2013 Reunion Survey
Anonymous Responses
Question 1.
What did you like best about
our
50-year reunion?
____________________________________________________________________________
Golf
tourney was great. Nice dinner, great turnout.
Hurrahs for the reunion committee.
Various opportunities to get together.
Well-planned,
name tags, elementary school photos.
Everything!
It was soooooo good seeing everyone again. You all
did a fantastic job. It was nice having it at a hotel and the meet-up Friday
night was lovely. When is the next one?
Seeing
everyone.
Golf
outing on Friday—letÕs do it again. Plenty of time to
visit Saturday night.
Just
seeing people I had not seen since 2003.
Catching
up with people.
I
thought it was very well-organized. The Marriott was great with the outdoor
seating and the banquet room was beautiful. Food was very good. The MC was
perfect.
My
first reunion and I was apprehensive that I would know anyone. I was amazed at
how many people I did know and the memories that came back from 50 years ago.
I
liked all of the pictures and the fact that they took photos of the grade
schools.
Well,
first off the committee did a wonderful job. I liked the length of time we had
to mingle before dinner. I was concerned that my husband would be bored not
knowing many people, but he found the people very easy to talk with and had a
lot in common with many of my classmates. He said that the Class of Õ63 kicks
butt.
The informal gathering at the American Legion. Should have gotten
the bigger room by the restrooms, though. All people wanted was
to visit and access beverages and finger food.
Seeing
the people I havenÕt seen in a long time.
Location, outdoor area for gathering, class pics on the wall, especially the junior high pics. Grade school pics
would have been fun too. I really enjoyed talking with some old grade school
friends.
The Friday night social. Freedom to move and
talk to everyone.
Two evenings of seeing classmates.
I
liked it spread out for two days. I think it would be fun to do the next one
during the Back to the Ō50s car show at the State Fairgrounds. A third day. It would be fun to go to that and keep bumping
across RHS gradsÉwe could all wear hats, T-shirts, etc., with a name badgeÉhow
fun would that be? The people who planned it did an outstanding job. The two
days, relaxed time to talk. Still missed a fewÉbut overall the two-day
expansion was great.
Seeing
and catching up with the other survivors.
The informal gathering at the Legion. It was fun to mingle,
move around the different rooms and connect with others. I also liked that some
classmates brought yearbooks, scrapbooks, etc., from years past to reminisce
over.
The
golf outing was the first time, so that was the best. Cups were only $2.
It
was great having more than one opportunity to meet old friends. Enjoyed
golfing, cocktails and dinner.
Being
able to visit with classmates. Appreciated the time to available to just mingle
and meet everyone.
Clearly, the old friends and classmates. I had enjoyable talks
with many who had well-known histories that I knew over the years, and many who
had fascinating stories that I had never known.
Seeing
everyone.
It
was great seeing all my old classmates again.
Everything.
I thought that you did a great job. You put a great deal of planning an effort,
and it paid off.
The obvious—meeting with classmates whom I hadnÕt
seen in years.
Variety,
golf, open meeting at the VFW (sic), gathering for dinner.
All
activities, especially golf and bus.
It
was so good to see people I remembered.
Everything.
Great
reunion, well-planned, kudos to the committee, a lot
of work for them. Best would be reconnecting with old classmates. I hadnÕt been
to a reunion in 40 years. Like the Memory Book idea.
I
liked it all—plenty of time to catch up with classmates.
Seeing
old friends.
Jon
Mathisrud, older old friends.
I
thought the Friday get-together was really a plus to the 50th. I really got to
talk to many more classmates on Friday. Saturday was good, but not easy to talk
to a lot of classmates.
Everything.
Great weekend. Loved going back to our grade schools. Great food.
The
best thing was having several things to see/do for all grads. I enjoyed going
back to school to see how the [building] has changed for the better. I think it
was great to see and visit with our fellow grads. The meal was good.
I
liked the school tour and the dinner.
The casual Friday night gathering.
Enjoyed
every part of the well-planned reunion. The venue was good, having cocktails in
the courtyard worked well, the pictures were blown up large enough to view
easily, sad as it was having the who has passed on
list was good. The food was very good. The program short and
sweet. Everyone had a chance to move around and visit. Name tags,
especially photos, needed to be largerÉnot complaining, just an observation.
A chance to reconnect with a few people.
2013 Reunion Survey
Anonymous Responses
Question 2.
What did you like least about
our
50-year reunion?
____________________________________________________________________________
n/a
It
was great.
Chicken
was good—roast beef, not sure.
---------------
Nothing.
Everything was perfect from start to finish.
A little chaotic with the pictures by elementary schools.
Meal
was nice. I would rather just visit.
Gathering
seemed to break up as soon as grade school photos were taken. At the 40th, I
believe we stood to identify grade schools—photos will be great, but it
was fun to watch who went where as we were sitting at our tables too. Program
was very short.
(blank)
Nothing.
Lack of a program, or presentation with photos at events
on a large screen.
I
wish more of my neighborhood classmates had been there.
Maybe
a program of sorts, not sure what that would be, but maybe something involving
our classmates.
The
awful infomercial tour of RHSÉto that end, IÕll never open another RHS
newsletter.
Wish
it wasnÕt a sit-down dinner. Too confining.
Hard
to get to people you want to see, a byproduct of such a big class. Committee
did as much as they could to help by publishing who was going to be there.
(blank)
No
criticism.
(blank)
Emcee
Jon Mathisrud did a fine job, but a moment could have
been spent explaining John EdmundsÕ absence. And while I understand the
decision to keep things positive, acknowledgement of our deceased classmates
and teachers (if only a list on the wall) would have been appropriate and
appreciated.
The $63 price for dinner.
Prices
were pretty high at the hotel.
Cost
of dinner and then drinks were over-priced.
The
date. I had conflicts and couldnÕt make the tour or social.
Spending
so much time at one table was enjoyable because I sat with old friends dating
even back to grade school, but didnÕt get a minute with either of the two old
girlfriends that I really wanted to talk to. At this point, I doubt whether I
will ever see either of them again and, frankly, I blame the sit-down dinner
format. When it came time to talk after the meal, they were not available.
Seeing
how old we are!!
No
music from our time. I am sure the reason is because no one would be able to
talk or carry on conversation with music playing.
Nothing.
Except
for the desserts, the banquet food was so-so. Service from wait staff was poor.
Enjoyed
it all, crowded at the VFW (sic).
No-host
cocktail bars at Marriott were inefficient. Food was so-so at best
(blank).
Nothing.
I
would like a more casual setting. Even a picnic would have been nice. Less
expense for a dinner, but because it was a 50th, it was special, I understand.
I
liked it all.
Not
recognizing people.
(blank)
I
think the formal sit-down dinner is too much. It would be more fun to have more
of a barbecue or pig roast in a different venue.
Nothing.
The
only thing I can think of was most of the people I know and hung around with
did not come. Besides that, the reunion was great.
Nothing.
There
really wasnÕt anything that I did not enjoy.
NothingÉnever
enough time to see everyone.
The
sit-down dinner was potentially awkward for tables that werenÕt composed of
folks who knew each other well. A buffet with potential for more fluid seating
might be preferable. But, a caveat: The buffet style dessert was not a good
model, so a buffet dinner has serious drawbacks. I also realize that many hotel
packages require a sit-down dinner.
2013 Reunion Survey
Anonymous Responses
Question 3.
This is the first time that the Class
of Õ63 has staged a reunion beyond a Saturday night banquet. There were five
different activities in all on Friday and Saturday. Would having
just a Saturday night banquet been enough this time too?
____________________________________________________________________________
Liked
Friday golf!
No.
Enjoyed Friday night and Saturday.
No—more
events, more time to catch up.
Yes.
No.
It was time we all went back a bit in time. I really enjoyed Friday night as
well.
No
opinion.
Saturday
night is not enough. I did it all but the bus tour. We added a coffee gathering
Saturday morning with 15 of us grads at the Nokomis Coffee on 50th and 28th.
Enjoyed
the Roosevelt tour and the Friday night gathering. In view of the number of
classmates I got to talk to on Friday night, Saturday night would not have been
enough.
I
just went to Saturday night.
The
other activities were great and I would have loved to partake in the golf and
tour, but we could not because we were in the middle of packing and moving.
All
I attended was the banquet so it was enough for me.
Not
at all, this was a special one. IÕm just sorry I did not attend everything.
We
only did go to the banquet, but from what I heard from those that went on the
bus tours they thought they were great. Also a few people mentioned how much
fun it was to go to the Legion and have more time chatting.
No.
The golf was okay for those who golf. Two to three days of mixed activity, even
free stuff like gathering at [Minnehaha] Falls, Lake
Nokomis, etc.
No.
There were people who attended the American Legion get-together who were not
planning on attending Saturday event. DidnÕt attend others so wonÕt comment.
I
did not partake.
The
banquets are costly and that may reduce attendance.
No.
No,
the timing was great. I would add a third day as stated above at the Back to
the Ō50s showÉwearing RHS IDs.
The
Saturday night bash was enough for me. (I donÕt golf and I live close enough to
the old neighborhood so didnÕt require a tour.)
No.
Everyone leads busy lives and this gave us the option of getting to at least
one location or many depending on everyoneÕs schedule and distance to travel.
No.
This was the 50-year milestone and I attended three of the events.
No.
No.
It seemed that the participation in all activities was substantial.
I
toured my old neighborhood in my rental car. That was enough for me. I played
golf on Friday, but golf is a four-person activity, if all twenty played all
twenty holes together, then you would have something. This is not a banquet
group. This is a picnic group. Imagine something for several hours at Minnehaha
Park starting at, say, 10 a.m. and ending when anyone wants it to.
My
husband did the golf on Friday and loved it.
Probably, because of our age.
I
respect options.
Although
I only attended the banquet, I wish that I could have spent more time in other
activities.
Liked
the many opportunities, suits different pocketbooks and interests.
No.
Activities for me were better than the main event.
I
loved the bus ride around the neighborhoods. Even though I live in Maple Grove,
I rarely get back in the neighborhood. Jon Mathisrud
did a fabulous job of commentary during the ride and even had Coke for us!
No.
For
me the Saturday night banquet was enough.
Yes.
I
was sorry that I didnÕt attend more than the dinner.
Enjoyed
Richfield drop-in. Some attending banquet did not!
No!
No,
everything was great. Great planning.
I
think having more to do was a great idea. So for the next reunion, [we] should
have a few different things to do.
No,
I think the 50th was special and I liked the additional things.
No.
It sounded like many classmates took part in more than one event.
I
think having a variety of events and days gave people the opportunity to pick
and choose, especially if they could not attend one or the other.
For
me, yes. I didnÕt do any of the other activities. The tour of neighborhoods was
slightly interesting to me, but didnÕt work with our schedule.
2013 Reunion Survey
Anonymous Responses
Question 4.
Are you likely to attend a 55-year
reunion in 2018?
____________________________________________________________________________
Yes.
Yes.
Yes,
if nothing better comes and I donÕt die (old Norwegian philosophy).
Yes.
God
willing, I will attend.
Yes,
but that sounds a long way off!
Yes.
Possibly,
but I live out of state so not at easy to attend as the locals!
Possibly—every
10 years seems more likely.
Yes.
Likely.
Yes.
Yes,
at this time itÕs a good possibility.
No,
unless it is in Las Vegas.
Probably not.
Probably not.
A social reunion, yes. A
banquet, no. Seems like a lot of work for a banquet also.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
???
Probably.
Yes.
Yes.
I
go to LungyÕs each year to check on Dave Benolkin. If you generate something where heÕs comfortable,
sure. By the way, IÕm John Bjeldanes.
Maybe,
if IÕm still around.
Yes,
if IÕm still around.
God
willing.
Yes.
Yes.
If there are additional activities.
Yes.
No.
Possibly.
Yes.
Yes.
Lord
willing!
Yes!
Yes.
If
the good Lord allows, I will attend the next reunion.
Yes.
Yes.
Yes,
I think casual and inexpensive is good. I say this because some people did not
attend banquet because of the cost. I felt it was reasonably priced, but a few
thought it too expensive.
Probably not. Perhaps IÕll attend a 60th-year reunion.
2013 Reunion Survey
Anonymous Responses
Question 5.
Would you attend a 70th birthday party
for classmates in 2015?
____________________________________________________________________________
Yes.
Yes.
Yes.
Absolutely.
You
bet!
Maybe,
just be sure to have a fire extinguisher close to the candles on the cake!
Yes.
Less likely due to distance.
No.
Yes.
No.
Sure.
That
sounds like fun too. Maybe.
No.
I
doubt it.
Again, probably not.
No.
Maybe.
Yes.
Probably not. I donÕt like the idea of a 70th birthday
party, with classmates or anyone else.
Sounds
interesting!
No.
Possibly.
Yes.
Sure.
That
sounds fun.
No,
not likely.
Yes.
Maybe.
Yes.
Yes.
I
would probably just attend the 55-year.
Possibly—depends
on when, where, etc.
Depending
on when they would have one. At this point, most everyone is retired, so why
not a weekday and not a weekend? People are busy on weekends.
Yes.
Gulp,
that sounds old, but probably.
Why?
Probably,
depending on when and where?
That
would be a hoot, all those old people.
I
would like to have [a] birthday with the grads.
Yes.
Yes.
I
think so. Bigger name tagsÉfor us old folks.
Probably not.
2013 Reunion Survey
Anonymous Responses
Question 6.
Do you have any other comments that
might be helpful to the reunion committee?
____________________________________________________________________________
Great
job, committee!
(blank)
(blank)
A
casual, less-expensive venue might appeal to some who didnÕt attend.
Great
job.
Just
want to thank everyone on the committee for all their hard work.
Wonderful—good job.
How
are people notified regarding the Ņin-betweenÓ get-togethers? Website only? Do
I need to check that more frequently?
(blank)
Great
job!
I
appreciate all the hard work that was done to put this together. I have to
admit I felt guilty that people remembered me more than I remembered them.
Thanks for my step back to my youth.
I
think the committee did a fabulous and professional job. Many of my friends say
their schools do not even offer a reunion.
Boy,
canÕt think of any. Thanks to all of you and all the hours of hard work you put
into this reunion.
(Silly
drivel)
American
Legion should have had more room. Liked the pictures up along the walls and
photos of each classroom. No need for music as conversation was all that was
needed or wanted. Thanks to all who put this together.
You
did a great job. I know it is a lot of work. Thank you for all the time and effort
spent. I think it would be nice to hear from the class officers, would have
been especially nice this time. After all, didnÕt we elect them to be our
leaders?
(blank)
Great
job, wonderful time, thanks for the hard work.
I
had several comments that the favorite one was at the Lakeville hangar. We no
longer have that hangar, but do have a bigger, nicer corporate hangar in Fort
Meyers. How about a 55.5 in the winter in Fort Meyers at our hangarÉwith a
great swing band I can get? We are set up for events there.
I
think you folks did a spectacular job. Hearing JonÕs assurance that you had a
great time putting it all together made me feel somewhat less guilty about not
being involved. Many thanks!
Because
of scheduling, it was impossible to go to the open house and do golf. It could
have been better coordinated for those who wanted to do both.
Everything
was done really well. Kudos to all in the committee. I
think Jon Mathisrud did a great job as the MC.
Have
everyone walk across the front stage, just like graduation, and introduce
themselves. Name, where they currently live.
Thanks
to the committee. Jon spoke to the group very well and kept it short. For an
event like this, give lots of time to mingle, mix, visit and relive the
stories. We were able to do that.
I
missed some people apparently because of the price to attend. I missed a few
because of the format. I think it could be free and open, and interactive. If
you need anything financial from Ņanonymous,Ó IÕm happy to help.
Wish
they would have announced that we were having a class picture taken at the end
of the night. I think several people had already left.
I
would like to have seen an open bar, with a little less costly drinks. Also
thought the size of the food portions was a little small.
Great
job.
Thanks
for your commitment, and all the hard work.
Liked
the party at the airplane hangar as well.
Jon
Mathisrud did a great job.
I
think everyone did a fabulous job. It took a lot of thought and commitment to
get everything done. Thank you for all your hard work!
Thanks
for your hard work—it was the best ever!
It
was a good idea not to have a band. Could have more music from the Ō60s
throughout, however. It was pretty noisy in the room where we were. Would like
to see names/addresses/phone numbers on website.
Keep
up the great work.
Great
job, and thank you.
(Blank)
I
like informal over [a] formal sit-down dinner.
No,
committee did a great job. You should be very proud. Of course, Teddies do it
right. Thank you.
If
we find more of the grads, [it] would be wonderful.
Just a big thank-you for all the work. I know it took a lot
of time and preparation, and I really appreciate what you did and do with
ongoing mailings, etc.
No,
the committee did a fantastic job.
IÕm
glad that there were at least two events that people could attend because it
gave people a chance to see classmates at both events. Great, great, great
work. Thank you all for all your hard work and commitment in planning a
wonderful 50th reunion. Lorna Leibrock Nelson
I
appreciate the interest and effort that folks put in to planning the reunions.
The name tags with maiden names and photos were essential. Great
work on that. Please continue to list deceased members of the class.
Consider promoting membersÕ participation in the Roosevelt Foundation, which I
think is a good effort but inadequately published.