In Clinton High School’s Homecoming Parade on Oct. 11, there will be a number of groups of students waving pompoms. But none of the Cardinals will be as proud to show the school colors as the graduates of the Class of 1974, who will be in town for their 50th high school reunion.
“We bought 100 red and blue pompoms,” said Gina Kerns Moreno, who helped organize the reunion.
Gina was one of 175 students who graduated in 1974 from Clinton High School, located at that time in the building that now serves as Clinton Middle School.
Of the class, 86 alumni and guests have signed up for the 50th reunion, Gina said, and are flying in from states all over the country, including Connecticut, New Jersey, and New Mexico.
Gina lives in Lees Summit, but has been planning the reunion along with Melinda Glaspy Fulton of Independence and Glenda Jones of Clinton. Eighteen classmates who came to the 45th class reunion are not able to make the trip to Clinton for the 50th, Gina said, and 40 have passed away.
The Class of ’74 will be riding on a trailer provided by Gregg Smith, who graduated in 1974. Smith, who owns the Gregg Smith Ford-Lincoln dealership on Price Lane and an RV dealership, is also providing a truck to pull the trailer, Gina said, which will be driven by Kenny Royal. The Homecoming Parade starts at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 11, at 8th and Bodine, goes down 8th to Clinton Street, and passes Clinton Middle School, where the Class of 1974 alumni attended class, and where their graduation ceremony was held.
On Friday evening, Class of ’74 grads, if not dining with family, have the option of attending the alumni homecoming dinner at 6 p.m. at the Clinton Stadium, 600 E. Clinton St., before the game. The pre-game tailgate dinner takes the place of the Clinton All-School Reunion, which was discontinued several years ago.
At 7 p.m. Friday, CHS is scheduled to play the Harrisonville Wildcats. Royalty candidates will be riding in the Homecoming parade in convertibles, with coronation of the Homecoming Court at half time. After the game, the Class of ’74 alums will meet at the D and C Tavern on Center Street, Gina said, a tradition started at a previous reunion.
“We are looking forward to a great weekend of visiting and catching up with our classmates,” Gina said.
On Saturday morning, they will tour the Henry County Museum, have an informal lunch at Pizza Glen and take a tour of the new Clinton High School at 1:30 p.m.
There, they can have their photo taken with the new Cardinal statue, part of the Memory Walk dedicated last spring. The Memory Walk was created by the CHS Class of 1959 as a memorial to the 1911 CHS building at 3rd and Franklin, from which the Class of ’59 was the last to graduate.
The Class of ’74 50th Reunion party will take place Saturday night at the Elks Lodge, and will include a short program. The life of the party should be Mark Kingston of Lee’s Summit, who was chosen Mr. Spirit of 1974, Mary Lyn Hunter Collier, Miss Spirit of ’74, and cheerleaders Kathy Smith Charron of Urich and Debbie Mellen Abdoler of Clinton. Also attending the reunion will be the seniors voted Mr. and Miss CHS in 1974, Bryan Arthur and Melinda Glaspy (Fulton).
Clinton Mayor Carla Moberly, of the Class of 1974, also plans to attend.
Mary Lyn’s husband, Gene, made a CHS photo frame for his Class of ’71 50th reunion, with JoAnne Westendorff adding the decorations. The photo frame was also used for the 1972 class reunion, Mary Lyn said.
On the Saturday before Homecoming, Mary Lyn and Gene met Gregg to check that the photo frame was in good shape. Mary Lyn, who was a hospice nurse, said that she did not know Gene when they were in high school. They met at the 2017 Clinton All-School Reunion, she said, at the ‘70s table. After they talked, she gave him her card, in case he wanted to talk some more. He put the card in his wallet, she said, two month later, found it , and called her.
They got married a year after meeting at the reunion, Mary Lyn said.
Up at the new high school, Homecoming Spirit Week kicked off last Monday with a Disney theme. Monday was PJ Day (Sleeping Beauty), Tuesday was Safari Day (Lion King), Wednesday was Halloween vs. Christmas (Nightmare before Christmas), and also float-building day.
Thursday is Twin Day (aka Chip-n-Dale), and Friday will be ’Inside Out’ class colors day, starting with “March the Halls” at 8 a.m. At 11 a.m., an assembly will be held in the CHS gymnasium, then CHS Students will be dismissed at 12:30 p.m., with the option of picking up a ‘grab and go’ lunch in the cafeteria.
The Homecoming Parade starts at 1:30 p.m. at 8th and Bodine, goes past the elementary and intermediate schools to Clinton St., past the middle school to 3rd, crosses Ohio St. to E. Franklin, then to the Square. After circling around three sides of the Square, it goes down Main St. and ends at 2nd and Ohio. Even if you didn’t attend CHS, it’s fun to cheer on the athletic teams, drill teams and school clubs, hear the music of the marching bands and view the colorful floats made by each high school class.
And exchange a royal wave with the current candidates for the Homecoming Court, and cheer the members of the Class of ’74 — they’ll be the large group of Cardinals amid a sea of red and blue.
