The 118th Annual Dinner and Meeting of the Patriot High School Alumni Association was held last Saturday, May 28th, with 200 members and guests in attendance.
Following the invocation given by Bob Stutzman from the class of 1957, everyone enjoyed a delicious turkey dinner with all the trimmings.
The meeting began a salute to veterans with the reading of a poem by Joanne Fuchs entitled “The Noble and the Brave,” and was followed by the “The Star Spangled Banner” led by Wilma Washnock Gillespie.
To commemorate their 50 years, the 12 members of the Class of 1961 were presented with pins by classmate Carol Ann Hutcherson Armstrong: Glenda Brameier Wells, Donna Cook Johnson, Donna Evans Eisenman, Saundra Graves Peters, David Hite, Robert Kent, Randall Koons, Richard Koons, Eddie Oatman, Katherine Scudder and Brenda Thomas Koons. Classmate Harold Miller passed away in 2008.
A memorial service and candle lighting was conducted by Linda Heath Bond for the alumni members who passed away in the last year.
The Guy S. Harris Scholarship was presented to Darcie DeLong, granddaughter of William Harvey Rea and Patricia Patterson Rea, both from the Class of 1954. Darcie is a recent graduate of Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis and she hopes to major in music and education. In appreciation Darcie sang her own beautiful rendition of a song she described as being self-descriptive.
President Janice Romans Meadors of the Class of 1962 presided over the business meeting with the secretary’s report by Linda Bond and the treasurer’s report by Carol Ann Armstrong accepted as read. It was decided that rather than hold an election of new officers, the current officers would serve for another year.
Gifts were presented: Oldest member present, Harold Hill, Class of 1940; the Youngest member present, Patty Shannon Viers, Class of 1967; the member that had traveled the farthest, Bobby Smith, Class of 1951 who came from Florida; and to Darcie DeLong the scholarship recipient.
The evening ended with the singing of the Patriot High School fight song, and the benediction by Willowdean Kelly Niccum, Class of 1944.
- Kay Cook