Jan. 2025 reflections
Message sent Jan. 26, 2025
Hello from my home to yours.
It's Sunday afternoon, January 26. I'm sitting here feeling a bit melancholy. I believe it's the recent deaths of four of our classmates that has my mind swirling of how fast time passes, as well as how many lives are too short. Just this month, Jimmy Aldridge, Phil Beeson, and Marilyn Bass have passed away. Debra Earwood died in late December 2024. Neither Jimmy or Phil have attended our recent alumni events, but many of you had a chance to reconnect with Debra at our 40th. Marilyn was at our 60th birthday party.
At the stage we're at in life, we all have had joyous, as well as hard and sad times. We're not elderly (yet) (and in spite of the media referring to our age group as being elderly). We're hopefully a bit wiser, probably grayer, maybe heavier, and a bit slower. But enough about all that!
Some of us are already 70, with the rest of us turning the big number sometime before the end of this year. As you know from previous messages, it's been a plan for a while to host a 70th birthday party for our class some time this year - duplicating the success of our 60th bash. Plans are not yet firm, but it's hopeful we'll have the event in late August. While Rick Pierce's lake house was host to our 60th, with his willingness to bring us back for the 70th, I've kinda made a decision not to have it there. My reasoning is the long and winding road that leads to his place, and the hesitation some of us would have driving home at night from a 'somewhat' remote area of Kernersville. In talking with Buddy Nelson, he suggested we consider returning to the VFW building where our 50th reunion was held. At the time of our 50th reunion, the building was on lease to someone who leased it for various events. It's now back in the hands of the VFW. If not the VFW, I'll get a group together and we'll do some brainstorming.
Here's some thoughts I have on a 70th party (assuming we're partying in the VFW building, which can accomodate a crowd of several hundred):
-Have a food truck; two if number of attendees is more than a single truck could serve timely.
- Include spouses, as usual, but also let our kids and/or grandkids attend? *Share your thoughts on that. Keep in mind we would need a large crowd to have a food truck present as they very likely have a mininum # of expected guests before agreeing to setting up
All '73 guests bring a wrapped, generic present (it is a birthday party after all) . At the end of the party, classmates will grab a gift. At our 60th, gifts of a varied assortment were received. It was a fun thing to do, which is the reason for doing it again . Maybe set a price range in the $15 to $20 range.
Pipe in music -- we don't want to hire a DJ or band, as this event will be free to attend, which = gotta have little to no expenses involved in hosting. All you need to do is show up with some cash (for the food truck purchases)
Talented Eagles can offer to sing, dance, bring your guitars or banjos, etc, tell jokes,....... It was a hoot at our 50th reunion when Leonard Jackson got on stage and belted out a tune. Bring your corn hole sets (but don't bet against Anita Holbrook; she would surely win)
That sums up (for now) thoughts/comments on a 70th party. But while I've got your attention, I wanted to share information on an August 16, 2025 event being held in the Benton Convention Center. It's the annual HBCU Living Legends event. The core mission of HBCU Living Legends is to provide scholarships to currently enrolled students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Scholarship funds are generated through donations from individuals and businesses, the sales of the commemorative "HBCU Living Legends Calendar, and the "HBCU Living Legends Scholarship Gala" Their secondary mission is to increase awareness of how excellent Historically Black Colleges and Universities are by celebrating the achievements of their alumni graduates, those who are impacting our cities, states, nation, ,and the world right now. These alumni continue to enrich our African American culture and foster hope for greater excellence with our youth. The HBCU Living Legends organization was started by EF '76 William Hairston, an entrepreneur, husband, father, and grandfather, who had a strong desire to help African American students to attend 1 of the 11 historically black colleges and universities in North Carolina. In 2014, William told 9 of his friends about this desire. The group met for about a year to create their vision. The gala began in 2015 and is done biennially. The organization is a 501(c)(3)grassroots initiative.
Our classmate Hubert Williams will be presenting scholarships at this year's gala (August 16th). Clarke McGriff will need to confirm, but I've been told he will likely be in attendance. (he's a past honoree) The public is invited. Tickets can be purchased on the HBCU Living Legends website @ /https://www.hbculivinglegends.com/
A final comment: FITZ ON MAIN is reopeninng on Thursday, January 30, 8 months after the devastating fire. Since 2022, hours have been, and will continue to be, Wednesdays - Fridays, from 7:30am to 1:30pm. While the reopening date is a Thursday, the following week we'll return to our 3 day a week schedule. On the 30th and 31st, and probably for the first couple of weeks afterwards, we're prepared to be SLAMMED. If you visit within the first couple of weeks, just know there might be a wait. (also, as info, we will not be taking 'to go' orders on the 30th or 31st; business as usual as of Feb. 5) We've been asked a ba-zillion times if the restaurant has been enlarged. Nope! (there's no way to do that, plus it would take away the charm) It looks sooo good. Some changes that stand out and will bring a smile! Make plans to visit, and know I'll have my camera ready to start a gallery of pictures in the new, yet old Fitz on Main!
Send news my way that I can share with our school family.
Take care, and give me a shout out with any thoughts about a 70th event