The celebration of 75 years marks the end of “huge and rigorous reunion events,” said Millie Wellington. Wellington is a member of the Waimea High School Class of 1952 that recently gathered for a four-day celebration of the members’ 75th
The celebration of 75 years marks the end of “huge and rigorous reunion events,” said Millie Wellington.
Wellington is a member of the Waimea High School Class of 1952 that recently gathered for a four-day celebration of the members’ 75th birthday that included its participation in the Koloa Plantation Days parade.
“For some reason over the past 57 years since graduating from Waimea High School, our class reunion pictures never ever appeared in our local paper,” Wellington said in an e-mail. “The 75th birthday gathering brings a sad decision to abandon huge and rigorous reunion events in favor of little luncheon gatherings every now and then.”
Known as “Classy 52,” Wellington said through the years, members of other high school classes from the 1950s vintage have commented on the particular nature of the class.
“This deeply bonded energy of personalities ignited and grew into a compassionate circle of friendship from Day 1 in September 1948, when freshmen students from all Westside elementary schools converged on the Waimea High School campus,” Wellington said.
We were riding high on the crest of a WWII victory, our core of values reflected love and respect of parents and siblings, an overwhelming sense of pride in being Americans, and the honor system of “Aloha” that guided us through our daily lives, she said.
Juanita Mundon, an English teacher, and Coach Baggy Tsuchiya instilled the strength of discipline in us, and then-principal Shizuo Tsuchiya swept the class into an appreciation for music and drama through Gilbert and Sullivan’s “The Mikado,” directed by principal Tsuchiya and band director James Cassel.
“With many super athletes in our class like receiver, Dick Ueoka, and quarterback, Richard Watase, both of whom went on to play football for the University of Hawai‘i, members of our student body packed onto the wooden bleachers at Isenberg field, each waving a homemade blue and white pom pom,” Wellington said.
“The side line was a sea of blue-and-white crepe paper strips punching the air on 2/4 tempo and the entire scenario rocking with students from opposing high schools in red or green singing along in full volume with the band and pep squad of song leaders. I remember how we all bawled and wiped tears away on the bus ride home when we lost the Football Championship to Kauai High School during our senior year.”
Wellington said those memories inspired her to suggest the pom pom routine for the Koloa Plantation Days parade that earned “Classy 52” a three-way tie for first place in the Walking Unit judging.
That suggestion brought forth a variety of responses from the group that includes a variety of cancer survivors, those with pace makers, rotator cuffs, joint discomforts and others “wearing hearing adis, or deaf folks in denial,” she said.
The responses were punctuated with fun as concerns over “How long and fast is the walk?” “Will there be a place to sit and wait?” or “Are there restrooms nearby?” filled the room.
Through the years, Wellington said the class donned “Classy 52” sweatshirts to participate in the Waimea High School Centennial Celebration, sewed happi coats, and hosted a sumo contest wearing the over-sized sumo costumes and being restricted to the use of back ends to push opponents over.
Those events were inspired by the disappearance of the spirit that bonded the class together when Wellington visited a football game and observed the transformation of audience spirit from the days of Classy 52.
“We send out newsletters and bulletins to keep each other informed of fellow classmates and pending reunions,” Wellington said.
“We visit ailing classmates and place flowers on gravesites of those who have passed on. We donate monetary support to our beloved Waimea High School. This substance of deep bonding is what we would like to pass on to our youth.”
