Second Time's A Charm For EGHS Class of 1971

East Greenwich High School's Class of 1971 held its hurricane-delayed 40th reunion Saturday night at the oceanfront Dunes Club in Narragansett. It marked the class's first get-together since its 20th reunion 20 years ago. No other way to put it: the slow maturing of classmates we witnessed at the 5th, 10th and 20th gatherings has sped up over the two decades since we last met.

Yet, for the most part, it was a joyful time to acknowledge the passage of time. Even if the ravages of age had turned our youthful glow less bright, and our older eyes had trouble making out the name tags. Like a drawerful of candles melting together in a house fire, one couldn't always be sure who was a classmate, and who was a spouse.

Even more dispiriting, it was sometimes tough to tell classmates from the EGHS staffers who showed up to mark the occasion. Faculty who attended included English teacher Pat Belden Carlson, administrator Lou "Lepry Chop" Lepry, English teacher Carolyn Marsella, math teacher Sam Parente, and gym and science teacher – and coach -- Paul Wragg. Most of us pondered what their secret is for looking so good so long after we last sat in their classrooms.

 It's funny to greet your former teachers as long-lost friends. You tend to forget the Fs and recall the friendship forged by classes, homework and mutual respect. But not always.

"I hope so-and-so shows up," Miss Belden said. "He was the first student to call me a `bitch.'"

"God, I love Mr. Lepry," a female student said (Lepry moved to the high school in 1979, after we were long gone, but most of us had him as the assistant principal when we attended junior high at Eldredge). "I'll never forget how he made me go and take my makeup off in 7th grade – one of the best things that ever happened to me."

The reunion had been scheduled for Aug. 27, but Hurricane Irene shut down all roads leading to the Dunes Club, and consequently our get-together. That was too bad, because it meant many folks who had traveled long distances for the original date couldn't do so twice, and had to miss the rescheduled gathering. We had planned on having about 75 classmates – out of a class of 180 – for the initial date, but ended up with about 50, plus 25 spouses and assorted hangers-on, due to the hurricane. But it was a beautiful early fall evening, with waves crashing only yards away.

Classmates agree that Kit Brown deserves plaudits for getting us into his club, and the rest of the reunion committee -- class president Tom Bouchard, Mark Chamberland (who produced a computerized slide show on the class as well as the more than a dozen classmates no longer with us), Diane Campanella Montone, Maureen Muddiman, Nancy Olson, Valerie Pieraccini, Mason Rhodes, and Bill Sullivan deserve cheers for pulling the whole thing off – even if the rain delay meant some committee members couldn't make it.