On the heels of last weekend’s very successful reunion of Staples High School’s Class of 1964 — and, the weekend before, a mini-reunion for the Class of ’71 — Fred Cantor writes:
I nominate Staples reunion organizers for Unsung Heroes recognition.
Think about it: The rest of us simply show up and enjoy seeing old friends and/or reconnecting with old classmates — a bond we perhaps recognize as increasingly special as we age (and lose old friends as part of the life cycle).
How many people are out there who have shared memories with you of events, both big and small, that happened not just at Staples, but also at your elementary school or junior high?
And how many people exist who might remember some small incident involving your parents at your home or elsewhere that was lost in the deep recesses of your brain, until a decades-old friend triggered that recollection?
Long-lost precious memories perhaps waiting to be rediscovered — these are just some of the benefits of a reunion. Again, virtually all of us simply sign up, attend and reap those rewards.
Staples High School Class of 1971 (and friends) gather in the Ned Dimes Marina clubhouse, for a recent mini-reunion. (Photo/George Drapeau)
But a great deal of work goes into making it happen, by volunteer organizers.
These responsibilities include outreach via social media, email and texts to classmates and teachers; negotiating terms and contracting with hotels, restaurants and other venues; creating a website; decorations; creating favor bags and name tags; recognition of students who have passed; coordinating it all, and much, much more.
Reunion-goers enjoy events that seem seamless. But the work put in by organizers is enormous — and unseen.
The results are certainly worth it. The organizers are unsung heroes.
(Unsung Hero is a weekly “06880” feature. To nominate a hero, email 06880blog@gmail.com. To support our work, please click here. Thank you!)