Have a Merry Christmas — And Watch Terry Dance

It’s time to wish all of the Aberdeen Central Class of 1966 a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. 

And what better way to do that than with a Christmas rock ballad from the 1960s — and sung by The Chipmunks, with some performance dancing by the five Terry Rawsterns (TR's), kindergarten TR, 9th grade TR, high school TR, young adult TR (when he wore a moustache), and current TR who we now know as our class Digital Executive Officer. 

You didn’t know Terry could dance? Just watch – and smile. 

Have a great holiday season, wherever your travels may take you. It’s been a great year for the Class of 66, beginning with a terrific reunion and continuing with lots of shared stories, Facebook posts and funny videos. 

Merry Christmas 

Here's to Terry, the Man Behind This Blog and So Much More

Those of us behind the CHS Class of 1966 blog, newsletter, Facebook pages and YouTube channel want to take the time to call everyone's attention to all the time, talent, and energy our good friend Terry Rawstern has given to what we  call our "perpetual reunion" project.  

 

Terry has had a series of surgeries of late — nothing serious, although, at our age, any surgery can be serious — and we would ask you to keep him in your thoughts and prayers. 

 

Terry was, and is, the driving force behind our digital efforts. As something of a Digital Executive Officer, he keeps us busy working on new stories to keep the circle of communication going. 

 

In addition to his creative ideas for enhancing our communications, and making them interesting, Terry has made a number of excellent behind-the-scenes contributions to the blog and the newsletter. 

 

His technological and digital expertise has been invaluable. 

 

His feelings for his classmates, and for the city in which we grew up, are evident in all of his contributions.  

Terry Rawstern and his wife, Chris.

Class of 66 Reunion and Digital Communications Make 'Blue and Gold' Alumni Newsletter

The Class reunion in June and the subsequent efforts on Facebook, Blogger and email newsletters rated separate articles and photos in the Fall 2016 Central Alumni newsletter, the Blue and Gold. The paper arrived in alumni mailboxes this week.

The reunion story included a photographer of the classmates who were still at the Ramkota on Sunday, the last day of the reunion, along with a photo of the Three Amigos.

The separate article about the class digital efforts was on a page with the alumni news. It included a photo of the September newsletter and an article written by Tim Schreiner, the class journalist. See the text of that article below.

If you'd like to subscribe to the Blue and Gold, contact the Aberdeen Public Schools Foundation at 605-725-7118 or email Gretchen.Sharp@k12.sd.us.


Here's the article on the class digital work:

When the Class of 1966 was trying to drum up enthusiasm for its 50-year reunion in Aberdeen this summer, it decided that social media and the Internet offered some help. The effort resulted not only in a reunion attended by more than 150 people, it started a lasting way to communicate that will live far beyond the class reunion.

Its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CHS1966reunion) has 234 followers who regular read news of classmates as well as reminiscences of businesses and buildings in Aberdeen and memories of musical bands, former teachers and events in the lives of the class.

Its weblog (aberdeenchsclassof1966reunion.blogspot.com), an online journal of stories written by the class members has already been viewed more than 27,000 times since it was launched in mid-2016.

The weblog is an ongoing archive of old and new photos of the class, personal stories featuring businesses such as Liem’s Sporting Goods and Webb Shoe Store, class members encounters with famous musicians such as Bobby Vee and Bob Dylan, and remembrances of classmates who have died recently.

Each month, an email newsletter is sent to the class alerting them to stories they might have missed. The newsletter, weblog and Facebook page have not only attracted members of the class of 1966, but also their children and others who attended Central during the 1960s.

The class also established a YouTube channel (CHS Class of 1966 Reunion), which has posted videos memorializing deceased classmates as well as honoring those who served in the armed forces. It also features creative videos that poke a little fun at the people behind the digital effort: Terry Rawstern, Robert Couser, Carole Tonigan, Rory King and Tim Schreiner.