Reunion of the Decade 1959-1969 News       

A committee of just a few people are planning the reunion for 
July 30, 2004 when Medical Lake ’s Alumni 1959-69 will host the
BIGGEST reunion the school district has ever seen.  We sure could 
use more help i.e. at least 2 managers from each graduating year to work on locating classmates.  These folks will coordinate locating missing alumni and compiling names and addresses for the database. 

To make this reunion a success we need to try to locate everyone.  An estimate of how many that would include is figuring 11 classes times approximately 65 graduates for each class= about 715 classmates. So, get out your annual or address book, contact those you have addresses for, let me know new info you gather (even if we may have it), contact friends and family you never know who will have info about someone. Everyone’s help is needed.

We originally didn’t know what to call our BIG reunion and we have settled for “The Reunion of the Decade”.  We are inviting anyone who attended Medical Lake High School 1950-1969, including teachers, non-certified staff, school board members and administration personnel.

It's a big job, but we hope to make it an annual affair if only a few of us get together.  We are in the planning stages of forming an Alumni Organization and if you would like to get on board there are many positions available to be filled. Don’t be shy.  An established, well-organized alumni board  is necessary if we want to keep our group going.

Weekend plans for the reunion include a BIG get acquainted night on Friday; Saturday AM there will be a tour of Medical Lake High School and the town of Medical Lake , a picnic at Clear Lake , in the evening-Sat PM there will be a buffet dinner/dance at the Ramada Inn and a “Bye-Bye-See You Soon” Breakfast Brunch on Sunday. 

Accommodation information will be mailed along with ticket information very soon.  We are trying to locate as many alumni and your help is needed.  Be sure to mention the reunion in your cards that go out at Christmas.  You never know who might just not know about it.    Additionally, we will have a website, the chief architect/webmaster is Gary Olson, class of 1962.  We are setting up emails for each class, registration access for the reunion and more.  To maintain the domain we will have to spend $140.00 a year.  If you would like to be part of this exciting improvement or are willing to support it for now,  send monies to Liz Rogers ’65, facilitator of the planning committee.  We need at least 14 or more people willing to commit to $10.00 -$15.00 annually for this wonderful website.  We hope to keep connected and share thoughts and friendship without having to pay the huge fees that other reunion sites cost.  We will have the same benefits only it will be our organization.  Think about it.  Bottom line is we need to have money to start the website and to keep it up and running. Gary isn’t charging anything to build it. Thank you Gary , so much!!!  A registration form for this task is at the bottom of this newsletter.

The committee is compiling a formal database, which now holds more than 300 names, and we plan to send information to graduates from 1950 to 1969.  If you have been asked or offered to send an annual please make sure you get that sent to me (Liz).  We need pictures for the website and for the reunion. 

We want to stir old memories and old friendships.  Maybe schools were different in those days, but we can brag that we had a closeness that we can model for future graduating classes. The older you get, the more important it becomes to relive those days."

Additionally, we are looking for an awesome logo for our group.  If you have a design in mind or want to work on creating one, please send your ideas to Liz.  The planning team will make a selection in April 2004 when we gather together for a formal meeting at a centralized location. This design will be used for shirts, cups, socks ya know everything.  Right now, planning is being handled via email  (thank goodness we have email) and phone lines. 

We will be selling advertising for our memory book.  For a business card size ad it will run $20.00. A line ad will be $10.00 and will include business name, website etc.

For information, to send monies for the website or to help with planning, call Liz Rogers (253) 435-1995; address 12315 112^th Ave Crt E #4, Puyallup , WA   98374 or email at mlhsreunion@att.net.  Checks can be made payable to MLHS Organization.

Best wishes and lots of hugs.

The "Reunion of the Decade”  Planning Team

TOP 10 REASONS NOT TO MISS YOUR HIGH SCHOOL REUNION

1.                 You’ll laugh, cry and reminisce with some of your oldest friends.

2.                 You don’t have to lie about your age.  

3.                 Feel better realizing you are not the only one who has been married,
divorced, married, divorced and is still looking.  

4.                 Of the many alumni coming to their first reunion, make them feel fully
appreciated for finally showing up.  

5.                 Rekindle or begin new relationships.  

6.                 Even if you had some negative experiences in high school, don’t fret about it, you’ll most likely laugh about it now.  

7.                 Enjoy a weekend outing without the kids or grandkids, as the case may be.  

8.                 Use the reunion as an opportunity to diet and shape up.  

9.                 Humor the committee; they usually are a bunch of deluded diehards who think everyone should show up to appreciate all their efforts.  

10.            And finally, studies have shown that those who were initially hesitant about attending their reunions discover it was the event they wouldn’t have missed!