Fowlerville High School Alumni Banquet: A Fading Tradition?

   The Fowlerville High School Alumni Association held its annual banquet on Saturday, June 6. This was the 122^nd gathering of the organization.

   While that longevity would suggest a solid foundation of continuity, organizers fear that this yearly gathering of the school’s former students at one setting may be a fading tradition. A few years back attendance slipped to around 200 alumni and guests. Not a shabby number, yet nowhere near earlier years when an attendance of 300 to 400 was the norm.

   This time around the ticket sales dropped to 123; still a decent turnout, but the trend is going in the wrong direction. The culprit, the officers of the alumni board say, is the younger generation’s lack of interest in the event; a lack of interest that’s been going on for a number of years.

   Most of those present have been out of school for over 40 years.

   While individual classes have met, and I assume will continue to meet, to observe their 10^th, 20^th, and 25^th reunions—and see enthusiasm for an evening of nostalgia—many of these organizers do not opt to coincide their date with the annual alumni banquet.

    When I showed up for my first banquet in 1985, sixteen years after my graduation, I had an ulterior motive; I wanted to take photos to put in our new weekly paper that had been launched earlier five months before. The Class of 1960 had a nice turnout for their 25^th reunion, and I snapped their group photo along with those of older classes. For awhile, the 25^th class was among those featured with a picture in the paper.

   Exceptions have occurred during the ensuing years, but eventually the 25-year classes stopped organizing a get-together for the alumni banquet. For several years the 40-year classes enjoyed sizable attendance, while the 50 and 60 year reunions were a given. Depending on the class (namely whether or not an individual or small committee put in the organizing effort), there might be good turnouts for the 30^th, 45^th and 55^th class reunions.

   The 65^th and 70^th classes might see several classmates show up, however advancing age, various infirmities, and distance kept others from joining in the celebration. And death, by those milestone anniversaries, had slowly thinned the numbers.

   Over the past 30 years of my attendance—of still taking photos for the newspaper—reunions of classes prior to their 40^th year out of school have gradually disappeared from the event.  On any given year, a few alumni from a particular class, observing its 25^th or 30^th reunion, might show up on their own recognizance to see if anyone else is there, but not for an organized gathering. Those reunions, as I noted earlier, occur as a separate event.

    This past June only two members from the Class of 1975 were at the banquet to mark their 40^th year. This year also saw further erosion in the foundation of alumni, with the 50-year class deciding to hold a party on Friday night. It drew a nice turnout, and proved to be the main reunion. The following evening only 14 showed up for the alumni banquet.

   The pessimism of the alumni board on the event’s long-term future is probably well-founded. If classes have not showed up at the banquet for their 25^th, 30^th, or 40^th year reunions, there’s no existing pattern that would motivate them to return for a 50-year celebration or beyond.

   Yet this downward trend is a symptom of a larger ailment. While each year a different set of classes is recognized, bringing a new cast of characters to the spotlight, the bread-and-butter of alumni is not the attendance of these special classes, important as they are to the event. Rather it is the support of individual alumnus, accompanied by his or her spouse, along with the couples who were once high school sweethearts, showing up year after year, sharing the spotlight when their particular class reaches a milestone anniversary, but otherwise faithfully taking part in the evening, greeting former classmates and re-visiting the joys of their school days for a couple of hours.

   Once upon a time (I’m told), the alumni banquet was among the highlights of the social calendar. I assume the same was true in other communities. Classes celebrating a special anniversary had a member offer a toast, generally accompanied by a recollection of their school days, favorite teachers, and how times have changed. That’s still done. In those bygone years, the evening also featured a guest speaker and afterwards a dance. Attendees dressed up for the occasion.

    The world changes, and so do we. This social event has slowly but surely lost its allure for many—both for those who still reside in the hometown and for those who need to travel to get here. A lot more interesting and entertaining options exist. Perhaps, also the nostalgia of school days is not as strong as it once was.

    I’ve enjoyed attending alumni, although my ulterior motive still exists. I served as the toastmaster for my class when it reached its 25^th year. Four others were in attendance for that address, so I made sure to mention each of them in my remarks.

   I organized a reunion when our class observed its 40^th anniversary, centered around the banquet, since no one had taken the initiative to do a solo event. Several classmates joined me for the meal; we heard Keith Risdon offer our class toast and then gathered for a party afterwards. That turnout was much improved over the five of us who attended the banquet for our 25^th year, but compared to the 10^th, 20^th, and 30^th reunions organized as solo affairs.

     When I first started going to alumni, I was among the youngest present. I still am. If that trend continues, alumni’s days are numbered. Only the enthusiasm of a younger generation, thus far not in evidence, will save the tradition.