CHS CLASS OF '53 HAS 60th REUNION

********************************

1953 to 2013 – Sixty Years, a reunion

********************************

by Richard Drake, guest writer

The Clovis High School class of 1953 met in Clovis over the Memorial Day weekend for its 60^th reunion.  We all anticipated looking back at old memories and they started coming back to us as we were driving across the plains of west Texas. The landscape was very very dry.  The closer we got to New Mexico, the dryer it seemed to be.  It was just like it was when we were growing up in the “Wonderful Land of Clovis”.  Yes, we remembered them so well.  Every few miles or so, we would see a big dust devil.   Tumble weeds were piled along some of the fences by the highways.  The few trees in the ditches were almost all dead.  They looked like the Elm trees that we grew up with. Even the yuccas appeared to be struggling. Of course, the mesquite trees were doing well. And it was a welcome sight to see the irrigated fields with their new green growth.

As we early arrivers were checking into our rooms we were welcomed by a surprise storm.   It was right out of the 1950’s.  The dust was just terrible. After the winds abated we made a quick trip to Wal-Mart to get a forgotten toiletry item and we found dirt at least one quarter of an inch thick on the floor of the entrance for a distance of about 15 feet into the store.  It was a reminder of the “good ole” days, only a little different in that some large rain drops came with the sand.  The next morning the cars were covered with red mud.  YES, we were back in New Mexico.

            The first event of the reunion was a “lets meet for dinner” at the El Rancho.  No one had expected a large turnout for this early event so the restaurant set up a room for thirty people and before you knew it, more place settings were needed.  One count was 47 people. The wait staff tried their best to take care of everyone.  They were overwhelmed.  It gave us extra time to do a lot of visiting while the orders were taken and the food was being prepared.

 To paraphrase an expression from a well known novel, it was the happiest of times and also the saddest.  Happy because so many of our classmates were looking so fit.  They were maybe a little more gray, a little more wrinkled, some a little heavier and some with a slight sag in their posture.   The women were, as I remembered them, the prettiest girls in New Mexico.  Thinking back, not even the girls from Albuquerque High School in their “trend setting skin tight Levi jeans” could compete with our girls.  Yes, they were pretty.

  The sad part of the event was so many of our classmates have passed on to a better place.  Over one-third of the graduating members of the class are no longer with us.  Some of the more recent were Alvis Glidewell, the thin as a rail guard of the 53’ state champs and, shortly before, Gerald Clancy, our  6’4´center had preceded him.   Wilbur Johnson, an all star football player at left tackle, attended with wife, Jodi.  Wilbur passed one week after the gathering.  All of our classmates will be missed.

On Saturday afternoon, a mixer was held at the Clovis Civic Center.  Again, the turnout was large and the visiting was good.  Phil Gore had videotaped some of the earlier reunions and had transferred them onto a digital disk.  They played into a continuous loop on a large screen and provided a good background for the conversing.  It was fun to look back to the earlier times.  Several people brought their scrap books and old annuals.  They received a lot of attention. 

After brief naps (remember our ages), it was back to the Civic Center for the reunion dinner.  Thirty seven classmates were in attendance for a total of 59 people, counting spouses and a few off-spring. To every one’s pleasant surprise, the food was excellent.  The City of Clovis has really kept pace with other cities. Raymond Atkins, who chaired the planning committee for the event, kicked off the program with a few remarks.  He turned things over to Phil Gore who, as expected, was a witty speaker and excellent story teller.  He had several funny things to say, in particular, about his bow tie on which no one had commented.  At the mixer he pointed out that no one noticed his new purple and white shirt for which he had paid over 80 dollars.  As the story was repeated the shirt became less expensive. He said his feelings were hurt but his mischievous grin told another story.

Marcia Drake, who had done all of the corresponding with classmates leading up to the event, gave a brief report on her correspondence with many of our old friends who could not make it to Clovis but did send news.  She reported that over 20 people had contacted her with news of their families and about other friends. Marcia received a “job well done” from all of the attendees.  

Raymond reported that the bank account for the reunion effort had grown to more than was needed to plan and kick start another reunion.  The committee had decided to have drawings for the excess. Eight people shared in the “loot”, ranging from $80.00 to $10.00.  Bob Snipes acted as the money bag man and there were rumors of a possible “fix” when Betty Rae’s name was pulled out of the hat.   All had a good laugh.

After a great dessert there was a discussion about having another reunion and when should it be held.  In – three years or five years?  A voice from the back of the room settled the matter when he said “think about it.  At our age five years may be too long to wait”.  So it was agreed to meet again in three years.  Marcia once again volunteered to handle the correspondence.  Classmates still living in Clovis will serve as the planning and coordinating. 

The evening ended with a standing rendition of the Clovis school song.

“Other schools have different colors

And different emblems too

But the Clovis sons and daughters

Have the white and purple true

These are our colors royal

And may we never forget that while

They robe the monarch they deck the violet.”

Hope to see everyone in three years

----30----
For Mil's Place
by Richard Drake
6-12-13