June, 2002

Dear SBHS Classmates:

The “40ish Reunion” was a wonderful success. It is because of you, and the other old friends who came from far and near, that the evening went beyond our wildest expectations.

There are many people who made this possible. There were committee members who signed on early to search for the lost Sheepshead tribe and organize in the “retirement” centers of Florida and California. There were committee people who provided homes and businesses for meetings in far flung locations. There were classmates who built our super web-site, handled fiduciary responsibilities, designed logos and t-shirts, created name tags and displayed memorabilia to rekindle forty year old recollections.

To all on the committee, I give my thanks and great appreciation for all your advice, suggestions and very hard work. “Yuse” all came through like, like, well Sheepshead Bay graduates, of course.

There are those who have wondered (my wife and kids especially) why I do this, now my second time at organizing a reunion. “He was Mr. Service, after all; it comes naturally to him,” they say. I earned that title unopposed, so it must be more than that. I truly enjoy seeing how all of you have grown and working with you in the spirit of friendship that was a great part of our youth.

Our first formal meeting was to be held on September 12th, 2001 in lower Manhattan, the day after the event that changed our world forever. We were fortunate to grow up in a very special time and a very special place. We went to a school that was brand new and started a tradition of excellence with some fabulous teachers (they were the even older folks who honored us with their presence). We had to endure “duck and cover” in elementary school and worry about getting shattered glass in our posterior. Later some of us served in Viet Nam and others changed career paths to avoid that conflagration. We morn our lost classmates, and hold them in our memories.

To all, I say thank you for a great reunion and for all your kind wishes. There are already plans to do this again (better be sooner than 20 years) and to keep in touch. We raised funds to give back to our alma mater to help effect the lives of future SBHS graduates.

Please continue to visit our website, http://www.sbhsfounders.org, for updated information, reunion reflections and photographs.

Sincerely,

Bob Schwartz
Chairman