Monday, May 16, 2022

60th High School Reunion

 

 Or about.  Actually the 60th reunion for the class of 1960 should have been 2020.  But the Covid panicked the school and so we only get to do the 60th this year.  The school is Westtown Friends School in West Chester PA.  I took two days to drive down.  Leaving Franconia Notch on Thursday morning, not a green leaf to be seen on any trees.  Wasn’t til I got over into the Connecticut River valley that I saw any green.  By Massachusetts all the trees were in full leaf, looking very lush. 

   The old school was started way out in PA farm country back in 1799 to preserve Quaker teenagers from the fleshpots of Philadelphia.  Back in 1960 it was sill pretty rural.  Not any more.  The road into West Chester that used to run thru apple orchards, corn fields, and some dairy cows, is now spiffy new single family houses all the way.  Suburbia has engulfed Westtown.

    Turnout for this first alumni day since Covid started was thin compared to the good old days.  Only about a third of my class made it.  Friday night was a cookout on the old first association soccer field, renamed Raiford Field to confuse us alumni.  Saturday was a lot of standing around and talking.  Bertie Bonner from our class threw a fantastic dinner for the class at her place Saturday night.  Sunday we did meeting.

   Westtown has gone on a door locking frenzy.  Every door on the big old main building now has a fancy power lock.  If you are out doors when the rain starts you will get pretty wet before you get inside.   

   And Westtown is going anti-sexist.  The signage now reads "East End" and "West End" rather than "Boys End" and "Girls End"  I heard a student say Westtown was considering co-ed dorms.  Too bad I am too old to enjoy that.

No comments: