Newsletters
December Newsletter 2019
We hope you all enjoyed the events at the 50th reunion. If you were not able to attend, here are some of the highlights of the weekend.
The event started with a golf tournament at Sim Park. It rained that morning so some opted to meet for breakfast instead.
Friday afternoon many of us attended the North High Homecoming Pep Assembly. The rally was in the old gym recreating the nostalgia of yesteryear with longtime, slightly more mature friends. It was a sensory experience - loud and spirited with an eerie deep-down deja vu vibe. We were treated to an authentic Native American dance to the beat of tribal drums. Greg Victors of Wichita (Wichita War Dancer Facebook Page) is a Professional Native American performer specializing in education and preservation of cultural dance. Greg is the recipient of many national awards for his performances. We have posted a video of the enactment (click on Pep Assembly link) so that you might also enjoy the amazing regalia and dramatic dance. It was a great way to start the weekend, made even better by sharing the energy with current students. They were LOUD and PROUD!
Emerson Biggins Sports Bar and Grill was full….or should we say packed with over 160 classmates Friday night. So much laughter, hugs, and smiles. Check out the pictures!
Saturday morning we gathered in a classroom at the school and enjoyed getting reacquainted with lots of our classmates we hadn’t seen in fifty years. Many attended the North High Hall of Fame Induction in which our classmate, Barbara Yarnell Chamberlin was honored. Building tours took place all morning, guided by current students. Those of us that climbed the spiral stairs and two additional ladders to the top of the Tower were rewarded with a spectacular view in all directions and so, so many names written on the bricks! We all agree the new changes in the building and on the grounds look wonderful! The old swimming pool has been replaced. There are plans to make the old space into two new culinary classrooms.
Saturday night was the dinner and auction. Susan Yungmeyer Wilson chaired the Scholarship Auction and Themed Tables and items. The tables auctioned were decorated as follows: Putt Putt to the Pizza Hut, Our Time at North, Patriotism in the 1960’s, Entertainment, and Flower Power. Also auctioned was an original print of the North High Tower. A huge thanks to Susan and everyone who contributed to this great cause! Also “job well done” to George David for being the auctioneer for the various themed tables to help raise $3,135 for student scholarships.
Probably one of the most entertaining parts of the evening was trying to get everyone together for pictures! Creative Visions Photography’s professional photographer, Shelby Robinson, daughter of our classmate, Joy Martin Youngers, was challenged indeed to get group pictures of not only each Junior High – Hadley, Horace Mann, John Marshall and Pleasant Valley – but the ENTIRE group of classmates. It got to be pretty funny, but the pictures turned out great! If you didn't order pictures, you can still get them. Go to the link, "Purchase Group Picture" to get yours.
Kudos indeed to our illustrious emcee for the evening, classmate Ed Blinco! Ed did an amazing job of keeping things rolling with humor as well as poignancy as we remembered times past and cherish those memories.
It was a very well planned event with a dedicated committee. Jane Lewis Holt was our chairperson, leader, who kept us all motivated, excited, and eager to work together to make this a memorable event!
Whether you were able to attend or not, please stay connected with Class Creator. This website enables us to contact classmates and post future events as well as give you a way to communicate with each other. We received General Fund donations totaling $225. That fund will help finance this website.
We hope you have enjoyed connecting with friends during the year, remembering the “old days” and cherishing those memories. Some have remained friends since grade school! Though family and jobs have scattered us across the US and the world, we wish for you health, happiness and remember . . .
"ONCE A REDSKIN, ALWAYS A REDSKIN"
October Newsletter 2019
FAQ’S
50TH REUNION NORTH CLASS OF 1969 OCT 4 & 5
Unofficial Brunch/Breakfast OCT 6
*** The information shown in this FAQ page is in response to questions which have been asked recently.
Please contact Julie Fox Hall (juliefox5169hall@gmail.com) or Janie Lewis Holt (holtjane1@hotmail.com) if other info would be helpful.
Special Note: Guest book will be available for signing at various events: Friday-Golf &Mixer, Saturday-North day & Hotel evening. Please offer the thoughts, memories, and comments you would like to share with your classmates.
1. School Sponsored Events: Pep Rally, All School Reunion Activities, Hall of Fame & Reception will all occur at North. All activities are well attended by previous graduates and it is a lot of fun to run into others you haven’t seen in a while.
• Parking at North: FYI, you will need to enter school thru one of the doors on East side of building.
• Friday Pep Rally: On East side you can park on Rochester and lots on Northeast corner of Rochester and 13th.
• Saturday All School Reunion: Same as above. Although parking lot to south of school is generally for staff, the lot should be available Saturday for visitors.
2. Travelers: Hotel at Old Town, 830 East First Street North
• Cut-off date for discounted room rate is Friday, August 30.
• Check in 3:00 PM; Check out Noon
• May cancel reservation by 4:00 pm on day of stay without charge
• Door located on East side of Hotel (Mosley St.) easiest entrance for dropping luggage
• Parking Garage North of Hotel Entrance on Mosley St.
• ATM available in lobby of hotel (cash for auction!)
• Please see Number 12 below: Sunday Breakfast available to those staying at hotel and also open to the public
Recent Wichita Developments:
• How about a little “Draggin’ Douglas” during the reunion weekend? East on Douglas to Sandy’s at Grove then back west to McLean, make a U turn and do it all again. And again. See how downtown ICT has changed, and see how many businesses/buildings you can identify that were our previous haunts.
• For info on fun places to go, shop, or eat in Old Town, please visit: oldtownwichita.com. Lots of options close or within walking distance of hotel.
3. Jack’s North High Carryout: At this time it appears it is not open for business.
4. 10/4 Golf: Sim Park, 2020 W Murdock St
Tee Time 10:00 AM. Please plan on arriving early (for introductions-Ha!), snacks/drinks,
and drawing for teams.
• Format will be Four Person Scramble.
5. 10/4 Pep Assembly: North High, Old Gym (Pit Gym). Enter from Rochester (east) side.
• Please Note: We have been given start times of both 2:10 PM and 2:30 PM. Since this is a school sponsored event and very popular, we are suggesting that classmates use the 2:10 PM. Assembly only lasts one hour. Chairs are located on the floor of the court for alumni, and we will try to all sit together as much as possible. Come early! Bring ear plugs! It’s a blast!
• We will bring a sign on a yardstick with 1969 displayed on it so we will be able to locate each other in the crowd. Look for the sign!
• It has been warmish (temperature-wise) in the gym during the assembly. You may want to dress in layers. And of course, you will fit right in with anything RED. Clothes, hat, scarf. You name it!
6. 10/4 Football Game at Heights Field, 5301 N. Hillside
• As far as we know, there is no charge or slight ($3.00?) charge for admission.
• Event generally has average attendance, so parking and locating seats together should not be a problem. We can hand off the 1969 sign from the Pep Assembly to someone going to football game, if helpful. : )
• The Tailgate Party: It appears a specific parking lot designated for Tailing has been discontinued. Maybe a peek at Class Creator to see who is coming to the game will inspire our own 1969 Tailgate in main parking lot. “It’s my party” Leslie Gore says! Yea Team!
• Booster Club sometimes brings North clothing, hats, etc. to sell at game.
7. 10/4 Mixer at Emerson Biggins West, 2330 N Maize Rd, #100, 7:00 PM- Midnight
• A casual evening to start the special weekend. We will have assorted party trays during the early part of the evening. Your choice of beverage can be purchased from Biggins. Our first major gathering. Don’t miss it!
Check-in will be at the door north of the sign marked, Biggins Hall of Games Arcade. Entering this door will speed up the process. After 8:30, check-in will be at the front entrance.
8. 10/5 North All School Reunion: General info 8:00 AM-12:00 PM
• Building Tours/Tower Visits begin at 10:00 AM. Meet under Butch to join tour.
• To our knowledge, individual tours per class are not scheduled. Plan a time with your best buddies, grab some people from our classroom, or just show up under Butch and see what happens! Lots of good memories in those halls!
• Spouses can participate in building tours.
• Food, drink, North High merchandise (shirts, hats, etc.) sold by various groups in hallway on ground floor.
• North has two Kiva areas where bricks honoring the living and those who are no longer with us are displayed. Ask volunteer for directions. It can be kinda tricky to find.
9. 10/5 Hall of Fame Awards (HOF): 9:30 AM North High Auditorium
• HOF Reception: 10:30 AM, New Library (where Butch used to be).
• Come to either or both events to congratulate our classmate, Barbara Yarnell Chamberlin on her induction into the HOF. Barb was selected for her contributions in the Humanitarian category and for her life-long dedication to our community.
10. 10/5 Classroom: Class of 1969 North All School: 8:00 AM-12:00PM
• We have reserved a classroom where we can all meet, congregate, and hang out Saturday morning. The number of the classroom will be posted in several places as you enter the school. Or just ask a volunteer. They are numerous and eager to help.
• We do not have any memorabilia in classroom to purchase. Clubs and Booster groups will be selling items in the hallway. Orders for class photo taken Saturday night, or can be ordered online. Website for photo orders to be announced.
11. 10/5 Hotel at Old Town-Conference Center: 7:00PM-Midnight (Check in open at 6:30).
Please Note: We will begin the evening by taking our class photo shortly after 7:00 PM.
• The photos will be followed with a short welcome by the MC, announcements for the evening, dinner, short program and LIVE auction of themed memorabilia tables. Then, lots of visiting and laughing. Will be a blast!
• Dining will be open seating. You can save spots for your friends just not in advance.
• Regarding dress for the evening, the committee has elected to describe our thoughts as “Shoes and Shirts Required!” Which means… just be comfortable. It will be great just to be together!
• There is a no charge parking garage just north of the Hotel. A couple of lots are located straight north and a couple of lots straight south (of 1st Street) from the conference center. Of course, there is street parking but it will be Saturday night and we are hoping for a beautiful evening. Popular area. Could be busy.
12. 10/6 Brunch/Breakfast Sunday morning
• Hotel at Old Town is actually a breakfast buffet served in the atrium area of the hotel. It is open to the public so any of us can go. If we can give them an approximate number of people we think will be attending, they will set up extra tables just for us. The cost is $10.95. Pay the hotel that day.
• If you would like to go or think you would, please let Janie know so we can give the hotel a heads-up on how many may be attending. Will be nice way to wrap up the weekend.
ONCE A REDSKIN, ALWAYS A REDSKIN!
August, 2019
Among the highlights of our Senior year was the success of North’s basketball team at the State Tournament. With strong leadership from Coach Bruner and Senior teammates, the team improved throughout the year and played their best when it meant the most. The combination of good coaching, talent, and teamwork, accompanied by strong student body support and a few timely War Cries, produced a result the entire Redskin family could enjoy – 3rd place at State! Note: two members of our team were also honored by selection to the All-State team. If you would like to revisit the magic, we’ve included an excerpt from our yearbook at the ‘North Star Articles’ link.
1989 reunion picture: With your help we’ve been able to identify 114 of the 161 classmates. We will continue to update the list of names within the ’20 Year Reunion Picture’ link as we receive more input at the ‘Contact Us’ link.
Hall of Fame update: At our request, Bob Love has provided a summary of achievements leading to his 2016 Hall of Fame induction. The bio, now archived in our Hall of Fame link, also shares info about Bob’s recent interests that deserve your attention.
September Newsletter: To help prepare for the upcoming Reunion, we will offer a ‘getting ready’ FAQ-style checklist next month with everything you will need to know to enjoy the weekend. Feel free to forward questions you would like addressed to the ‘Contact Us’ link. Please note that special pricing for lodging at the Hotel at Old Town is only available until August 30.
ONCE A REDSKIN, ALWAYS A REDSKIN!
July, 2019
Our continuing search for Redskin artifacts has produced more treasures from school archives to share with you. The first will be familiar from Redskin games and Pep Assemblies of yesteryear, the North High WAR CRY! From the first few drum beats, you can sense the energy, purpose, and pride we felt as Redskins. If you ever need an all-natural shot of adrenaline, click on the ‘War Cry’ link and feel the instant infusion of nostalgia based endorphins. Nothing could be better, except for seeing and hearing it performed live, complete with cheerleader choreography, at the Homecoming Pep Assembly (Friday, October 4).
Our second treasure, is a visual treat – the 1989 reunion class picture with 161 of our classmates (please reference the ’20 Year Reunion’ link). We are currently in the process of compiling names for all classmates and invite your input. Please respond using the ‘Contact Us’ link to confirm your location within the picture and we will share a list of names on our website in the near future.
The last monthly entries in our virtual time capsule are the first few reprints of selected North Star articles from our Senior year (available at the ‘North Star’ link). This month’s reprints focus on our fellow students hard at work having fun at the annual Powder Puff Football game and, later in the year, braving the elements to win a KLEO sponsored contest for the best snowman.
As our Reunion gets closer, interest continues to grow with many new names recently added to our Class Creator website. If you know of others still listed as ‘Missing’, please invite them to join our website and attend the Reunion. Also, if you plan to attend, please register for specific events at your earliest convenience. Early registrations will help us finalize plans for space and food service to ensure the best possible experience for everyone.
Once again, we close with a ‘Letterman-style’ list of ten reasons to attend the reunion. As there are many more than just ten really good reasons to attend, we decided a sequel to last month’s list was needed. Enjoy!
Ten More Reasons to Attend Our Reunion
- Reconnecting with old friends is kind of like rediscovering your favorite pair of jeans, learning they still fit, and finding money in the pocket – but better!
- It is highly unlikely you will be the oldest person there.
- TRADITION – no other school has our War Cry, Butch, Jack’s North Hi Carry Out, and their very own Tower and River.
- Your friends have probably forgotten all the dumb stuff you did. Note: You should do the same for them.
- We can thank those who challenged us to be better but supported us even when we weren’t.
- Common bonds – our previous shared interests of class assignments and tests, school games, and cute classmates have been replaced with prescription medications, travel tips, and cute GRANDKIDS!
- After 50 years in the ‘real world’, we now know that many of the best people in our lives were North High classmates.
- Over 20 of your classmates, and countless other volunteers, have unselfishly donated their time throughout the past year to plan a special weekend for us. Their best reward is for you to sign up and come, and most importantly,
2. We will all have more FUN if you are there.
1. For all of these reasons and more, it just feels good to know –
ONCE A REDSKIN, ALWAYS A REDSKIN.
June 2019
This month we are very pleased to share Joe Cooper’s Commencement Address from May, 1969. Although Joe’s initial reaction to our request was something like “you’ve got to be kidding”, he was able to locate his presentation and graciously consented to sharing with you again. We believe you will find his message timeless and insightful, even after 50 years. You will find Joe’s message in the ‘Commencement Address’ section of our website.
More great news, we are now able to share a recent decision to include Barbara Yarnell Chamberlin, Class of 1969, into the North High Hall of Fame. Barbara’s contributions to the community that led to this honor are detailed in her bio posted in the new ‘Hall of Fame’ section of our website. This link will also list prior recipients from our class. Please plan to attend the HOF Award ceremony (Saturday, 10/5 @ 9:30 AM - North High Auditorium), to recognize Barbara’s well deserved honor and demonstrate appreciation for one of our own.
On a lighter note, we close with a David Letterman-style list of reasons to attend the October reunion (courtesy of Dave Quillen).
In summary, as demonstrated by the classmate contributions presented this month, we were in very good company while at North High and are proud to know,
‘ONCE A REDSKIN, ALWAYS A REDSKIN’.
The Top 10 Reasons to Attend
North High’s Class of 1969 50-year Reunion
10. Unlike the 10-year reunion, you won’t have to rent a limo, come up with a more impressive job description, or hold your stomach in…nobody cares.
9. We’ll print the name tags 50% larger in honor of the 50th reunion.
8. Everyone qualifies for the senior discount.
7. No one will laugh or criticize you for talking about your medical conditions.
6. To meet a bunch of new friends (which you can do again at the 60th).
5. We’ll have someone on-hand to help explain Medicare.
4. If you attend, you won’t be asked to be on the 60th reunion planning committee… probably.
3. Have a chance to win the drawing for a free 1-year subscription to Prevention Magazine.
2. Even though your letter jacket hasn’t fit for decades, you can still wear the letter on your favorite bathrobe.
1. Because you’ll never, ever look this good again.
Redskin Reflections from Spring, 1969
May 2019
The last few months of our Senior year were filled with many events to celebrate our time at North High. Although we knew the high school experience was ending soon and a new future awaited, our immediate priority was to enjoy the time remaining by attending or participating in the following activities with friends. Now, as older and wiser ‘Seniors’, we can reflect upon our high school memories with an appreciation for friends and mentors that created these learning opportunities and supported our efforts as we prepared to face the challenges of being an adult.
- Fine Arts and Athletic Activities – Redskin Rhythms Senior Assembly, “I Never Saw Another Butterfly” play, “Broadway Splash” synchronized swimming show and various track, tennis, baseball and golfing competitions.
- Annual Water Festival - float and race competitions between each class provided opportunities to participate and root for classmates.
- Ring Turning beneath Butch – an annual ritual for Seniors to ‘pass the torch’ to Juniors near the end of the school year.
- Senior Events – Senior Banquet, Senior Prom (with after party at Rose Bowl West), and Senior Week, (including Commencement practice).
- Commencement - May 23, 1969 (Friday), 8:00 PM - Henry Levitt Arena
Pomp and Circumstance- Symphonic Band
National Anthem - Symphonic Band
Flag Salute - Kelly Pinkham
Invocation - Tim Sheedy
Songs - Happy is the Man and Salutation to the Dawn - North High Choir
Commencement Address - Joe Cooper. “Commencement 1969, From Here to Where”
Donna Jefferies - A Blur of Red and White
Presentation of the Class - Dr. John Gasper
Presentation of Diplomas
Alma Mater
Benediction - Tim Sheedy
Recessional - Symphonic Band
Each of these activities was a well-established school tradition and, along with many other shared experiences, became part of our individual and collective DNA as North High Redskins. Later this year, thanks to a few of our dedicated classmates, we once again have the chance to spend time with old friends and acknowledge an important part of who we are. The memories that have stayed with us for half a century are an undeniable reminder that, “Once a Redskin, Always a Redskin”.
Current News
As we get closer to our October Reunion, classmate interest has increased dramatically. During the last month registrations on our Class Creator website (www.wichitanorthhighschoolclassof 1969.com) has increased by 35 new members to 185. Further increases are expected as current members reach out to 'Missing Classmates' and encourage them to join us.