"A Reunion of a Different Kind"

Reunions are funny things.

They excite a host of memories, emotions and thoughts - some comfortable and some uncomfortable - that have lain dormant for years, or sometimes decades, or sometimes half a century or more. While the annual Homecoming is a perfect event for alumni to be together again on campus, it does not always provide the time and space to be together with your friends in a more focused and genuine manner.

Last February, I spent a weekend fulfilling a dream that actually began in 1978-1979. Back then, I was a student advisor in Schultz Hall and a member of the residence life staff. For that year, those men played the single most significant role in my young adult life. But after that year we did what we came to do - we went out into the world to share the redeeming love of Christ. We left campus, went our separate ways, made commitments, got busy, and lost touch with one another.

Photo of 1978-79 Residence Life Staff in 1978-79

Twenty-five years passed.

In February 2006, all the men's student advisors and our dean of students spent a weekend together again in Angola, Indiana. Was it good? It was unbelievable! In fact, we agreed to meet every year on a pre-determined weekend for the rest of our lives. We know that some years we will not all be able to meet due to personal and professional demands. But the important thing is that we changed desire into reality and came back together again! We will meet again this November!

Photo of 1978-79 Residence Life Staff in 2006

This past September during Homecoming, I shared about that weekend with three of our alumna. They expressed their desire to have a time with some of their college friends that they have not seen for years. We began that day talking about how we can bring about their desires! What a blessing!

Are you interested in getting together with a group of your college friends? Were you part of a mission team, music ministry, athletic team, student senate, residence floor, off-campus group, group of prayer leaders, etc., that you would like to see come together again? Each group is different. Maybe your group will meet for just a meal, or a half day, or maybe a weekend. Whatever best serves your group, we will help set it up.

How do you start the ball rolling? At the beginning level, just call or e-mail me and share what you would like to see happen. Our office will do our best to develop, facilitate, communicate and complete your vision with you and for you. To contact me, please call me at 260.744.8798 or e-mail me at scraymond@fw.taylor.edu.

May our God bless you and your friends,

Scott W. Raymond '80
Director of Alumni Relations

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." - Ephesians 3:17-21