We would love to know what you thought of the reunion. We would love your suggestions for future reunions.
Tell us what you will remember.
Tell us what inspired you.
Tell us what made you want to come or why you stayed away.
Was there someone you wanted to see but didn’t?
Was there something that surprised you?
Tell us what made you laugh and what made you cry sad.
When would you like to have another get together? There is an idea on the table for 2011 event called “69ers Turn Sixty”. Would you attend?
Thank for sharing your thoughts and being a part of the SPIRIT OF ‘69!
]]>To those that came to find old friends, to make new friends, and to enjoy an afternoon steeped in love and remembrance, thanks for sharing the spirit of 1969 with us on what was a picture perfect September afternoon.
Memories: Those blue skies (after a rare lightening and thunder storm ushered in the day). That setting (which was like our own private little park). Blue and gold everywhere. Yellow sunflowers.
Those vintage cars. The excitement as everyone began to arrive. Staring at name tags, hugging, laughing, then catching up. The awesome food, the wine, the “memory wall” including letter sweaters and song leader outfits. Bob Ayres on the microphone. The Madrigals singing.
The tribute at dusk to those who have passed away, with Beatles music in the background.
Listening to our former principal speak on Sunday morning. Seeing the locker rooms where we dressed out for PE (as the new principal gave us a guided tour inside the school).
It was upbeat, it was fun, and maybe, just maybe, the best reunion we have ever had.
To those of you who missed our event, we hope to see you next time and we missed you! The turnout was far beyond our expectations, a wonderful gathering that inspired a new appreciation for the role high school played in our lives.
Funny, how hindsight will do that to you.
The committee will soon be posting pictures for all of you who missed the event, so continue to come back to the website, and join us as we all come together, 40 years later, and keep the spirit of 1969 alive.
It was pretty special, don’t you agree?
Written by Janet Guilbault, Class of 1969 Committee Member
]]>5PM Meet at Japanese Cultural Center for decorating and partial set up
8PM Pizza at Rocco’s in Walnut Creek for all set up helpers
Last Quart Sept 12
9AM till ? Meet and Japanese Cultural Center for final set up. Bring vintage cars to park at site.
2:30PM Committee members [along with the DJ] arrive at event
2:45PM Set up munchies
3PM Event Begins!
4PM Welcome by MC
5PM Dinner
6PM Program begins (while dinner is being finished)
7:20PM Estimated sunset
7:30PM Photo of entire group
8-9PM Dancing under the stars
9-10 Clean up
10-Midnight. Post party at Embassy Suites
Sunday 9/13
9:30 AM Committee members arrive at Ygnacio Valley High School to set up Brunch on the Quad
10AM-12 noon Tour of school by Carolyn Plath, current principal of Ygnacio Valley high school. Fruit, cinnamon rolls, muffins and coffee will be served.
A typical meeting starts with Members arriving and usually bringing a bottle of wine or something to eat [or both!]
Once everyone who is going to show up arrives… we EAT [the food not the late arrivals haha]!
Then we get down to business, and usually since time is short we begin while we are eating. We always have an agenda and now since we are on “day 35″ to the Reunion on Sept 12 it is crunch time. There are people working on music, making memorabilia boards, printing name tags… you name it Debbie and Jodie and Gail have lists of what needs to be done and they actively seek volunteers. From the original days of 10 Committee members it has grown. We are happy to have the help of Cheryl
[who is helping organize a fun and friendly game of golf] and Karen 
[who is going to be using her skills as a sign maker to write by hand all the names of people from photographs we've collected. [that's her on the left]
And it is not too late to send in stuff. Especially pictures. Surely someone has some pictures from a Senior Picnic? or Graduation Day? the All-Nighter? How about a Prom picture? Senior Ball? Take a moment and scan and email it to Bob. He will gleefully display it for all to see.
Steve posted pictures of our last meeting on Facebook.
FYI it is now August 9 and…
34 days until Sept 12, 2009
Today seven of us went to the Site of the Sept 12 Reunion. If you would like to see some pictures visit this site. We are all getting psyched as Sept 12 approaches. The Committee will keep you posted as there is always going to be something to share. Our next meeting is only in 3 days. MORE TO COME.
Carry on my friends…Mark
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In this picture: Debbie Edwards, Margot Dimbat, Janeace Liles, Becky Ross, Ann Gingrich
I was friends with Margot and Janeace in elementary school and didn’t really know Debbie or Ann. But, contacting people for the reunion led to this reunion at Claim Jumpers. We had a fabulous time and are looking forward to seeing each other at the reunion or before.
The title of this is a Girl Scout Brownie song. I’ve always loved it and it certainly applies here. Hopefully, many of us will have similar experiences in September.
Kudos to Janet for keeping us all up on blogging. Janet, you are awesome!
Becky
]]>At last, the reunion does not seem like something in the distant, misty future. We turn the calendar to August this weekend and, wow, that means the reunion is only 5 short weeks away.
Our official invitations have been mailed. Our official e-mail blast went out the day after the meeting. It was decided at the meeting that the primary focus of the committee should be getting those we have already located, TO ATTEND THE REUNION.
We are still searching for our missing classmates, but have delegated this job to some wonderful classmates who were eager to volunteer for this job. If you would like to come forward to help with any aspect of the reunion, please let us know!
Some things to note:
Bob Ayres will once again be our charming MC. You have my permission to call him Ryan Seacrest. Let us know if there is something you would like to see on the program this year.
Sally (Morrison) Marin is hosting a get together at her ranch the night before the reunion for all of the former Madrigals (the elite singing group). Please call her if you know someone who belonged to this group. 925-200-0460 We are hoping to persuade the Madrigals to sing at the reunion!
Guy Gettle is in the process of developing our very own YV69 Wine! You will be able to buy a bottle to commemorate the occasion at the reunion. We have seen a preview of the label and it is beautiful.
We are inviting teachers to the reunion that taught when you were in high school! We hope to let you know soon who has accepted.
There will be an event on the Sunday after the reunion at Ygnacio Valley High School. It will be a casual get together at 11AM (brunch). We are hoping to take a walk (literally) down memory lane that morning.
Some of the committee members would like to get a group together to go to the YV Homecoming Game this fall. More about this later.
The event itself is coming together and Debbie Carlin, our fearless leader, has somehow managed to put all the pieces of this great event together. It was a little risky to put on such a big event without the help of a professional planner (like the prior reunion).
For those of you who have put on weddings for your children, putting on a reunion is a little like the weeks before the wedding day. You are happy, you are prepared, and you can’t wait for all of the pieces to merge into one amazing and happy celebration.
Can’t wait to see you there.
Written by Janet (James) Guilbault, Class of 1969, for the Official YV69 Blog.
]]>For those of you who have been following our progress via our website, you are aware that this is the newest version. Our committee member and former BMOC (big man on campus) Bob Ayres, is developing this site, so please note it is a work in progress.
Our deepest thanks to Mark Van Hatten who put so much time and effort into the original site.
All the best things in life unfold little by little. Please continue to visit, continue to give us your ideas, and by all means check out this blog, which we believe is one of the best upgrades to our official website.
At our committee meeting this week we were talking about our fellow classmate, Miles Affleck, who recently passed away. Most of us thought of a special picture of Miles, smiling, wearing an Indian headdress, and riding bareback.
I believe this must have been at our homecoming game, can anyone verify this? (Since my friend Sally Marin has such a better memory than me, we say that she has a “save button” in her mind, and I have a “delete” button in mine….)
I guess in 1969 it was not “politically incorrect” to dress up like an Indian and ride around whooping at a foot ball game. (Laughing)
You will note that our webmaster Bob placed this picture on our home page with a link to a touching memorial tribute by his brother. I watched it last night and was made all the more aware of the importance of COMING TOGETHER (while we have the opportunity).
On a final note: I did some research and discovered the Beatles song “Come Together” was considered to be the number one single of 1969. Click here to link to the list.
I laughed to also discover the Jackson Five had the number on Motown hit “I Want You Back”.
Since we “Want You Back”, let’s all “Come Together” this September.
You just never know if you’ll have the chance again.
A final note: Over the weekend I will be working on an e-mail blast to be sent to all of the Ygnacio Valley Class of 1969. You should receive this Monday.
Written by Janet (James) Guilbault, YV Class of 1969
Where else (other than maybe your first year in college) are you thrown together with people your exact same age, who share a common cause, and a similar past? Throw in a little wine, a little dinner, and you have a receipe for an immediate bond.
If these evenings are any prediction of the REAL reunion, then prepare for a crazy, FUN time in September.
Warriors gone wild?
What I find most amazing is that this group of 10-12 YV 69ers did not know each other very well in high school for the most part. Other than my best friend, Sally (Morrison) Marin, I really didn’t know anyone in the group. And yet we blended and bonded almost immediately.
We laugh. We share secrets from high school. We mourn those that we have lost. And we celebrate the most important thing: COMING TOGETHER. There is nothing better than that, I assure you.
Guy Gettle made a very good point last night. To those of you reading this who are saying THIS to yourself “I don’t want to go to the reunion, because I won’t know anyone there…”, we would like to tell you this:
WE WANT TO GET TO KNOW YOU NOW.
Every one who graduated with you launched into adulthood from the same place in Concord California, at the same time, sharing the same moments in history, and so many of the same experiences.
It is 40 years later, and time to embrace fellow classmates, honor what we share, and disregard any leftover insecurities from high school once and for all.
We would love for you to join us on September 12th, for our 40 Year Reunion. Why? Because you are one of us, and we are committed to a reunion that will celebrate something more than just our past.
We’re celebrating our future together.
Last night Debbie Carlin asked if we could come up with a theme for the Reunion. I would officially like to suggest we borrow the title from a great Beatles song and make our theme “Come Together”.
If you agree, please feel free to let us know, or suggest your own theme.
Written by Committee Member Janet (James) Guilbault (Class of 1969)
]]>We are gradually transitioning from the old website to the new and it’s a lot of work. But this blog is easy and should be fun. Hope you all use it.
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