The Alumni Reunion
1915
The twentieth anniversary of
the Osawatomie High School Alumni Association was one grand,
glorious success, in spite of the very disagreeable weather,
which prevented many from attending, but every feature of
the program was carried out with most faithful consistency.
Friday evening a general reception was given to the alumni
and their wives and husbands, as the case might be, at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. S. S. White, on east Main Street at
7:30. The spacious white home was crowded with a happy
throng of old grads, from far and near, mingling with the
younger alumni and the incoming class. Refreshments of
wafers and punch was served throughout the evening. At about
8:45 the reception crowd adjourned to the Stardome, where
the alumni play, "The Country Minister," was given to the
highest approval of the select and shivering audience. The
cast gave the quaint production with the confidence of
professionals and it was so heartily appreciated that it was
decided to give the play again under more favorable
conditions. Saturday the festivities
opened with a big parade of the candidates, the class of
1915, costumed in many outlandish and ridiculous garbs and
followed in close order by the various classes of the Alumni
Association. The candidates were prepared at the Library
building at Fifth and Brown Avenues, and the parade started
about 12 o'clock West on Brown Avenue to Eighth Street,
North to Main and East on Main to Fifth Street, then North
on Parker Avenue and West to Convention Hall, which Mr. Jack
Dickey, the manager, had very kindly opened to the
Association when it was seen that it would be impossible to
hold the afternoon festivities in the park. The ladies of
the Presbyterian Church served a very delicious and
appetizing buffet luncheon at 1 o'clock, after which the
afternoon was spent in games and dancing, in which the "old
grads" participated with all the vim and enthusiasm of the
very youngest members of the association. At eight o'clock that
evening the annual reception for alumnus only, was held at
Carnegie Library. The Madolin Club furnished excellent music
throughout the evening and about 10 o'clock the association
formed in class order, led by the honorary members and
marched to the Masonic Temple building where a sumptuous
feast had been spread by the girls of the Junior Class. One
hundred and sixty loyal graduates of the Old O.H.S. sat down
at the banquet tables which were arranged in the form of a
square about the room, with a long table down the center for
the graduating class. Class yells from '95 to 1914, class
songs, high school songs, old and new, yells for every
superintendent from R. S. Russ to Mr. A. S. Hiatt, the
present incumbent, lusty yells for every high school teacher
helped the evening to pass only too swiftly. At the close of
the three-course spread the banqueters were regaled with a
program of after-dinner speeches, just plain toasts and
Charles Chestnut of 1896, brought a touch of the olden days
back when in response to his name he gave the first
paragraph of his graduation oration, and expressed the hope
that none of the graduating class might suffer the
recollection of their youthful follies as long as he. At the
close of the evening's festivities, Mrs. Anna Reyburn, of
1898, very prettily and tenderly presented a basket of
beautiful American Beauty roses to the president, Miss Lila
Weber, who has been the moving spirit, the backbone and
pedal extremities of it for more that a decade and who has
been unanimously re-elected for another year, after which,
as is the custom, the association arose and sang the time
honored closing song, "God Be With You." Sunday morning, May 20th, at
11 o'clock, Rev. Ray E. York of Kansas City, Kansas, at one
time pastor of the Baptist Church of this city, and
principal of the high school in 1907-08, delivered the
memorial address for those of the association who had passed
beyond. His address was preceded by a most appropriate
program of music and the reading of the roll of departed
members. Rev. York paid a beautiful
tribute to the work of the Alumni and urged upon the
audience which packed the church to its capacity, that those
who had gone beyond were not dead, but lived and while their
earthly bodies molded in the narrow grave, that which is
mortal in all of them lived on to encourage and impress the
dear ones left behind, with the solemn obligation of love
and unselfish service which they owed to their high school
and their friends in this life. This inspiring address
brought to a close a meeting which not only brought the
members of the Alumni Association closer to one another, but
welded the people of the community, who were fortunate
enough to be present in close accord with the purpose and
spirit of the association, which is for the upbuilding of
the city and the encouragement of every boy and girl to go
ahead and complete their school work in the high
school. The following are a few of
the yells which made the banquet room of the Masonic Temple
ring for about three hours Saturday evening: Rickety, rickety, russ,
we're not allowed to cuss, but nevertheless we must
confess, there's nothing the matter with us (Class of
1913). We're not rich, we have
no millions, but we'll give a yell for C. L.
Williams. We have no millions but
can afford a yell for May Williams Ward. While we're shouting and
hullabooing, let's give one for Hugh H. Ewing. We'll add another to the
din and fuss by yelling one for R. S. Russ. Just O.H.S., we have no
fads, but what's the matter with old-time
grads. The following song was
sung to the tune of "Tipperary": It's a long way to
Osawatomie, it's a long way to go.
While we're yelling
'round the room, let's give a yell for the bride and
groom (Mr. and Mrs. H. P. Kolbohm).
It's a long way to Osawatomie, to the best old town we
know.
Farewell care and trouble, come on pack your grip.
It's a long, long way to Osawatomie, but it's well worth
the trip.