Class of 1958 Celebrating its 50^th Reunion

By Ken Gottry, 1968

The Class of 1958 invites all its classmates to attend the CCS Alumni Reunion Weekend on July 18-20. Fifty years have passed since they roamed the halls of CCS, sharing secrets, passing notes, learning about themselves and about life.

In September 1946, the class entered Mrs. Eva Carpenter’s first grade room in the old Cambridge Union School building. One year later in August 1947, the building was consumed by fire, creating what we now call the Old School and scattering the future class of 1958 along with all their schoolmates. 

  

The class of 1958 spent their next four years in the Grange Hall and Patrician Hall. The year they passed into sixth grade, they entered the new Cambridge Central School

In Junior High they proved themselves civic minded as well as capable of fund raising. They sold bulbs to raise money for the Community Chest and had a sign erected by NYS at Beaty’s Corner.

Class Advisors Olive Thiessen and Ken Wilbur guided the class through high school. During the freshman year the class lost money but had a great experience at the Cottontail Cotillion. Their sophomore year brought some financial success with the Talent Show and several food sales, stationery sales, selling refreshments at games. The Junior-Senior play “Onions in the Stew” was well-received.

Other fund raisers were senior ice cream and the eighth grade book store

During senior year, the Halloween Carnival plus a record hop with disc jockeys Kerry and Ed brought in more money. On March 31, 1958 the class headed to Washington DC for the senior trip.

In 1958, the Board of Education was comprised of George McGeoch, Art Moseley, Tom Dunn, Clarence Coulter, and president John Lylis. Charlie Bowler was high school principal but everyone knew the real power was in the hands of people like Olive Chesbro, Alice Ashton, and Ruth Craig. Of course, Jimmy Leone was in charge in the elementary wing as he was for many years.

Custodians Les Harris, Ted Riley, Harold Dewey, and Rupe Jennings controlled the buildings and grounds while bus drivers Davenport, Hopkins, Headwell, Hedges, Qua, McGeoch, NAdrews, Fedler, King, Montgomery, and English ruled with an iron fist but listened with a compassionate ear.

 

1958 Custodians: L. Haris, R. Jennings, H. Dewey, T.Riley

The faculty included Jennie Dempsey, Dick Dawson, Wally Roewer, Carson Fuller, Frank Fressie, John Herbert, Bernie Stinner, Olive Thiessen, Leta Tully, Ethel Sherin, Olive Noteman, Ruth Weir, Ken Wilbur, and Charlotte Gottry. I’ve heard stories about Charlotte throwing toga parties for her Latin students at our house.

             

Charlotte Gottry                                Wally Roewer

Class officers were Leroy Anderson, president; Rich Evans, vice-president; Jane Kenyon, corresponding secretary; Dot Taylor, recording secretary; Pat Decker, treasurer; Carol Brewer, assistant treasurer; Jane Williams, assistant treasurer; Larry Decker, boy representative; Joanna King, girl representative.

1958 Class Officers: (back) P. Decker, Brewer, L. Decker, Williams, King; (front) Taylor, Evans, Anderson, Kenyon

The National Honor Society members were Don Murdoch, Mary Watkins, Betty Boeker, Carol Brewer, and Pat Decker.

The International Relations Club held the IRC weekend October 25-27, 1957. CCS welcomed students who were studying at colleges in the area. The weekend included guests from around the world including Korea, Sudan, Netherlands, Argentina, El Salvador, India, France, and Ethiopia.

 

1958 IRC Officers: Mr. Fressie, L. McMorris, L. Decker, C. Brewer, A. Thiessen, Mr. Vos

The Chieftain staff was comprised of (seated) M. Watkins, J. Williams, H. Gann, D. Taylor, J. King, R. Chase, J. Kenyon; and (standing) B. Van Guilder, W. Laverty and E. Cantwell

1958 Chieftain Staff

 

Over forty candidates turned out for football practice. This was CCS’s second season of 11-man football and its second season in the Saratoga County League. The season was cut short by a flu epidemic with CCS finishing third with a 2-1-1 record.

 

1958 Seniors: (front) Anderson, Cristaldi, Evans, Wilkie, Mook, Motsif; (back) Murdock, Laverty, Wands, Decker, Robitaille, Cantwell

 

 

1958 Cheerleaders: (kneeling) Dewey, Kenyon and (Standing) Taylor, Brewer, Wilbur

 

The CCS Indians in 1957-58 were the defending Washington County League basketball champions. Seniors Larry Decker, Frank Cristaldi, Tim Motsiff, and Bruce Wands led the team to an 11-5 record and second place behind the Argyle Scots. The season ended with a resounding victory over arch rival Salem, 65-52.

The 1958 Chieftain included sponsor ads from Tom Thumb dairy bar, Santerre liquor store, Failes dairy, Cooper pharmacy, Pete’s Friendly Mobil, the Brick Hotel, Legry’s drug store, McWhorter’s market, Bell & Costello garage, McClullen’s dry cleaners, King bakery, Friendly restaurant, Ackley furniture, McGhee lumber, Asgrow,  Innis Fail Inn, Oasis and Log Cabin, Pemrick’s dairy, Herb Ensign insurance, and the Washington County post.

The CCS Alumni Association is proud to have two members of the class of 1958 on its board of directors. If you want to see what they look like today, stop by one of our meetings in the CCS Library on the first Saturday of each month from 10 to noon.