by David Flint
Some 300 alumni and guests attended the New Lebanon High School Reunion held on Saturday, July 12, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Pittsfield. This gathering of all the graduated classes gets larger each year thanks to the generosity of Richard Burns, Class of 1949. [private]Burns of Shelton, CT, has footed the bill for the dinner each year since 2006. At the Reunion in 2005 he was dismayed that only 57 alumni showed up. “You could hear an echo in the room,” he said. Burns figured he would provide some incentive to “fill up the hall” and that incentive has resulted in a large turnout every year since with people looking forward to a lively event with good food, entertainment, dancing
and lots of great conversation and camaraderie.
William “Bud” Schell, Class of 1935, was again the senior graduate at the Reunion. Schell, a WW II veteran – a flight engineer on B-24 and B-25 bombers – and later owner of the Esso station on Route 22 in New Lebanon, once again provided the music at the Reunion in the person of “One Man Band” Paul Slusar of Philmont.
The Class of 1964 had earlier gathered at a garden party at the home of Thomas and Carol Benson to recognize and reacquaint with fellow classmates from fifty years ago. “Worries about being able to recognize those we had not seen in all these fifty years disappeared,” Carol said, “as seventeen classmates gathered and began reminiscing and visiting as if all these years had never passed. It was a jubilant and fun loving group with picture taking and laughing and comparing families, grandchildren and years of experiences from California, Texas, South Carolina, Florida and many other destinations.
“All together twenty-four members of the Class of 1964 arrived at the amazingly large gathering at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Pittsfield Here we all wandered about visiting with members of classes younger and older than we were, enjoying every moment of seeing more and more NLCS Alumni not seen in many years from all over the country. What a night – dancing to every decade’s music, enjoying a terrific meal and celebrating being together once again. Many vowed to return next year, and we all hope we are able.”
Ten people represented the Class of 1954, celebrating their 60th Reunion. The graduates on June 22, 1954, totaled 36, of whom 18 are living today. Earlier in the week the ten who attended the Reunion had an enjoyable luncheon along with their spouses at the Lake View Restaurant in Averill Park.
Representing the most recent graduating class was Maria Sime, Class of 2008.
A number of alumni travelled from as far as Maine, Wisconsin, South Carolina, Florida, Texas and California. The prize for long distance traveller, however, went to Gregg Gibbons, Class of 1979, who came across the pond from London, England.
The question was asked at the Reunion, how many alumni still had their class rings and were actually wearing them at the event. Apparently these rings tend to get lost easily. Only five of some 240 alumni got a prize for wearing their class rings.
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