Saturday, July 25, 2009

Memories of time spent at our Mountain View haven came flooding back last Sunday in Florida as close to three dozen alumni and friends crowded into the intimate confines of Marcia’s Café to meet, greet and reminisce.

They came-including one attendee, Fay Hutchinson, visiting from Paris, France-to enjoy an evening of nonchalant relaxation, laughter, memories, music and refreshment, and to recall the way it used to be when they traversed the campus of XLCR.

Among the throng was a diverse array of people, but mainly spanning the decades of the 60s, 70s and 80s. As the past students poured into the room it was interesting to see how they were automatically drawn to others of their year group.

However, as each person started sharing his / her personal stories and experiences, it was evident that they were linked by a common thread and the vignettes sounded eerily similar. Even if they were decades apart, it was clear that they all had one thing in common – the Excelsior experience.

Alumni smiled and nodded in recognition and sifted through the memories as each in turn took to the microphone to recall favorite teachers, friends, the times spent in the classroom  or simply whiling away the time under the trees on the benches arrayed around the schoolyard.

In between the orgy of nostalgia, the Florida Alumni Board used the forum to provide updates on its significant contribution to the Alma Mater throughout the year. These include its US$4K education fund, scholarships and funds towards building renovations and other contribution to help upgrade the physical plant.

The Executive Board also addressed the controversy surrounding the allegedly flawed process by which the new Principal was selected for the school.  Attendees were given the background, the progress to date and the intent of the three Alumni boards, working in concert, to continue to press the Methodist Board for resolution.

Other serious business out of the way, Florida now turns its attention to the Annual Xmas Bash fund raiser scheduled for Saturday, December 19, 2009.