R.A.H.S. Class of '59

What follows is a keynote address/toast given by Rosanne Bader at the Saturday, September 26, 2009 dinner.

"THE WAY WE WERE"

Here we are, Fifty Years later! We look around the room and see so many of our classmates - friends who were with us during the formative years of our lives. Though we attended different elementary schools and different Junior Highs - Lampson or Marie L. Hare, at Rancho we melded into one school - one great class - the class of '59.

We lived in the greatest of times. Growing up - we ran free in the orange groves and bean fields bounded by tall eucalyptus trees. We weren't concerned about our safety as we roamed the neighborhoods, nor were our parents. We didn't have to be. It was a softer gentler time. Most of our families really did resemble the Cleavers and the Nelsons.

In 1955 we all attended Garden Grove High - the only High School in our small town (the population sign said 3,762). Garden Grove High was a beautiful school painted aqua blue with a swimming pool and an auditorium with a hydraulic stage. Many of us were reluctant to leave when the new high school - Rancho Alamitos was built across town. But move we did in Jan. of 1957.

What a shock to find just a few new buildings, some Quonset huts, a couple of small older homes on the campus and no trees or grass. When the rains came there was plenty of mud which we walked over using construction boards. We even had a lake which we named Kaylor lake after Mr. Don Kaylor - science teacher extraordinaire. We didn't have a lot of amenities those first few years but boy did we have "school spirit".

Everything we did was the first. We named the school paper and the yearbook and created traditions. (I guess the class of '58 might have helped out a bit!) By the time we were Juniors "we" had created a 1st rate High School. (At least we thought that we, the students, had done it all.) Our teachers were the best and looking back, most were very young - though we didn't realize it at the time. Our coaches were terrific and many of them like John Callard, Willie Dancer, Herb Hill, Gib Dear, Dick Moomaw, Hal Butler and Tom Vassela had been star athletes in their respective colleges.

As I read through the biographies we submitted for the Memory Book, I was struck by our great memories of Rancho and the important friendships we developed during those years. It also occurred to me that many of us entered jobs and professions related to Science and Technology and quite a few others pursued careers in Music. Of course many of us went in to Education. Could this be a result of strong and influential teachers in those fields? I think so.

During our Junior year we really developed that famous Rancho School Spirit. We actually filled the outside hallways with cheers on game days. We had championship teams in football and baseball and many star athletes in track, basketball and tennis.

Senior year was great and flew by in a blur. We beat Garden Grove High in Football 20 to 12. We had finally arrived! There were sports for the guys and G.A.A. for the girls. Some of us were even Letter Girls! There was the Senior Play "What a Life", dances, football games, parties, (we really loved Elvis!) Science Club and all those great Field Trips with Mr. Kaylor and Girls' League activities. The Girls' League Handbook read: "Slacks, pedal pushers, levis etc. are never to be worn to school". "Pin curls and elaborate earrings are also taboo". Tickets were given to girls who disregarded the rules and we actually had a dress control court. Wow! Finally graduation, the All-Night dance at the Elks' Club and inevitably and sadly we all went our separate ways.

Almost 60% of us who submitted biographies, still live in California but many other classmates have moved to Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Lousiana, Texas, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, Pennsylvania, Montana, Florida, Indiana, Georgia, Minnesota and Arkansas.

We became policemen, firemen, farmers, business people - including business owners and entrepreneurs, homemakers, engineers, preachers, and coaches and many of us became educators. Some of us have served on boards of major corporations and have been elected to public office. One of us even became a Judge of the Superior Court. Many served our country in the Military. One of our classmates flew 315 combat missions over Vietnam and received the Distinguished Flying Cross as well as 15 Air Medals.

One could say we are the "backbone of America", the responsible citizens who pay our taxes and our bills, love our children and grandchildren and try to live each day fully with gratitude for the blessings we have.

Many of us are now retired or semi-retired while others are still in the work force or volunteering in a variety of ways to improve life for others.

We are the class of 1959 from Rancho Alamitos High School. We have experienced joy and heartache. We have worked hard and loved deeply. We have lived well and we have more living to do so .... . Let us toast the Rancho Alamitos High School Class of 1959. To Us.

The following is a note to everyone from Rosanne dated October 8, 2009 3:14:53 PM PDT.

Dear Classmates,

Our work on the Reunion committee for the past 18 months was really a labor of love. We all had such a good time putting together the events and working out the details - all the while recalling great days at Rancho. Our goals were: 1. to create as much value for everyone by keeping costs down whenever we could and 2. to reach as many classmates as possible. I think we did pretty well at reaching those goals.

Thanks to so many of you for sending e-mailed thanks and comments and also to those of you who sent hand written notes. Also so many of you expressed your appreciation during the events and that was great.

If you haven't had a chance to look at the program and read the section on just what each of the committee members accomplished, take a moment to read it. As I told them several times, I have never worked with a committee who were so hard working and willing to step in and do whatever was necessary. Thanks again to YOU for taking time from your busy schedules to attend and enjoy the company of some pretty extraordinary people.

We will be having a final (we think!) wrap up meeting on Oct. 21st and will make some decisions about perhaps another smaller Reunion in 5 years. We will keep you posted.

Fondest good wishes to the outstanding members of the Rancho Class of '59,