SWHS 50th Reunion Recap

From the song “Beginnings” by Chicago:

“When I’m with you, it doesn’t matter where we are
Or what we’re doing, I’m with you, that’s all that matters
Time passes much too quickly when we’re together laughing”

The reunion committee hopes you had a wonderful time at the reunion! If you want to see photos of the event, you can view Paul Chokota’s album from the event here, and even order prints of your own! There is a smaller photo album available to view here as well. Following is a quick recap, but you had to be there to get the full impact!

Our 50-year reunion weekend coincided with the 100th anniversary of the school and began with a meeting in the Southwest Library on Friday afternoon.  A presentation was given by members of the Kansas City School District about the future of Southwest and plans to renovate the school so it could be used as a middle school later this decade.  Group photos were then taken on the front steps of Southwest.

Friday night featured a very well attended casual get-together at City Barrel Brewery just a few blocks from Southwest on Gregory Boulevard.  Warm October weather allowed many of us to enjoy an evening on their patio and was a great way to begin the weekend with our classmates.

On Saturday morning, 8 classmates enjoyed nine holes of golf at the Heart of America Golf Course in Swope Park and were joined by several spectating classmates along the way.   Lunch was served afterward in the clubhouse where several additional classmates gathered along with Coach Breckenridge to celebrate his 89th birthday.  A videotape interview of Coach Breckenridge was done. 

Saturday evening was the highlight of the weekend – a lovely reunion dinner at Oakwood Country Club.  Around 170 classmates, spouses, and guests attended, and a group picture was taken near the clubhouse during a glorious orange sunset.  A table with name tags honoring deceased classmates was prominently displayed at the entrance and a slideshow depicting their Sachem photos was shown during dinner. Additionally, a slideshow featuring photos from the 1975 Sachem provided entertainment for us as we enjoyed highlights of our senior year, and we took group pictures with our grade school classmates.

On Sunday, the planned get-together at BB’s had to be modified due to a car show, but a large group gathered at Southside Grill to wrap up the reunion weekend.

Overall, it was a fantastic weekend, rekindling friendships and reliving old memories as well as looking forward to our futures!

Your Reunion committee

Everyone had a great time!

Coach Breckenridge looks great!