CCHS Class of 1970 holds 45th reunion

By KATHLEEN STARLING Cove Leader-Press Copperas Cove High School Class of 1970 held their 45th year reunion on Saturday at VFW Post 3393 in Kempner. Guests were greeted with nametags that displayed their senior portraits and were asked to sign the guestbook, as well as have individual and couple photos taken. While the event was held primarily for the benefit of the Class of 1970, alumni from classes of ‘66 through ‘71 were in attendance along with beloved Driver’s Education Teacher and Football Coach, and eventually principal, Glen Powell. CCHS graduating class of 1970 had only 124 students, a big difference from the immense graduations witnessed last week.  Not only was the graduating class smaller, the town was smaller too, just over 10,000 residents. Alumni pointed out that there was a lot less military affiliation at that time as well, not to mention Cove only had two traffic signals. A Remembrance Table was laid out to honor the 21 graduates of 1970 known to be deceased. In addition to the Remembrance t ble, there was a blue and gold floral wreath that was to be placed in Copperas Cove Cemetery Sunday morning by those classmates that chose to participate. Friends from as far away as Oregon and Maryland mingled, taking turns showing off pictures of children and grandchildren be-fore turning the cameras on themselves for classmate selfies. A prayer of thanks and remembrance followed Class of 1969 Linda Sharp’s warm welcome. Class of 1970 Clyde Harrelson  surprised Sharp by taking the microphone and a moment to recognize her with kind words of thanks for her dedication and a beautiful floral bouquet. With initial formalities out of the way it was time to dig into the immense pot luck supper. With bellies full, conversations of “Remember the time when…” could be heard in every corner of the room. Talk of the Dairy Grill, the Joy Drive-  In and football rivalries   d equal presence withretirement plans, grandkids and “What are you up to these days?” Linda Allen Grayson   remembered the graduation ceremony. There was a container of carnations, and each graduate was to  ake a carnation, proceed  across the stage to receive their diploma, and move on. Grayson was so nervous to be the first name called, she accidently took a rose from a decorative arrangement instead of the prescribed carnation. She tried to “accidently” leave the rose on stage once she realized her mistake, but an administrator insisted she keep the rose. She says her classmates rib her   about the mishap to this day. Listening to the gentleman graduates, the  phrase “Three licks or three days,” was repeated over and over. When asked  what it meant, the men explained, disciplinary infractions such as calling a teacher “dude,” walking out of class, or smokingyour tires in the parking  lot were handled with “three licks or three days,” meaning three spankings or three days suspension. Many of the men admitted to taking the “licks”   n an effort to avoid their  parents finding out about their misbehavior. There was a professional group photo of the class o f 1970 followed by a photo of all alumni and faculty in attendance. One of the standout moments of the evening was when Sharp presented classmates with Lifetime Achievement Awards for things like traveling the farthest, being married the longest, and never leaving  Copperas Cove. Each recipient   as presented with a certificate and award  “medal” made of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. The rest of the evening was dedicated to socializing  and remembering. Plans are already in the works for the 50th year reunion to be held in 2020. Sharp plans to continue organizing the reunions as long as there are people  who would like to attend