“HUGE SUCCESS”

 

Even though Arcadia High School closed its doors at the end of the  “1965” school year, the annual alumni banquet is still being held on memorial week-end every year in Pittsburg, Kansas.  The membership also includes the Junior, Sophomore, and Freshman Class of 1965.  The banquet was held at the Lamplighter Inn on Saturday afternoon, May 27^th and was catered by Chicken Mary’s and served by the Stansbury

brothers of Arcadia, Ks. Open Door Mission Church Youth.

 

Enclosed with the invitation to the banquet this year was the 2022  Financial Report prepared by Shirley Landon, Treasurer.  The 2022

Minutes were enclosed also prepared by Virginia Smith, Secretary.

These were included in the mailing to provide more time for visiting.

 

Social hour was 1:00-3:00 p.m. followed by lunch and business meeting. President Pat Morris of Arcadia welcomed the 40 Alumni and 23 guests.  The Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag was led by Merle Engle.   The Lord’s Prayer in unison was led by Melvin Nichols.

 

At the opening of the business meeting, Pat introduced alumni officers  Vice President, Tom Watt; Secretary, Virginia Smith;  Treasurer, Shirley Landon; and Marilyn Flagg, Historian.

 

There were no objections or corrections to the 2022 Minutes or the 2022 Treasurer’s report.  They stand approved as presented.

 

Merle Engle along with nominating Committee of Mary Lee Payne and Sherry Sisney nominated the following officers for the coming year as follows:  Pat Morris, President; Tom Watt, Vice President; Shirley Landon, Treasurer; Virginia Smith, Secretary; and Marilyn Flagg as Historian.  A motion was made by Betty Skidmore and seconded by

Lou Sheets and motion carried.

 

Special recognition was given to members of the 60^th  (1963);

70^th (1953); and 80^th (1943) this year.

 

Those attending from the 60th class were the following:  Sharon

(Barnard) Foster and guest Richard Foster and Richard Page.

 

Attending from the 70^th.   were as follows:  Bobby Charles Harris and

guest Bobby C. Harris, Jr..

 

Atending from the 80^th.  were as follows:  Louise (Opitz) Hughes and

guests David Hughes and Christine Bossung.

 

Jan Steele was recognized as being the daughter of former Arcadia High School music teacher, Dick Steele.

 

All 18 guests were asked to stand and be recognized.

 

Virginia Smith, chairman of the Scholarship Committee, announced the winner of the 2023  A.F. Bowlus/Betty Kirksey Scholarships as Carson

Ruoff (Grandson of Alan and Joyce (Gable) Niebrugge).  Other AHS Alumni Scholarship winners were  Aaron Moe  and Adam Moe (Grandsons of Fred Dixon).  Carson Ruoff received $1,000.   Aaron and Adam Moe received $500 each.

 

Pat Morris introduced  Sharon Foster (Class of 1963), and Ronnie

Smith  (Class of 1962) who served on the scholarship committee with

Virginia.

 

Any child, grandchild, or great grandchild of Arcadia High School Alumni may apply for a scholarship.

 

Marilyn Flagg led the memorial service for alumni deceased since the last meeting.  Those remembered were: Jo (Fowler) Ferraro, Helen (Fowler) Knoll, Jessie (Eggen) Dunn, Irene (Buchanan) Williams, Louetta

(Swezey) Schwatken, Betty (Ritter) Skidmore, Leona Maxine (James) Garrett, Boyd (Buck) McMillin, John Richard Meacham, Shirley (Birdsell) Garrett, Shirley (Stroud) Weber, Ernestine (Swezey) Murray, Jo Ellen (Elliott) Swezey, Margaret (Turner) Jones, Sharon (Powell) Thornhill, Olive (Curnutt) Berting, Richard L. Dixon, Geneva (Jeannie) Ham, Jerry McClendon, Gary Mayfield, Anita (Miles) Callahan, Richard Totman, Maxine James (Teacher), Marie (Hoover) Marshall, Dr. Retha (Hoover) Dr. Kilpatrick  Gries, Merle Mayfield, and Mary Lou (Davidson) Peace.

 

Louise (Opitz) Hughes, 96 years old (Class of 1943)  was given an award for being the “Oldest” alumni.  Esther (Engle) Cousins (Class of 1954) was awarded for traveling the “Most Distance”.

 

The school song was led by Bill Skidmore.

 

The Benediction was by Melvin Nichols.

 

The roll call which consisted of the following and the 1943, 1953,  and 1963  classes listed above was done by Tom Watt.

 

1949 –   Jerry Skidmore

1950 –   Betty (Clarkson) Skidmore

1951 –   David Fowler and guest Jeanie Watson

1954 –  Esther (Engle) Cousins and guest Janice Crooks

Gary Peterson and guest Patty Peterson

1955 –   Mary Lee (Eggen) Payne

1956 –  Shirley (McKinstry) Landon

Bill Skidmore and guest Twonette Skidmore

1957 –  Merle Engle

Francis M. Jones and guest Karen (Jones) Tripp

Lou Sheets and guest Linda Sue Sheets

Lilly (Turner) Sheffield

1958 –  Laura (Coonrod) Felt and guest Ronnie Felt

Fred Dixon

Marilou (Garton) Bork and guest Jerry Bork

Sandra Sue Stelle

1959 –  Michael Sheffield

Gary Skidmore and guest Jean Skidmore

Beverly (Swafford) Silvers and guest Vern Silvers

1960 –  Jerry Coonrod and guest Jan Steele

Melvin Nichols

1962 –   Marilyn (Coonrod) Flagg

Barbara (Dawson) Swearingen

Helen (Morris) Nichols

Ronnie Smith

1964 – Virginia (Harris) Smith

Ronny Kellogg and guest Barb Kellogg

Steve Morris

Pat (Smith) Morris

Peggy (O’Dell) Worsley

Sherry (Swafford) Page

1968 – Ronnie Page

Don Schaub

Larry Shead and guest Ralph Shead

Sherry Sisney

Tom Watt and guest Phyllis Watt

 

The servers were the

Stansbury Brothers (Camryn, Sammy, Wyatt, and Tido), of Arcadia, Kansas Open Door Mission Church Youth and Judy Stansbury.