Schools

'We're the Class that Really Clicks, We're the Class of '66'

Lake Zurich High School's first graduating class met for its 45th reunion over the weekend.

It's been 25 years since first graduating class gathered to share memories of football games, homecoming parades and school dances.

The classmates have kept in touch on Facebook and by email over the years, but with some of the alumni now living as far away as California or Florida, it's been tough for everyone to get together.

The class of 1966 held its 45-year reunion over the weekend. They kicked off their reunion with an ice-breaker at on Friday night. On Saturday, the group — representing about two-thirds of the graduating class — toured the old high school, which is now . They also enjoyed dinner at Hackney's on Saturday night.

"We just decided it was time," said Cary resident Diane Groves Lamp, who served on the reunion committee. 

The class of 1966 was the first to graduate from Lake Zurich High School. Class members attended Ela-Vernon High School for their freshman, sophomore and junior years before the school split into Lake Zurich and Stevenson High Schools. That split, the alumni agreed, was difficult.

"We were very upset," said Lake Zurich resident Muffi Marlow Painter, who also served on the reunion committee. She said after the split, her graduating class couldn't even get Ela-Vernon High School on their class rings. "That was a big deal."

The students were also upset because "a lot of the kids we went to school with went to Stevenson," said Rudy Laskowski, who now lives in Hollywood, Calif.

Overall, though, the classmates share happy memories of their high school years.

"Our saying was, 'We're the class that really clicks. We're the class of '66,'" said Painter.

She fondly remembers the "hootenannies," where people would get out their guitars and get together to sing folk songs.

"We would have them outside on the steps of the old high school," said Pointer.

Folk music was so big then that one year, The Chad Mitchell Trio performed at the school.

"We went door-to-door to sell tickets," said Cary resident Elaine Voras Bickham, who served on the reunion committee.

Laskowski remembers the school's sock hops, where "we really were in our socks."

"I was Miss Twist of '66," added Randy Palmer, who now lives in Colorado.

While the hootenannies and sock hops are things of the past, the school's proud football tradition was just as popular then as it is today.

"The thing that's hard to understand for the younger generations is that all we had was football," said Lamp.

Homecoming — especially the parade — was particularly important.

"We used to have a huge homecoming parade," said Bickham, who was chosen to ride on her senior class float. "We made floats with chicken wire and napkins."

The classmates plan to get together again for their 50-year reunion.


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