Remembering...

“We do not remember days, we remember moments. The richness of life lies in memories we have forgotten.”  --Cesare Pavese

These "Fifty Years Past Blasts" have stepped us through our senior year, bringing us here to the May/June edition and the memory of our June 4 graduation--the last time we stood together as a class.  Now, as I read the programs from Class Day and Commencement, the graduation edition of "The Avalanche" and "Taku", my memory of events is a haze.  I'm baffled that I don't remember which classmate I marched with, the speeches at commencement, or most events of the day. It's some consolation that fifty years is a long time, and I'm heartened that while I may not remember full events of the day, I do remember the "moment"-- being part of the group, sitting together for the last time, then standing and singing the "Alma Mater" together, as a class.  
  
Our class of '64, like all public school classes, was a collection of youngsters of a prescribed age grouped together as classmates whose families resided within the enrollment boundaries of our school. We may not have bonded with many nor associated outside of school, but we went through the system as a group, sharing time, space and the experiences of our era. The grade school photos collected for the Memory Book show the span of time some of our lives were entwined.  From the wiggling, giggling kindergartners to the senior photos in Taku, we are, and always will be, classmates--part of one another's past and the moments and faces we remember.  

Soon we have the chance to reunite with our class after fifty years. This milestone event feels like a rite of passage, like salmon swimming back upstream, drawn back from our "senior years" to our senior year, viewed through the lens of all that's happened in between. 

The posting date of this blog is the 50th anniversary of our graduation day, June 4, 1964, a day most of us reached together and celebrated together. Happy Anniversary!  What a trip we've all made!  What moments, after all this time, will most of us remember?  What memories will we discover at the reunion that we had forgotten?  Will we recognize the faces of our classmates?  Will they recognize ours? We may worry that we have gained weight, gone gray, or somehow won't measure up. But we're old enough to know that none of that matters. What matters is our GHS class of '64 together again for an evening of reunion. Each person in the class represents a memory with their presence and that evening we will make more memories still.  

When we left Glacier we never thought about living this long or how our school and classmates helped shape our lives. It will be meaningful and special to gather again as part of the group, to mark this life event together, and then stand and sing the "Alma Mater" together, as a class, like we did fifty years before.  We can't wait to see you all there!

FIFTY YEARS PAST BLAST:  
MAY/JUNE, 1964
Like a time capsule from fifty years ago, here’s a blast from our past: world news headlines, cultural trends, and Glacier happenings from our senior year.

We had arrived at the final weeks and days of our k-12 years.  The pace quickened as we drew near our commencement on Thursday, June 4.  It began to seem real that we were seeing classmates for the last time as we signed annuals and practiced walking the processional and recessional for Class Day and Commencement. Our senior year was coming to an end. 

In the rest of the country social unrest was escalating with racial conflict, anti-Vietnam protests, and Cold War escalation setting the stage for the future we would soon enter. 

NEWS HEADLINES

(Click on photos to enlarge)

MAY

-- First BASIC Program Runs on a Computer (Dartmouth)

--U.S. Performs Nuclear Test at Nevada Test Site

--First Major Student Demonstrations Against the Vietnam War--in Seattle, Boston, NYC, San Francisco, and Madison, Wisconsin

--Twelve young men in NYC publicly burn their draft cards in protest of the Vietnam War, the first such act of war resistance

--USSR Performs Nuclear Test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk (USSR)

--US Diplomats Find At Least 40 Secret Microphones in Moscow Embassy

--US Begins Intelligence Flights Above Laos

--Lyndon B. Johnson Presents "Great Society" 

Lyndon B. Johnson
36th U.S. President

--Supreme Court Rules Closing Schools to Avoid Desegregation Unconstitutional

--The Charter of the Palestine Liberattion Organization (PLO) Released by The Arab League

--Unmanned Apollo 2 Saturn Test Launched Into Earth Orbit

--18th Tony Awards:  "Luther" and "Hello, Dolly!" Win

--16th Emmy Awards: "Dick Van Dyke Show", Dick Van Dyke & Mary Tyler Moore Win

JUNE

--Senator Barry Goldwater Wins the California Republican Presidential Primary Making Him the Overwhelming Favorite for the Nomination

--Rolling Stones Begin First U.S. Tour (With  Bobby Goldsboro and Bobby Vee)

--Queen Elizabeth Orders The Beatles to Her Birthday Party; They Attend

--Jack Nicklaus Wins British Open Golf Tournament

--Nelson Mandela Sentenced to Life in Prison in South Africa

--Civil Rights Act of 1964 Passes After 83-Day Filibuster in Senate

--Three Civil Rights Workers Disappear After Release From a Mississippi Jail;  Murdered by Local Klansmen and a Deputy Sheriff Near Philadelphia, Mississippi. 

--General Maxwell Taylor Appointed U.S. Ambassador in South Vietnam

--FTC Rules Health Warnings Must Appear On All Cigarette Packages

From this....

To this...!

--Organization for Afro-American Unity Formed in NY by Malcolm X

--First Draft of Star Trek's Pilot "Cage" Released

--Centaur 3 Launch Vehicle Fails to Make Earth Orbit

--The Catholic Church Condemns the Female Oral Contraceptive "The Pill"

--Jim Bunning Pitches a Perfect Game For the Philadelphia Phillies, the First in the National League Since 1880.  

MOVIES YOU MIGHT HAVE GONE TO SEE: Source: Wikipedia U.S. #1 fILMS BY WEEK

• The Carpetbaggers, Paramount, George Peppard, Alan Ladd, Carroll Baker

• Crack In The World, Paramount, Dana Andrews

• Viva Las Vegas, MGM, Elvis Presley, Ann-Margret

• From Russia With Love, United Artists, Sean Connery

• Hey There, It's Yogi Bear! Hanna-Barbera/Columbia Pictures, Animated

• Bedtime Story, Universal Pictures, Marlon Brando, Shirley Jones, David Niven

• The Unsinkable Molly Brown, MGM, Debbie Reynolds, Harve Presnell, Ed Begley

• A Shot in the Dark, United Artists, Peter Sellers, Elke Sommer

BOOKS ON THE NY TIMES BEST SELLER LIST:  (top five adult fiction a/o May 1964)

• The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, John le Carre (would run as #1 from Feb. 23 - September 27)

• Convention, Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II

• The Group, Mary McCarthy

• A Night in Lisbon, Erich Maria Remarque

• The Spire, William Golding

TV EVENTS AND PROGRAMMING:

• TV Sets Manufactured from May 1 Forward Required to Receive UHF Channels

• Rolling Stones Make Their American TV Debut on "The Hollywood Palace"

• American Soap Opera "Another World" Debuted on NBC

• The Avengers

• Ben Casey

Music you would have heard (on your transistor radio?): 

(Source: Billboard #1 Singles 1964--click on the title to listen)

• Can't Buy Me Love, The Beatles (week of May 2)

• Hello Dolly, Louis Armstrong & The All Stars (week of May 9)

• My Guy, Mary Wells (weeks of May 16 & 23)

• Love Me Do, The Beatles (week of May 30)

• Chapel of Love, The Dixie Cups (weeks of June 6, 13 & 20)

• A World Without Love, Peter & Gordon (week of June 27)

Around Glacier

(Gleanings from "The Avalanche", "Student Handbook 1963-64", Annual and other sources)

The school year was ending and Glacier students, faculty and administrators were busy winding down another year and thinking about the next.  Elections for officers, pep staff, and turnouts for sports took place as the junior class advanced to upper classmen. For us, it was all about graduation and there was so much to do before June 4. We were part of life's cycle, as we prepared to move on...

• Senior Prom - "C'est Si Bon" was the theme for the April 25th Prom hosted by the Junior Class in honor of the Seniors. Music was by:  Gentlemen of Note.  As written in the May 29, 1964, Avalanche:  "Barb Roedell was crowned Queen at the 1964 Junior-Senior Prom with Chris Parkinson and Maureen Young as her princesses. Miss Roedell wore the traditional velvet robe over her pink empire-style floor length dress.  Miss Parkinson wore a peach strapless dress and Miss Young was dressed in a white and gold floor length gown.  All three received the traditional long stemmed red roses." 

Due to the timing of the prom and publication deadlilnes, a photo of prom royalty was not in the annual or "The Avalanche".  We are glad to have this photo see the light of day!
Photo courtesy of Maureen (Young) Strasser

• Mother's Tea - The fourth annual Mother's Tea and fashion show, "Our Day in May", was a May Day event that year hosted by the Glacier Girls' Club.  650 mothers and daughters enjoyed student performances in dance and music along with retail and tailoring class fashions modelled by students.  General Chairman of the Tea was Kit Kleinz. Ann Alexander was selected "1964 Friendliest Girl of the Year" announced by Girls' Club President, Cherie Watson.

• New ASB officers for 1964-'65 were elected May 12:  Dana Dalton-President; Jill Lopresti-Vice President; Sue Holliday-Secretary; Iris Oldham-Treasurer.

• Glacier's Mock Political Convention - Hosted by the Debate Class, each home room represented a state and sent both a Republican and a Democratic delegate to the convention. Democrats nominated and elected their presidential and vice presidential ticket of Lyndon B. Johnson and Robert F. Kennedy.  Republicans nominated Henry Cabot Lodge and William Scranton but the ticket was defeated 478 to 332 by student ballot. Jeanette Desimone was Convention Chairman; Cheryl Crawford was Secretary for the Convention; Janet Prince was Democratic Chair; John Meeker (junior) was Republican Chair. 

• Varsity Awards - Forty-nine athletes received their letters in track, baseball, golf and tennis at the May 20 Spring Sports Assembly. Vicki Rauma received the first Glacier trophy for Most Inspirational, presented to the pep staff member as voted by pep staff members.

• State High School Track Meet - Dave Janet and Norm Christianson both took honors at State in Pullman.  Janet won the shot put, heaving 62', 9-1/2" surpassing a seven year state record by 2', 2-1/2". Christianson (a junior) placed fifth in pole vault.

• Baseball Finale - Glacier tallied three runs in the fifth inning and held on for an upset win, 6-5, over Highline as their last game of the season.  The game, played on Sunset Field, was the last for seniors Tony Lewis, Andy Vasilieff and Bob Fusch.  

• A thoughtful editorial from "The Avalanche" on our class athletes' three years of sports: 

• Annual DE Employer-Employee Banquet - Carol Platt presided over this annual dinner held at The Holiday Inn.  Clark Daffern gave a welcome speech and Carla Hagen gave the invocation.  Entertainment was a magic show performed by Mr. Robert Green.  Janet Prince gave a speech on "My Life As A Trading Stamp" given at the earlier DECA Conference.  Sears Mail Order Dept. Manager, Mr. Fred Wells, spoke on their employee review card.  

•  We Were Signing Annuals and Remembering When...

• Class Day - May 29 - "Around the World in 1984 with the Class of 1964" Sophomore and Junior classes advanced followed by the procession of the 247 graduating seniors marching in wearing the traditional Class Day color of white. Wills were presented followed by the reading of the history, prophecy, class polls, and the senior song "Sailing On" was given. Scholarships and award winners were announced and the senior gift--a picture of President John F. Kennedy for the school purchased through fundraisers by Tri-Hi-Y--was presented to the school.  The singing of the Alma Mater preceded the recessional concluding Class Day.

• American Legion Boy & Girl of the Year - Ken Anderson and Cheryl Crawford were selected by faculty for this annual award announced and presented on Class Day by the American Legion, Post 134 in Burien. 

• The Senior Class Named 40 students to the 20 categories of its "Class Poll".

• Baccalaureate Services Sunday, May 31 - Wearing their caps and gowns, the seniors marched in and out of the Glacier gymnasium to the notes of "Pomp and Circumstance" played by the Glacier Band.  Dr. Donald Demaray, Dean of Religion at Seattle Pacific College, delivered the baccalaureate address entitled "The Fool and the Fighter".  Reverend Richard L. Terry, Pastor of the Boulevard Park Presbyterian Church, delivered the invocation.  Gwen Cox sang the "Lord's Prayer". 

• Commencement Exercises June 4 - Held in the Glacier auditorium at 8:00 p.m., Thursday, June 4, 1964.  Each senior was allowed four guests with additional tickets available on request.  After the processional to "Pomp & Circumstance" played by the Glacier Band, the invocation was given by the Reverend Richard L. Terry.  

  Commencement Highlights:

• Violin Solo "Adoration" by Kathy O'Kelly accompanied by Judy Gauntt

• Commencement Speakers: Vicki Hostetler, Barbara Billings, Steve Tredway, Cheryl Crawford on the theme of education in keeping with the epigram of Alexander Pope: "A little learning is a dangerous thing; Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian Spring: There shallow drafts intoxicate the brain, and drink largely sobers us again." The "Pierian Spring" represents the understanding of the arts and sciences. 

• "Impressions of a Scottish Air" played by the band

• Presentation of Awards by Mrs. Emmylou Oakes, senior counselor

• Presenting of the class by Mr. Frank Anderson, principal.

• Singing of The Alma Mater by the class

• Benediction by the Reverend Richard L. Terry followed by the recessional

• Reception in the cafeteria given by the senior parents (Chair: Mrs. C. L. Brandt)

• We Were Graduated!  We had sung the Alma Mater together for the last time.  The tassels on our graduation caps were moved from the left to the right.  The diplomas were given and we joined our parents for the reception.  With hasty farewells to teachers and friends we left Glacier for the last time, without a backward glance. When, if ever, would we see our classmates again?  

Photo courtesy of Maureen Young Strasser

JUNE 2014

If we thought at all about gathering again it wasn't until our 10th reunion when we had forged paths into our respective adult lives.  71 classmates gathered then at the SeaTac Holiday Inn.  Four reunions have been held since (the 21st, 30th, 35th and 45th), the largest being the 21st with 88 classmates.  We expect to surpass that number for our milestone 50th--two ticket orders came in within one week of invitations being mailed January 6, and have arrived steadily since then.  We expect to fill the room with GHS '64 Grizzlies! 

Our class motto was "Carpe Diem" or "Seize the Day" and if we've learned anything in our 68 +/- years it's to grab opportunities when they show themselves. September 6, 2014, is the day the Class of '64 has the opportunity to meet again. Seize the Day! The event is made more special by each classmate in the room. There are memories to share, new memories to be made, and fifty years is cause for celebration! We can't wait to see you and it won't be a reunion if you aren't there!   

If you need to be put in a 60's party mood, take a listen!  Remember this?

"Sayin' we gotta go! Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!"  See you September 6!!!

NOTE: Tickets and Memory Books must be purchased not later than July 1. 
To order, complete and submit the Order Form included in your mailed invitation--or--download, print, and submit the Order Form provided on our 50th Reunion Website:

https://sites.google.com/site/glacierhighschoolclassof1964/50-year-reunion-invitation

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Submitted June 4, 2014
Diana (Stillwell) Carew
GHS '64