There was no point existing in Vernon in 1969 if you did not or could not pull off a mainer.
A mainer, to the uninitiated, was the art of driving up and down Main Street Friday and Saturday evenings.
“If you couldn’t do a mainer, you did not exist is what it came down to,” laughed Teresa Andrews (née Tighe) who, along with Debbie Sigalet and a handful of others, is helping to organize the 50-year reunion of the first-ever graduation class from Vernon Senior Secondary School in June 1969.
The mainer stories, plus memories of hangouts like the OK Cafe, Nick’s Kandy Kitchen, the Vernon Civic Arena and Scout Hall, will be recollected on Saturday, Sept. 28, as the Class of ‘69 gathers at the Eagles Hall.
The reunion starts with a Meet and Greet at 5 p.m. and appies will be served at 6:30 p.m.
The event is billed as “Come Together” (as The Beatles sang in 1969) for the VSSS Class of ‘69 Get Together.
“This is a celebration of our great good fortune to have lived in Vernon as teens and been at VSSS,” said Sigalet. “Above all else, it is a celebration of being able to get together 50 years later.”
The first class at the new, but unfinished, high school set foot in the facility in September 1968. The gymnasium hadn’t been finished. And one of the things students noticed right away – as did eventually every single student who attended the old school – was that there were no windows in the classrooms.
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“That pissed me off,” laughed Sigalet. “What were they thinking? Still, it was a pretty exciting time, going into a brand new school. We were only in it for a year but it was pretty cool.”
The old Vernon High School had been in Polson Park and became Fulton Junior Secondary, one of two such schools in town. The other was W.L. Seaton Junior Secondary.
The new Vernon Senior Secondary operated as such until 1985, with only Grades 11 and 12, and then became Vernon Secondary, adding Grades 8 to 10, which is the current configuration.
The old school was decommissioned and demolished in 2013 and the current VSS opened in September 2013.
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That first graduation class of VSSS had about 300 members, and the ladies said they’ve heard from about a third of the group that are coming for the 50th reunion.
The class’ last reunion was 20 years ago.
Being part of the first VSSS grad class still means a lot to the ladies.
“It’s historically significant,” said Andrews.
“It’s what I always tell people. And, we are vintage,” said Sigalet.
Registration is $25 per person in advance and the organizing committee has asked for grads to RSVP by Sept. 14.
To confirm attendance, you can call Judy Inglis at 250-260-3346.
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roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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