk (Algebra II) suggested I consider a career in teaching.
Ann Nosanchuk pointed out "that being a teacher was like tending an orchard." Back then I just laughed and assured her the pun did not go over my head...since our school is called Groves.
In memory, in the present day how much more poignant her comment was. We live in a world of specialists: Still- perhaps under it all we are all grovers; people who work with trees; We tend, prune, plant, spray and harvest trees every day. Our trees though are not the kind that grow apples, pears, cherries or even board feet of good ol’ cutstock Northwestern lumber. Our trees are simply thoughts, words, and actions that we are responsible for.
As I flew back to my home in Oregon then, it pleased me to think of the whole country, no the whole world as one big ol’ orchard busy with grovers, each of them tending, pruning, planting, spraying and harvesting trees. Could it really be all that simple?
Created 5/14/2020