The weekend of Saturday, Aug. 31 through Sunday, Sept. 1 will be an exciting one for the 1962 class of the former Booker T. Washington High School. At that time the alumni will celebrate their 40th class reunion at the Suffolk Holiday Inn.

The last reunion that the class of 1962 held was its 20th one at the Omni Hotel in Norfolk. It was also a joint one with the class of 1963 which was celebrating its 19th reunion. It was held from that Friday to Sunday on the weekend of July 4, 1982. Included in three days of activities were a social hour and dinner and dance at the Omni; a picnic in the park at Coulbourn Park on East Constance Road; a boat ride aboard the Carrie-B in Norfolk; and a worship service at Metropolitan Baptist Church..

Roland Wilson, coordinator, said the planning committee this year has also laid out an exciting schedule of events and the highlighted one will be a dinner-dance that will be held from 6 p.m.-1 a.m. on Saturday in the Holiday Inn. During the event a small program will be planned and the class will recognize all students present who graduated after 1962.

&uot;We wanted to include something else on the program that would bring others from the school in to celebrate with us and thought that this would be a good idea, said Wilson. &uot;We wish that we could recognize everyone, but it is easier to include those after us than before us since the school began in 1937. However, everyone – no matter what school you attended or when you attended – is welcome to still come and celebrate with us.’

Tickets are on sale for the dinner and dance for the price of $30, and may be bought from any member of the class and committee.

Registration will begin from 8:30-9:30 a.m. Saturday at the Holiday Inn followed by a breakfast from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Those who wish to attend the breakfast must pay $12.

On Sunday, the class will worship at Bethlehem United Church of Christ on Bute Street. Other smaller activities are still being planned that will bring those class members in attendance lots of enjoyment and fun.

Planning Committee members are as follows:

James Roland Wilson, function coordinator; Lydia Elizabeth Hunter, recording secretary; Thomasine Daughtrey Baker, financial secretary; the Rev. Isaac Baker, Chaplain and spiritual advisor; Evelyn Lee Wall, public relations liaison; Emily Pugh Bailey, meeting hostess and communication chairperson; and John Bellamy, Gerline Diggs, Ray Parker, and Grady Boykins, reunion promoters.

The next meeting is scheduled to be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26, in the home of Emily Bailey at 401 Roosevelt Dr.