The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON – The Dayton High School Alumni Association held their 41st Annual Alumni Weekend festivities last weekend. While official events are only held on Saturday, alumni are in town reminiscing with their classmates beginning Friday and into Sunday.

"Friday night, classes usually gather to put their floats together," Alumni Association President Roseann Groom said. "On Saturday, we had the parade, the annual meeting, the open house at the high school, and then in the evening the classes planned their own dinners. Classes met at the TVGC (Touchet Valley Golf Course), the Depot, the Best Western, the Annex of the Liberty, or at classmate's homes or cabins. Sunday was a potluck picnic in the park."

The parade, which was held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, saw various classes that were celebrating landmark reunions drive down Main Street on floats. A committee judged the floats, with awards being presented at the annual alumni meeting following the parade at the Dayton Historic Depot. The Class of 1982 took home highest honors, while the Classes of 1997 and 1952 received second and third place, respectively.

The alumni meeting also saw various other former bulldogs honored. Those in attendance who had travelled the farthest, the longest married couple from DHS, and the oldest attending alumnus (at 102 years of age) were all given recognition by the crowd.

Students who are current recipients of scholarships under the charge of the alumni association were also honored at the meeting. Those recipients who attended were asked to stand before the present alumni and explain their plans in regards to their education. Many gave thanks to the alumni for their support when it came to the future, both financial and morally.

The meeting also saw the announcement of a fundraiser by the alumni association to purchase new uniforms for the DHS band, and $500 was raised so far. Also, Zella Powers, who had been the alumni association treasurer for the past 25 years, announced her retirement.

According to estimates by Groom and the alumni association, attendance ranged in the hundreds for the weekend.

Ian Smay

Members of the DHS class of 1967 rode in a horse-drawn buggy during Saturday's Alumni Parade in downtown Dayton.

"We don't have an actual count, but the Classes of 1952,57,62, 67, 72, 77, 82, and 97 had official events--87 had an unofficial gathering at Woody's," Groom said. "So, let's say each had 30 classmates return plus spouse or significant others (around 300), plus the local alums, plus a few who return every year. We had 400 or so."

Even with this great number making the trip back to Dayton to revisit their roots, Groom says that attendance has been consistent and there are plans to get even more classes to participate next year.

"The attendance is pretty consistent, but we would love to have the classes from the 2000s join us," Groom explained. "We will be reaching out to the classes of 2003 and 2008 to help and encourage them to join our reunion weekend."

Next year's alumni weekend is scheduled for the weekend of July 20 & 21, 2018.