High school reunion?

[teen persuasion]

Just got an invitation from my HS for "Alumnae Reunion Weekend".  This is 30 years for me  , so I actually thought about it for more than two seconds.  Apparently it is all joint now: for the classes of 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960...
Boo, I'm only interested in seeing my classmates, not random people who graduated every five years.  

Next I noticed the events: an evening cocktail party at a new brewery downtown 40 miles from my home, featuring drinks, drinks, and more drinks (I don't drink).  $50 per person.
Or, an evening at the school!  Mass at the chapel, followed by party in the backyard Grotto, catered BBQ.  $75 per person, bring your spouse!  The "Grotto" is a skinny strip of green behind the block-long city school building.  While gaining access to the forbidden grotto for a senior picnic was highly anticipated (after all, no one but the nuns were allowed in), reality was overrated.

What happened to having a HS reunion of just your class?  Has anyone gone to one of these?

[Tennesseer]

Went to my 30th in '99.  I graduated in a class of 700 or so students up in Massachusetts.  About 250-275 former classmates, single or with spouses/partners attended.  It was at a banquet hall I think.  I didn't go to my 40th.  May or may not go to my '50th in a couple of years.

It was nice to see some of my former classmates.  But I was more interested in seeing again the folks with whom I attended grammer school and then high school as.we all grew up together.

I know fewer will attend the 50th as some have now passed away.  Plus many of us moved out of state years ago.  They have always held the reunions Thanksgiving weekend because modt of our parents still lived in the city.  But now with our parents gone, there is no need to travel up there during Thanksgiving.  So I don't know if I will attend #50.

[mollyanna58]

There was a reunion for several consecutive classes of my HS a year or two ago. It was at a hotel about 2 blocks from my house, and I didn't go. Some people didn't want to spend the money for dinner and dancing, and said they would hang out in the hotel's bar instead of going to the actual reunion.  

I've gotten a couple of emails and FB notices about a reunion for my year only sometime next year. Maybe I'll go, now that I've reconnected with some people on FB.

[teen persuasion]

I had just had a baby at the time of the 5th one, so skipped it.  Same for tenth - a C-section that week!  Don't remember why I didn't go for 15th, I think it was the bar thing again, and I have kids, a family event would have been great.  For 20 they did plan a family picnic at a park, so I brought the whole gang, including new baby DS5 (sensing a trend here?), but couldn't find any of my big group of friends, though I did have a nice chat with a classmate I didn't know at all in HS.

[marvholly]

I am old enough to have NOT gone to a bunch of hs reunions.  Like the OP posted the planned events were WAAAAY outside my willingness and/or ability to pay.  The 3 days of stuff would have run me $300 pp or more and there was no way I would go w/o DH while he as still alive.

[ohmomto2boys]

I went to my 10th.  Boring.  I wasn't going to go to the 25th, but a few friends got a hold of me and I went.  It was fun, but I had little kids so DH and I didn't stay super late. Not sure if we will go to the 30th - which will be next year.  

[sarcasticgirl]

I didn't go to my 10th. I live 1000+ miles away from my hometown and already had a visit home planned a few weeks later. Most of my close friends from HS are scattered around the globe and I see them when they pass through Chicago or if I pass through their city. A handful still live near our hometown and I see them when I visit. So I didn't see too much of a reason to go .

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using proboards

[emma1420]

My 20th is supposed to be this year.  And it's been a mess.  The venue the planning committee was double booked, so they've had to cancel.  They now want us to have the reunion next year with the class below us (there were 450 in each class so the numbers would be overwhelming).  We have a Facebook group and almost everyone said they were hoping for something casual, and yet the planning committee is dead set on some fancy cocktail party and dinner.  Especially, as the date was announced months ago, and people from out of town had made travel arrangements. I didn't even get an invite to my 10th, so they are doing no work to find people in our class that the planning committee didn't know personally.  The onky reason more people are involved this year is because we have a Facebook page.   The whole thing doesn't make me very keen to go.

My college reunions are much better.  They do group us with other classes, but there are far fewer if us, and we have a reunion every 5 years so a smaller group attends (and it's always in conjunction with homecoming, so you can plan in advance).

[cael]

I went to my 10-year reunion a few years ago. Went with several friends and we saw some folks we actually wanted to say hello to and catch up with. I dunno. most people I know are like "OMG why would I EVER want to see anyone from high school?!?!?" I guess I didn't have a bad time in high school..? It was small and low-key, just apps and some drinks at a local bar. Maybe 50 people went.

My dad went to his 50th high school reunion a few years back in Philly. He's one of those people who remembers the names of every kid he went to kindergarten with, so he probably remembered more people than remembered him. my mom was mildly mortified when he told stories no one else remembered, haha. But he loved it.

[Deleted]

I have never gone to any of my reunions even though I still live only about 15 miles from my high school.  Judging by the Facebook pictures of the reunions on our class webpage, I'm not the only one that avoids them.  It looks like they get less than 40 people that show up from a class of over 400. 

[Deleted]

Haven't been to a college reunion at all.  I went to a big state U.

HS:  I would never have predicted that I'd go to my 35th.  Went to the 5th but didn't bother after that; I was definitely in the background in HS.  Bookish, feminist, really didn't find any kindred spirits.  Before the 35th, though, they put up a FaceBook page.  As I got more comfortable with the group and where they were now in life, I decided to go.  I had a great time; it was like meeting a group of new people with whom I strangely had a lot in common.

In March I got a note that they were having a picnic in May to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the school and bringing back some of the nuns, who must not have been much older than we were.   Typically I'd let DH know beforehand, but this time I immediately booked flights back to Ohio and THEN told DH.  He thought it was a great idea.  I'm so glad I went; the other classes had a smaller group but our class had a lot, and I was able to catch up with some who hadn't attended the 50th.  And I was finally able to tell the nun who'd taught senior English that I'd been right about Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "Xanadu".  A guy in college at the time I studied it told me he'd written it while on drugs.  I asked her and she said it wasn't true,  Decades later I found a letter from Coleridge in the British Museum Manuscript collection in which he mentioned that he'd written it after waking up form a stupor brought on by laudanum taken for medicinal purposes.  She laughed when I told her about it!

[steph08]

I went to my 10th HS reunion two years ago. It was a casual dinner at a local hotel. Our class had 93(?) graduates and about 25-30 people were there. At this point, it's the same as high school - specific groups still sit together at the tables.  I had fun though!

[ArchietheDragon]

My 20th is this year. in August, I think. I don't think I am going to go. It is $45 a ticket with dinner and a cash bar. If I wanted to go with DW that would be $90 to sit and be awkward with people I don't really care to see.... Not my idea of a great time.  My class had 500 people.  I would surprised if the reunion had 50. 

[toomuchreality]

Jul 16, 2015 7:33:22 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

I have never gone to any of my reunions even though I still live only about 15 miles from my high school.  Judging by the Facebook pictures of the reunions on our class webpage, I'm not the only one that avoids them.  It looks like they get less than 40 people that show up from a class of over 400. 

I've never gone to any of mine either. And I live within a mile of my HS (closer now, than when I attended). I talked to an old friend from HS about a week ago. She mentioned they're going to have another reunion next year. For about 10 seconds after she said it, I thought Oh, good! I can go to this one. Immediately after thinking that, I thought There really isn't anyone I want to see. I honestly cannot think of a good reason to go.

Sitting around, being fake all evening, doesn't sound at all like fun.

[thyme4change]

I had wished my reunion was three or four years - but consecutive, so I would see the people I spend 75% of my high school days with, but we were in different years.  

I found my reunion terrible, and I wouldn't go again.  But, if I had to plan one, I would go to a bar & grill that had an extra room and maybe a DJ and tell them that if they could reserve the room for me, I would fill it with paying customers.  If they needed a fee for the room, I would charge a $5 or $10 cover, which the bar can keep.  At that point - everyone can order and pay for their own drinks and food.  I think our thing was $100 per person, and the food was terrible and we still had to pay for drinks.  As for the rest of the crap - the photographer, the pins with our picture and names on it, etc. - totally unnecessary.

I could tell everyone that the entrance fee included 2 photos with friends from our high school days and put a giant bulletin board in the corner where everyone could hang the pictures.  

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I don't go to mine either and I live LESS than a mile away from my high school.   I didn't particulary enjoy most of high school, the best thing about it for me is that it is over.   Those I want to stay in touch with I already am on Facebook.   I really have no desire to get into a room of people where hte only thing we have in common is we graduated in 2002 and pretend to enjoy reliving the good old days.

Plus whoever is doing our organinzing sucks at it.  I didn't recieve any information regarding our 5 year reunion or a 10 year one.  I saw a brief mention of it on someone's facebook page and I thought I saw a quick flash on the screen in front of the schools as I drove by it (like I can park and read it ).  Otherwise nothing.

If they can't make an effort to find me I sure as heck am not going to spend my time/energy hunting them down.

[Deleted]

Jul 16, 2015 8:15:17 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I don't go to mine either and I live LESS than a mile away from my high school.   I didn't particulary enjoy most of high school, the best thing about it for me is that it is over.   Those I want to stay in touch with I already am on Facebook.   I really have no desire to get into a room of people where hte only thing we have in common is we graduated in 2002 and pretend to enjoy reliving the good old days.

I looked at the attendance list from the last few reunions and it was all people that would have had nothing to do with me in high school.   The "YAY SCHOOL" group.  The ones organizing all the pep rallies, in every sport and part of the homecoming court.  I cannot imagine what I'd sit and talk to them about.  Even if the old clique stuff is wiped away with time.  We still have zero shared memories except being in the same school.

[emma1420]

Jul 16, 2015 8:15:17 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I don't go to mine either and I live LESS than a mile away from my high school.   I didn't particulary enjoy most of high school, the best thing about it for me is that it is over.   Those I want to stay in touch with I already am on Facebook.   I really have no desire to get into a room of people where hte only thing we have in common is we graduated in 2002 and pretend to enjoy reliving the good old days.

Plus whoever is doing our organinzing sucks at it.  I didn't recieve any information regarding our 5 year reunion or a 10 year one.  I saw a brief mention of it on someone's facebook page and I thought I saw a quick flash on the screen in front of the schools as I drove by it (like I can park and read it ).  Otherwise nothing.

If they can't make an effort to find me I sure as heck am not going to spend my time/energy hunting them down.

The biggest issue I have with the planners of my high school reunion (other than not properly booking the venue, because I don't believe this double booking stuff), is that it's clear they are still living out their little cliques from high school.  There are people I haven't seen since high school, and I would like time to visit with them, which is the only reason I'm interested in going.  However, if they put on some fancy dinner then I'm skipping it.  I'm single, and so going to a casual BBQ is one thing, going to some formal dinner and cocktail party is another.

[The Captain]

I'm with minnesotapaintlady and NomoreDramaQ1015.  Except for a very small core group of friends I don't really have any interest in getting together with people that made my crew's life hell on earth at times.

I haven't attended, nor do I plan to, ever attend any HS reunions.

[CarolinaKat]

I skipped my 10th. Everyone I give a damn about from HS (very short list) I still talk to and/or see regularly. I have very little desire to see anyone else. 

Now a college reunion? I'd be all down for that, I love those people.

[zibazinski]

I went two years ago to mine. Now found out they have a mini reunion the end of the month. I'm going to that, too. I find it an interesting character study. Plus, I wonder if the guy's memories are more colorful because I aged well. Most of the women who were big shots in high school are either losers or have led very sad lives. But I always my one friend's date so I'm there. Plus I deserve a night out. For those of you that were less than hot shots in school, I hope you find you turned out better than the kings and queens did.

[NancysSummerSip]

I missed my 30th reunion due to a death in the family. My 40th is coming up next year though. I do plan to make that one.

Went to DH's 50th reunion a few years ago. That was very cool. Of his class of 225, nine people could not be located, about 25 were deceased and another 25 could not attend. The rest attended, so it was a good-sized crowd. His high school was mostly torn down and replaced, but a small part of the building was kept and maintained for historic purposes. His reunion was very nice: an informal pizza and pasta dinner the first night and a more formal sit-down dinner and dancing the next night, complete with a video presentation and a tribute to the classmates who had passed away (of the 25 deceased, nine died in the Vietnam War )

ETA: changed the years for my missed and upcoming reunions. Dang, I totally aged myself with my original post!

[wyouser]

My graduating class consisted of 26 seniors.  They have gone to an annual all school reunion that features the current year. That gives us a slot of three classes older than mine and 3 cases younger or about a seven year period where there are graduates we went to school with. That hasn't been too bad.

[lexxy703]

I went to my 5th but that is it.  My mom still lives in the same house that I lived when I graduated.  I am listed in the white pages of the phone directory & still live in the county yet I am on the list of missing people from my graduating class.  Obviously they aren't looking too hard to find me.  I don't really care much.  I am curious about a few people but can barely remember most.

[Deleted]

Jul 16, 2015 9:48:13 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

  Most of the women who were big shots in high school are either losers or have led very sad lives. But I always my one friend's date so I'm there. Plus I deserve a night out. For those of you that were less than hot shots in school, I hope you find you turned out better than the kings and queens did.

I found that- many of the women had gone into lower-paying jobs such as teaching or social work, or had retired early when they probably couldn't afford to.  One was widowed early with 3 kids and apparently never remarried.  One who was fairly quiet and wasn't in any classes with me led a rip-roaring life and ended up beating drug addiction- she's quite a character and I was glad to get to know her.  Another named all the women in our class that she knew of who had trotted off to Planned Parenthood for BC pills- I thought I was the only one.  Heck, they ought to name an examining room after us.  The class goofball is now DOCTOR Goofball, an eminent biologist who travels all over the world.  My favorite picture from the picnic was just before the tour of the school building- two women standing in front of it, one with a cigarette and one with a glass of wine!

Yeah, I'd deal with the TSA to see that crew again.

[The Captain]

Jul 16, 2015 9:48:13 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

I went two years ago to mine. Now found out they have a mini reunion the end of the month. I'm going to that, too. I find it an interesting character study. Plus, I wonder if the guy's memories are more colorful because I aged well. Most of the women who were big shots in high school are either losers or have led very sad lives. But I always my one friend's date so I'm there. Plus I deserve a night out. For those of you that were less than hot shots in school, I hope you find you turned out better than the kings and queens did.

While I don't wish ill on anyone, I find personal success to be the best - affirmation - there is.

[973beachbum]

Jul 16, 2015 8:15:17 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I don't go to mine either and I live LESS than a mile away from my high school.   I didn't particulary enjoy most of high school, the best thing about it for me is that it is over.   Those I want to stay in touch with I already am on Facebook.   I really have no desire to get into a room of people where hte only thing we have in common is we graduated in 2002 and pretend to enjoy reliving the good old days.

Plus whoever is doing our organinzing sucks at it.  I didn't recieve any information regarding our 5 year reunion or a 10 year one.  I saw a brief mention of it on someone's facebook page and I thought I saw a quick flash on the screen in front of the schools as I drove by it (like I can park and read it ).  Otherwise nothing.

If they can't make an effort to find me I sure as heck am not going to spend my time/energy hunting them down.

I never actually went to mine, but I still talk to one person who was on the organizing committee and I can tell you they spent a lot of time and energy finding people.  They do send out letters to the people they know first simply because they know what the address is.   They also always added a thing on the bottom that said to pass it on to any other fellow graduates in case they hadn't been notified. 

They all also say the hardest to find are women.  Changing names makes finding some so hard and time consuming.  Men just keep their name andeven if they move it isn't that hard to figure out Joe Smith, age 39,  whose mom is Susan, Dad is Paul, and brother is John is really the Joe Smith you are looking for.  Once a woman changes her name it becomes darn near impossible to figure out her address unless you know her new name.

The point people is stop changing your names!

[CarolinaKat]

Jul 16, 2015 10:57:22 GMT -5 The Captain said:

Jul 16, 2015 9:48:13 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

I went two years ago to mine. Now found out they have a mini reunion the end of the month. I'm going to that, too. I find it an interesting character study. Plus, I wonder if the guy's memories are more colorful because I aged well. Most of the women who were big shots in high school are either losers or have led very sad lives. But I always my one friend's date so I'm there. Plus I deserve a night out. For those of you that were less than hot shots in school, I hope you find you turned out better than the kings and queens did.

While I don't wish ill on anyone, I find personal success to be the best - affirmation - there is.

I don't feel the need to see what happened to people I don't give a flip about. If I REALLY wanted to there's FB. 

I am happy.

[MN-Investor]

My DH's 40th was in 2012 and he was real hesitant about going. About 140 in his class. I knew he had a lot of friends in high school, so I convinced him to go and he had a super wonderful time.

The reunion was held at the local country club and I don't remember that it was expensive (this was small town Iowa).

The organizer had put together a handout with everyone's high school picture, a current picture (if they had sent it in), their address and email address, and a write-up - if they had sent it in - of what they had been doing since high school. Even better, she had created a class reunion Facebook page and shared the .pdf of that handout there.

Most folks are about 58 years old at their 40th class reunion. It was surprising how many folks had passed away, or how many women were widows.

I think one thing that helped my DH enjoy the reunion was that everyone recognized him. He's a friendly outgoing soul, but even better, most folks thought he had changed the least since high school. It helps that he still has all his curly hair and he's 6'3" and built like a football player. He's always stood out in a crowd.

[Lizard Queen]

Jul 16, 2015 8:15:17 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I don't go to mine either and I live LESS than a mile away from my high school.   I didn't particulary enjoy most of high school, the best thing about it for me is that it is over.   Those I want to stay in touch with I already am on Facebook.   I really have no desire to get into a room of people where hte only thing we have in common is we graduated in 2002 and pretend to enjoy reliving the good old days.

Plus whoever is doing our organinzing sucks at it.  I didn't recieve any information regarding our 5 year reunion or a 10 year one.  I saw a brief mention of it on someone's facebook page and I thought I saw a quick flash on the screen in front of the schools as I drove by it (like I can park and read it ).  Otherwise nothing.

If they can't make an effort to find me I sure as heck am not going to spend my time/energy hunting them down.

Yeah that, except substitute 1990. I did "crash" my own 5 yr reunion. My friend kept nagging me to go. I wasn't going to, since i never was contacted despite still living with my parents, who had lived in the same house my entire life.

I'm missing my 25th this year as well. It falls on the weekend of the annual family beach vacation. Oh well! I don't think I want to go to any ever again unless I start feeling successful in some way.