Association Information

In 1989 the old folks, Class of 1949, had their 40th reunion. They decided it would be good to invite every class they attended high school with; 1947, 1948, when they were sophomores and 1950, and 1951 when they were seniors. Someone, probably the grandfather of the DHSAA-Wayne Wylie, convinced them to go on a year more each way to cover Freshman. So 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950,1951, and 1952 were contacted. It was a rousing success! That’s how we got to DHS Students instead of just Alumni. In going through annuals they didn’t really know whether all had stayed until graduation. We had our own celebrity and the reunion was mentioned on the Johnny Carson Show. Rue McClannahan, of TheGolden Girls TV show, attended and told Johnny that Pookie Roberts looked just like he did when she left Durant. Her eyes were going even then.

The next year, due chiefly to the efforts of Wayne and Gail Wylie, the Durant Alumni Association was incorporated as a non-profit organization. Tom Criswell III, one of our alumni who is an attorney, did the legal work. Each year since then we have been rollin and strollin. Growth has been slow due chiefly, to the fact that most of the younger classes haven’t participated. Actually, I guess they are not yet old enough to realize there time and friends are slipping away. It seems the older we get the more we seem to appreciate our really old friends. OR would it be more politically correct to say ‘mature friends?’

Since it’s establishment we have added the awarding of Scholarships to some deserving DHS students. DHSAA itself controls who gets these. I forget how many we have given away, but the number must be about 10 so far. We also try to keep everyone informed on his or her classmates via a monthly newsletter. The efficiency of this depends on YOU reporting what’s going on with you and your class. Without YOU furnishing the news, there will only be a letter with NO NEWS in it.

Each year it seems we pick up another class or two to join with us in a common cause. Many have remarked that it has been a lot of fun. In (1999) the Class of 1954 threw their lot in with us on their 45th. For the most part the years ’50 thru ’55 are doing most of the work on material and mail outs. Wayne & Gail Wylie (’51 & ’52) maintains the class rosters and Gail is our treasurer. Those jobs themselves are tremendous. Gail also works on locations, etc. Wayne maintains the addresses for mail outs. We need some class members to volunteer to help track down missing members for individual classes. Some of our addresses are seriously out dated.

Currently we seem to have our most difficulty getting the Sixties up to participate, attend, and support these annual get-to-gatherings. The ‘60s are just now getting to the age the ‘40s and ‘50s were when we started supporting this organization. ’49 thru ’55 seem to have kept the reunions going as far as participation goes. However we got a lot of interest expressed, in recent year, by a few of the Upper ‘50s and up that attended. If you don’t come and join us you won’t have a chance to tell what you would like to see changed. It’s kinda like this. I don’t think my Political Vote is going to change anything, but I do it anyway. Then I’ve got a right to gripe. That, by the way hasn’t done any good either.

Allow me one more example and analogy. I’ve heard the gripes that our music is too old. I don’t see it that way, because I like the ‘50s music. Since we do the planning and work we do it our way for the entertainment of our years. However, the ‘60s were some of my better years, even though I was out of high school. But, I digress, as usual. Those of you who gripe about the protocol or format of the evening – how about you running it and make the changes. Bo Hearon once had a service station. In the office he had a coffee pot with an empty can for donations. One day I asked him how much should be put in for coffee. You could get a cup at a restaurant then for about a dime. He said, “Do like most people and don’t put anything in.” Being rather cheap, I didn’t put any thing in. I took one swig of that coffee and put in 50 cents. He said, “There is no need in that and besides, that’s too much.” I said, “No, Bo, I’ve got to put something in.” “This is undoubtedly the worst coffee I’ve ever tasted and if I don’t pay I don’t have a gripe coming.” “As bad as this is, I want to do a lot of griping.”

Please, have your year host a reunion. Work with us. Our reunions run several thousand dollars a year. That’s a lot of money for a single class to afford. Especially if your numbers are dwindling. We know some have to travel long distances and an annual reunion may seem too often. When you are old enough that the years get shorter, you’ll enjoy the reunions more. These reunions are excellent ways for class members to meet and begin preparations for their own year to host. The association has many class rosters and is willing to help out with the work. Many of us are retired and have the time to help.

Any of you who have attended, and were not favorably impressed, we hope you will write us and give us some suggestions to make it better. Something you would like to attend. Better yet, you host the reunion and we’ll come. I can’t promise no one will gripe, but I assure you I won’t.

ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS:

Durant Alumni Association, P. O. Box 1534, Durant, Ok. 74702, Phone: 580-924-8513.

Wayne & Gail Wylie: SAME AS ABOVE. Email Wayne: wawc@communicomm.com

Eligible MEMBERSHIP:

Rather than strictly Alumni, membership is open to all students who attended DHS anytime. Even if you didn’t attend High School in Durant, you are still eligible, if you want to be. We have non-graduate members as far away as Ireland. Graduation Class Association should be the class you would have graduated with had you remained at DHS.

Membership Cost: None. It takes money to support any organization. DHSAA is a licensed nonprofit corporation and donations are therefore deductible. Our postage alone runs approximately $2000 per year. ALL DONATIONS GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED AND APPRECIATED. Anything---$1 and up. $1 will buy three stamps. This would take care of one individual mailing and one-half of another.

REUNION DATES AND ACTIVITIES: Normally the first full weekend after July 4th. Sometimes the Lodge will change our date because of the 4th falling Friday through Monday. We have a mixer and social Friday evening. The past few years it has been at the Bryan County Community Bldg. FOR ALL Classes combined. However, it attendance continues to increase we will have to look for a larger place. Fire Marshall rules. Admission, $7.00 per head at the door for the Friday meeting, but no one will be turned away. Punch and snacks furnished. No Booze. Some of our alumni are still under 21.

Saturday Evening a short meeting and dinner, about 7 p.m.. Price $30 per head. Then dancing and a great deal of ”bull shooting”. Sometimes even some truth comes out. A lot of old memories of when we were smarter, stronger, and irresistibly good-looking. People that you had no interest in become good friends and old friends become better friends.

Anytime from before Friday night and during or after the weekend individual classes arrange for some private gatherings. For example, in 2001, the classes of 51 and ?52 met at Wayne & Gail Wylie?s home. ‘50 met at Gordon & Glenna (Anderson) Wright’s home. ‘55 met at Harold Haddock’s home. Other facilities that can be used for larger gatherings. Elks Club (must be sponsored by a local member), Country Club (member required), several motels have suites. Contact a local member of your class to make these arrangements. If you have any trouble contact Wayne & Gail Wylie or C. J. Wood. They will help it they can.

ASSOCIATION SUPPORTED by:

1. As I said before Donations Greatly Appreciated.

2. The income from the Friday and Saturday activities plus donations, in the past, has been sufficient. We hope it will always do so. It might be good to mention here that when we use the Lodge we a discount if enough rooms are rented. If you make Lodge reservations make sure you tell them you are with the Durant Reunion.

I’m sure that the individuals that make the reservation arrangements feel better when enough reservation money comes in to cover the cost of the reservations made. Last year the Reunion/Homecoming expenses were between $3500 and $4000. This includes postage, printing, decorations, and Lodge cost for both Friday and Saturday Nights. Someone has to sign for these. Some of our more talented alumni help keep cost low on the printing and some chip in to help on postage.

GOALS AND PROJECTS:

1. One of our goals is to keep old friends and schoolmate in contact. This is done by way of the annual reunions/homecomings. In doing so this helps Durant by bringing in revenue.

2. Work with the schools to advance their educational goals. Last year we voted to donate a scholarship to a needy, deserving, graduating senior. One who just needs a little leg up to get started. The school councilors provide names of candidates, but the Association has the last say. We presented our first scholarship for the school year ‘99-’00. This scholarship is supported by donations and memorials in honor of Alumni and/or Teachers who have passed on to their greater rewards.. We are registered Non-Profit Organization and donations are deductible.

3. We would like to put out a monthly newsletter, but the cost is prohibitive. We will try to do the next best thing and put out an EMAIL NEWSLETTER. Many do not have a computer, but perhaps they know someone who does and can at least visit our website for information. We have a mini reunion on the 1st Saturday of each month at the Branding Iron Restaurant. It is a meeting and ‘bull session’. More laughing and bull than meeting. We may try to make an email newsletter from that. However, we would appreciate news from all of you that we might spread around. We have something like 600 email addresses. Please forward us any addresses you might have so we can reach as many as possible.



	Association Information



	In 1989 the old folks, Class of 1949, had their 40th reunion. They decided it would be good to invite every class they attended high school with; 1947, 1948, when they were sophomores and 1950, and 1951 when they were seniors. Someone, probably the grandfather of the DHSAA-Wayne Wylie, convinced them to go on a year more each way to cover Freshman. So 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950,1951, and 1952 were contacted. It was a rousing success! That’s how we got to DHS Students instead of just Alumni. In going through annuals they didn’t really know whether all had stayed until graduation. We had our own celebrity and the reunion was mentioned on the Johnny Carson Show. Rue McClannahan, of TheGolden Girls TV show, attended and told Johnny that Pookie Roberts looked just like he did when she left Durant. Her eyes were going even then. The next year, due chiefly to the efforts of Wayne and Gail Wylie, the Durant Alumni Association was incorporated as a non-profit organization. Tom Criswell III, one of our alumni who is an attorney, did the legal work. Each year since then we have been rollin and strollin. Growth has been slow due chiefly, to the fact that most of the younger classes haven’t participated. Actually, I guess they are not yet old enough to realize there time and friends are slipping away. It seems the older we get the more we seem to appreciate our really old friends. OR would it be more politically correct to say ‘mature friends?’ Since it’s establishment we have added the awarding of Scholarships to some deserving DHS students. DHSAA itself controls who gets these. I forget how many we have given away, but the number must be about 10 so far. We also try to keep everyone informed on his or her classmates via a monthly newsletter. The efficiency of this depends on YOU reporting what’s going on with you and your class. Without YOU furnishing the news, there will only be a letter with NO NEWS in it. Each year it seems we pick up another class or two to join with us in a common cause. Many have remarked that it has been a lot of fun. In (1999) the Class of 1954 threw their lot in with us on their 45th. For the most part the years ’50 thru ’55 are doing most of the work on material and mail outs. Wayne & Gail Wylie (’51 & ’52) maintains the class rosters and Gail is our treasurer. Those jobs themselves are tremendous. Gail also works on locations, etc. Wayne maintains the addresses for mail outs. We need some class members to volunteer to help track down missing members for individual classes. Some of our addresses are seriously out dated. Currently we seem to have our most difficulty getting the Sixties up to participate, attend, and support these annual get-to-gatherings. The ‘60s are just now getting to the age the ‘40s and ‘50s were when we started supporting this organization. ’49 thru ’55 seem to have kept the reunions going as far as participation goes. However we got a lot of interest expressed, in recent year, by a few of the Upper ‘50s and up that attended. If you don’t come and join us you won’t have a chance to tell what you would like to see changed. It’s kinda like this. I don’t think my Political Vote is going to change anything, but I do it anyway. Then I’ve got a right to gripe. That, by the way hasn’t done any good either. Allow me one more example and analogy. I’ve heard the gripes that our music is too old. I don’t see it that way, because I like the ‘50s music. Since we do the planning and work we do it our way for the entertainment of our years. However, the ‘60s were some of my better years, even though I was out of high school. But, I digress, as usual. Those of you who gripe about the protocol or format of the evening – how about you running it and make the changes. Bo Hearon once had a service station. In the office he had a coffee pot with an empty can for donations. One day I asked him how much should be put in for coffee. You could get a cup at a restaurant then for about a dime. He said, “Do like most people and don’t put anything in.” Being rather cheap, I didn’t put any thing in. I took one swig of that coffee and put in 50 cents. He said, “There is no need in that and besides, that’s too much.” I said, “No, Bo, I’ve got to put something in.” “This is undoubtedly the worst coffee I’ve ever tasted and if I don’t pay I don’t have a gripe coming.” “As bad as this is, I want to do a lot of griping.” Please, have your year host a reunion. Work with us. Our reunions run several thousand dollars a year. That’s a lot of money for a single class to afford. Especially if your numbers are dwindling. We know some have to travel long distances and an annual reunion may seem too often. When you are old enough that the years get shorter, you’ll enjoy the reunions more. These reunions are excellent ways for class members to meet and begin preparations for their own year to host. The association has many class rosters and is willing to help out with the work. Many of us are retired and have the time to help. Any of you who have attended, and were not favorably impressed, we hope you will write us and give us some suggestions to make it better. Something you would like to attend. Better yet, you host the reunion and we’ll come. I can’t promise no one will gripe, but I assure you I won’t. ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS: Durant Alumni Association, P. O. Box 1534, Durant, Ok. 74702, Phone: 580-924-8513. Wayne & Gail Wylie: SAME AS ABOVE. Email Wayne: wawc@communicomm.com Eligible MEMBERSHIP: Rather than strictly Alumni, membership is open to all students who attended DHS anytime. Even if you didn’t attend High School in Durant, you are still eligible, if you want to be. We have non-graduate members as far away as Ireland. Graduation Class Association should be the class you would have graduated with had you remained at DHS. Membership Cost: None. It takes money to support any organization. DHSAA is a licensed nonprofit corporation and donations are therefore deductible. Our postage alone runs approximately $2000 per year. ALL DONATIONS GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED AND APPRECIATED. Anything---$1 and up. $1 will buy three stamps. This would take care of one individual mailing and one-half of another. REUNION DATES AND ACTIVITIES: Normally the first full weekend after July 4th. Sometimes the Lodge will change our date because of the 4th falling Friday through Monday. We have a mixer and social Friday evening. The past few years it has been at the Bryan County Community Bldg. FOR ALL Classes combined. However, it attendance continues to increase we will have to look for a larger place. Fire Marshall rules. Admission, $7.00 per head at the door for the Friday meeting, but no one will be turned away. Punch and snacks furnished. No Booze. Some of our alumni are still under 21. Saturday Evening a short meeting and dinner, about 7 p.m.. Price $30 per head. Then dancing and a great deal of ”bull shooting”. Sometimes even some truth comes out. A lot of old memories of when we were smarter, stronger, and irresistibly good-looking. People that you had no interest in become good friends and old friends become better friends. Anytime from before Friday night and during or after the weekend individual classes arrange for some private gatherings. For example, in 2001, the classes of 51 and ?52 met at Wayne & Gail Wylie?s home. ‘50 met at Gordon & Glenna (Anderson) Wright’s home. ‘55 met at Harold Haddock’s home. Other facilities that can be used for larger gatherings. Elks Club (must be sponsored by a local member), Country Club (member required), several motels have suites. Contact a local member of your class to make these arrangements. If you have any trouble contact Wayne & Gail Wylie or C. J. Wood. They will help it they can. ASSOCIATION SUPPORTED by: 1. As I said before Donations Greatly Appreciated. 2. The income from the Friday and Saturday activities plus donations, in the past, has been sufficient. We hope it will always do so. It might be good to mention here that when we use the Lodge we a discount if enough rooms are rented. If you make Lodge reservations make sure you tell them you are with the Durant Reunion. I’m sure that the individuals that make the reservation arrangements feel better when enough reservation money comes in to cover the cost of the reservations made. Last year the Reunion/Homecoming expenses were between $3500 and $4000. This includes postage, printing, decorations, and Lodge cost for both Friday and Saturday Nights. Someone has to sign for these. Some of our more talented alumni help keep cost low on the printing and some chip in to help on postage. GOALS AND PROJECTS: 1. One of our goals is to keep old friends and schoolmate in contact. This is done by way of the annual reunions/homecomings. In doing so this helps Durant by bringing in revenue. 2. Work with the schools to advance their educational goals. Last year we voted to donate a scholarship to a needy, deserving, graduating senior. One who just needs a little leg up to get started. The school councilors provide names of candidates, but the Association has the last say. We presented our first scholarship for the school year ‘99-’00. This scholarship is supported by donations and memorials in honor of Alumni and/or Teachers who have passed on to their greater rewards.. We are registered Non-Profit Organization and donations are deductible. 3. We would like to put out a monthly newsletter, but the cost is prohibitive. We will try to do the next best thing and put out an EMAIL NEWSLETTER. Many do not have a computer, but perhaps they know someone who does and can at least visit our website for information. We have a mini reunion on the 1st Saturday of each month at the Branding Iron Restaurant. It is a meeting and ‘bull session’. More laughing and bull than meeting. We may try to make an email newsletter from that. However, we would appreciate news from all of you that we might spread around. We have something like 600 email addresses. Please forward us any addresses you might have so we can reach as many as possible.

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