Narimasu High School Reunion
Held in Conjunction with the Overseas Brats Homecoming Reunion

The Narimasu High School (NAA) biennial reunion was held August 6-8, 2010 in conjunction with the Overseas Brats Homecoming.  Fourteen  Dragons and their spouses or significant others gathered for a fun-filled weekend in Reston, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, DC at the beautiful Hyatt Hotel.  Deana Deck Whitaker (1957), NAA President, and Beverly Stone (1958), set up a lovely hospitality suite decorated with a welcoming banner at the front door, a hand painted Japanese wall hanging by Hardy Hargreaves (1953), and a table runner sewn from yukata fabric by his wife, Walle. A delicious spread of snacks (including Japanese candy and sembei crackers)  and beverages awaited the visitors.  The suite was a gathering spot where classmates could reconnect, share high school memories, leaf through Sensu yearbooks, Dragon’s Roar newspapers, and current Dragon’s Roar Again newsletters – not to mention catching up on the  40-60 years since.  Kubasaki (Okinawa) High School Dragons joined Narimasu alums in the suite and provided the musical entertainment.

The NAA reunion, held every even-numbered year at rotating locations throughout the U.S.,  was originally scheduled for Chicago.  After difficulties finding affordable hotel space, the NAA Board of Directors decided to join with  OSB for the first time in our history – a great decision.  OSB planned all of the events.  We just showed up to enjoy them.  Events included a viewing and discussion of the moving film,  “Brats: Our Journey Home,” line dancing classes, karaoke/DJ parties, dinners, and a Sunday brunch.

The “brat” experience is an incredible bond that we share with others no matter where they went to high school.  We met wonderful, interesting people who had attended Tehran (Iran) American High School, Mannheim (Germany) High School, Dreux (France) High School, Madrid (Spain) High School, and about 35 other high schools around the world.  Our stories of high school adventures were similar.

NAA President, Deana Deck Whitaker, and her fellow board members – Secretary Marilyn Hicks Fitzgerald (1964), Treasurer Pat Kinney Alfaro (1958), and Class Director Smokey Johnson (1957) led an NAA  business meeting on Saturday evening, August 7 (from 5:15 – 6:15 p.m.) prior to the banquet. Agenda items included:

• A treasurer’s report – the current NAA treasury contains $13,654 (funded by membership dues and reunion registration fees).
• A membership report – NAA has 247dues paying members.
• A call for nominations for the 2011-2013 Board of Directors (election to be held before December 31, 2010).
• A discussion about the possibility of establishing and budgeting NAA funds for an annual charitable project
• A discussion about reunions:
  • The possibility of joining again with  OSB if their location choices match NAA’s need to rotate the venue from region to region.  A Midwest, south Central location is needed for the 2012 event, since the last three reunions were held in the west (Portland) and east (Annapolis, Reston).
  • The possibility of joining with Kubasaki High School to host a hospitality suite at future reunions held in conjunction with Overseas Brats.
  • The situation of Narimasu classes organizing their own reunions.  Smokey Johnson asked for feedback on activities for the reunion he is organizing in Bossier City, Louisiana, for the 50’s classes.
• A discussion about the possibility of amending the bylaws again to broaden the membership eligibility criteria.
• A discussion about the need to recruit the “younger” alums from the 60’s and 70’s classes to run the organization since the older ones are eager to pass the baton.

Attendees by class were 

Please watch the Dragon’s Roar Again newsletter and the Web site for the announcement of the 2012 reunion location.  If you have location suggestions, please send them the current board members.