Several former students of Eureka-Royal Street-Rowan met in the home of Mr. & Mrs. L.C. Thomas, April 1977 to consider the idea of bringing together students of all classes over the years. The nature of the meeting was exploratory: Discussions, debates, doubts, hopes and dreams made up the agenda.
July 1977 a follow-up meeting was called. During this meeting a conclusion was made to go forth with plans to hold a grand reunion of former students. Officers were elected; a schedule of meetings was made.
This corp of officers and a small group of dedicated persons continued by inching along toward their goal. At each meeting’ there were certain accomplishments. A decision on time of the reunion was finalized; then major events that would involve, entertain and inform those who would be in attendance at the affair were adopted. From this point a newsletter telling of the plans was composed and mailed to those persons whose names and addresses were then available. Every effort was made to get names and addresses of former students by seeking information from local parents, relatives and friends. Certain former students and friends in cities and towns across the nation were contacted asking them to help locate addresses and names of former students. The local press, TV and radio stations were kind and generous in making announcements. The EURO Christmas dance by the local club assisted greatly in getting the word about the Grand Reunion circulated. It is the hope of the committee that the word has gotten around.
In spite of all efforts to reach as many of the former students as possible, the committee fears that there may be numbers who still do not know of the Grand Reunion at this writing.
Beginning in January 1978 EURO meetings were stepped up to one meeting a week instead of one meeting a month. Committee reports began to be more substantive than verbal. Hopes began to become realities. Now it appeared that there really was going to be a GRAND REUNION.
Thanks to the original group that met in April 1977 and presented the idea. Thanks to the officers, committee persons, volunteers, churches, organizations, businesses, and well-wishers.
The original group invited to the first meeting at the Thomas home were: Mr. L.C. Thomas, Mr. N.R. Burger, Mr. Winfred Hudson, Mr. & Mrs. James Hall, Miss Iva Sandifer, Mrs. Ceona Brown, Mrs. Nell Proctor, Mr. Charles Smith and Miss Priscilla Ratliff.
But nothing was more significant than the coming together of a great group of people. People who have left the schools of EURO and succeeded in many fields of endeavor: Theology, medicine, law, engineering, teaching, business, science, trades, sports, entertaining, construction, military and other areas. It is felt that America is better as the results of the work done by some former students of EURO.
Such history could be lost had this event been omitted. The schools represented in this GRAND REUNION by its former students are “no-more”; they are closed or merged. And what has been achieved by these schools, the teachers of these schools, and the administration were slowly sliding down the hill of oblivion and extinction. This Reunion could be worth more than the nostalgia of days gone by. This Reunion could be a beginning of a new era in the education of the youth of Hattiesburg by letting everyone know that the former students of Eureka-Royal Street-Rowan are among the best anywhere.
Continue to Historical Sketch of Eureka-Royal Street-Rowan School