If you are one of the Golden Grads who were not able to send your Luncheon reservations in time for the May 22 deadline, you have another chance. It seems a number of Grapevines were not delivered because of unnecessary security concerns about the number of Grapevines emailed, and the registration form happened to be in the Grapevine.  If that happened to your Grapevine, you don’t  have to miss out on seeing everyone because of it. If your reservation was delayed for whatever reason, you  have more time.

The Nile Golf and Country Club (Now called the Nile Shrine Center) has allowed us to extend the deadline for getting in the luncheon reservations until June 3 for the June 12 event!

If you need another “Grapevine”, or you would like me to sign you up using a credit card please call me!  You can also click this link to the reservation form, print it and fill it out with your lunch choice, and mail it in with your check or payment info. (Try to get it to us a couple of days early, to make sure it’s on time.)

Looking forward to seeing you at the Luncheon!

Anne Chichester Temple
la_temple@comcast.net
425-697-4216 or   Cell 425-299-5992
Membership Chairman

REMINDER! Luncheon reservations are due by May 22

Don’t miss the chance to hear all the news and see your classmates and friends!  

Send in your reservations now!

Exciting changes are coming this year with our new Luncheon Chairs, Ann Reid ’68 and Heidi Liniger Olson ’72 adding some fun with a drawing for a gift basket from “Made in Washington” (Alderwood  store) valued at $800 !  The raffle tickets are $5 each (so bring a bundle of 5’s).

There is also a special guest speaker, and an improved menu that is yummy.  Just fill out and print the form linked here, or you can use the one in your Grapevine (they’re the same!) and send them in with your payment before May 22.

More News from Your Secretary

by Cathie Hogue Huffman, ’63

Hello Golden Grads!

The elves have compiled the Grapevine and sent it out by email and snail mail to Golden Grads near and far.

I hope you have all received your Spring Grapevine and are keeping up with news on the Golden Grads website (rhsgoldengrads.org).  You can also follow student activities/opinions/news in the school paper on Instagram @therhsnews! or at therooseveltnews.org.

Meanwhile the students are keeping busy!

The Jazz band competed successfully in the final 15 at Essentially Ellington in New York May 9-11, which just finished four days ago. They won several honors and distinguished themselves as usual.

Tuesday May 21, at 7 pm the Spring Musical, Mean Girls will be presented free for Golden Grads (and “their kids, grandkids, whoever” according to Drama Teacher Ben Stuart). Tickets are also available for purchase for performances May 23 through June 2.

Happy Spring to everyone!

Cathie Huffman

Spring 2024 Golden Grads President’s Report

Doug Whalley ‘63

The Annual Golden Grads Luncheon

The June 12th luncheon at the Nile Country Club is our only event exclusively for Golden Grads members, and it is a great opportunity to get together with other alums. Class reunions are fun, but our luncheon connects you to both your class and friends from other years. You hear an update on the school, meet the principal and our scholarship winners, and enjoy a short performance by student singers, dancers, or musicians. We chose the Nile, now called the Nile Shriners Center, because it has easy access off I-5; parking is abundant, free, and close; and there are no stairways to climb. Roosevelt football coach Sam Adams, a former first round draft pick for the Seattle Seahawks, will be a speaker.

Our New Luncheon Chairs

Ann Reid ’68 and Heidi Liniger Olson ’72 have volunteered to be our new luncheon chairs, a position vacant since long-time chair Cindy Dack ’60 retired last year. Their qualifications are impressive. Ann worked at the Seattle Chamber of Commerce from 1998 to 2015, managing luncheons, receptions, and breakfasts; selecting venues; and choosing menus. Heidi was President of the Holland America Line Social Committee. The committee planned annual Christmas parties for 1,200 attendees. This included finding venues at major hotels and setting up catering, menus, and other activities.

Thank You to Judy Crossett Cromwell ’60

Judy is retiring as chair of the Scholarship Committee (formerly the “Merit Scholarship” Committee). She began volunteering on the committee several years ago and has been chair since 2021. The committee works hard interviewing scholarship candidates each Spring and deciding on the amounts awarded. If the new chair is not drafted – I mean “selected”—before the Grapevine is published, we will announce his or her name at the luncheon.

Keeping Up with Roosevelt News

This newsletter gives you a hint of what is happening at your school, but there are many other ways to get news of Roosevelt. Golden Grads’ Web Master, Ellen Brown Hewitt ‘53, runs our own website, rhsgoldengrads.org, featuring news of both Golden Grads and the school. If you search the web for “Roosevelt High Seattle”, you will also find sites for the Roosevelt Foundation, RARE (Roosevelt Alumni for Racial Equity), Roosevelt sports teams, the band, the orchestra, and other activities. Several Facebook pages about the school can be found by searching Facebook for “Roosevelt High Seattle”.  A few individual RHS alumni classes also have Facebook sites. Our own site on Facebook is Roosevelt Golden Grads. I host it, and welcome comments or postings by members.

If You Only Scanned That Last Paragraph

You may have missed an important item. Our website manager, Ellen Brown Hewitt, graduated in 1953. She is our only Board or committee member who graduated in the 1950’s, and she handles our most technically difficult activity with ease. Ellen recently explained to me how we were going to hire PayPal to allow us to accept dues and donations online. I did not understand the technology involved, but I checked with my son who works at Microsoft. He said it sounded great.

Seattle Schools Are Facing a Budget Crisis

Principal Tami Brewer informs us that Seattle schools will make dramatic cuts next year in staff and programs. Because of falling enrollment in Seattle and elsewhere, State support has been substantially reduced. Golden Grads has limited flexibility in our donations, since we rely on interest from our investments, but we will review where our funds go.

All the News and Reminders from Your Secretary

by Cathie Hogue Huffman, ’63

Hello Golden Grads!

It’s time for The Elves to compile the Spring Grapevine.  Please let us know what’s new with you, how you spent the last few months, major and minor accomplishments, whatever you want to share.  Go ahead and brag about the wonderful weather where you are…those of us here in the rain will deal. The deadline for your input is March 29th but the Editor would appreciate it as soon as possible.  Send news to: janet@whalley.net

Meanwhile the students are busy!

The Jazz band is in the final 15 again at Essentially Ellington in New York May 9-11.  Garfield and Bothell are going as well making Washington the most represented state at this year’s competition. I have watched parts of the finals on Jazz at Lincoln Center website but cannot find details for this year’s event yet.

The Drama Department presented Chicago March 7-10 at the RHS Main Stage (Sorry for the late notice on this!) I know it was a smashing hit, though.

Tuesday May 21, at 7 pm the Spring Musical, Mean Girls will be presented free for Golden Grads (and “their kids, grandkids, whoever” according to Drama Teacher Ben Stuart).

The Thespys is an annual national competition for students in every aspect of theater.  Several Roosevelt students received “Superior” scores at the regional level which makes them national qualifiers.  Many received “Excellent” scores making them State Honorees in categories including Solo musical, Costume Design, Duet Musical, Duo Scene, Group Scene, Monologues, Musical Theater Dance and Playwriting.

That’s all for now. I hope you’re enjoying your Spring season, regardless of the weather! Stay tuned!

Cathie Huffman

by Grapevine Editor Janet Whalley

The Grapevine is much more interesting when you are in it!!!!! Try to scribble down some notes about what you’ve been doing or planning and send it to your Class representative or me as soon as soon as you can do so. It’s really easy to do.  Just a few sentences are fine!

Address your email to me at janet@whalley.net or your Class Rep as listed in the Grapevine. Class reps should solicit their classmates’ reports and/or compose a report to me for the next Grapevine and send, or better, email to me. (NOTE – Reports and articles received with GG Membership forms will be sent directly to me by the Membership Registrar to put into the appropriate class report section.) I need all reports and information by the deadline in order to get the Grapevine out on time. All your efforts are greatly appreciated!

And remember, Grapevines are sent out by email (preferred) or snail mail to members who are up to date on their dues. Now is the time to catch up if you haven’t sent your dues in yet.

Don’t miss the chance to hear all the news and see your classmates and friends!

The event is going to be at the Nile Country Club. There will be a guest speaker we all know (being invited as we speak) and a raffle for a basket of goodies. That’s where you and I come in. We are collecting fun and meaningful items to include in the basket. We’re planning on selling raffle tickets and drawing a winner from those purchased.

A social hour before the luncheon is planned for 11 am. Stay tuned as we get closer to the Luncheon. We’ll keep you informed as we go.

Fall 2023 President’s Report

by Doug Whalley ‘63

Happy 100th Birthday!

On August 27, 2023, over 1,000 grads and guests gathered at the school to celebrate Roosevelt’s centennial. Former governor Dan Evans spoke, along with several honorees on the Wall of Honor. The event was sponsored by the Roosevelt Foundation. Golden Grads volunteers staffed a table with GG membership forms and copies of our newsletter. I was on the committee that selected members of the Roosevelt Wall of Honor, honoring outstanding graduates, teachers, and staff. (Not all my candidates were selected, so don’t blame me if your favorite was omitted.) Details of the event and the complete list of those selected are in this report, but I will mention one important honoree: Golden Grads founder Jeanne DeFriel Gardiner, class of 1930.

The 2023 Luncheon Was a Success

Our first luncheon in three years was successful, with a large turnout at the Nile Golf and Country Club. Please consider volunteering to be the luncheon chair for next year.  Our longtime luncheon chair, Cindy Dack ’60, is retiring. She has done a great job and will be missed. Cindy and other board members are very familiar with what is required and will work with the new chair.

Roosevelt Athletic Boosters

 Athletic Boosters published an impressive newsletter covering Roosevelt’s sports teams for 2022-2023. We previously emailed the link to members but if you missed it, just search for Roosevelt Athletic Boosters, and click on the picture of the Go Riders Athletic Newsletter. There is more information about Roosevelt sports in this issue of the Grapevine. Although newspapers rarely report on high school sports today, you will be glad to know that Roosevelt is doing exceptionally well.

Re-evaluating the Requirements for Scholarship Winners

The GG Scholarship Committee is reviewing our criteria for selecting winners. Although financial need has always been listed as a factor, members felt it was often overlooked. Many of our past scholarship winners attended expensive private colleges where a $3,000 scholarship is relatively insignificant in the total cost. The Committee agreed to place a new emphasis on a family’s income, with the hope that our scholarships will significantly increase a family’s ability to pay for college.

Roosevelt Memorabilia

Occasionally donations of Roosevelt memorabilia are given to Golden Grads. I currently have Roosevelt banners, green and gold cones and pom-poms, and table place cards. They are available for you to borrow for class reunions or any RHS alumni functions.

Time for the fall Grapevine!

by Cathie Hogue Huffman, ’63

Hello All –
I hope you’ve all weathered whatever weather came your way over the summer.  It sounds like everyone had something unusual…maybe suitable for sharing in the next Grapevine!  News about trips, events and just “catch up” stories are also fun to read.  That being said…

The deadline for news you want to share in the Grapevine is September 8!!!  Please send stories to Janet@Whalley.net

The Roosevelt Athletic Booster Club has published its first Athletic Newsletter.  What a great way to catch up on all the sports.  They also mention the athletes’ RHS grad family members so take a peek and see who you might know!

The class of 1953’s 70th reunion is coming up Wednesday, September 13.  Check out the information on their website rhs53.com.  While you’re there you can also enjoy scenes from their 50th,  60th and 69th reunions!

The youngsters in the class of 1963 will have their 60th reunion Thursday, September 28th at the Nile Country Club from 11-3.  Please watch for RSVP info.

Have a great fall ,
Cathie Huffman

Start or renew Golden Grads membership today!

Print and complete the membership form (click on “membership form”) and print out and mail to RHS Golden Grads, PO Box 281, Edmonds, WA 98020-0281. You can add Credit Card instructions to the form or include your personal check in the envelope to pay your dues.