Your Golden Grads dues are due each year by January 1st. But you can renew any time or give an additional donation.  Click here to download and print the form, then send in with your check or credit card info to RHS Golden Grads, PO Box 281, Edmonds WA 98020-0281.

With the closure of RHS due to the Coronavirus Pandemic starting Spring 2020, all the school’s programs were cancelled, and are finally set to start up again in 2021. To see what’s happening in the Fall, go to one of the websites below:

• High School
• Jazz
• Drama
• Orchestra
• Bands

For More on RHS Jazz Bands click here or visit the Jazz Boosters Calendar Page. For RHS Orchestra click here. For RHS Roughriders Band information click the Riders Band site. And for Roosevelt Drama events click here.

RHS Jazz Band Makes Finals for Essentially Ellington Festival Again in 2021!

Seattle’s Roosevelt High School Jazz Band has made the finals of the prestigious Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington Festival for the 21st time in 23 years. The festival will be held virtually June 4-5.

Perhaps even more astonishing, thanks to COVID-19, this year’s Roosevelt band has never once played together as a unit and band director Scott Brown has never seen the students play as a band. “It’s crazy,” said Brown, who was elated when he received the news Friday afternoon. “Everything was done in their homes.” Through the magic of digital audio, individual tracks were overlaid, starting with the rhythm section, which did play together in person, in a safe, socially distanced setting, said Brown. Over the next three weeks, the saxophone, trumpet, trombone parts and solos were added and mixed with the help of an engineer who specializes in such work. (From the Seattle Times)

More great sounds from past RHS Jazz Ensembles

Please send your personal updates and info to your Class Representative (list in the Grapevine) to have published in the Class Reports section of the Fall Grapevine by August 27, 2021. The Class Representatives must have everything in to the GG Editor by Monday August 30. You may also send your input directly to the Grapevine Editor, Janet Sage Whalley.

RHS Spring Musical “As You Like It” to Stream Online

from Ben Stuart, RHS Co-Director of Theatre and Dance Department

This Spring, Roosevelt Theatre is thrilled to bring you a musical experience unlike any other: a show that is part movie musical filmed around Greenlake and Roosevelt AND part live, real-time performance, streaming to your home! As You Like It is a modern musical update of Shakespeare’s classic comedy, full of soulful tunes and mistaken-identity hijinks! Performances are June 3, 4, 11, and 12. Tickets go on sale May 1 at rhstheatre.net. After purchase, you’ll be emailed a receipt with a link to click the night of the show. Once you’ve clicked the link, using any device, sit back and enjoy.

We are still working on a free, invite-only preview for the Golden Grads. Stay tuned for more updates on that and some other exclusive opportunities. (Check the GG website for more information: www.rhsgoldengrads.org. Also, Golden Grads can send an update by email, if you receive your GG Grapevine by email.)

If you would like to help keep Theatre alive at Roosevelt, Patron of the Arts is Roosevelt High School Theatre’s annual fundraising campaign associated with the musical. Our theatre productions are completely self-supporting because we don’t get any money from our school or district. Student fundraising and ticket sales help underwrite the theatre and dance curriculum each year and gives students the chance to work with local and national guest theatre professionals. Funds also cover costumes, tech equipment, licensing fees, and more. Every dollar makes a difference in the type of shows we are able to perform.

Our goal is to raise $20,000 in patron donations from friends, family, alumni, and theatre lovers in our community. To date, the students have raised $9,560 and could use a boost to get them across the finish line. Please consider helping us reach our goal by giving to our non-profit booster group, The Associated Friends of Roosevelt Drama (Tax ID 27-0604574)—employer matches welcome. Donate here: https://givebutter.com/POTA2021

By GG President Doug Whalley (’63)

RARE

The Roosevelt Alumni for Racial Equity (RARE), that was started in 2020 by a group of 1971 grads, is off to a fast start establishing a scholarship endowment fund for Roosevelt graduates of color. They will invest their funds with Golden Grads as a separate account in the Golden Grads’ investment portfolio. Our Special Scholarship Chair Jeri Mortensen Kronmal will assist them with funds to the schools. Most of their committee members have joined Golden Grads, several as life members. The RARE members who will help select the student winners and coordinate the scholarship payments with Golden Grads will all be GG members. Read more about RARE on this page. It is an impressive group.

No Luncheon This June

Once again we are forced to cancel our Spring Luncheon. Although many of us will be vaccinated by then, the Board of Directors believed that it would be too early to expect our members to enjoy a large gathering.

The Dictatorship Continues

Last year because the luncheon was cancelled, we were not able to hold an election of officers or approve the budget. I solicitated candidates and offered to hold a mail-in vote, but nobody requested a vote. This year, we are faced with the same problem. If you would like to run for a position or ask a question about the proposed budget, please let me know. Otherwise, the current officers will remain (I “forgot” to ask them if they wanted to), and the financial statement published in this issue will be considered when the GG Executive Board approves a budget in June.

Some Good News: A Major Donation to the Golden Grads

Last Fall I was contacted by Diane Cain Fiduccia, Class of 1962. She is a trustee of the James and Grace Cain Charitable Foundation established by her parents. Diane announced a $10,000 donation to Golden Grads from their Foundation, which will allow us to grant two additional college scholarships this year, for a total of twelve. Thank you, Diane! The process of selecting students and awarding the scholarships this year is impacted by the school closure, but Scholarship Chair Antonia Filigno Clark ’53 has stayed in contact with school counselors and her committee is working to keep the scholarship program on track.

Thank You Antonia Filigno Clark ’53

Tonia has been our Merit Scholarship Chair for many years, a job that requires a major commitment of time and energy. She has performed it flawlessly, recruiting committee members, coordinating with the school, and interviewing prospective recipients. She did not miss a beat with the school being closed last Spring and this year – all scholarships were still awarded. We will miss her as chair, but she has agreed to remain on the committee. She also recruited a great replacement, committee member Judy Crosset Cromwell ’60, who has agreed to take over next school year.

Principal Kristina Anderson Rogers

Just a note to say how lucky we are to have Kristina as principal during this difficult time for Roosevelt. She has been successful in working with students, teachers, and parents. She is very supportive of Golden Grads and grateful for our financial assistance. She is not the first principal to have attended Roosevelt as a student, but undoubtedly the first one whose parents attended Roosevelt High School as well. Bill Anderson ’65 and Nancy Ford Anderson ’64 are Golden Grad members.

Welcome Amy Hall

I am pleased to announce that Amy Hall has accepted the Board’s offer to assist Golden Grads. Amy is the long-time part-time administrative assistant for the Roosevelt Foundation. She has agreed to also work part-time for Golden Grads to help in several areas: recruitment and retention of members, especially recent classes; social media and website enhancements; increasing membership benefits; online payment options; and other areas of our organization that need updating.

The names of all RHS Golden Grad members are on our website. Thanks to our GG web master, Ellen Brown Hewitt ’53 for periodically updating the list of our members there.

To learn if one of your classmates is a GG member, go to our website: “www.rhsgoldengrads.org” On the Home Page, look at the menu items on the left side of the page.

Find the second link below the swing dancers – “GG Members by Grad Year”. Then click on that link.

Your Golden Grads dues are due each year by January 1st. However, you can renew any time or give an additional donation.

See the membership form included at the end of your Grapevine. Join and donate to help us continue offering funds for the Teachers Wish List grants and for Student Scholarships. or click here to download and print the form, then send it in with your check or credit card info to RHS Golden Grads, PO Box 281, Edmonds WA 98020-0281.

ROOSEVELT JAZZ BAND WINS TOP HONORS AT 2019 ESSENTIALLY ELLINGTON!

Congratulations to Director Scott Brown and the Jazz Band for their first place finish in the 24th Annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition and Festival at Lincoln Center, New York!

Listen to their winning performance at at Lincoln Center!

More great sounds from past RHS Jazz Ensembles

The 2013-14 band with Moten Swing on July 4, 2014 at the Montreux Jazz Festival (YouTube)

For News About Fall 2020 See These RHS Websites

With the closure of RHS due to the Coronavirus Pandemic in Spring 2020, all the school’s programs have been cancelled. To learn about what’s happening in the Fall of 2020, you can go to one of the websites below:

• High School
• Jazz
• Drama
• Orchestra
• Bands

For More Information

On Roosevelt High School Jazz Bands click here or visit the Jazz Boosters Calendar Page. For RHS Orchestra click here. For RHS Roughriders Band information click the Riders Band site. And for Roosevelt Drama events click here.

To have your information included in the next newsletter, you’ll need to send your class report to your class representative (listed in the Grapevine) by August 25, 2020. Class representatives and GG officers and committees need to send reports to the newsletter editor (Janet Sage Whalley) by Friday, August 29, 2020. You may also send information directly to the Grapevine Editor prior to those dates.Also it is helpful if you email your reports and information.

Include your class year, and gals your maiden name (underlined). Just a few lines is all it takes! World travel not required! Let’s keep in touch.