Reunion Countdown

The countdown begins: 40th Southwest High School Reunion: Saturday July 22, 2006

For all of those of you who have committed the time and money to attend the 1966 reunion the committee thanks you. For all of you checking your schedule, we hope to see you.

Since our last Blog we are pleased to announce that Bob Kuhl wins the first and perhaps the only Blog contest. His prize? It’s a surprise that will be the envy of every attendee. The question he answered was, “Who did we dedicate our senior yearbook to?” Phyllis Rice answered too, but was just two days behind Bob!

Answer: The fighting forces in Vietnam. Funny isn’t it? Forty years later there is a pretty good chance that a senior class somewhere in America, that’s dedicating their yearbook to our fighting, forces in another war. This time, it’s in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Regardless of your politics you have to hate to see us with young men in harms way. This time around, instead of friends we are likely to have our children engaged. To those of you who have children serving in the armed forces we hope they return safely and remain out of harms way.

If you have stories to share about your involvement with the war please share them. We will post the stories or share them with the rest of the class via this blog. Drop us an email or just post them on the bottom of this insert.

OK, that said, its been fun hearing from some of you. I heard from Dave Fannon who is living Daphine, Alabama. He sold his company and then tried retirement but got bored and came back. In his words “If you rest you rust”. I don’t want to steal his thunder, but if you get a chance run him down so he can share his journey and you can compare notes. I have asked David to submit an updated bio for posting.

He’s a golfer so our list of players is growing. If any of you want to play golf while you are in town, let us know so we can get some T-Times. It’s not just a guy thing either, everyone is welcome, but we have to hear from you, so get on it and send an email to any of the committee members about your level of interest.

Thanks for helping find our lost classmates. And hey, if you have a bio, pictures about you and your family, please send them in. We will post them.

And our first post is from David Conner, who can’t make the reunion since he lives in Singapore. Say hi to David, and let’s get more of these bio’s to post. Remember, it’s not just about your job, it’s about your journey in making it this far!


Next Blog: Don’t forget about our give away, if you have anything that you would like to donate as a door prize let us know, or just bring it. We want to make this a fun event!

David Conner Bio - The first of what I hope will be many more.

DAVID P. CONNER

Chief Executive Officer and Director
Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited






Mr Conner was first appointed to the Board of OCBC Bank on 15 April 2002 and last re-elected as a Director in May 2002. He is presently the Chief Executive Officer and Director of OCBC Bank and is a Director of OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Bhd, Chairman and Executive Director of Bank of Singapore Ltd, Deputy Chairman and Director of Lion Capital Management Ltd, Commissioner of PT Bank NISP Tbk and Director of The Esplanade Co Ltd. He also serves as a member of the Council of the Association of Banks in Singapore, the Advisory Council of the American Chamber of Commerce in Singapore and the Board of Trustees of Washington University in St Louis.

Before joining OCBC Bank in 2002, Mr Conner previously worked for more than 25 years with Citibank N.A., where he served as Managing Director and Market Manager for Citibank Japan from 1999 until early 2002.

Mr Conner holds a Bachelor of Arts from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and a Master in Business Administration from Columbia University in New York, with concentrations in Finance and International Business.

40 Years since High School Graduation: January 2006

40 Years since High School Graduation: January 2006

About Sharing

I have discovered something interesting this past year. If you open yourself up to share things, some interesting things start to happen.

It starts small, sharing an idea, a conversation, your lunch, a ride, some time.

It really doesn’t matter what it is, but when you share people tend to respond. At first it sort of freaks people out since they think you want something.

In other cases, people tend to be flattered, and in return they share something with you. The reciprocal part may take a day, a month or even a year, but it generally it results in creating some type of useful exchange.

What does this have to do with a class reunion? Maybe nothing but I look forward to the chance to return to St. Louis and check in with old friends, and meet classmates that I really did not know that well, if at all. I like hearing about what people have done with their life, not as a measure of my own, but in the hope that maybe I can learn something valuable from their experience.

Someone in the past 40 year who I respect, but forgotten his/her name, told me that everyone you come into contact will influence who you are or hope to become. I’ve never forgotten that shared observation and I think a class reunion provides a most interesting basis to check out the validity of the statement.

I know I have my critics, an I have the scars to show where I have stumbled, but I’ve tried to keep a sense of humor about it all. My hope is that there are lots of people like me in our class that would like to “catch up” and see and hear what’s been going on for the past 40 years!

So yes, class reunions can be cathartic experience, but it can also be a great time to be yourself with people you studied or ate lunch with or cheered or sneered at!

As Lisa Minelli sang “Don’t sit alone in the dark, come to your 40th Reunion Cabaret” or something like that. Where can you go for less than $40.00 have dinner and an open bar and even dance the night away ? ……OK there’s always going to be another wedding, but not another class reunion for another 10 years!


Comments? What do you think? Share your thoughts!

It's almost Christmas and I haven't a thing to buy myself!

Such is the life of a 1966 Southwest Graduate. We are likely consumed with shopping for other people and wondering if, in the end, anyone will remember the book, the gadget the DVD, the sweater, the shirt , the tie..........that we so carefully went shopping for?

It really doesn't matter, since we have all been raised to know that "it's the thought that counts". Is this what we are teaching our children? Is this the way we conducted our life with our loved one?

Questions like these are exactly whay you can hope to have explained to you by your classmates.

Come to the 40th Reunion. You've earned it. The fact that you are alive and kicking is reason enough to celebrate 40 years of being on your own.

Watch your snail mail. Details are coming? And leave comments, otherwise this blog will stop existing.

Comment about anything! The War- You love it you hate it? Here is a question. Who did we commemorate our year book to in 1966? A prize goes to the first person who lists a comment with the correct answer!!!!!!

Has it just been 4 decades?

Ok, its really only been 39 years and 10 months for the January class and 39 years and 12 months for the June grads, but why quibble?

You've got to be asking yourself, why would I want to put myself through a 40th reunion? Well for starters, because you can. You have your health, most of your hair, and you can honestly tell people what you like and what you don't like?

I for one can tell you I like being married, that's why I did it three times. I don't like getting divorced, that's why I'm going to stay happily married. (I thought I would take the pro-active, aggressive mode so that my classmates won't have that to hold over my head. I have also resigned myself that at this stage of my life I'm just never going to run for the President of the United States so these kinds of honest admissions are harmless.

Over the coming months you will be getting your official invitation to the Southwest January and June Class reunion. If you missed the last three, it's time you get over you inhibitions and come on down to par tay. We went to school during the best time, only the Vietnam war spoiled it. We lost many great classmates there, and over the past decades I'm pretty sure that we lost a few more. They all will be missed.

But it our duty to carry on, and move forward. I'd like to hear from you all, and I hope you will join the postings, along with photo's. If you don't I will be forced to continue to write this blog and publish it to be shared for all of those who don't own a computer or know how to type.

Look for more entries.
Dennis