40 year re-union of St Leo's College, Wahroonga - Class of '69
Sub-titled "Its going to be a hoot!!!

The Terrace function room, The Blue Gum Hotel,
55 Pacific H'way Waitara, Saturday, 21 Nov 2009 - 6pm for 6:30pm start with 'lights out' at eleven bells

John Waters & Phil Johnston are still disrupting classes at Leo's 40 years on - Wed, 18 Nov '09.

Justin Holmwood is our MC for the night.  You don't have to show respect to your former classmates, but to achieve a seamless, successful fun-filled night, please button-up when Justin makes an announcement.

Phil Johnston has booked The Terrace  function room which will sit 60 people, at The Blue Gum Hotel  Pacific H'way, Waitara for Sat 21 Nov 2009 from 6pm.

Confirmed Attendees  -  Ex '69 Class Mates/Partners and former Teachers currently lists 62 attendees (ex-class mates, some bringing partners and four former teachers, and 6 so far from '67 & '68) who have e-mailed Phil Johnston notifying their intention to attend.  Five are bring cakes intent on winning a bot of Red for being the Bestest Baker. 

We've got "butchers, bakers and candle-stick makers" attending, and people from both sides of the law.  John Nicholson is a District Court Judge and Chris Barry is a Queens Counsel.  Representing the 'dark-side' is Phil Johnston who was a Bank Robber, who robbed from the rich, but unlike Robin Hood, he didn't always give to the poor.

Stan Cusack, John Nicholson, John Sheely and Pat Thompson (in alpha order) have RSVP's in the affirmative.  John Sheely has lived in Melb for many years. 

As our invitation letter notes, we are flying John up to be a Special Celebrity Guest.  John arrives on Virgin flight at 12:40pm on Thurs 19.  Ron Anderson is picking John up from Sydney Airport on Thurs 19th and providing 'digs' at his Hunters Hill hacienda.  John's RSVP letter notes his enthusiasm to catch up with former students and teachers.   Stan Cusack's e-mail of  Wed, 2 Sept 2009 10:50am notes that Stan is keen to catch up with is old class.  

If you are keen to be part of this "once in a lifetime", auspicious event, then phone Phil Johnston aka Bank Teller  0434 715.861 or e-mail him scribepj@bigpond.com pronto and Phil will add you to Confirmed Attendees  -  Ex '69 Class Mates/Partners and former Teachers. 

Tucker:

The Terrace  function room provides a sit down Set Menu 2 course meal for $40 per head with alternate serve, from the choices at Menu. 

Phil Johnston has lodged a deposit for the booking, and is on the hook for any No Shows.  Hence, he has selected the 2 x Entrées and 2 x Main Courses highlighted in yellow  at Menu.  If you are a non-meat eater, let Phil know pronto.

Click on Price List for cost of Drinks which seem reasonable.

With each guest expending $40 on their meal (entrée and main course) and between zilch and $25 on beers and wine, you should get out for under $70.

Gastronomic Genius

Blue Gum management is comfortable for us to bring a few cakes, tarts etc to cut up and serve (no fee), rather than try and also orchestrate individual dessert preferences.

What an opportunity for some ex-class mates to reveal gastronomic genius!!!

Ex-class mates are invited to offer in their e-mail RSVP to bake a cake or tart and bring it along.  We need about 5 cakes/tarts, and the Dessert voted Bestest will win a bottle of 1998 Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon (compliments of Phil Johnston) which the winner doesn't have to open on the night.   However, the Bestest Dessert Winner has to swear on a copy of the 1969 St Leo's Year Book that he baked it in his oven, and was not assisted by anyone else for >50% of the preparation.  The winner may be scrutinised on the ingredients, cooking time etc.  So bake it yourself with a little help from someone who knows how to cook, jotting down notes of how you baked it.  Only two would-be chefs have offered to bake a cake so far.  Good chance to win a 10 year old Red!!!

Profound Reflective 

To kick start frivolity on our "working years are nearly all done and dusted" reunion, interested former class mates, and former teachers, are invited to participate in a 3 min Profound Reflective session to 'kick-off' immediately after the entrée where each of you are invited to "hold the conch" for up to 3 mins to reflect on what you have learnt during life's journey.  Your 3 minutes of fame doesn't have to be true, but it does have to be some of insightful, humorous, colourful, interesting.

As there may be 20+ ex-classmates who want the full 3 mins to evidence that all their learning didn't end upon leaving Leo's, and others who merely want to introduce themselves in a minute or so, if you are As Boring As Batshit or Too Intense, then expect to Get Gonged-Off inside 3 minutes, 'cause time will be of the essence.  And no matter how scintillating a speaker might be, there will be a "30 Seconds Remaining Bell", and a "Time Run Out Gong, Next Victim Please" at 3 minutes.  Bank Teller has borrowed the church bells that he used to ring as an Altar Boy a thousands years ago, 'cause he couldn't find a gong.

The voted winner of Profound Reflective, determined by our MC and Phil Walker The Gong Man, will win a bottle of 1998 Wynns Michael Coonawarra Shiraz, from Phil Johnston's cellar.

BP's Pick a Box

20 years ago Justin Holmwood and Phil Walker organised a Twenty Year reunion at the former Sydney Club, and prepared a 30 page memorabilia book - Part 1,  Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 as well as a Trivia Sheet.

Recommend you mull thru the questions in their Trivia Sheet, 'cause there will be a 10 question Pick a Box on the 21st Nov for up to 5 aficionados of trivia.

If you are keen to match you memory against others similarly warped (max of 7 contestants), Justin will ask trivia questions about our former school days to win a beaut bottle of Red.  Contestants will have to 'put their hand up' if they think they know the answer, 'BP Bob' will ask the 'first hand up' for the answer.

The guy who has the best memory of the Good Old Days wins a bottle of 1998 Wynns Cabernet Sauvignon.

Music for our night
Bank Teller used to be a DJ and has two big JBL speakers and equipment to play WAV files - better than MP3 files.  Music will be drawn from 4 Tour of Duty CDs.  Dead set, after a few frosties amidst the sounds of Born To Be Wild - Steppenwolf,  A Whiter Shade Of Pale - Procol Harum,  On The Road Again - Canned Heat,  American Woman - The Guess Who, Sky Pilot - Eric Burdon & The Animals  'et al', you will think you are a Tony Gillies "Idiot Boy" again.

First name labels will be prepared for all attendees in case some of us are hard to identify, and to facilitate chatting with partners.

Risk Warning, pursuant to 2002 Civil Liabilities (Personal Responsibility) Act:
Alcohol is a drug with side effects from consumption which include getting randy, feeling mellow, verbal diarrhoea, possibly increased aggression, but definitely diminished reflexes.  Hence, in light of the latter consequence, this invitation encourages class mates who will be imbibing alcohol to -

(i)        catch the train to/from Waitara; or

(ii)       hail a cab home; or

(iii)      get a lift home with a non-drinker; or

(iv)     sleep it off in the carpark, as the night should be warm enough.

In true Leo's tradition, Phil Johnston will be catching the train, and bringing his old Globite school case containing 4 Wynns Reds for prizes.

Venue and Attire:

The Blue Gum Hotel has never been a salubrious Rubbity Dub, although one peg up on the Hornsby Railway Hotel, once colloquially known as The Hornsby BloodHouse.  When we attended Leo's our school was BrandSpankers, out in the boondocks with el cheapo school fees.  We often got walloped in rugby and cricket by older schools like Pius and Pats, and were rarely a match for schools with bigger budgets like Barker and Knox who fitted in the occasional game of Rugger or Cricket against us usually "early season" before their established comps commenced. 

The Blue Gum got the nod, 'cause invariably we came from humble beginnings, and we went to a No Frills school.  In addition, the early days of SLOB's Cricket and Sub Districts Rugby circa '70s, we occasionally adjourned to The Bluey.  And the Class Of '68 marshal there at least annually to shoot the breeze.

Wear what best typifies you.  If ya can still climb into your junior school khaki shorts 'n shirt, then wear 'em.  The most outrageous clobber wins a bot of Wynns 1998 Cab Sav from the BankRobber's cellar.

An extra table of Class of '67 'n '68 joining us on 21st Nov to catch up with Sheely 'et al'

John Sheely was coaching the First Fifteen long before Pat Sweeney, Steve Burdon and Ron Anderson packed down in the front row of the Pigs in 1969.  A few of the guys in the classes older than us, incl Steve McDermott and Michael Conaghan, are joining us in order to catch up with a muchly respected John Sheely,  John Nicholson 'et al' .  The more, the merrier, 'cause we are all brothers in arms.

Memorabilia of the '60s:

We managed to track down Mario Milano, but Killer Kowalski snuffed it last year.  Finding Ralphie Valladerez, from the Los Angles T-Birds, is proving more difficult.  Reason we need to get 'em along, is to dispel baseless beliefs that every wrestling bout that Sam Manacker introduced, and every Roller Derby that Jack Little 'called' on Channel 9 during our formative years, was Ridgy Didge.  Done Lane is not dead, he will be there too.  But Bert is busy.

Nostalgia:

Old photos from: "School days are the best years of ya life!!!"

Click on: John's movie to enthuse recalcitrant '69ers who haven't yet signed-up to do so pronto and also includes movies from Alan Boss and David Cunniff. 

Steve Grimshaw who lives in Port Macquarie can't attend due to another commitment.  However, Steve sent us a letter which précis his life and wishes us all the best on 21st Nov.