The long awaited fortieth reunion of the Jonathan Alder Class of 1968 occurred in a most beautiful style, on a lovely day in mid-August. Forty-seven classmates and three faculty members came out to Fred and Linda Kile's Farm in Plain City to celebrate a lifetime of friendship.
A few classmates, led by Chuck Reed, Michelle Troyer, Carol Shyers, Mary Detweiler Young, Lynn Church, Andy and Bev Greenbaum, showed up Friday evening, August 15, 2008, to begin the preparations and decorate the party barn at the Kile's property, on Route 161, just north of the town's limits. David Mitchell's truck brought tables and chairs from the Plain City V.F.W. Lodge, where he is commander.
Arnett Howard and his musical friends rolled onto the property at 1:30 pm., on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon to begin setup for the live music to begin at three o'clock. The entire Greenbaum Family was on hand to carve up the roasted pig that they had donated to the afternoon's feast of salads, sweets and beverages. Then the parking area began to fill with alumni and spouses.
The band didn't need leadership, as the leader was busy remaking friends with classmates unseen since June, 1968 when the thirteenth graduating class of the small, Madison County high school received their diplomas. Jobs at the local Ranco Controls awaited some graduates, like Mary Detweiler and Kathy Thompson, military service awaited Chuck and Andy, while Grace Hostetler, Susan George, Linda Flowers and Charlie Stenner prepared for their first college days.
Teresa Boyhan Dickinson eventually settled in Florida with the rest of her siblings, who grew up off US Route Forty-Two near the Village of Arnold. At the reunion, she saw her varsity basketball sisters, Lynn, Kathy, Susan Edwards Prochaska and with the team uniform in hand, she reminded us of the team, coached by Marcella Myers, that went four undefeated years, from 1964-68. If there had been Ohio women's state athletic tourneys during that era, perhaps Alder would have had a few extra state tournament trophies, instead of just the two gathered up by Susan's daughter, Laura's squad in 2004 and 2006.
Chuck Reed, current Madison County recorder, had a scrapbook of press clippings from the Washington ceremonies that upgraded Charlie Stenner from major to lieutenant general, commander and chief of the U.S. Air Force Reserves. Charlie and Dee Dee were among the most excited about renewing past friendships.
During the formal part of the afternoon, as master of ceremonies, I welcomed everyone and the committee began to draw names for the door prizes that had been accumulated. Charlie was the first to be invited to the microphone and he responded to the question, "What's it like to fly faster that the speed of sound?"
His answer seemed to demystify breaking the sound barrier, "As you approach mach one speed, you're watching your air speed indicator. When it passes through mach one, the needle on the gauge shakes, but you don't feel any buffet in the airplane. You just continue to watch the indicator go higher; 1.1, 1.2, 1.3."
I spoke on the grand day that I had just one year earlier, when on July 21, 2007, I celebrated my fortieth year as a professional musician, as guest trumpeter on the Twentieth Anniversary concert of the Lancaster Festival Orchestra. That same day coincided with the ninetieth birthday of my mentor and friend, Ray Starrett, who was band director in Jonathan Alder Schools for decades.
As the names of prize winners were offered up and all came forward to make their claim, they were handed a microphone and encouraged to reminisce about a great day in their lives during the past forty. And nearly everyone did, including three of our faculty who joined us for the event; Ray Russell, Dorothy Sayre and Jerry Banyots, who after winning an Alder athletic shirt said, "I look back fondly at those years and enjoy my meetings with former students."
The reunion party went well into the darkness and a bright, full, yellow moon arose over the pond that highlights the Kile farm. Linda walked the perimeter, lit luminaries and after the official farewell was bid, hugs and kisses were exchanged. We collectively repacked left over foods, tables and chairs, and took down the decorations, like the team we were in our youthful years before 1968.
What a grand day was Saturday, August 16, 2009, reuniting with lifelong friends.
