INNISFAIL — There’s a special graduating class party underway in town.
The Royal Canadian Legion Branch #104 in Innisfail has welcomed dozens of Innisfail High School (IHS) graduates from the Class of 1972.
Linda Scott, a full-time receptionist at the local legion, is a co-organizer of the Class of '72 50th Reunion Innisfail Jr. Sr. High School that will be held this weekend starting today (Friday, June 10).
She also played a big part in organizing the 10th Class of 72 reunion at Kellys Campground and the 25th at Aberdeen Hall.
There has not been a reunion since the 25th and this time around she has decided to step back a bit and accept help from longtime friend Gary Thompson, an IHS graduate and now a geologist from Olds.
“I'd like to thank him for all his dedication and hard work,” said Scott. “We’ve maintained our friendship since high school.”
Scott said the 50th reunion plans were boosted with money leftover in the bank from the past two reunions.
“We had accumulated about $1,800 that we had to spend, and plus I've stayed in contact with seven close girlfriends. And we all thought it'd be fun,” she said.
Once the decision was made several months ago to go ahead, it was then up to organizers to contact all 92 members of the graduating Class of 72.
For the 10th and 25th reunions it meant tracking people down by phone or paper correspondence. Not anymore. Social media had long arrived.
“I must say Facebook has made a huge difference,” said Scott. “Back when we had our 10th and the 25th we had to phone everybody and say, ‘where does your son live now or have you seen such and such’, so tracking people down back then was very time-consuming. Whereas now most people are on Facebook. Not everybody. But that made a big difference.”
With the last reunion being 25 years ago many of the 92 graduates simply can’t come.
“Out of 92 grads, and some of course are unfortunately deceased, we have 50 graduates coming this year,” she said, adding at least one teacher, Ed Shields – a science teacher, will be attending.
“There's lots of people I did not expect to come that are coming,” said Scott. “We've got people coming from from all parts of Canada and the United States as well.
“And Gary also had a great idea. He had each us fill out an autobiography,” she added. “So, he's going to compile those all into a booklet so we can find out a bit of information about our former classmates.”
Sadly, one of the many special people who won’t be coming is Bill Bourne, a three-time Juno Award winning folk/roots singer/songwriter who passed away last April after a lengthy battle with cancer. He went to school in Innisfail.
“We had anticipated that he would probably have come to the reunion. That is very sad,” said Scott. “We are going to have a memorial poster for those who are not with us anymore.”
As for the reunion itinerary, Scott said on Friday, June 10 there will be a wine and cheese event at the legion from 6:30 to 10 p.m. She said the public is welcome to attend. Tickets cost $7.50.
The following day on June 11 will be the banquet at the legion from 5 to 11 p.m.
That afternoon, the organizing committee is hoping to have a tour of the high school, which has been greatly renovated and modernized since 1972.
Current principal Wayne Pineau told the Albertan on May 18 that school staff are pleased to accommodate the group of special graduates.
“I had heard because we had a gentleman come in to talk to us about it,” said Pineau, who unfortunately can’t take part as his daughter is graduating that weekend from the University of Alberta’s dentistry program. “We are trying to make arrangements. We do have a couple of staff members who have indicated they’ll come and open the school and do the walk through.
“That (50th reunion) is a tremendous event.”
