All-school reunion in doubt

KateLynn Slaamot
NLJ Correspondent
 
In 1980, Newcastle had its first All-School Reunion, offered to anyone who has attended Newcastle schools. The first reunion was spearheaded by Tom Whitley, a past county attorney in the community. Whitley was inspired by the Newcastle Centennial, which was like the all-school reunion, according to Walt Soper, who assisted with the events until around 2000. That reunion and those that followed have helped people reconnect with old friends and classmates, according to Ann McColley, who has helped organize them from the first one.
Throughout the years, the reunion has been greatly appreciated by current members of the community as well as those who have moved away. At least a couple thousand people have attended in the past, indicating the popularity of the get-together. Attendees come from all over the country, and even a few come from overseas. However, if younger members of the community don’t take charge to plan the reunion, McColley said, the event will most likely not occur anymore. The next reunion would be in 2020.
“I just think it needs to go to the younger members,” McColley said. She said that she’d like to see the community’s younger people step up and organize the reunion because most people who have been involved are getting older, and organizing the reunion is a very arduous undertaking. 
According to McColley, planning needs to start at least a year in advance. The reunion committee meets about once a month once the planning begins. Anyone who wants to be involved may attend and be named a committee chairman of the various sub-committees, such as those planning advertising, registration, decorating and more. The event is an overall group effort, with everyone on the committee pitching in. A directory is also made from information gathered in the years between reunions – news of classmates, including current address, vocation and contact information. McColley said that each class has at least one representative who is responsible for gathering the information on classmates from that class. The book is sponsored by various businesses through their purchase of ads within the pages. 
The reunion takes place every five years, usually in the summer – around the Fourth of July. Registration is on a Friday, Soper said, and the next morning there is a parade down Main Street. Each class is encouraged to find a vehicle from the year they graduated to participate in the parade. At noon, the whole group has a barbecue picnic at the fairgrounds, followed by an auction. Both Friday evening and Sunday, individual classes or groups of classes gather in smaller groups to socialize. 
“Ann McColley and I were co-chairmen for quite a few years,” Soper said. Soper said that he had a large part in the food area of the reunion. 
Bill Russell served for two reunions as a co-chairman with McColley, in 2005 and 2010. Help was needed, he said, and he was glad to offer a hand. His main roles were assisting with the barbecue and the book. He said that the book was a very time-consuming project, but also a very useful resource. 
“I just think it (reunion) brings back lots of memories that you shared when you were in school,” McColley said. Both she and Soper also noted that the reunions allows past students of Newcastle schools to spend time with acquaintances they have maybe lost touch with over the years. The reunion preserves a degree of history because some attendees graduated many years ago, according to Russell. McColley, Russell and Soper all agreed that, over the years, the all-school reunion has offered some very enjoyable times.
“He (Whitley) was a great community-minded individual,” Russell said. After the first reunion, some funds were left over, and the money went toward a scholarship for college-bound high school students, the NHS Jubilee Scholarship. Soper said that Whitley wanted the money to go back to the community. Those who attend are asked to bring memorabilia unique to where they live to be sold at the auction following the picnic, and that money goes to the scholarship. 
A scholarship committee determines the recipients of the awards. McColley said that students send in their applications and the committee goes through the applications to choose who will receive the scholarship. Each year, at least two scholarships have been awarded, sometimes more. 
“It’s a way for the reunion to give back to the students attending Newcastle High School,” McColley said. Russell said he believes that the scholarship encourages young people to pursue higher education.