Back to school half a century later
Former St. Jerome’s High School students planning 50th reunion of 1968 graduating class
KITCHENER — The organizers of the 50th anniversary of the 1968 graduating class at St. Jerome’s High School have come to realize their former classmates fall into two broad categories — those who can’t wait for the festivities later this month, and those who want to stay as far away as possible.
“The No. 1 thing a lot of those people said was high school wasn’t the best days of their life,” said Bob Skura, one of nine organizers of the reunion, set for Sept. 14 and 15.
He wants classmates who aren’t attending to know it won’t be just another day of high school, even though the reunion weekend includes a tour of the building, now the main campus of the St. Louis Adult Education Centre and Laurier’s Faculty of Social Work, near the intersection of Duke and Young streets in downtown Kitchener.
“It’s about sharing an experience, and it’s about what’s happened since school,” Skura said.
Organizers have opened the event to more than
just their graduating class, however, as anyone who was in their graduation year but left before 1968 is still invited. Skura said 249 Grade 9 students entered the boys-only Catholic school in 1964, including many from abroad who boarded at St. Jerome’s during the school year. A total of 120 graduated in 1968.
There are about 70 confirmed attendees. The task of tracking down many of the students fell to Tom Galloway, nicknamed “Super Sleuth” for his ability to find people across the country and around the world.
Google searches, Canada 411 and even obituaries posted online helped Galloway, now a regional councillor. About half of them still live in southwestern Ontario, with others moving as far away as Calgary, Vancouver and Houston, Texas. Seven former teachers are also planning to attend.
“We’ve had a great time doing it,” said Galloway. He’ll be leading a tour of Kitchener aboard a coach bus as many out-of-town visitors get their first look at just how much the region has changed in the past few decades.
“The guys will see quite the transformation,” he said.
Other events include a private party at the Edelweiss Tavern, a tour of the former high school that closed in 1990, and a cocktail reception, cash bar and catered dinner inside the school.
Organizers have launched a website for the event, sjhreunion1968.wordpress.com, which includes photos of the school from the era, photos of former students, and their favourite stories from their high school days. They’ve been planning the reunion for almost two years and it’s the second time the class has reunited, following its 20th reunion three decades ago.
Skura said the website may have actually hurt attempts to attract attendees to the upcoming reunion.
“They experienced an electronic form of the reunion, and said, ‘OK that’s enough,’” he said. Many who submitted photos and stories for the online collection have opted not to attend.
He also said it’s been unfortunate to come across obituaries and death notices for former students.
“It’s sad not to connect with them,” said Skura. “That’s why this reunion is so important, to reconnect while you have the chance.”