Alumni forming their own association
By Caitlyn Kelleher JOURNAL REPORTER

Janet Lauricella, a member of the Oakmont Class of 1962, looks at a photo of herself in high school during the recent announcement of the Alumni Association's formation. Donna Kiuru, Class of 1961, and Betsy Hannula, Class of 1963, also look at the photo. JOURNAL PHTOO CAITLYN KELLEHER

For some they were the Fighting Chipmunks and for others they were the Spartans.

For some they are wore uniforms of green and brown, and for others their uniforms matched the green and white of today.

For some their dress code had them wearing skirts that fall below the knees or a jacket and tie, and more recently the dress code allows jeans and T-shirts.

But they are all graduates of Oakmont Regional High School.

For everyone, high school has different memories, even those alumni who are graduates from the same school. Now, Oakmont alumni are being asked to come together to share their memories as part of the Oakmont Alumni Association.

Besty Hannula, Class of 1963; Janet Lauricella, Class of 1962, Lorraine Beaton, Class of 1962; and Donna Kiuru, Class of 1961, are the founding members of the Oakmont Alumni Association, which will hold its kickoff event - a Sock Hop and Social - on Oct. 5.

(Top right) During the announcement of the formation of an Alumni Association the old yearbooks, school handbook and other documents were pulled out. (Left) Betsy Hannula laughs during the retelling of some of the stories that they group shared about their Oakmont experience. (Right) Janet Lauricella looks at old items in the Oakmont library with Oakont Principal David Uminski. JOURNAL PHOTOS/CAITLYN KELLEHER

"We're hoping to get a big crowd," Oakmont Principal David Uminki said.

The Sock Hop is starting after the high school's Homecoming game against Holy Name High School, and those alumni, or other interested parties can join the association at the game and see the Spartans play for free.

The Sock Hop is open to alumni, their families and other residents, said the founders.

"The first step is to let people know this exists," Hannula said. "It's just getting the contact information."

Uminski said for years alumni have been calling and asking to be included in alumni contact lists, but before now it has been more of a catch-as-catch-can type of program.

The school is creating registration forms that ask for graduates' names including women's maiden names, the year of graduation, as well as contact information. This information is being compiled into a database of alumni contact information, which will be used for everything from reunion invitations to alumni events and other correspondence.

"I think everyone thinks an alumni association would be good," Hannula said.

As part of the formation of the alumni association, old classmates and the historical societies have put out a call for historical items from the school. There are yearbooks, the first school handbook, the Chipmunk banner, and trophies that are coming into the district already.

"We're coming up on the 50th anniversary of Oakmont," Uminski said.

Oakmont was completed in the fall of 1960, opening its doors to four classes, the first of which graduated the following spring. The school was built because of the growing population of students not only in Westminster and Ashburnham but also in the surrounding communities.

Uminski said Oakmont has something different to offer the community, because the building is physically located on the town line.

Hannula said the Baby Boomers, as they reached high school, filled the schools so Fitchburg and Gardner high schools declined to take any Westminster students. A similar situation occurred in Ashburnham when Narragansett stopped taking students and Cushing Academy stopped offering free tuition to Ashburnham residents.

"The vote was close," Hannula said. "It passed by one vote - 50 percent plus one."

The founders of the alumni association recalled many of those firsts about the school.

"The teachers were all young because they were hired right out of college," Hannula said.

Hannula, Lauricella and Beaton were all members of the school's cheerleading squad and Kiuru was a player on the girls' basketball team.

"We had to walk two-by-two down the hall," Kiuru recalled.

"We all had to go to school by bus," Hannula said.

The members of the first three graduating classes of Oakmont Regional High school have been holding joint reunions for many years. The classes of 1961, 1962 and 1963 held a joint reunion every four years.

"Our classes were so small," Hannula said.

"We grew up together," Kiuru added.

The group says it's important to be welcoming and accepting of everyone to make these reunions and groups work.

Kiuru said it was easier to touch base, "when we were younger because everyone came home to see their folks." The three other founding members immediately responded laughingly, "we're now the folks."

The association is being viewed as a chance for the school to reconnect to its history and to continue the connection between Ashburnham and Westminster residents. The association is also away for the alumni to maintain their connection with Oakmont.

"I think everyone thinks an alumni association would be good," Hannula said.

The group may also start a scholarship fund or an endowment if members are interested in donating.

"A lot of people who have graduated from Oakmont have been very successful," Lauricella said.

The group also hopes to be able to share the history of the schools with those who have many generations of a family graduating from Oakmont. Lauricella's family is one of those families, both she and her children have graduated from the school and her grandchildren are now attending.