Stay Connected

We created several ways for alumni to get connected for Reunion 40 and now you can stay connected. We are keeping this blog site up and will post as needed for any upcoming events in the future. Our email address is still the same and we continue to build our confirmed email address list for new events. If you have not already confirmed your email address, send us a note to carrollreunion@yahoo.com so we can update your record. If you are not sure then send one anyway! We are also keeping the Facebook group called Carroll Class of 73 so you can keep posting there anytime. Until the next event...Go Tigers!

Reunion 40 A Huge Sucess!

If you missed this event, then you missed the mother of all reunions! Reunion 40 turned out to be a weekend full of fun with Class of 73 alumni all over Port A.

Many came in early on Thursday and left on Monday making the best of the time there on the beach. I saw alumni at the beach, in the lobby, driving beach carts, in the tent on Friday night, in restaurants, shopping, and at the main event Saturday night. What started out a casual get together on Friday night, ended up being a huge beach party with a big tent glowing in the night. I think the two night minimum stay at the condos turned our event into a "weekend" event instead of a one night thing.

The decor for the main event was incredible! It kept getting better and better as the day went Friday preparing. By the time Saturday night came the room looked like a beach club decked out to the max with real surfboards in every corner, live plants all around, tiki faces on the wall, and grass skirts around the tables. Vicki Watson chimed in with Nancy on site and those two; well you saw the room!

The band...well I must say the band was amazing and played the best classic rock songs of our era. At the onset of the very first song ( Old Time Rock and Roll) the dance floor stayed full the whole night with non-stop hits like Rocky Mountain Way, Wonderful Tonight, Take it Easy, Born to be Wild, and Cinnamon Girl. From the Allman Brother to Santana, they played it all! Yes it was a little loud, but we are getting older too!

This whole event I was amazed at the generosity of our class mates. They made donations, worked the registration table in shifts, greeted people at the door, tipped the bar, said thank you all the time, helped clean up after, and did whatever it took to make this weekend memorable. Way to go Class of 73!

Ok! I will admit this event took a lot of planning and a lot of work! But the committee became this incredible bond of classmates with the strongest desire for a great event I have seen. For eight months we emailed, called, texted, and planned until the last day before the event. There was never a time we did not get along! We all had a part and worked together! Rick Cadden was the tech man with on-line registration and the blog and communication and live entertainment guy. Jeff Watson and Bob Church were the Friday night tent guys. Nancy Cantu was the decor person. Vicki Maxwell was the name badge person and compiled the deceased alumni display. Debbie was our encourager and affirmation person. Bob was the t-shirt guy and resource guy and could get anything we needed. Then we all worked on details and implementation. I can't leave out my wife Becky who put up with me for 8 months talking about the reunion all the time and then running the name badge table and t-shirt sales all night long. What a team!

For me, it was over-the-top fun and the best reunion in our history! I just did not want to leave on Monday. At both the Friday and Saturday night events, the buzz in conversations was amazing. It was like we never left high school and picked right up where we left off. Old friendships were re-kindled and I am sure the stories of high school days flowed freely.

So, the question is how do we top this event? We don't! We just do it all again soon!

Comments? Discussion? What was your take on the reunion?

Reunion 40 Important Info for You

More important info for you this coming weekend that will make things smooth and easy. 

• Parking on the beach requires a $12 permit per car that is good for the whole weekend. You can purchase those from City Hall, IGA, and Strips Food and Gas.I would suggest you purchase one especially for the Friday night beach party. NOTE: Parking at the Sandcastle is only for guests all others will be towed.
• We negotiated a great special rate for beach carts too if you want some more fun. They are 4 or 6 passenger you can drive on the streets and the beach all over Port A.
  4 passenger for 24 hours regular $150 for $85 or a 6 passenger for 24 hours regular $180 for $95. just mention Carroll Class of 73 for the special rate
  Brons Beach Carts 314 E Avenue G 361-290-7143 ( plus tax and gas)
• Great news...the Sandcastle is giving us the full 15% room discount since we booked 46 of the 50 rooms we reserved. The discount will be reflected on your bill at check out.
• Please help out by manning the registration table for us in short shifts. Spouses work great for this too. If you can help out for a short time please email rick.cadden@gmail.com. Doors open at 6pm.

See you soon!
Reunion Committee

Last Call for Reunion 40

This is our last notice about Reunion 40: "Friends for Life". (aren't you relieved, lol) Tickets are just $55 a person good thru Tuesday Oct 1st. After Tuesday Oct 1st, tickets go to $70 per person. Other reunions charged $80 recently. We have a fun filled weekend for you with a seafood, beef, and chicken catered meal by Saltwater Grill, live 70's Classic Rock Band, Reunion 40 LOGO shirts you can purchase, a Reunion 40 Memory Photo Book from Earl Parr you can purchase, and beach party on Friday night under the big tent. You just can't beat the price for all this fun! PLUS all this is with all your friends from high school! Unbelievable!

So, tickets go up after Tuesday Oct 1st so why wait! Register today and save you money and help us with making commitments to our many vendors.

Register at www.carrollclassof73.whindo.com

Reunion 40 Committee

IMPORTANT INFO FOR REUNION 40

Reunion 40 Logo T-shirt pre-orders - if you pre-ordered a shirt when you registered it will be waiting for you at the Saturday night event. If you don't remember if you ordered one, go to carrollclassof73@whindo.com and click on the SEE WHO'S COMING page and find your name. If you want to change your order email us at carrollreunion@yahoo.com. Change order deadline is Oct 1st.
Keep inviting alumni from our class that you are connected with. Ticket price goes up after Oct 1st.

What to bring to Reunion 40:

Friday Night - BYOB (ice, cups, bottled water, and cokes are provided), bug spray, chairs in a bag, and dress is beach casual.

Saturday Night - BYOB (ice, cups, bottled water, and cokes are provided), money for Earl Parr reunion Photo book $20, and cash for your reunion shirt $15, dress is beach dressy.

For both events you can bring an ice chest with your favorite drinks The Theme is "Friends for Life" 40 years later in a luau setting on the beach like we grew up on.

Contact us:  carrollreunion@yahoo.com our email
                    carrollclassof73.whindo.com to register and pay on-line
                    carrollclassof73.blogspot.com our blog

Reunion 40 Taking Shape

Carroll Class of 73 never does anything half way! We always go way out and do things right and our 40 year reunion will be no different. As I look back over the past 40 years, each 10 year reunion has been a blast and huge success thanks to you our alumni for helping and attending! So once again here we are with another reunion coming soon and man oh man is it going to be fun! I love helping each time and seeing all the hard work come together the night of the event. So many details and so many ideas to work together and make an event.

What I love about Reunion 40 is it is on the beach where we grew up. You just cant beat our location this time and the events planned. I recently made a trip to Port A for a reunion planning meeting and it sure brought back some memories. On my way from Port A on Saturday I was driving 361 back to Padre. You know the road...long and flat. I thought about how I drove this same road in my 1967 Camero going to the Young Life house each week in the summer and now here I am 50 years later driving the same road in my 2008 Mini Cooper.

I am sure as you come back for the reunion, Port A and the beach will flood your mind with those same memories of high school days. Our Friday night event is designed to bring you back to the summer days of the 70's with a bonfire, music, and that gritty feeling, and wind, and great beach times. Don't miss Friday night!

See you there! Comments? Discussion?

THREE WAYS TO MAKE REUNION 40 GREAT!

Carroll Class of 73 has always been known for "Friends for Life" and one of the closest classes in friendships. I am sure many of you still connect with classmates from our class and stayed friends for so many years. Looking back at our past "ten year" reunions, they have all been a huge success with great attendance and tons of fun. Reunion 40 won't be any less!

Finding our classmates has always been the hardest part of planning a reunion. I have been involved somehow with each reunion and can say first hand finding people and getting the word out is the biggest challenge. There are other challenges in reunion planning too like knowing how many to plan for especially when you have food to order in advance. 

Here are (3) THREE ways YOU can help us in making Reunion 40: Friends for Life a great event.

• Spread the word to every alumni you are in contact with. We have (3) resources to help you spread the word. 
• Our blog is www.carrollclassof73.blogspot.com, where you are right now.
• Our registration web site is www.carrollclassof73.whindo.com password is gotigers
• Our email address is carrollreunion@yahoo.com

• Register for the reunion yourself and encourage others to register now as well. 
• Make a donation to the event over and above your ticket price to help us offset all the costs.   

So, there you have it! Help us make our 40 year Carroll High School Class of 73 reunion one to remember. We already have so much planned that will make the weekend fun and exciting for everyone.