Minutes of the
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The 64th annual Morocco High School banquet was held in the Morocco School gymnasium Saturday May 26th, 2012.
The Morocco Alumni
Association held their Annual Banquet at the There were 165 alumni and
guests attending the banquet served by Devon’s Catering of Rensselaer. This Memorial Day week-end
was again very warm, but inside the now air conditioned school gym it was
very comfortable. Many enjoyed
visiting with former classmates and friends at the “Old Gold and Black”
social hour preceding the banquet. President Dennis
Deardurff, ‘62 welcomed the group back to the gym where we graduated so many years ago. He spoke of how
unusual it is that the gymnasium and the school building to still be in use, the same ones we had known in our school
days. Dennis recalled that each year
the graduating class was invited to the Alumni Banquet and Dance. At the alumni in ‘62 , his class walked
into the gym as a group, and he remembers thinking, “ there sure are a lot of
“old people” here.” Now it’s 50 years
later and their ‘62 class is being honored.
As a tribute to our men and women who have served in the Armed Forces,
President Deardurff read a story about a soldier. He then asked all men and women who have served in the U S
Armed Forces to stand. The group was
honored with a round of applause. The “Joy Sounds” led all with
the “Pledge of Allegiance”, then sang the “National Anthem.” Mr. Jack Snell ‘51 gave
the invocation preceding the banquet.
President Deardurff thanked Jack for his many years of assisting with
the alumni program. The “Joy Sounds” again
entertained the group with many memorable tunes during the banquet hour. The MHS Alumni Association
business meeting for 2012 was called to order by President Deardurff. Secretary/Treasurer Connie
Ackors Sell ‘63 reported that she has been notified of additional MHS alumni
who have passed away recently; Alice Purdy Warne ‘29 and Gordon Born ‘51. Connie reported the balance on hand May 28, 2011 was
$6367.00 and the expenses were $4478.83. This year there have been
donations of $198 for the Ruth Corbin Scholarship Fund and that amount has
been sent to the Newton Community Foundation. Connie reported that the
previous year’s minutes, written by Co-Secr. Judith Schultz are posted on the
alumni web-site. She would not take
the time to read them, but if there are any additions or corrections please
make that known by e-mail. The web-site report, sent
from David DeKoker, stated that the web site has had 7,500 hits this year. That is 47% more hits than last year. Connie encouraged everyone to access the
web-site and also to notify her or the web-master Dave DeKoker, if someone has passed away. When an invitation is returned to her, she does not know if
the address is incorrect, or if the person has deceased. President Deardurff spoke
about the need for more donations for the scholarship fund . The baskets were passed for a free will
donation (amount collected was $585.) The slate of officers for
the 2013 MHS Alumni Association was presented by President Deardurff: President: Janet Barnett
Armstrong ‘63, Vice-President: John Henry Hess ‘64, Secretary/ Treasurer: Connie Ackors Sell ‘63. As there were no other
nominations, a motion to accept those named was made, seconded and passed.
President Deardurff informed
the group of the need to fill the office of Co/Sec.- Historian, as Judy
Schultz had decided to “retire.” There
were no volunteer’s at this time. Vice-President Janet
Barnett took the reins and introduced the spokesperson from each MHS honor
class. The Golden Year Class “MHS
1962 “ was represented by Dennis Deardurff, senior class president. The class
graduated with 48 members; there are now thirteen deceased. Sixteen members gathered at the
Scott-Lucas house in the afternoon to renew friendships. Those attending were: Emma Borem, Mallie
Dunfee, Betty Ferkins, Max Hunter, Bedford Hyde, Jean Lowe, Carolyn Merchant,
David Smart, Kay Spurgeon, Marianne Thompson, Marjorie Pike, Marilyn
Rainford, Vickie Treado, Joseph Warrick, Bethel Doty, and Denny Deardurff. There were no members from
the class of 1932 or 1937 attending. The only member
celebrating the 70th alumni year from the class of 1942 was
Marcheta Hamilton Camblin. She gave a
very gracious hello to all. The class
of ‘42 graduated with 29 members. This
was the war years and most of the boys and some of the girls, soon after
graduation, entered into the Armed Forces.
All but one, Richard Augustin, would return (d. July 30, 1945) and was
buried at the Oakland cemetery. His
classmates, wearing their uniforms, served as pall bears. Shirley Boyd Storey, class
of 1947, spoke on behalf of her class. Shirley, related a story that had happen in Mr. Stoner’s class. They were electing class officers and she
had been nominated. Her name seemed
to be written as Shirty, on the blackboard.
Unknown to the teacher (his back was turned), another letter had been
left out and the class was laughing.
Her classmates, sixty five years later, remembered it well and laughed
again. Shirley introduced her
classmates celebrating this evening on their 65th, Martha Garrard
Dickey, Marjorie Carlson Garrard, James White, Delbert Purdy and herself. Veryl Sypult, president of
the class of 1952 reported that there were 38 graduates in the class of ‘52, nineteen girls and nineteen boys. Seven members answered the roll call as
Veryl read the names from the Class of 1952: Kathy Arbuckle, Sarah Dawson, Gene
Dunfee, Diane Hanger, Janet Wiseman, Gene Warne, and Veryl Sypult. Linda Mashino Gibson,
Class of 1957, reported that there were 38 who graduated in 1957. There are
now seven members who have passed away. Her classmates have all been successful in life since leaving
MHS fifty-five years ago. During
their years of growing up, it was a time when the parents knew if you had
misbehaved by the time you got home that evening. Linda asked her classmates to stand and be recognized as she
called their name; Loretta Baird, Nancy Shuey, Deloris Webb, Bonnie Barnett,
David Lindlow, Lynne Russell, David Barnett, Eileen Davis, Marcia Chapman,
and herself, Linda Mashino Patricia K Williamson
Reyes, Class of 1967, told the audience that they were the last class to
graduate from MHS and there were 61 members who believed that they were the
“best” class to have graduated from MHS. They also had the task of naming the
colors for the new North Newton High School; they selected GREEN AND WHITE, “must
have been another vote.” Patricia
reported that ten classmate have passed away. The Class of 1967 and guests spent the afternoon reminiscing at
the country home of Carolyn and Tim Geller of Morocco. Those celebrating their 45th
alumni were; Jill Anderson, Marilyn Babbitt, Sherri Callaway, Patricia
Henderson, Pat Smart, Carolyn Holley, Brian Ketcham, Jerome Koutny, Frank
Moody, Dennis Rainford, Ofelia Reyes, Sherell West and Pat Williamson. Vice-president Janet
Armstrong informed all the members
that the 2013 alumni would be
Saturday May 25 .2013. She also
encouraged members of the last graduating classes to think about serving as
an officer of the MHS Alumni Association. There were two graduates
from the Class of 1935, Betty “Hagen” Kessler and Florence “Mashino” Storey,
who were recognized for being the oldest MHS graduates present at the 2012
Alumni. Janet then asked all
former cheerleaders to step forward and lead us in the school song. Cheerleaders were; Betty “Hagen” Kessler ’35, Carolyn Merchant ’62,
Jill Anderson ’67, Bobbie Carter ‘50, Marilois Carter ’44, Linda Mashino ’57,
Nancy Shuey ’57, Diane Hanger ’52, and
Carolyn Holley ’67. Motion was made to adjourn
and seconded.. Passed. Added notes:
After some persuasion, Mary “Vanderwall” Gulley has volunteered to
fill the co/sec - historian position. The day before the Alumni,
is when the preparations begins for our Saturday banquet. Soon after school
on Friday, about nine of the North Newton 10th graders and their
sponsor Mr. Jim Speck, transport tables from NN. They have a great crew that set the tables and chairs up in the
gym. Without them we would be seated
on the bleachers. A big thank-you to
these young people, Mr. Speck, Dean Loveall and the NN School Corp. At this time, the table coverings are
placed and decorations are added. Many
hands make this an easy task. This
year those who arrived and worked diligently were: Connie Sell, Janet
Armstrong, Dennis and Shirley Deardurf, Dennis and Rosyln Boyd, Joe and Dotty
Warrick, Mike and Karen McClatchey, Bud and Judy Schultz. We must have had a couple of good “supervisors,” because the job was done in
record time. After the banquet and the
guests have left is when the gym has to be cleared and ready for school on
Monday. A big thank-you to the three
young people who came in, folded up all the tables and chairs, carried grade
school tables and chairs to the storage area. The tables from the high school are picked-up early Monday
morning and returned to the high school by members of the 10th
grade class. Again, a “thank you” to
all who helped with the 2012 MHS Alumni. -- J.S., MHS Alumni Historian |