SHS Class of 1968, 50 years of memories

“In the town where I was born lived a man who sailed the sea…” said the Beatles in the first line of their 1968 hit, “Yellow Submarine.” Fifty years later, the SHS Class of 1968 created its own yellow submarine, decked it with class members clad in tie-dye and love beads, and echoed the Beatles’ hit with a chorus of kazoos.

vermontjournal.com

SHS Class of 1968, 50 years of memories BY KAREN ENGDAHL, The Shopper June 19, 2018 1968 Members of SHS Class of 1968 and their Yellow Submarine float. Photo by Karen Engdahl. SPRINGFIELD, Vt. – “In the town where I was born lived a man who sailed the sea…” said the Beatles in the first line of their 1968 hit, “Yellow Submarine.” Fifty years later, the SHS Class of 1968 created its own yellow submarine, decked it with class members clad in tie-dye and love beads, and echoed the Beatles’ hit with a chorus of kazoos. The yellow submarine float won Most Artistic honors in the theme of “Sea Ventures: Make a Wave” at the 65th annual Alumni Day Parade Saturday, June 17. More than 40 members of the class of 1968, which originally comprised 200-some students, returned to their alma mater to ride on the float and celebrate throughout the weekend. “It’s been an amazing turnout,” said Jean Patoine, member of the class and President of the SHS Alumni Society. 1968 Mary MacMahoan and Jean Patoine. Photo by Karen Engdahl. 1968 The Yellow Submarine. Photo by Karen Engdahl. Mary MacMahoan, one of the primary organizers of the float-building effort, smiled with relief as class members swarmed around the huge tissue-paper covered submarine at the parade marshaling grounds. “They hauled the float down from our farm this morning,” she explained, “but I couldn’t watch. Luckily, when I got here I saw everything made it intact! Eight or so of us worked two hours a night, four nights a week for a month to make this thing!” 1968 was a year of great upheaval, marking such political events as the Tet Offensive in Viet Nam, student riots in Paris and in many locations in the United States, the assassination of both Martin Luther King, Jr., and Bobby Kennedy, and the demonstrations at the Democratic Party Convention in Chicago. The cultural landscape was changing as well with such events as the production of “Hair” on Broadway and the creation of the Beatles’ own record label, Apple, and their movie, “Yellow Submarine.” “The song is easy to sing along to,” said Rob MacKenzie, “and it fit the theme perfectly.” Surveying the excited mob of his classmates, he smiled. “It’s great to see so many of us together again.” The float featured photos of the Beatles, MacKenzie explained, and also included a roll-call of the 36 class members who had passed away. “They’ll be part of the parade with us,” he said.

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