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OBITUARIES

Happily, none reported!

GET WELL WISHES

To Nick Carter who was recently hospitalized but is now home. He will undergo some outpatient testing to check things out and we are sure he will be back in the saddle shortly.

COMING EVENTS

The 4th of July, Independence Day for the United States of America, is fast approaching. Check out the events in your area and get your buns to the celebration. You live in the greatest place on the planet! If you have any doubts, travel to other places on the globe and it will becomes obvious.

RECENT CLASSMATE EVENTS

Carole Sue Ambrose Young

Jack and Carole Young have been the ultimate Hawk Boosters. A "true team", they were responsible for the success of many projects including: The National Women's Basketball Tournament, The National Cross Country Championships, multiple Region XX and Maryland Juco events, and The Hawk Triathlon.

Gary Stenger

Hey, Hey, Hey, guess who was awarded FIRST PLACE in the 2008 Ward World Competition for Decorative Lifesize Wildfowl? GARY STENGER of Monrovia, MD for his carving of a blue winged teal! We really aren't suprised by his being selected #1 because we witnessed his carving talent in the Little Heiskels he made for our class reunion. (Editor's Comment: Congratulations Gary, you make us proud!)

June 18th Class Luncheon

Wow, what a great lucheon! 64 folks were in attendance and we had 5 "First-Timers" The joint was packed and we had a lot of fun. Polly Fitz was the door prize winner - what a lucky gal to win a prize valued at $1,000! "You can't win if you don't show up", she said. We picked up 5 more classmate emails since more of the "elder set" are becoming computer literate.

The next luncheon will be a picnic at the Police picnic grounds off of Route #40 West. We plan on having hot dogs, hambugers, salads and soft drinks. You will be getting info later on the time, directions, cost (enough to cover the purchase of the above items), etc. STEP #1: IMMEDIATELY, GO TO YOUR CALENDAR AND MARK DOWN 'CLASS PICNIC' ON SEPTEMBER 18TH. STEP #2: MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHOM AND HOW TO CONTACT THE CLASSMATES WHO MANAGE OUR LUNCHEONS (Click on 'Luncheon Info' button on home page) SO YOU CAN CONFIRM YOU ATTENDANCE AND WHEN THE PRICE IS ESTABLLISHED, SEND IN YOUR CHECK FOR THE BEST PICNIC IN TOWN.

Note: There will be a fantastic guest chef who was a Chippendale at one time in his career so you ladies should bring a lot of $1 bills.

SHHS Golf Tournament Results

We had 80 golfers or 20 teams. While that is a big improvement over last year, we should have a full field of 32 teams and will work to that end for next year. According to Tim he felt that we would net @$4000 from this tournament. Again, that is a big improvement from the past, but we should net $10,000 each year easily. The date for next year’s tournament has already been set for Thursday, June 11th with an 8:30AM Shotgun Start at Beaver Creek CC. - Dick Martin

BELATED ANNIVERSARIES

Ernie & Judy Barnhart - June 9th - 46 Years

Jim & Doris Holsinger Hilton - June 24th - 47 Years

Phil & Kathy Brader (5 Grandkids) - June 26th - 34 Years

JULY ANNIVERSARIES

Jim & Sue Baker (NHHS '61) Eckel - July 2nd - 47 Years

Jim & Sue have three daughters – Stephanie, Sheryl, and Suanne all of whom graduated from South High School and continue to reside in the Hagerstown area.

Don & Joyce McCleaf (SHHS '60) Kephart - July 2nd - 48 Years

John & Carol Urner - July 11th - 44 Years

Ragan & Ecile Carbaugh Shaw - July 13th - 48 Years

John & Sandy Sapp - July 22nd - 30 Years

As their gift to each other, they are going to Athens and the Greek Isles in September.

Dick & Jane Knode - July 30th - 42 Years

JULY BIRTHDAYS - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Polly Fitz Martin - July 10th

Roger Kisiel- July 13th

(Editor's Comment: Roger will be 70. Wow, aren't we glad we are not that old! Hmmm, that means he will be 71 at the 70th Birthday Party. Maybe we should order a separate cake for Roger.)

Nancy Lumm Russell - July 24th

Jerry Shank - July 31st

FAMILY ACTIVITIES/EVENTS/UPDATES

Jo Ann Copenhaver (a.k.a "Cutie Pie") Kline

Hey, Hey, Hey, we have a new Grandma for the second time! Brady Milton Ernst, was born June 5, 2008 to Karri Leigh (Kline) and Andrew Milton Ernst. (Editor's Comment: Jo Ann is the newest Grandma in the Class of 1957!)

Alice Ann Lindsay Robertson

Alex Kiefer, Alice Ann's grandson, attends Dulaney High School in Baltimore County. As a junior, he played defense on their lacrosse team. In May this year they won the State Championship. He played a great game! I'm a proud grandma!! (Pic is from the Washington Post. Alex is #26 in Red). (Editor's Comment: Way to go Alex, congratulations and continued success in lacrosse!)

Dave Bragunier

Hello Classmates:

My Mom is now residing at Coffman's Nursing Home and is still doing well at the age of 97. In June, they have a luau for the residents and I attended this year's event. I sat at the table with my Mom and a nice lady who worked for the Board of Education during the Ford Foundation TV project that I'm sure we all remember. She knew all of the teachers and talking about our English teacher, Ed Kercheval brought back some great memories.

After graduating from South High, I got a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Peabody in Baltimore and was very lucky to be appointed the Principal Tuba of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington. I held that position for 43 years and retired in 2004. During that period, I was also Assistant Librarian for 7 years and Personnel Manager for 24 years.

A few years before retiring, I started to evolve my "bucket list" and I'm working my way through it. One of the things on the list was to take voice lessons. I had taken lessons all through Peabody and singing in paid church choirs had helped me eat lunch for 4 years. (Our rooming house only served breakfast and dinner)
I when I retired, I wanted to stay involved with music but I didn't want to practice the tuba any more, so three years ago, I started voice lessons. I auditioned and got into a group called The Washington Chorus and I am now also singing in the National Presbyterian Church choir. In July, I will be traveling to London with a group called the Choral Arts Society of Washington and we will be singing Mahler Symphony #8 (The "Symphony of Thousand') in St. Paul's Cathedral in a combined concert with London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. They are making a CD of the concert and I am extremely excited about it.

My other activities include founding and coordinating an Alumni Association for retired orchestra members, volunteering for the NSO and the Kennedy Center, working out at the gym, gardening, cooking, and I'm currently overseeing the building of a shed in my back yard to install a model train outfit.

That's it in a nutshell, but why am I telling you all of this? I believe that it is so important to keep our minds and bodies active after we retire and to try to do worthwhile things with all of the experience and know- how that we have. It seems that I am just as busy now as when I was working, but now everything is volunteer. We have wonderful options with our lives when the burden of making a living is removed. If we get into an activity that we don't like, we can simply quit. A couple of things on my "bucket list' didn't work out, so I just moved on. At the age of 69, I am trying not to "rust shut" and if my genes hold up and I take after my Mom, I may have a long way to go. I am still adding to my list and hope that when I meet my final reward, there are a few things left undone. (Editor's Comment: Better Hurry Dave, you are older than dirt!)

Terry Strock

The 11th annual National Hickory Championship was contested at Oakhurst Links in White Sulphur Springs, WV. on June 5-7. Oakhurst Links is America's oldest recognized course built in 1884. The course was built by Russell Montague on his property for the use of himself and several close friends. The last round of golf was played sometime before 1900 and the property became a farming operation. In 1994, Lewis Keller, who had bought the farm from the Montague family in 1955, restored the 2,235-yard par 37, nine-hole course to its original design. While restoring the course, old gutta-percha balls were found and even decaying cups were found where greens had been located. Today, sheep can be found grazing in the fairways and many artifacts can be found in the original house built by Montague about 1879.

The three day competition is held using wood shafted clubs from the late 1800's & early 1900's. To participate, the clubs must be verified by the tournament founder and director, Pete Georgiady. The clubs must be originals from that era or replicas built by Louisville Golf. Names such as spoon, jigger, mashie and niblick are foreign to the present day golfer. The golf ball is a replica of the gutta-percha ball used around 1900. The rules of golf for the NHC are those established in 1891 by the Royal & Ancient with a few local exceptions.

An example of one rule is you must tee your ball by using a small pile of sand. A bucket of sand and a bucket of water is placed on each tee box.
The dress code for the NHC allows men to wear long trousers, Knickerbocker with knee socks or Scottish kilts, long sleeve shirt with a tie and a hat of the appropriate period. A vest or waistcoat is permitted. Women must wear ankle length skirt with blouse and hat of that period. Present day golf shoes and golf glove are allowed. No golf bags are allowed. You must carry you clubs in your hand.

This was my 9th year of playing in the Championship. There are 3 divisions: the Open, which is contested without a handicap, the Reserve, where you are assigned a handicap based on previous years scores and a Ladies Reserve Division.
The first day is devoted to Foursomes Match Play, Foursomes alternate shot or simply practice. My partner and me were fortunate enough to tie for 1st place in the Foursomes competition with a 9 hole score of 47. I finished 7th in the Reserve Division of the 2-day stroke play competition with a net score of 161.
My highlight of the 3 day event was playing with Randy Jensen, the 8 time Champion of the Open Division. Randy holds many of the records for the NHC including the low 36-hole score of 146 and the 18-hole record of 72. (par for 18 holes is 74)
It is quite an experience playing with 1900 hickory clubs and the gutta-percha ball on a course with knee high rough and small soft greens. You acquire a great appreciation for the game as it was played by Harry Vardon, Willie Park and Walter Travis . As one of the NHC participants said,"you check you ego at the door." (Editor's Comment: Oooooooooooh, I like the skirt!)

Dick Messersmith

On June 14th, My step son Denim Huff, his wife Lisa, her daughter Brooke, my wife Susan and I, took the twins, Denim and Dekoda Huff to Hollywood Studios to visit Mickey for their 1st Birthday.

June 6 and 7, I drove to Auburn, AL, to see my granddaughter Jane Messersmith, with my son Mark, play in a National fastpitch softball tournament. They live in Costa Mesa, CA, and her travel ball team is Victory USA. Jane graduates from High School, June 19th and goes to Bucknell on a softball scholarship this fall.

Sports Section