🎓 Shaw High School Class of 1976
Newsletter
Welcome Speech from 50th Reunion Dinner Dance
Older, wiser, and still not ready for pop quizzes.
"Good evening, classmates, spouses, families, and friends! Welcome to our 50th Class Reunion.
Can you believe it? Fifty years. Five decades. Half a century since we walked the halls of Shaw High School filled with big dreams, questionable hairstyles, and no idea where life would take us.
Looking around this room tonight, I don't see fifty years of aging. I see the same bright-eyed, energetic souls from the Class of 1976. Some of us have traveled across the country to be here tonight, while others still live just down the road. No matter how far you journeyed to get here, we are incredibly grateful you made it.
Think back to 1976. We didn’t have smartphones, the internet, or social media. If you wanted to talk to someone, you actually had to call their house—and pray their parents didn't answer the phone! We survived pop quizzes, gym class, and school lunches. We shared games, dances, and friendships that shaped the foundation of who we are today.
Since we graduated, our paths have taken us in a thousand different directions. We pursued careers, raised families, traveled the world, and gathered a lifetime of wisdom. We’ve celebrated great joys, and we’ve navigated tough hardships. But tonight, those miles and years melt away. Tonight, we are simply classmates.
As we celebrate being together, we also hold a special place in our hearts for the classmates and teachers who are no longer with us. They are deeply missed, but they are here in spirit and in our fondest memories. Let us have a moment of silence. I encourage everyone to visit the memorial table tonight to honor them and share a favorite story.
Introduction to Ms Mary Palmore
Tonight, we have the pleasure of recognizing someone who has been a special part of Shaw High and the lives of so many students—including the Class of ’76.
She began her journey at Shaw High in 1972. Life took her away for a brief time, but after experiencing unimaginable tragedy and loss, she returned to East Cleveland and to Shaw High, where she began a remarkable 40-year career.
She started as a clerk, became a secretary, and eventually retired in 2013 as Assistant to the Principal. Some may remember her as “that mean lady,” but behind that reputation was someone who truly cared. For 40 years, her goal was simple: to help Shaw High students succeed.
Her strength, dedication, and commitment have touched generations of students, and she holds a special place in the hearts of the Shaw High Class of 1976.
Please join me in welcoming and honoring a very special member of our Shaw High family—Ms. Mary Palmore!
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I’d like to thank Ms Palmore for blessing us with her words of wisdom and encouragement.
Here’s a polished version that keeps your humor and personality:
I want to say a **massive thank you** to someone who, even before this event, has constantly displayed what must be an extremely rare condition—**HSAM**, or Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory. Fewer than 100 people around the world have reportedly been identified with it.
Yes, I’m talking about **my partner in crime, Keith Williams!**
For those who don’t know, Hyperthymesia, also known as HSAM, is the ability to remember large amounts of personal life details without even trying. People with it can vividly recall events, conversations, dates, and emotions—sometimes going all the way back to childhood. It’s almost like having your entire life on replay!
And I don’t have tell you... Keith remembers **EVERYTHING!** 😂
We have spent months tracking people down, planning details, discussing ideas, and, of course, agreeing to disagree. Even though he gets on my nerves sometimes—and I’m sure I get on his too—we always manage to come together and make these events something special and memorable.
So, Keith, thank you for being my partner in crime and for helping bring us to **this moment in time**. Your dedication, your memory (whether we asked for it or not! 😂), and all the work you put into making this event happen are truly appreciated.
**Let’s give Keith Williams a big round of applause!*
Tonight is not about status, titles, or what we’ve achieved. It’s about connection. It’s about catching up, laughing until our sides hurt, and remembering where we came from. EC.
So, please—eat, drink, take plenty of photos, and talk to someone you haven't seen in decades. Even tho this may very well be our last life changing event, Let’s make this 50th reunion an unforgettable night.
Thank you all for being part of our story. Raise your glass, Cheers and may God Bless the Class of 76”!