Swing into the holiday season with Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s festive Jazz Nutcracker, a fanciful take on the Tchaikovsky suite. The award-winning Roosevelt Jazz Band is fortunate to have the rights to perform this arrangement. Join us for a Seattle tradition. Check out this video for a preview of what you will enjoy at the show.

Report by Golden Grads President Doug Whalley

Thanks to Luncheon Chair Cindy Dack and her team of volunteers, 175 Golden Grads and guests gathered for our annual luncheon at Sand Point Country Club. Twenty-six classes were represented, from 1937 to 1966. The Class of 1963 had the most participants, with a world’s record 37 members present.

Other classes with significant turn-outs were 1952, 1953, 1960, and 1965. Special acknowledgement to our oldest attendees: Ralph Jenkins ’37, Anna Louise Hicks Wickland ’38, and Thomas Allen ’39.

MC Rick Keating ’64 did a great job again this year keeping the program moving. He insulted me only three or four times, down from last year 😉… Principal Brian Vance and Vice-Principal/RHS alumna Kristina Anderson Rogers spoke about activities at Roosevelt. Brian mentioned, as he always does, that he was not a Roosevelt grad and we surprised him with an impressive-looking honorary diploma, thanks to the efforts of Bob Reddick ’53 and Dave Watts ‘63. We recognized retiring school counselor, Dr. Littlebrave Beaston, who helped us select scholarship recipients. A new counselor, Roosevelt grad Nikki Sortum Duncan was also introdued.

Scott Brown, award winning RHS jazz director since 1984, led a performance by several of his students including B. Porter Jones who also received our Jeanne De Friel Gardiner Scholars Certificate. Kierra Nguyen was awarded the Music and Dramatic Arts Honor Certificate and Yi Ren received the $1,000 Spirit Award, this year sponsored by the Class of 1964 (and next year by the Class of 1963).

With Norma Hanberg present, the Class of 1962 presented a $1,000 scholarship to student Helen Schuda in honor of Dale Hanberg, long-time RHS teacher and advisor.

Mention should be made of the Cauliflower Steak incident. It was listed on the menu provided by the Country Club and several members assumed, wrongly, that it was real steak, not a fancy name for a vegetable with attitude. Fortunately, the kitchen had extra salmon, avoiding a riot!

The thirty-fourth Anniversary of the RHS Golden Grads Luncheon will be held on Wednesday June 1st, 2016 at the beautiful Sand Point Country Club. Come and have a ball! There’s always good food, a great program, and just plain fun with the RHS Grads of your class and others. We had a fine time last year when two of retiring Ruben Van Kampen’s students performed a Cabaret number that brought down the house: “Money, money makes the world go round” got a standing ovation. After lunch, there will be a short Annual Business Meeting and Election of Officers, and you’ll meet this year’s scholarship winners.

Time: Doors open at 11:00 AM – 11:00 to 12:00 Social Hour & sign in at the Registration Table and pick up your envelope. At 12:15 PM, will start serving lunch

Seating: Each GG member attending the luncheon has a place reserved with his or her class.

Parking: ( You can enter from south side or west side.)

Deadline: Luncheon reservations are required and must be in our hands by Friday, May 20th, 2016 with your check for $32 per person, made out to RHS Golden Grads. Send check to: RHS Golden Grads, P.O. Box 281, Edmonds, WA 98020-0281. Click here for the Luncheon Reservation Form in .pdf format. If you have questions, contact Luncheon Chair Cindy Dack, or Anne Chichester Temple, Membership Secretary.

Golden Grads officers, class secretaries, and committee chairs meet once a year.

The thirty-fourth Anniversary of the RHS Golden Grads Luncheon will be held on June 1st, 2016 at the beautiful Sand Point Country Club. Paid-up Golden Grads members, friends and guests will be in attendance.

The new Luncheon Chair, Cindy DACK ’60, did a wonderful job last year. Rick Keating ’64 was the Master of Ceremonies and introduced invited special guests: Brian Vance RHS Principal, Kristina Anderson Rogers ’98 RHS Vice Principal, Karl Ruff STEM teacher at RHS, and Ruben Van Kempen RHS Drama Director who retiredin 2015, after 38 years.

Scholarships and award recipients were introduced: Jean D Freil Gardiner Scholar certificate went to Menaka Narayanan who is attending Harvard: Music and Dramatic Arts Honor Award went to Sebastian Kent who went to McGill University in Canada: RHS Spirit Award went to Julia Hower who is at Middlebury College in Vermont. As is customary, a short business meeting was held after the lunch. Members approved the 2015-2016 Budget and the nominees for the 2016 Officers. Thanks, Cindy, for a great luncheon. Looking forward to seeing all of you June 1, 2016 same time, same place.

Jazz at Lincoln Center has announced the 15 finalist bands to compete in 21st annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival. Congratulations and great job to Jazz Band I and Scott Brown–they are New York bound again this year! Congratulations also to our friends at Garfield and Mount Si, who were also selected as finalists.

On May 24, 2016, at 7:30 pm, the Spring Musical dress rehearsal will be opened to the Golden Grads free (or you can give a donation.) If you cannot attend on that date the performances will be May 26 & 27, 7:30 pm; June 2, 3 & 4, 7:30 pm; and June 5, 2:30 pm. These dates cost $12 for students & seniors and $15 for adults. You will need to contact the school to purchase tickets.

From the Roosevelt Jazz Boosters Newsletter –

Please join us and support Roosevelt Jazz Band at Seattle’s Earshot Jazz Festival Thursday Oct. 29 – 7:30 pm at Benaroya Hall! For tickets call 206-215-4747 or visit the Seattle Symphony web site.

A priority for your December calendar should be Roosevelt High School’s production of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn’s “Jazz Nutcracker.” Performances will be held at the Roosevelt High School Performing Arts Theater on Saturday, December 5th at 7:30 pm and Sunday, December 6th at 2 pm. Tickets are available through the RHS Jazz website at a cost of $15/adults and $12/youth, students and seniors.

This fall, Golden Grads will be sending out the Grapevine by email to those who would prefer a digital copy – saving paper and freeing up more money for scholarships and teachers’ wish lists. Click here to see the Spring Grapevine in pdf format. To opt in, mark the box on the membership form.

The 2015 Golden Grads Luncheon will again be held at the Sand Point Country Club, 8333 – 55th N.E., Seattle, WA 98115. Reservations ($30 per person) are required and must be in our hands by Friday, May 22nd, 2015.

Doors open at 11:00 AM – Social Hour and sign in at the Registration Table, 11:00 to 12:00 – Lunch service starts at 12:15 PM. Each attending member has a place reserved with his or her class. The luncheon includes a short Business Meeting, Election of Officers and approval of the annual budget. RHS grads MUST BE current dues-paying GG Members to attend. Guests or spouses of members are OK.

Parking is provided in the Country Club parking lot (the front entrance has stairs, but you can enter from south side or west side.) Click here for a printable reservation form to mail in.