THE CLASS OF 1956
50th Reunion
October 27 & 28, 2006
Auburn, Alabama
THE CLASS OF 1956
50th Reunion
October 27 & 28, 2006
Auburn, Alabama
UPDATE ON REUNION PLANS
As of October 19, 46 class members have indicated that they plan to attend, and we believe several more will join the celebration. We have not yet received payment from all 46. Check the list on our class website.
At our 48th reunion in March of 2004, the group said we should have a 50th reunion on the first weekend in March of 2006. On August 13, 2005, Shelby, Susan, Vandy, Bernie, and Mary met to begin making the plans. We were unable to secure accommodations in Auburn for that weekend in March and postponed the reunion for a later date. Through Shelby’s emails, the class members determined that October 28 would be our date of the Big Reunion. On March 4, 2006, Shelby, Vandy, Don, Olene, Janice, Edward, Gene, Bobby, and Mary met to discuss the arrangements. We asked for feedback about our tentative plans from the larger group, and on July 22, Shelby, Vandy, Gene, Don, Bobby, Janice, Harvey, and Mary made the following decisions.
MAIN EVENT Dinner Saturday Night and Class Picture, October 28, 2006, 6:00 Central
Gene and Avis have graciously offered to host our main event Saturday night at
their home. This will be a barbecue supper. A professional photographer
will take our official group picture at 6:30, probably in or around Gene's
nearby office building. The attire for the occasion will be casual (but
appropriate for a picture of such historical import). The program
will be brief so that we will have time to move around and do what we like best:
talk with each other! Directions to Gene and Avis' house
are on our map page.
OTHER ACTIVITIES/INFORMATION
Friday Night, October 27, 2006, 6:00 Central
We will have an informal gathering (hors d'oeuvres and cash bar) at the Auburn Hilton Garden Inn. Attire is “dressy casual.” There is a room opening to the patio where we can visit comfortably. There will be no agenda or program, just plenty of visiting time. (The hors d'oeuvres will be classified as "heavy," so we can count this event as supper.) Check our map page.Friday Morning/Afternoon
Anybody wanting to play golf should contact Shelby.Class Booklet
Instead of having lengthy individual self-introductions at the main reunion, we will distribute class booklets. We hope to collect information from everyone, including those who are not able to participate in the reunion events. We will mail booklets--if requested. Here are the directions for sending the information. You can fill out an online form with your information for the printed booklet, respond by email, or write out your answers and send them via snailmail. I decided not to put the link to the form on the website because of the crazies out there who would submit their own special versions. The link to the form was sent to you recently, either through email or snailmail. Your information must be sent by October 23.Recent Picture
You will need to send a recent picture, preferably a "head shot," to Mary by October 23.Miscellaneous Expenses
In addition to the booklet and the class photo, other group expenses include postage, telephone calls, programs, souvenirs, name tags, etc.Sunday Morning Breakfast Buffet
Just show up at the Hilton Garden Inn's breakfast buffet; no arrangements are necessary. The cost for this breakfast is not included in our "special package rate." Check our map page.Rooms
The Hilton Garden Inn will accept room reservations until October 14 at $89/night plus taxes. (We heard that they are now sold out.) Be sure to ask for this special group rate when you make your reservations. This hotel is very close to Gene and Avis' home. The website link provides directions and contact information. Check our map page.
Saturday Morning Bus Tour
Vandy has arranged for a school bus to take us on the Grand Tour. We thought the fellowship of having everybody on the bus would be an occasion in itself!
- PARK AT THE AUBURN UNIVERSITY LARGE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
The tour will begin at 8:30 and end at this location around 12:30. There is a convenient parking lot. Check our map page for directions.- TOUR (DRIVE-BY ONLY) OF THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES ON THE AUBURN UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
Since we were in high school, the university has more than doubled in size and has a number of new buildings, including the awesome Jule Collins Smith Fine Arts Museum.- TOUR (DRIVE-BY ONLY) OF THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE CITY OF AUBURN
Our sleepy little village is now one of the fastest-growing cities in the South, with residential developments exploding throughout what we knew as farm land. The documented reason for such growth? “The quality of life”: shopping, medical facilities, recreation opportunities, and of course, schools!- STOP AT GENE’S SECOND NURSERY LOCATION
Two years ago, everybody who went to Gene’s first nursery location was fascinated to see the scope of this national plant operation. We now look forward to seeing the newer (and even larger) facility. The business is one of the most technologically advanced nurseries in the country.- BOX LUNCH AT THE AUBURN UNIVERSITY LARGE ANIMAL HOSPITAL
Around noon, the bus tour will end at this site. Boxes lunches will be delivered.
Saturday Afternoon Optional Activities
After lunch, there are several suggested options that are not part of the organized group activities.
- After lunch at the AU Large Animal Hospital, explore this nationally recognized teaching facility with noteworthy technology.
- Take your car and see if you can find the old high school. We will announce the time of this visit later once we know how many people would like to participate. In 1956, the buildings housed first grade through twelfth grade, but now Auburn Junior High School contains only grades eight and nine in the original buildings--plus several new buildings. (This activity is not included in the morning activities because many of us toured our old stomping grounds in 2004.)
- Tour the Jule Collins Smith Fine Arts Museum. (Again, we did not include this in the main tour because many of us visited this impressive site in 2004. Jule is Alberta's sister, so we had a special tour.)
- Syrup-sopping in Loachapoka. For real. Check the sopping website!
- An afternoon nap
COSTS/DEPOSITS
Because of the generosity of Gene and Avis, we are able to package all the activities for Saturday and for Friday night at the Hilton for the cost of $100. That's the deposit and the final cost for each couple or single participant. To put it another way: We're offering a special bargain; you can pay $100 per individual or pay $100 per couple! Two for the price of one! When we tried to assign a monetary value for each activity and expense during the two days, we realized that this was an impossible task. $100 will cover one class booklet, one class picture, one or two box lunches Saturday, "heavy" hors d'oeuvres for one or two people Friday night, and an assortment of miscellaneous expenses. We know that some of you will not be able to attend all the events, and some of us singletons (!) will be paying the same price as a couple, and that some of this seems illogical; however, we do not have an accountant! The committee felt that $100 would be a reasonable package expense for an individual or couple. Examples of uncovered costs are your hotel rooms and other meals (like the Sunday buffet), the individual's use of the cash bar Friday night, and golf fees.
Bobby has opened a bank account for us, and we will carefully account for the use of the money. Please send your $100 to him at 1790 Woodberry Circle, Auburn, AL 36830. Make your check payable to Robert Harper or to Auburn High Reunion. We really need your deposit immediately. We would like to use any remaining monies (1) to purchase a gift of appreciation for Avis (We talked about that behind Gene's back!) and (2) to present a gift in the name of the Class of 1956 to Auburn High.