Daughter, son, nephews … now a granddaughter is graduating from Boothbay Region High School next week. Hard to believe – zero to 18 in a blink of an eye. Good luck to you, Ella, and your classmates.

I guess I am getting old but the memories of what graduation means at BRHS have been pleasant – except perhaps the gym usually being hot and humid, or a long, long speech by an administrator.

Tradition carries on at BRHS with the Grand March/Alumni Ball, Class Day and dinners held for the graduating class by the Boothbay Harbor Rotary Club and Masons. The Boothbay Region Alumni Association, now under the leadership of Jennifer Hale Orchard after over two decades of fine leadership by Lynn Gilley Martin (and before that, Brenda Milligan Blake), has worked hard at maintaining the traditions and we thank them for that.

We do miss the Alumni Dinner where the graduating class was treated to a free meal, where they would introduce themselves, where a graduate would be a guest speaker, and where certain classes gathered for their 25th, 30th, 35th, etc. reunion. Things change but at least the BRAA has scheduled a luncheon in the past couple of years. And – late breaking news – Jen said the Association will be bringing back the blue and gold balloons strung from the gym ceiling this year (if everything goes to plan).

Gone, too, is Baccalaureate. Back 50-plus years ago, we were required to be involved in the service and practice songs under the direction of science teacher Bob Walter. “Teach Your Children” by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young was one of the songs we sang in 1975.

Enjoy the memories, BRHS Class of 2026. Your time at BRHS will forever be ingrained and graduation time will be a special part of your memories.