2019 Minutes of
the MHS Alumni Banquet
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The 71st Annual Morocco High School Alumni Banquet was
held in the Morocco School Gymnasium Saturday May 25th, 2019 The Morocco Alumni Association held their
annual Banquet at the Morocco Gymnasium.
There were approximately 120 to 125 alumni and guests attending the
banquet served by Emily Martin of Martin Catering from Williamsport, Indiana,
which is Mike Shireley’s daughter. We had a very good turnout for our “Old
Gold & Black” social hour preceding the banquet. Everyone was visiting and catching up with
former classmates and having a great time. President Mike Shireley ’68 welcomed everyone to the alumni and
introduced Lexia Kennedy (Sam & Betty Kennedy’s
granddaughter) who would be playing her violin for us during our social hour
and banquet. Lexia
did a wonderful job
with a variety of her selections. Thank you. Our President Mike
Shireley ’68 honored our service men and women by
having them stand up and thanked them for their service. Mike then led all of us in the “Pledge of
Allegiance” to our flag. Our
Vice-President, Cheryl Merchant Newell ’68 gave the invocation preceding the
banquet and President Mike Shireley ’68, announced
that the honored classes could go first to eat, then all the other classes could
go and enjoy the wonderful meal. This
year we had Mike Shireley’s grandchildren, Mikayla Martin, Katie Martin, Sam Smith and Zoey Bamonti, who assisted some
of our older alumni during our banquet and then helped clean up. Thank you
all for your help, it was very much appreciated. President Mike Shireley ’68 had baskets passed around for our free will
donation for our Ruth Corbin Scholarship now known and maintained by the
Jasper-Newton Community Foundation. We
need this donation to keep our scholarship fund going. With the money that Connie Ackors Sell ’63, treasurer, had already received in the
mail and the money collected at the alumni totaled around $1000.00 which will be turned over to the
foundation. We want to thank everyone
for their generous donations! This
year’s 2019 Scholarship Award went to Ben Vanderwall, his mother is Kassie Vanderwall and
great-grandson of Martin Vanderwall ’37 and Imogene
Best Vanderwall ’37. Ben will be attending Purdue University in
the fall. Connie Ackors Sell ’63 gave the Treasurer’s Report which can be
read along with the last year’s minutes on the Morocco High School
Web-Site. Connie also stated that
there were several classmates of MHS that had passed away earlier this year
and read the names to us. Please go
to our MHS Web-Site under Departed Alumni and the names will be highlighted
in yellow that have passed earlier this year.
Please check out our Web-Site, it is full of a lot of great
information on our school, lots of pictures from all the years, a lot of
history about our school and lots of articles that you will find very
interesting. President Mike Shireley ’68 also congratulated Connie Ackors Sell ’63 for being our Corresponding
Secretary/Treasurer for over 10 years and is now stepping down from her
position. She was given a gift for all
her hard work and loyalty to her position for all these years which was very
much appreciated. Thanks Connie! The
person who is taking over her position will be Pat Schanlaub Wynn ’65 of
Morocco. We welcome her into the MHS
Alumni Officers. Thanks Pat for excepting this
position. Some discussion was made on
who would be our Vice-President for next year. Mike then presented the new officers: President, Cheryl Merchant Newell ’68;
Vice-President, Randy Barnett ’68; Secretary/Treasurer, Pat Schanlaub Wynn
’65; Recording Secretary, JoAlice Warne Belt ’65; and Historian, Judy Cupp Schultz ’58.
The alumni members voted and excepted the
nominations for officers for 2020. President Mike Shireley ’68, introduced Ed Camblin, the oldest alumni from the class of 1939, his 80th
Anniversary. Ed was presented with a
gift certificate to Mel’s Downtown restaurant, where he & wife like to
eat, and was given a round of applause! He was accompanied by his wife Marcheta Hamilton Camblin ’42. Eldon Purdy spoke
for the honored class of 1944, their 75th Anniversary from MHS.
Eldon said they only had two classmates present, his self and Warren Johnson.
Warren’s friend, Judy Brown was there and Eldon’s daughter Elaine was with him. He told of some of the classmates he
thought were still alive and also told a story about his teacher Ann McPhail, sending him to the principal’s office. Jim Dawson was the
only classmate here for the year of 1949, 70th Anniversary and was
accompanied by his wife. He didn’t
want to talk, but was glad to be here. Bernadette Klein Dohr spoke for the class of 1954, 65th
Anniversary. She mentioned that she
had several brothers that also went to MHS. She said a little about their
class and that they had only 14 classmates left. She told that Edmere
Smart Falk, classmate, had a pre-party at her house here in Morocco and there
were 7 that attended. They had such a
very good time. She also mentioned
that Dave Borem came from Georgia to be here. She thought that was great! Dick Brunton spoke for the class of 1959, 60th
Anniversary. He named all of the
classmates that were here, which was 9 of them. He also told some funny stories about their
class and was glad they all could be here. John Hess spoke
for the class of 1964, 55th Anniversary. John said he had lots of stories to tell
about their class, but thought that he shouldn’t tell them. They have 21 classmates that are still
living out of 41 classmates that graduated.
They met down at the American Legion for a pre-party and had 13
classmates attend and are going back there to visit some more with everyone. Karen Lindlow VanDuyn spoke for the
class of 1969, 50th Anniversary.
There is only 2 of us here tonight and that
is me, of course, and Howard Severs.
Karen said she realized it was her 50th year and she then
felt so old! She had 2 years of high
school here and learned some things:
she learned how to twirl a baton while she was here, try out for
cheerleading and lost why I was here, and was told by Ann McPhail
that the knee was the ugliest joint in the body and God did not intend for it
to be shown! I have a lot of memories
here and am glad to be here tonight. President Mike Shireley ’68, asked for all the former cheerleaders to
step forward and lead us in the school song.
The Cheerleaders were: Carol
Potts Warring ’63; JoAlice Warne Belt ’65; Janice Garmong
Shirer ’60; and Linda Mashino Gibson ’57. Motion was made to
adjourn and seconded. Passed. The day before the
Alumni is when the preparations begin our Saturday banquet. On Friday in the afternoon, Ron DeYoung, FFA and his students from North Newton High
School, transported tables to us. A
big thank you to all these young people, their sponsor and the NN School Corporation. At this time, the tables are moved around
where we want them, and the coverings and decorations are added. Many hands make this an easy task. This year those who arrived and worked to
get this all done were: John &
Carol Warring; Mike & Karen McClatchey; Joe
& Cheryl Newell and their daughter Lindsey; Mike Shireley
and grandchildren, Mikayla Martin, Katie Martin,
Sam Smith, and Zoey Bamonti;
John Hess; JoAlice Belt; and Judy Schultz. 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
everyone who helped to get this accomplished.
It is a lot of heavy work taking down tables and folding all the
chairs, then putting them away. Again, a “thank you”
to all who helped us make our 2019 MHS Alumni a
success! JB, MHS Recording/Secretary
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