Class of ’62 reunites

Audrey Lampert and other members of the reunion committee search high and low for their classmates. Many are coming to this weekend's Moncton High reunion. GREG AGNEW/TIMES & TRANSCRIPT STAFF

Moncton High class was largest in graduating history. "We cannot believe that we found all 381 students," says Audrey Lampert, part of the organizing  committee for the Moncton High School Class of 1962’s 40th reunion. The 1962 graduating class had 381 students, making it the largest Grade 12 class in Moncton High history. Lampert was the Vice-President of her class and is a life officer. So far, 135 of the former classmates are registered to attend the reunion, which will be held on August 2 and 3. People are coming from across Canada, as far west as British Columbia and as far south as Virginia and Maryland. Twenty people have been organizing the event for the past year, meeting once a month. Tracking down 381 people was no easy task. Sometimes, all that the organizers had to go by was an address and telephone from the high school’s telephone directory, which was forty years out of date. Sometimes, when the search was going nowhere, they would resort to going to the old address and knocking on doors to see if anyone remembered the family and were they had gone. Surprisingly enough, it worked.

One person that the committee had been searching for without results was found this way. "We eventually went to the old phone book and went to the house. The parents were still there, same street, same address and same phone number after 40 years. It was just so obvious that we didn’t even think of it at first," says Audrey.

When the class had a reunion in 1982 there were 13 people they were unable to find, so organizers were determined to find everyone this time.
 

"A lot of hard work went into the search," says Audrey. "We used Canada 411, Canadaeast.com and the Canadian Power Pages." A retired detective also put his skills to use for the class. The Internet was also a boon for the organizers. They have developed an e-mail distribution list of 258 people, and use it to distribute a newsletter and a list of who was missing. "Twenty years ago we did a phone and address list, the only thing different now is there is e-mail addresses on it and it is done on Excel (spreadsheets)," says Audrey.

Yearbook staff 1962 - L-R Sally Smith, girls sports editor, Marion LeBlanc, Mr. A. dyer, faculty advisor, Greg Read boys sports editor. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED.

"Every day it changes, people retire and are moving. We’ve also used the MHS Web site. Kim Evans was fantastic with helping us, absolutely superb. We have 43 per cent registered in the MHS alumni directory, it has been a great resource."

Many of the classmates have not seen each other in 20 years, since the last reunion in 1982, and some have been out of  touch for 40.

The organizing committee was also faced with a bit of a reality check. They discovered that 26 of their former classmates are now deceased, compared to seven from 20 years ago. A memorial to them has been added to their page on the Moncton High alumni Web site.

Eighteen of the classmates married each other, forming nine couples who are still together to this day.

"A lot just want to re-connect," says Audrey. "Ours was probably the first generation to spread their wings and a lot left New Brunswick. It was the beginning of the move away. I’m looking forward to getting together with close high school friends, five of them are staying with me at my cottage, so we’ll relive all of those pajama party days. Just to see people again and find out what they’ve been doing for 40 years, or 20 years depending on when we last saw them."
 

The reunion will begin at 6:30 on Friday night, with a meet and greet with wine and cheese in what the class of 1962 refers to as the "new cafeteria", it was the shop when they were there. Tours of the school have also been arranged, and the life officers will also say a few words. "We’re going to have a class photo on the bleachers and see the new gym for the first time," says Audrey. "There are a few surprises in store as well, but I can’t divulge what they are yet." On Saturday morning there will be a golf tournament and that night there will be a dinner at the Cocagne Marina, entertainment being provided by The Classics.

MHS Badminton team under the direction of Mr. Jackson. President of the club was Brad Hayter and secretary was Cheryl Whitman. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

The reunion will begin at 6:30 on Friday night, with a meet and greet with wine and cheese in what the class of 1962 refers to as the "new cafeteria", it was the shop when they were there.

Tours of the school have also been arranged, and the life officers will also say a few words.

"We’re going to have a class photo on the bleachers and see the new gym for the first time," says Audrey. "There are a few surprises in store as well, but I can’t divulge what they are yet."

On Saturday morning there will be a golf tournament and that night there will be a dinner at the Cocagne Marina, entertainment being provided by The Classics.

A boat has also been chartered that will take participants out on the bay and they’ll eat mussels on the deck. There will be a number of short speakers, former classmates will reminisce and tell stories.

Many things about Moncton High School have changed since these students were there in the early 1960s, they had Grade 13, which was first year at Mt. Allison or UNB, and students were streamed into departments: Academic, Commercial, Home Economics, Industrial and Technical.

Some things began with them. 1962 was the first year Moncton High put on a musical theatrical production, which the school has since become known for. There was also a Grade Nine class.

"The gym and the cafeteria are new," says Audrey, "but the values and the traditions that the school stood for, and still does, left a strong impact that makes coming back something that we want to do."