Gremlins Pennant

Newsletter Committee hard at work!

Gallitzin High School - New building

T-Shirts for Sale

Gallitzin Tunnels Park and Museum

Dinner / Dance
Oriental Ballroom, Gallitzin, Pennsylvania - Sunday, September 3, 2006 - 5:00 pm

Our guests of honor this year are the graduates of the class of 1956. There were 62 students in the class, including 32 girls and 30 boys. As their senior year began in September of 1955, the Isrealis and the Egyptians were fighting in the Sinai desert and along the Gaza strip. Gamel Nassar was president of Egypt, Golda Meir was soon to become foreign minister of Israel, and Prince Rainier of Monaco married actress Grace Kelly.

The big issue nationally was segregation. The U.S. Supreme Court affirmed a ban on segregation in the public schools. A grand jury in Montgomery, Alabama indicted 115 people for a Negro boycott of the busses. Dr. Martin Luther King was convicted of leading the boycott. In April of 1956 the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga was commissioned at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. It cost $207 million dollars, took 4 years to build, and was the largest ship in the world at that time.

Also, in April 1956, Rocky Marciano, the son of a New England shoemaker, retired as the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world. Leo Durocher resigned as manager of the New York Giants. The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in the World Series, the Cleveland Browns beat the Rams for the NFL title, and Michigan State beat UCLA in the Rose Bowl. Future Swedish tennis star Bjorn Bork was born in 1956.

Anna Mary Robertson, better known as the painter "Grandma Moses", turned 95. In September, actress Debbie Reynolds married Eddie Fisher, and James Dean was killed in a car wreck at the age of 24. In March 1956 "My Fair Lady" opened on Broadway. "I Could Have Danced All Night" and "Loverly" were two classic songs from the score. In April 1956, Elvis Presley had a #1 hit with "Heartbreak Hotel", Walt Disney opened Disnleyland and Marilyn Monroe married playwright Arthur Miller. It was her 3rd and his 2nd marriage.

Dale Carnegie, author of "How to Win Friends and Influence People" died in November. Cy Young, the baseball pitcher, died the same month. He had 511 wins and was 89 years old. In 1956, A. A. Milne, the creator of "Winnie the Pooh" died at the age of 74, Connie Mack, the grand old man of baseball died at the age of 94, and Albert Einstein died at the age of 70.

On Thursday, May 24, 1956, Greater Gallitzin Joint High School graduated its 53rd class. No one knew it at the time, but Gallitzin High was to graduate only 10 more classes. Mr. Gallace and the band opened the commencement exercises with the processional, and then Mrs. Brown led the assembly in "God Bless America". This year, we're pleased to welcome the Class of 1956 back to the Oriental Ballroom and Gallitzin.

Theme

For the past few years, we have kept our theme centered on our School History, so we decided to let our hair down and relax and take a trip to Hawaii. Get your flowered shirts, muumuu, leis, etc. out of those moth balls and come to the Homecoming. Get those grass skirts and practice up on the Hula, because we are ready to give prizes for anyone who is brave enough to try it. We will even provide the grass skirt.

Any of your veteran Homecoming people remember the dance contests we had in years past? Well, we are ready to bring some of that fun back to the floor. So along with the Hula, we will give prizes to the best Waltz, Polka, Jitterburg, Limbo participants.

Class of 1956

Class photo coming soon

*Deceased

Bands

The "Tommy Phillips Orchestra" will play from 8:00 to 10:00 PM including a Waltz & Polka Contest. From 10:00 until Midnight, American Entertainment DJ will provide entertainment including other dance contests.

Church Services

United Methodist Church: Sun. 10:00 AM
St. Demetrius Church: Sat. 4:00 PM, Sun. 11:00 AM
St. Demetrius Chapel: Sat. 6:00 PM, Sun. 8:00 AM

Come join your fellow classmates on Homecoming day at one of the Church Services listed above. As usual our committee has arranged for coffee and donuts after the 11:00 AM Mass at St. Demetrius Church Hall Downstairs. Everyone is Welcome.

Dinner

Gallitzin Is Always Home

I was thinking about the Homecoming, the time is drawing near
Wondering if the 50 Year Class is excited about their special year
Thinking about seeing old friends again, how very nice it will be
To talk about our school, our town and the friends that we will see

It is sad for me when I think about the time that has slowly slipped away
Our school days are gone, but the memories always seem to stay
And even though the bricks and mortar of our school are all torn down
It will always be part of us, and a very special part of our little town

The town has changed a lot in the more than 50 years gone by
Since we were the students and a special part of old Gallitzin High
You knew everyone in class; you knew them by their name
Not like now, so many in a class, nothing is quite the same

But even though a lot of our classmates are living far from here
I think that there is always a memory of Gallitzin held in their heart
And when it is time for Homecoming, no matter how far apart...
We will all come together, some from far and some that are near
All of us Alumni will join in celebration, September of this year

Even though we laugh and talk and celebrate this very special day
We still are missing so many special friends who have passed away

Every year seems special; I know that this is true
I hope that this year is extra special for me and for you
Most of my life has been here, I never got to roam
But I hope that you as I do, will always call Gallitzin home

Yvonne M. Crilley Madey (Class of 1953)

F.Y.E.

At the Gallitzin Community Center, the Gallitzin Area Tourist Council has some new items for everyone to see. Tom McTavish, Class of 1960, donated a DVD of their last class reunion, plus some added footage of Gallitzin. In conjunction with the Cresson Area Chamber of Commerce, several volunteers participated in a film titled "Our Town". I think you will be pleased with the results and coverage of Gallitzin in that film. In the past we used to have the Homecoming Celebration videotaped and those films are also available to watch in the museum theater along with several Aurora yearbooks from 1922 to 1966. As you can see we are trying our best to preserve our schools' history, so Don't throw anything away - Donate it to the Alumni Association.

New Playground

When the School Board decided to allow demolition of the former GGJHS elementary and high school buildings, part of many of us felt the impact of such actions. For many years after the buildings were torn down the vacant logs stood generally unattended being used mostly as a grassy area and parking lot.

Lo and behold, the Gallitzin borough, current owner of this plot of ground, has built a state of the art playground. That area is being used extensively as a new playground for the smaller children and a new basketball court has been built for the older children. Something of great interest we now see are the familites who bring their children to the playground and the benches being used by the adults. It is something new for us to behold and congratulations are in order for all the people who contributed time and effort to make this playground a nice addition to our community.