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Dear <<First Name>>
This week we begin six weeks of holiday time and the start of the close out of another year. This year for the SJMS brothers has been bittersweet.
"What? It's been completely terrible!", many of you will be thinking.
Those thoughts are consumed by the closure of something that was true to your hearts. Something that you wear inside of you like a badge of honor. Something that YOU remember that others that haven't experienced it will never know, the closure of St. John's Military School.
"That's the bitter, what the hell is the sweet!!??", you are asking at this point.
The "sweet" is seeing over 200 Old Boys attend the final Commencement with their wives, children, and friends that they brought with them. Sweet is the the gallons of tears shed on campus and at local watering holes in Salina in May 2019. Sweet is the ten's of thousands of hugs that occurred between men, many of which they've never met before but all having that common bond and the same words inside their hearts of "SJMS Forever!".
Sweet is a group of Old Boys that didn't want the school to close and trying to find alternatives to that option. Sweet is the phone calls to the school's administration asking "WHY!!!??", and listening to the answers. Sweet is an alumni association that quickly realized that they now have the weight of 131 years of a legacy and history all bearing down on their shoulders and quickly adjusting to bear that weight to carry on that legacy forever. Sweet is the faculty and staff for decades coming together with the families of Old Boys and telling their stories, sharing in the laughter, anger, and tears of us as we said goodbye to what shaped us to be the successful men we are today. Sweet is having 812 Old Boys connected on the SJMS Alumni Facebook page and over 5000 friends and family reading this newsletter through email today.
Sweet is that "goodbye" isn't necessarily goodbye in that each and every one of us has a gift instilled in us that allows us to perpetuate what we've learned and be stewards to our children, friends, and complete strangers that struggle to find that forward motion to perpetuate themselves into productive members of society.
"Sweet" is recognizing that there's not enough time in life to remain "bitter"
Finally, "Sweet" is what you see at your dinner table on Thursday. You made it here, you contributed to making this day happen. Your successes and contributions are what makes Thanksgiving a day of celebration.
This year isn't bittersweet, it's overwhelmingly sweet. Celebrate this, celebrate yourselves, celebrate St. John's and take a day of rest on Thursday. Take time out, give thanks Old Boys, you deserve it!
SJMS FOREVER!
St. John's Military School Historical Museum Board of Directors
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Movin' Out
SJMS Historical Museum Remodel Begins
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 This past Saturday was a very busy day in Linger Hall. With the help of 22 volunteers, we were able to move everything to 3 different locations. Mike, Tim, Kent, JR, Roy, and Graeme were all present from the Board of Directors. Terry Plumberg, Doug Randolph, Pam Kraus, her husband Steve, and Ginger Wooten were some past administration that showed up to help. Several Old Boys were in attendance such as Darren Johnson '91, Aric Inglet '91 Larry Schoof '68 and Max Montgomery '81 were present along with the Latteman family. This was all possible due to the planning, boxing and staging done by Kent, Max Montgomery, Tony Blair, Doug Randolph and Brenda McCoy. Sincere apologies if any are missed on this list.
Click Here to Continue Reading ...... |
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Final Roll Call
Nicholas Sheldon
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As life goes on for most of us Old Boys, the physical presence of some of us has ceased. Adding to this months Final Roll call:
Nicholas Sheldon - Class of 2015
A collage of photo's, Old Boys in Attendance of Funeral, and obituary can be found by clicking here.
Gone, but never forgotten. SJMS Forever Old Boys!!!
The final roll call resides on the OBA website. Click here to be taken there.
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Want to help with our efforts of preserving your memories? Donations can be accepted online at our website through either a one-time or monthly donation. If you're currently employed, check our website to see if your corporation matches your donation to make your gift go even further! Check or Money Order contributions can be mailed to : SJMS Historical Museum, PO Box 3464, Salina, KS 67402. Help keep SJMS Forever! |
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Old Boy Spotlight
Axe; The Final Offering…Bobby Barth, Old Boy, 1966
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Fifty years of being the lead guitarist, singer, song writer, for both Axe and Blackfoot, touring the world, engineering and producing recordings in a very competitive business, toured with such greats as Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard, Aerosmith, Motley Crue, Deep Purple and Judas Priest; Meet Bobby Barth!
Originally from Coffeyville, KS, Bobby attended St. John’s Military School in 1966. He came early in the school year when he was 14 years old, and became a cadet in the Lower School. He attended SJMS, because he needed, “just a little discipline.” He became very close to his platoon leader John Pugh and SJMS’s Sgt. Torpey. Torpey was a person he learned to trust, and Barth looked at him like a father figure as did the entire lower school.
Barth only stayed one year at St. John’s. “Once you go to a school like St. John’s, then try to go to a public school, it’s a very hard adjustment and I couldn’t successfully make that adjustment, so I simply started my career early and just went on the road,” stated Barth.
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St. John's Military School Historical Museum Charters Boy Scout Troops 1 and 1G
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While it can neither be confirmed or disproved, it is widely believed that BSA Troop 1 also known as the Raven Patrol was formed in 1910, with some accounts going back to December 1909 by Francis J. Romanes. Romanes was a history and Greek instructor at St. John's Military School at the time.
When St. John's Military School announced it's closure in February 2019, the St. John's Military School Historical Museum Board of Directors included chartering Troop 1 as a goal in it's mission. Through this process we also are pleased to announce the inauguration of BSA Troop 1G. Troop 1G is the first Boy Scouts of America troop for girls to serve the Salina community.
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