Happy New Year SJHS Classmates of 1956!!! May this be a year full of love, peace and fun for all of us. The fun factor should involve our 55^th class reunion which will be in early October of this year. We will be mailing registration materials in the spring but, as you know, you may go ahead and make reservations at Pipestem Lodge anytime. Quite a few of you have already reserved rooms.

We continue to solicit input and suggestions for the reunion as well as volunteers to help with some of the small group “sign up” activities such as Irish Road Bowling, mini-golf, golf, an Ecumenical service ,etc-----and activities you would like added to our list of possibilities. (We have volunteers for fishing, bridge, and table tennis). Feel free to volunteer. Don’t worry, the reunion committee will do most of the supportive work, but we need leaders to organize people who sign up and get them to the right place at the correct time.

We have received a few more donations and thank you for those generous contributions. You should rest assured that every penny raised or donated goes straight to reunion costs. The committee bears all of its own expenses.

We did recently lose another classmate: Lionel Crowder. Our records now indicate we have lost 122 of our classmates. Our age and losses are evidence that this could be our last big reunion. In the future we will probably plan smaller events in Charleston. For this reason, we really encourage you to return to WV for our 55^th class reunion. If we can help with transportation from Charleston to Pipestem, lodging while in Charleston, or any other details, please let us know. We will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Keep me informed of changes in address, phone and email so you won’t miss any mailings or information. And, don’t forget to check out the web site John Rogers started for us. ---www.sjhs56.info/

Send any news you have also. I will add it to future emails.---or put it on the web site.

I hope you are having less snow than we are---and warmer temperatures.!!!!

Just sending an update on the reunion: A few folks went to Pipestem a few days ago. The reunion schedule is falling into place although we will have to make some minor changes. On Friday October 7, we will celebrate the reunion by having everyone show up wearing something in red (scarlet) and/or grey. (Hope my grey hair counts as my cargo pants only come in khaki and dark green.) Registration will begin at 4PM followed by a cash bar, get reacquainted activity and social, and buffet. An ice cream social will follow the buffet. We will try for a group photo this particular evening---probably before we eat.

On Saturday we will have many optional activities organized. There will be a fishing tournament, nature walk, 2 hour hayrides with hot dogs and smores, corn hole toss contest, bridge tournament, & table tennis tournament. We will also have a miniature golf tournament if we can get a volunteer to kind of organize this. SO, IF YOU ARE IN THE MOOD TO BE A MINI-GOLF VOLUNTEER, LET ME KNOW. The course at Pipestem is tough!! Saturday evening we will have another buffet, jitterbug contest (if any person chooses to try) and judging for the best socks. People are encouraged to dress like they did in the fifties. (Did folks wear cargo pants in the 50s??) Oh, we will also have a silent auction of WV, classmate made, and SJHS items.

C.B Trent will be our host and master of ceremonies both evenings.

Sunday morning we will have our optional faith service. This will be followed by, we hope, a breakfast buffet for all and a last chance to chat with old friends before folks head home. We are seeking a musician for the Sunday service. IF ANY OF YOU PLAY GUITAR OR EVEN A KEYBOARD AND CAN BRING THIS WITH YOU TO THE REUNION, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!!

We are doing our best to keep reunion costs to a minimum. Our country’s economic situation is not helping as costs (food, gasoline, utilities, etc) seem to have gone up everywhere! That is one reason the breakfast buffet is still tentative while we play with budget---but we are optimistic.

We are pleased that quite a few of you have already registered---and still more of you have made lodge reservations. This will be our last big reunion so we want it to be a good one. (Future reunions will be lower key and in Charleston.) Contact us with any input or ideas. Otherwise, see you in October we hope!

55^TH REUNION UPDATE

I am emailing this to those with known email addresses and will mail it to others. We want to update you on a few points regarding the 55^th reunion coming up October 8^th and 9^th, 2011. First of all, registration will begin at 4PM on Friday. The class photo, buffet, and ice cream social are as previously described---and begin about the same time as registration. The registration letter mailed earlier stated festivities would begin Friday morning so the time for Friday activities is now corrected! We want to add, that Friday will be a scarlet and grey night for those with a variety of colors in their wardrobes. If you wish, join folks in showing off your old school colors.

Saturday is packed full with the fishing tournament, hayrides, nature walk with a ranger, corn hole toss tournament, bridge tournament and table tennis tournament. All these activities are part of your registration except the 2 hour hayride which Pipestem will do---pulling us in appropriate tractor drawn trucks. Tickets for the hayride can be purchased at registration and cost about $12.50 per person. Hot dogs will be provided for the “hayriders”. We have been asked if participation in any of these activities is required. Of course the activities are not required! They are offered for those who wish to participate and sign-up sheets for all activities will be available at the time of registration. Others may choose to go ride the tram, visit the nature center, soak in the hot tub, or just do their own thing. Saturday evening we do have the buffet and are calling this a 1950s sock hop night. A prize will be awarded for the most original decorated pair of socks. (Again socks are not mandatory for persons who prefer to go sockless!) If anyone wants to dance, we will have a jitterbug contest to 50s music.

We are not doing a golf tournament this year but some folks still want to play golf. If you let us know that you would like to play golf, we can “link” the golfers together so they can enjoy a round Saturday morning. (Email or let us know of your interest on your registration).

A silent auction will be in place both nights around the buffet time. Handmade, WV and SJHS items will be featured.

We will be giving registrants a $10.00 coupon to use for breakfast on Sunday morning.

We are still seeking someone who might play guitar for us at our Sunday morning Faith Service. Let us know quickly if you are bringing a special item for the silent auction so we can prepare the bid sheets. Also, don’t fail to call Pipestem and reserve your room. We would love to have registration complete by about August 18^th as this would give us time to finalize everything with the kitchen staff at Pipestem.

I can almost guarantee you that this will be our last BIG get together so try to come. We already have well over 50 folks registered so we anticipate over 100 once again for the reunion. I guarantee you that Pipestem provides a perfect setting for a fun weekend. Grab your toothbrush or denture cleaner and pack some comfy play clothes and join us!!!!!!

Hey Classmates

This will be a quick note. I need to update some email addresses and will take care of that in the next few days. I also promise to send a description of our reunion for those who could not come. If you missed it, you missed a GREAT time. Anyway, some of you know Curtis “C.B.” Trent became ill at the reunion. I just learned that he is back home but in the hospital in intensive care. They are prepping him for emergency surgery right now although I am not clear what procedure they are going to do. A heart catheterization showed a need for stints but he also may be dealing with some major gall bladder issues.

He is a very sick man. His family and close friends asked that I put out a call for prayer for C. B. Hold him in your thoughts and prayers. The next few days could be very important for him.

Thanks. Mary Jo

Hey Classmates

I wanted to get an update out to you before the holidays begin taking all the available time. First, if you missed the reunion, you missed an awfully good time. We held tournaments in corn hole toss, ping pong, bridge, and fishing---and awarded super (?) prizes to tournament winners. Some folks enjoyed a not-so-vigorous walk with the Park Naturalist around the lake area. Some daring souls went horseback riding. A few played golf. A lot just toured the gift shops, rode the tram, or hung out around the lodge and visited. A tractor and a truck were put to work pulling flatbeds piled with hay bales for a hay ride through the park. We had two buffets, a silent auction, a short lived jitterbug contest, and some entertainment. A few folks came in 50s dress to the Saturday night event. It was fun. There were canes, motor scooters and other pieces of equipment not so visible in prior get togethers-- but who cared?? There was a lot of laughing and chatting as we renewed friendships and got to know folks we had not known so well in high school. On Sunday morning quite a few folks attended a very special all faiths service. We are blessed to have several pastors in our class. I believe some material from the reunion may be posted on the web site John Rogers put together for us ( http://www.sjhs56.info/.)

The class photo taken at the reunion showed a lot of red and grey, and is a good picture. A few of these pictures are still available. If you want one, contact me. The photo comes with a template and list of names that matches the photo so you know who folks are!!! (A few of us have changed a bit over the years!)

We do want to plan a next reunion. Feedback from folks at the reunion was not terribly helpful so if you want to make suggestions on what to do and where to do it, send feedback as soon as possible. We have to reserve some spots 2-3 years in advance! What is more fun---picnics, games, dinners, dances, etc---let us know.

There was a memory board at the reunion with names and photos of 130 folks who have passed on. Someone hung a memento on the board---a small medical cup on a beaded chain. It said “French farewell” and was a keep sake from an event for one of the deceased classmates. If anyone picked this cup up thinking it was not important or just part of the decorations please let us know. The owner would love to have it returned.

We have found 2 more of our missing classmates cutting those we cannot find down to a mere 15---and we are hot on the trail of a few more folks. We found Donna Lewis Bird---living right here under our noses--- but no one knew her married name. And, we discovered Elsie Workman had died in 2002. Our objective is to find all missing classmates but that may be very unrealistic.

For those of you who have asked: Curtis Trent is improving. (If you did not know he became ill at the reunion). He is out of intensive care and finally beginning to stay awake more. He is talking and eating a bit---and we are all hopeful for continued improvement. If you need his address at Carolinas Medical center let me know.

Have a great and blessed new year and please keep in touch with your reunion committee.