Alumni Association Holds Annual Banquet

 2003 Class President Cara Songster Stoll.

One of the MC's Jeremy Becker.

Exeter and Exeter-Milligan alumni had a full weekend of activities and plenty of opportunities to reminisce about their high school hijinks.

The first event for the weekend was the First Annual Adventure Dash, a fun run with hydration stops that were only for those 21 and over.  The route, which took the runners past some of their favorite spots in town, was close to a 5K when it was run twice.  There were five hydration stops.  Some were more elaborate than others but all had a challenge that had to be completed so that the runners could move on. At one stop, the runners had to walk with a lime between their knees and place it into an empty coconut.  At another stop they had to write down their favorite teacher at Exeter-Milligan and also who their first kiss was with.

Many of the classes had private parties scheduled for Friday night but for some the hotspot was karaoke at John E’s.  This tradition has continued through the years and many of the alum and their spouses enjoyed the evening.

Saturday activities included a golf tournament in Geneva with just three holes being played because of rain.  The first place team was Shellie Olsen, Austin Waldron and Morgan Brandt with the second place team consisting of Jalen Maxson, Brady Bristol and Zach Jensen.

Saturday evening before the banquet, several of the members of the Exeter-Milligan junior class gave tours of the school to anyone interested.  The banquet was held in the Exeter-Milligan gym with many classes represented.  The oldest class representative was Alva Smith, class of 1938.  Travelling the furthest was a tie with Mindy Wiemer, class of 2003, coming from Seattle, Wash. and Carol Dumpert Aiden who came from San Diego.

At the banquet the four faculty and staff who retired this year, Mrs. Polak, Mrs. Votipka, Mrs. Tauriella, and Mrs. Michl were recognized with a round of applause.

After a meal catered by Evening with Friends, each class had the opportunity to introduce themselves and share any memorable experiences their classmates recalled.

The business portion of the meeting was presided over by Cara Songster Stoll, president of the class of 2003.  Sue Kittinger and Jeremy Becker shared the master of ceremony honors.  Kittinger also brought up the new business of how the future of the banquet will be planned as the banquets are now being planned by Exeter-Milligan graduates.

Longtime Exeter-Milligan teacher and track coach Lonnie Shafer shared with the group the proposal he and Brian Murphy, current Exeter-Milligan head track coach shared with the Exeter-Milligan school board.  The current track facility has had little updating since the 1960s and is not currently being used except for practice.  Shafer has proposed an avenue to help encourage a renovation with individuals pledging $500 for one meter toward the project.

Alan Songster spoke on behalf of the Exeter-Milligan schools foundation which gave $20,000 in scholarships this past year.  “We have also given to enhance the education opportunities at Exeter-Milligan through the music program, the laptop computer program, toward the new scoreboard at the football field and the new curtains for the stage.”

After the close of the evening, attendees were invited to the dance held at the Exeter American Legion Home.

Exeter and Exeter-Milligan alumni also enjoyed a road rally on Sunday afternoon following clues that led to some of their favorite high school haunts.

Exeter Alum Hold First Annual Adventure Dash

 

Registration table for the First Annual Adventure Dash!

Runners listen to the rules before heading out on the course (I think there's a rooster trying to disguise herself as an Eagle!)

Jim Mueller and Liz Kallhoff compare strategies before the adventure begins.

The runners took off a little after 5:30 and headed toward Coach Shafer's house.  The Ekeler sisters got lucky and actually got Coach Shafer to come out for a photo op. 

The first hydration station was at Chris and Brenda Manning's house.  From there the runners headed down past the Care Center and stopped on main street at Rhonda Maxson's house where they participated in a game before getting their fuzzy mustaches.

Next stop was with the Neeman sisters, Shellie and Sherri, where they had to get an Angry Birds tattoo and write down their first kiss and their favorite schoolteacher.

Sue Kittinger and Roma Rhodes were waiting at the next stop, Lime in the Coconut.  Where, you guessed it, the runners had to put a lime between their knees and walk to drop it into a coconut.  The final stop was at the Dying to Run Hydration Station sponsored by Bob and Pat Becker and friends.

Here is the rundown of prizes:

Eagle of the Meet : Jacob Miller
Spirit Award: Ekeler Sisters (Liz, Cathy, Mary, Monika, Estelle)
First Place: Jim Mueller
Farthest Traveled: Anna Manning Beard (Scottsbluff)
Best Hydration Station: Dying To Run sponsored by Bob and Pat Becker and Company.
Participation Award: Coach Lonnie Shafer
Best Effort/Achievement Award: Kay Due Ruhl and Cathy Rhodes
Eagle Spirit Award: Cara Songster and Cheerleaders

Exeter Holds Memorial Day Program Indoors

 Posting the colors indoors

 Jennifer Pribyl reads "The Gettysburg Address"

Blake Papik reads "In Flander's Field"

 Tim Wilbeck speaks at the Exeter Memorial Day Program.

 Blake Papik plays Taps and Taps Echo.

 Lots of people enjoyed rolls and coffee at the Legion after the program.

 The Exeter-Milligan Band performed three numbers at the Exeter Memorial Day Program

Rainy weather delayed the volunteers in putting up the flags at the Exeter cemetery and eventually a Monday morning rainshower sent Exeter residents to the Exeter-Milligan gym for their Memorial Day Program.

After the flags were presented, the Exeter-Milligan band played the “Star Spangled Banner.”

Pastor Glenn Holtz of the Exeter United Methodist Church led the invocation. 

Tim Wilbeck introduced Jennifer Pribyl who read the Gettysburg Address starting with those familiar words, “Four score and seven years ago. . .”

Mrs. Angie Murphy directed the Exeter Milligan Band in “America.”

Blake Papik was introduced and read “In Flander’s Field.”

The Exeter-Milligan Band also played “Salute to Freedom” which incorporates parts of “America the Beautiful,” “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” and “God Bless America.”

Fortunately Exeter has an excellent speaker, Tim Wilbeck, who gave an inspirational message for the large crowd.

Wilbeck began his speech recognizing that “scripture tells us there is no greater love than for a man to lay down their life for a friend.”

He noted that in America, “we have not just been friends to ourselves but to many countries around the world.”

Wilbeck told the story of a Sgt. Stacey who lost his life during his fourth tour in Afghanistan.  Sgt. Stacey wrote in a letter before leaving home, “my death did not change the world. . .a child will get to live because he was protected, he will get to go to school. . .he will have the gift of freedom.”

Wilbeck explained the Sgt. Stacey did not die in vain because he saw the greater good that could come from his service.

“Sacrifice has indeed changed the world,” said Wilbeck, “They say war doesn’t solve anything, I suppose that’s true but it has preserved a union, toppled fascist regimes and given the slaves freedom.”

Wilbeck also told the story of Father Capon, who served during the Korean War.  “He didn’t carry a gun but had the most powerful weapon of all, love for his brother.”

Wilbeck encouraged the crowd saying, “We owe it to them to live our lives to the fullest.”

The celebration of Memorial Day was made into law in 1967, it had been celebrated since 1865 and was often called decoration day.  Today, Wilbeck lamented, it has become a day of picnics, parties and the worst, Memorial Day sales.  “Once a year is not enough, for those left behind, they remember every day.”

This year holds a special meaning for Wilbeck and other Vietnam Veterans as it is the 50^th anniversary of the Vietnam conflict.  “Veterans of all era’s must be cared for and most of all remembered.”

After Wilbeck closed with those words the Legion members departed so that they could shoot the 21 gun salute just outside the gymnasium.  After the shots were fired, Blake Papik played Taps and Taps Echo.

The Legion Auxiliary members invited all attendees to the Legion for rolls and refreshments.  The Exeter-Milligan band traveled to Milligan to play for the afternoon Memorial Day program there.