2014 Dues are Due!

The Sedro-Woolley High School Alumni Association invites YOU to join our organization or renew your annual membership!  Our "membership year" is the calendar year, which means that annual dues are paid in January.

An Annual Membership is $10 per year.  Many members pay for multiple years at a time - we keep track!  And many members pay for their All-Class Picnic reservation ($15 - second Saturday in July) at the same time they send in annual dues.  It's up to you!

There is a newsletter pending - and a hard copy of the membership form is always in our newsletters.  If you have submitted you name and address or e'mail address to receive our newsletter, watch for the form!

Please send your check to our post office box - address in the right-hand frame of this blog under "about me".  

Life Memberships remain $100!  You can avoid the annual reminder by becoming a Life Member now!

Go Cubs!

All-Class Picnic 2013 - what a great party!

Thanks to all the Cubs and friends who turned out for our annual All-Class Picnic yesterday!  Lots of fun, sun, great food from Joy's Bakery, and camaraderie!  Preliminary estimates are that we raised a lot of money for the Alumni Association scholarships, and we also gained 22 new paid memberships!

We are estimating attendance at right about 500.  It's hard to determine exactly how many, but we have a few metrics we can look at - like the number of name tags used!  So if you missed this one, get the 2014 picnic on your calendar now!  It will always be on the second Saturday in July from now on.  At lovely Riverfront Park in Sedro-Woolley!

BIG thanks to picnic chair Barbara Ward Thompson and her massive crew of helpers!  From setting up to taking down, parking, golf cart shuttles, raffle prize drawings, and individual class events, there are almost as many people helping at the picnic as are attending!  So thanks to everyone who did anything, we appreciate you!  And remember, it's always more fun when you are involved!

Here are just a few photos from the day - more to come!

 

Barbara organizes, supervises, and tabulates all! 

And she still has time to enjoy the day!

Loggerodeo 2013

What a GREAT turnout of Cubs in the Sedro-Woolley Loggerodeo parade this year!  Below are only a few photos of the MANY grads who help make this parade amazing.  Lots of reunions were represented:  1963, 1973, 1983, 1993, and 2003.  An honored guest of the parade was Joe Nemo, at 100 years young, who rode in a 1927 Ford and waved to his many fans in the crowd.  We hope everyone has a GREAT reunion and we hope to see you all at the SWHS Alumni Association All-Class Picnic.  We KNOW we'll see Joe Nemo there!

Membership status - new blog

We have added a blog exclusively for membership status entries.  The URL is:

www.swhsalumnimembers.blogspot.com

The list of Lifetime members on the Association's web site is out of date and very difficult to update.

We receive membership dues every month during the year - having a blog will give us an easy way to post lists of paid members without having to update the web site.  And the site can link back to the blog.

We often get questions about paid Lifetime memberships - the list of Lifetime status members is posted on the new blog right now.

If you have any questions, ask them here in the comments section and we'll get back to you as soon as possible!!

SWHS All-Class Picnic July 13th!

It's that time!  To finalize your reservation for the All-Class Picnic and make plans to attend!!

Saturday, July 13th
Riverfront Park, in Sedro-Woolley
12 noon to 4 p.m.  But people typically arrive earlier than that!

Catered lunch $15 in advance/$20 at the door
  Please specify "hamburger" or "chicken" entree when you make your reservation.
  Mail to SWHS AA PO Box 509  Sedro-Woolley 98284
  Or use the handy form in the last two newsletters!

Is your class putting up their own tent?  Call 360-855-0293 to reserve a spot. 
Everyone is welcome to use the common areas. 
Is your class bringing a sign with your class year?  Lots of classes do!

Wear a hat!  Wear sunscreen!  We'll be outside the whole time.
Bring your camera!

Robin Taylor, SWHS Alumni Assn president will be our Master of Ceremonies.  And we have many other fun things planned!

This picnic is also a fund-raiser for the Association's vocational scholarship program.  Bring cash to buy a few raffle tickets on great prizes and help the young Cubs with scholarships!

If you want to volunteer to help in any way - and it's always more fun when  you do - call Barbara Ward Thompson at 360-855-0293 and let her know you can help!  During the event there is lots to do and of course, the cleanup phase at the end of the day can use some willing hands.

This is a premier event in Sedro-Woolley - we usually have about 500 people in attendance!  So much fun to see old friends and share Cub Spirit! 

There is a lot of information about this picnic on the web site, on Facebook, in the last two Association newsletters, and in local newspapers (i.e., Skagit Valley Herald, Bellingham Herald, Concrete Herald) but if you run into an alum who doesn't have all the info, send them here!

SWHS Alumni - coming class events for summer 2013!

Coming Class Events

Class of 1961

July 3^rd Wednesday
Watch fireworks with Gary Johnson at Big Lake.

July 4^th Thursday

Senior Breakfast - Meet at 8:00 a.m. SW Senior Center
Gather to watch the parade as a class at 10:00 a.m. and then meet at the Sedro-Woolley Eagles after the parade; they have a BBQ for lunch.

July 5^th Friday

Eagles Party “Class of 61 Birthday Bash” Cost $20.00 per person, $5.00 without dinner
We would like to extend an invitation to other classes to attend our Friday night "Birthday Bash" July 5^th starting at 7:00 p.m.  Tell your friends. They will have to be put on a list to enter The Sedro- Woolley Eagles in advance.  Cost $5.00 per person

Class of 1961 contact John Keene jhkeene1@msn.com

 

Class of 1968

The Class of 1968 will hold their 45-year reunion in conjunction with the All Class Picnic on July 13, 2013.  The Class of '68 will put up a tent for class members to gather together.  All classmates planning to attend should complete the SWHSAA Reservation Form and make their checks payable ($15.00 per person) to the same.  

Class of 1971
Coffee hour on the last Tuesday of every month, where we visit and catch up on the latest news.  Pot luck dinner at the July gathering to celebrate our 60^th birthdays. 

Class of 1973

SWHS Class of ’73 will celebrate a 40-year reunion at Skagit Valley Gardens in Mount Vernon on Saturday, July 6, 2013.  Also an entry in the July 4^th Loggerodeo Parade.   Please contact Sally Thompson Rauch for more information: sallyrauch@hotmail.com.
 

Class of 2003

The Class of 2003 will hold their 10-year reunion on Friday, July 5^th and Saturday, July 6^th.  The Friday mixer is at Eagle Haven Winery and the Saturday “main event” is at the SW Eagles Club.  Sunday morning, July 7^th, a pot luck brunch is planned.   Class of 2003 will also have a float in the Loggerodeo Parade on July 4^th. 

Purchase tickets now at

http://www.timwrightdesigns.com/reunion/

And submit post-grad photos by June 13^th for the slide show.  This and much more information is on the web site referenced above!

SWHS Alumni Association and Class of 1971 announce 2013 scholarship winners

SWHS AA SCHOLARSHIPS
The SWHS AA awards vocational scholarships each year to deserving students who want to better themselves and their community.  Scholarships are funded from the plant and bake sale, the class picnic, and donations/memorials. 

This year’s scholarship committee was comprised of Lola Wood Ellestad, Robin Taylor, Doreen Spencer, Reidar Ytgard, and Bonna Harrison Beitler (chair).

Students receiving SWHS AA awards for 2013, each in the amount of $2000:

Joseph Carlson, Class of 2010 -Studying Law Enforcement

Codi Rolph, Class of 2013 –Studying Law Enforcement 

Breanne Gilbert, Class of 2013- Studying Nursing

Kayti Fitzgerald , Class of 2010 -Studying Dental Hygiene

 

CLASS OF 1971 SCHOLARSHIPS

The class of 1971 has separate scholarship awards, but under the umbrella of the SWHS AA. 

Students receiving Class of 1971 scholarship awards for 2013, each in the amount of $2500:

Academic:

Chelsea Seidel (Class of 2011) – studying nursing at Washington State University – Spokane, College of Nursing.

Kayla Overby, Class of 2013 – plans to study chemistry at Whitman College.

Kaelyn Roberson, Class of 2013 – plans to study nursing at the University of Washington.

Vocational:
Wyatt Stovall – Class of 2013 – plans to study biology with an emphasis on wildlife and fish at Skagit Valley College. 

Awards were announced and presented on June 5, 2013 at high school ceremonies. 

SWHS Alumni Assn Plant Sale 2013 is a BIG success!

Wow!  Many thanks to the MANY customers who turned out to support our scholarship program this morning!  Those plants went flying out the door - some customers wanted a dozen at a time!  Really a gratifying event for us in our quest to fund scholarships for SWHS and State Street HS graduates.  If you missed the fun, come next year!  Better yet, volunteer to help!

Our next big event, which is also a scholarship fundraiser, is the All-Class Picnic on July 13th.  It's the place to be to meet and greet your fellow Cubs this summer!  More info in the next post!

Geranium and Tomato Sale Saturday May 4th!!

We are all about the geraniums and tomatoes at this time of year - both in the Pacific Northwest and in the SWHS Alumni Association!  We'll have our annual sale of BEAUTIFUL plants on Saturday, May 4th, just in time for Mother's Day and SPRING!  Well, it's coming...

These plants are all greenhouse-grown and hardened and ready to go in the ground or in your favorite planters.  Several varieties of each.  This sale is so popular because of the high quality of the plants and because our local folks LOVE to support the Alumni Association's scholarship program!

The SWHS Alumni Association has been awarding scholarships to graduating students who plan to pursue a vocational career, since 1996!  We're so proud of our local graduates from SWHS and State Street High School who go on to school and learn to do great things! 

As always, our sale begins at 9:00 a.m. and continues until about 2:00 p.m. or until sold out.  Come early for the best selection among varieties!  Please bring cash or a local check.  There will also be some goodies for sale and some hot coffee! 

Your favorite Alumni Assn Cubs will also be there - Pat, Barbara, Shirley, Jerry, Robin, and so many more!  This is a great place to link up with the Association and get involved.  If you would like to pay your membership dues ($10 annual/$100 lifetime) or reserve  your spot for the All-Class Picnic ($15) you can do that at the sale, too!

Where will it be?  In the small building adjacent to (west of) the Sedro-Woolley Community Center on Pacific Street.  Turn north onto Ball Street from State Street and turn west on Pacific.  You'll see us there!   

So come on out and help us raise scholarship funds for our newest graduating Cubs! 

All-Class Picnic - golf cart sponsorships needed

2013 All Class Picnic - Saturday July 13th

Last year we tried something new! Renting a couple of golf carts to shuttle alumni from the lower parking lot to the upper picnic area. It was a big hit! We'd like to do it again this year. Would YOU or your business or YOUR CLASS like to sponsor all or part of a golf cart rental? We would give you some great advertising among SWHS alums in return. Right now, estimated sponsorship cost for one three-person golf cart would be about $175 for the day. We provide drivers. If you're interested (yes, you are!), contact picnic chair Barbara Thompson at 360-855-0293.

Next meeting Wednesday, February 20th!

The Sedro-Woolley High School Alumni Association will meet on Wednesday, February 20th, at 1:00 p.m. at the S-W Senior Center!  A great time for you to come on out and get involved!

Meet or re-greet the folks who regularly make the Alumni Association happen.  We have just closed our scholarship application process (deadline was January 31) for the year and the applications are now in the hands of the committee for review. 

We anticipate having a reception for our scholarship winners in late March, so stay tuned!

The SWHS Alumni Association awards scholarships for graduates pursuing vocational education.  We are so proud of the young people who apply themselves to these important careers.  Be ready to help us raise more scholarship funds and to meet our winners for 2013!

All-Class Picnic 2013 - Planning now!

The first All-Class Picnic planning meeting will be held tomorrow, January 9th, at Picnic Chair Barbara Ward Thompson's house!

It takes a lot of planning, organization, fresh ideas, refinement of old ideas, scrambling, unscrambling, note-taking, e'mailing, telephoning, and determination to put on a huge event like the Sedro-Woolley High School Alumni Association All-Class Picnic!  Are you on the committee?  You should be!  Are you a volunteer for the event?  You should be!  It's always more fun when you're a direct participant!

Our annual picnic will be Saturday, July 13, 2013 (that's easy to remember!) at beautiful Riverfront Park in Sedro-Woolley.  You can reserve your picnic lunch now - the reservation form will be in the upcoming newsletter, or just visit our web site to pay your dues and for your picnic!

Classes that plan to erect their own tents on site should contact Barb as soon as possible to ensure that she has mapped out space for you.  This is a VERY POPULAR option for many classes - more each year.

Also, if your class has a sign, plan to bring it!  If not, think about acquiring one now!  Nice and early -  no rush.  Need t-shirts and sweatshirts for your class to wear and proudly display your graduating year?  Again, it's time to design and order!

I wonder if assistant picnic chair Mike Martin '67 can keep up with Barb Thompson '43...plan to attend and find out!