Message Forum Common Agreement
"TERMS OF USE"

The Message Forum is not a public soapbox, nor a political platform in any form. This forum is neutral territory when it comes to supporting any movements, political parties, candidates, or otherwise.

___________

Dear Classmates:
This site isn’t about waistlines, hairlines, or personal crusades. It’s about lifelines and is about reconnecting with our friends from some of the best years of our lives - It's about caring for our classmates, sharing news, and mourning those we've lost.

We ask you to kindly be considerate about passing along news about classmates who are ill, who have had surgery, or are experiencing other personal issues. Please be sure to obtain permission to share with the class any and all submissions.  As wonderful as it is to share or receive news about or from classmates don't break confidences or invade someone's privacy. 

Classmates, If you have an issue that needs a soapbox please use your "Classmate Profile" page.  Classmates can choose to "follow" by selecting your name and each time you post news about yourself, add photos, or update your profile  an email is sent notifying those on your follow list that you have updated your personal profile. Do not check the box, share with classmates as a reply button is provided for return comments and messages.

PLEASE NOTE: Abuse of the message forum common agreement/terms of use may cause immediate suspension of privileges or removal from the AHS website without further warning. 
(We reserve the right to remove material that may be deemed offensive).
Paul Peters -
revised 09/12/2021

Maureen Hamilton (Hackert)

Three Words:    Little Black Dress!

Maureen Hamilton (Hackert)

Just a reminder that the deadline for signing up for the reunion is tomorrow, Monday, June 13th.  We are required to finalize the count and make our final payment with the Marriott Hotel this week. If you plan to attend, you must sign up NOW!

For those of you attending the Saturday night dinner and require a vegetarian or gluten-free meal, please let me know as soon as possible. The hotel is prepared to provide for any special dietary needs.

One last thing!  For those of you who will be arriving at the hotel on Thursday, June 23rd, we will be meeting at 5 o'clock at the bar in the lobby of the hotel. Let the party begin!🎉💥🎊🥳

James Burden

I can't find my Little Black Dress.  I think I loaned it to Jim Tidball at the last reunion.  I should plan better !!

Sam Juliano

I had written a whole story that I was planning to post about reunions...

The TL;DR version is this: the years have a way of equalizing our classmates... if you don't think you "belong" in the group of beautiful people, jocks, and the other "cliques" that you envision as the core attendees... please reconsider and join us.  The shared experience of high school transcends much of the differences between, say, the jocks and the nerds of 50 years ago.  None were lower on the high school social ladder than myself, and yet I had a wonderful time at our 45th reunion making new friends with many of those far above me on that ladder.  The years have a way of rounding off the rough edges that differentiate the groups in high school; I felt as welcomed as any of the more "important" attendees.

Also I met a gorgeous chick there that I'm madly in love with.

Sorry, sorry, I haven't used that kind of language since 1971.

Anyway, this chick, er, gorgeous woman thought we should write a song for the reunion instead of posting my homogenization story.  So we did and I recorded it.  We dedicate this to any of our classmates who are still on the fence about being with us for our reunion activities.  It ain't Grammy material, and I post it with sincere apologies to Green Day and their song "Good Riddance":

http://www.groundstrike.com/songs/AHS%20Reunion%20Song.mp3

Looking forward to seeing you all at the reunion activities! Thank you to the reunion organizers for the incredible work you've accomplished in putting this all together for us. Pam (ahem) and I will arrive Thursday, and we're looking forward to joining anyone for drinks at the hotel and possibly dinner.  And we're both excited about "Jimmy" Burden's little black dress.

Barbara Tatem (Kelley)

On Saturday morning, June 25^th

Please join us for a tour of the halls of Annandale High at 11:00 a.m.

And you might well want to stick around afterwards for our class photo and

delectable picnic on the grounds of AHS!  

Please register today!

• Heading now to the language classrooms, did anyone actually achieve fluency in French, German, Spanish or Russian?  The main memory of Latin was the annual Toga Party, complete with handcrafted Roman apparel, and a feast which always included Three Chefs fried chicken and yeast rolls with honey!
• Now onto the gymnasium and our fine PE department, where our instructors and coaches attempted to mold us into athletes.  Here we convened for PE during inclement weather, gymnastics instruction, basketball games, and wrestling matches.
• Let’s not forget we benefitted from the age of Rock and Roll with live bands playing many a sockhop, sweetheart dance, and the annual Sadie Hawkins dance in the gym. Hopefully one or more of those classmates who made a midnight acquisition of an authentic outhouse for the straw covered floor of the gym for Sadie Hawkins will be joining the AHS tour and providing this amusing narrative.
• Does anyone remember their Home Room? In the dark ages, the school administrators could not convey messages via the Internet or text, and so we were assigned to Home Rooms for attendance and morning announcements over the PA system (more formally referred to as the Public Address System). There was no Starbucks to jumpstart the day, but this gathering allowed us to socialize each morning with our closest alphabetized classmates for four years.

Sherri Hurt (Braxton)

Sam Juliano - Thanks for that awesome rendition of The Time of Your Life.  Was that Pam in the background on violin?  😉. I always knew she was talented but that's next level!

James Tidball

Jim (don't call me "Jimmy") Burden.  Thanks for the loan of your little black dress. I will return it to you right away. It was beginning to chafe anyway.  Jim

Karen Kohut (Logeman)

To all my AHS Class of 1971 classmates,  I am so sorry that I will not be able to attend our 50th reunion.  I never dreamed that I would miss this special event.  David and I have some family matters (in particular his 90+ yr old mother), that are preventing me from attending.  As the reunion gets closer with each day that passes I regret more that I have not made it my top priority.  I want to be there SO MUCH.  Anyway, please know that I will be there in spirit with all my heart, and will miss seeing everyone and being a part of it all.  
Have a wonderful time, and have a cocktail or two for me!  
I do have a little black dress that I would have worn, so if any of the guys are in need of one let me know, and I'll Fed Ex it to you!  :)

Rebecca Cashion (Kleinfelter)

Sam, loved your rendition!!  
Looking forward to seeing everyone.  We arrive Friday afternoon!!

Fred Chandler

Sam,

 The song was great. My wife wants to steal it and use it for her upcoming reunion.

Here is another picture from a past reunion.

Can you guess the names?

Fred Chandler

One more picture.

Do you recognize ayone?

Linda Harris (Loomis)

I think there should be a vote. Which Jim(mys) look better in the little black dress?

Rebecca Cashion (Kleinfelter)

Now that's scary!!  They both look great!!

James Burden

Holy Crap !!!   If Tidball looked that good I would have dated him at AHS !!!

Michael Guthrie

Dave Tighe who we will miss at the reunion, Dave Anderson and ???

Sherri Hurt (Braxton)

Tough call, but I like Burden's pumps best.

Paul Rowson

Thanks for the photoshopped picture of J²! After seeing this picture I think I recall seeing the both of them in the Foo Fighters video.

https://youtu.be/eT_FJHM-Qhs
Some things just can't be unseen!

Pamela Swim (Gosselin)

That is just beyond words!  Can't wait to see everyone next week.

James Tidball

OMG. That picture makes me feel a little ill....

Sam Juliano

Pam and I voted and here are our results... we think both of these young men look FABULOUS in their outfits... but Pam chose Jimmy, where I chose the other Jimmy.

Thank you all for the kind words about the AHS reunion song... Jennie is welcome to use it, Fred! And a special thanks to Linda, for the "photo suitable for framing" and the lively debate that may dominate our reunion festivities... starting about one week from now!

PS. Please note that Pam can rock a little black dress too!  Here she is, pictured with her new boyfriend (her car, not me!).

Constance Menefee

Re: The Two Jimmys in their Little Black Dresses:  I've been living in San Francisco for almost fifty years (!!) so I'm use to the guys being better looking than I am! 

Barbara Tatem (Kelley)

Greetings Class of '71,

Just some final guidance for the upcoming tour, class photo, and picnic events at Annandale High School planned for Saturday morning, June 25th beginning at 11:00 a.m. The official school address is: 

• 4700 Medford Dr, Annandale, VA 22003

For those of you who have not been back to campus lately and might appreciate a bit of orientation to the campus, I went by and took a few photos to help us all meet up once again at Four Year Run.

When you are facing the front entrance, here is what you will see. From this vantage point, I would suggest you do not park out front, but rather head toward the right end of the building.

Then turn left toward the football stadium, following the HOME SIDE arrow.

You will then come around to the back side of the building where there are permanent "temporary" classrooms and plenty of PARKING for us.  We will be meeting for the tour at DOOR #7 which is the entry way to the cafeteria and available REST ROOMS.

DOOR #7 is our MEETING PONT at 11:00 for the TOUR, and also near where the picnic will take place. Our AHS Tour Guide will be Mr. David Kish.

We are planning to begin with the TOUR at 11:00, followed by the PHOTO in the BLEACHERS, and then back to the PICNIC outside of the cafeteria.  So far the weather report is fully cooperating, but I would suggest you be prepared for spending some time in the sun, especially during the photo and picnic.  

Thanks to Betty Petersilia for making advance arrangements with AHS, to Paul Rowson for photography, and to Patti Waldrop and Robbie Lindholm for the picnic provisions!  Looking forward to seeing everyone!

Barbara

Barbara Tatem Kelley 

703-927-6384

Michael Lunsford

James Burden

Mike Lundsford ...  Not as shaken as when you receive the hug and kiss from George Roberts he told me to give you for not being at the reunion.

Judy Owen

Well, today is it!  Leaving soon to meet and greet all you rascals this evening.  I do not have a little black dress, but I do have a scarf-hem blue one, and little silver sandals.  I just can't compete with the Jimmys, so I won't even try.  Everyone's efforts are fabulous and I for one truly appreciate all of you!  The song and photo shop, the planning, donations, details and coordination (and laughs) have been tremendous!  Thank you, Thank you! Judy