I'm so GLAD I'm from Godby,
'Cause Godby's number ONE!
On December 14, 2012, the Godby Cougars won the State AAAAA Football Title for the first time in twenty-five years, after having to win their last five games away. Many of us followed that final game closely as our team withstood a last-minute drive by Immokalee that seemed to take an hour, and we prevailed by a point.
Exactly two months earlier at the Homecoming game on October 14, the AGG announced Godby's very first Alumni Homecoming Queen and King, Ms. Denise Kalangis Freeman, Class of 1980, and Mr. Mitch Gans, Class of 1981. We are expected to attend next year's Homecoming game and crown the 2013 Homecoming Royals, as will be determined by a Homecoming photo contest on Facebook serving as an AGG scholarship fundraiser. For a donation of at least $7.00 to the AGG Scholarship Fund by any Godby graduate over 40 years of age, and submission of a photo taken within the past two years, alumni will compete for votes to win. Rules and deadlines will be published on Facebook and the contest will open later this year.
The Association of Godby Graduates turns ten years old this year. Each year, we raise more money and give away more in scholarships than in the previous year. We are hosting our eighth annual Hall of Fame banquet at the Godby Media Center at 5:30 pm on Friday evening, April 5th. Admission is $20 at the door. This year for the first time, we've received approval from all key parties to perpetually hold this event on the Friday immediately preceding the Springtime Tallahassee parade each year. When the date of the upcoming Springtime Tallahassee parade is announced some ten months before the event, we will all know when to begin planning for the next AGG Hall of Fame induction banquet.
The Hall of Fame banquet is the AGG's primary fundraiser of the year, and all proceeds benefit the AGG Scholarship Fund. Many Hall of Fame members come back to serve and speak. AGG Hall of Fame photos, citations and nomination form are published here. The nomination period is from October 1 through November 30 each year.
The Springtime Tallahassee Parade begins downtown on Monroe Street at 10:30 am on Saturday, April 6, 2013, the morning after this year's AGG Hall of Fame Banquet. Godby alumni and their families are welcome to march directly behind the Godby Band. If the band cancels because of threat of rain, we are also welcome to march with Godby's longest-serving principal, Florida Senator Bill Montford.
Manny Joanos, Class of 1974, 2010 AGG Hall of Fame inductee, is the AGG's Founder and Director. Roger Day, Class of 1980, has never stopped photographing Godby faculty, students and alumni, and is President through the remainder of 2013, after which Vice-President Darius Jones, Class of 1996, 2012 Hall of Fame honoree, will become President. A new Vice-President is elected each year. All officers who have ever served are recognized here.
2012/2013 Alumni News and Events
On Friday, September 21, Randi Lundgren and the Drama Club held the Fifth Annual Trivia Contest in the Godby Media Center, and the Alumni Team including Jim Reilly and Mitch Gans, with Math Teacher Cindy Smith won the night. I suited up immediately afterwards and won Florida State University's annual Geek Night costume contest, winning eleven more costume contests by November 1.
On Friday, October 12, my grandsons Dylan and Gabriel and I attended Randi Lundgren and the Drama Club's Haunted House in the Jeff Bradford Auditorium.
On Saturday, October 20, Jenny Worth, Class of 1995, 2007 Hall of Fame inductee from Long Beach, California, and FitSpaceLive.com co-founder Jason Giardino from South Florida hosted a fitness show at Godby's Jeff Bradford Auditorium and held national collegiate and local qualifying competitions. A scholarship donation was presented to the school that had the overall winners from each class.
On Saturday, November 3, Bruce Screws, Class of 1973, 2008 Hall of Fame inductee, and I joined Manny at the annual Greek Food Festival at the Greek Orthodox Church.
In December, we assisted Darius Jones and the Godby Guidance Department in collecting items for the Godby Holiday Give-a-away for distribution to underprivileged families in the community and for promotion of literacy.
On Sunday, December 23, Terrill Green, Class of 1993, hosted the annual Basketball Reunion at the Godby Gym.
On Christmas Day, Ann Massey and Roger Day and I fed the homeless and needy at Bible Believers Fellowship on Blountstown Highway.
In December, we assisted Darius Jones and the Godby Guidance Department in collecting items for the Godby Holiday Give-a-away for distribution to underprivileged families in the community and for promotion of literacy.
On Sunday, December 23, Terrill Green, Class of 1993, hosted the annual Basketball Reunion at the Godby Gym.
On Christmas Day, Ann Massey and Roger Day and I fed the homeless and needy at Bible Believers Fellowship on Blountstown Highway.
Wednesday night, March 6, we hosted our annual Top 25 Dinner for Godby's best students and their families. We had our best turnout ever. Almost all of the students were able to attend. Manny spoke to them about how proud we are of them, and Darius discussed the scholarship application process and encouraged them all to apply.
Other News and Updates
A summary of the history of the Association of Godby Graduates (AGG) is here. The AGG is an academic booster club founded in 2003 by Godby Graduates to foster, recognize and reward academic excellence and community service. We host fundraisers to raise money for scholarships for Godby seniors. We support Godby students and teachers. We facilitate reunions, and I try to participate in planning and attending at least a couple a year to talk about the AGG.
Everything I have published outside of this newsletter regarding Godby High School is at my blog or at Wikipedia.
Last month, thanks to one of Manny Joanos' original AGG initiatives, we set up the Godby Cougar Yellow Pages Facebook group for Godby alumni to promote and do business with each other.
The Robbie Britt Sharp-Core Link to all known Godby social networking sites is here.
Teresa Deffenbaugh Featherstone, Class of 1978, serves as the AGG's travel agent and cruise director, and has organized and led four international alumni cruises. In January, we sailed to Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands, and Cozumel, Mexico. I almost regretted bringing one hat, as many of the shop owners offered to buy mine. I played with the ship's band. A portion of each cabin's fare is contributed to the AGG Scholarship Fund.
It is reunion season.
The Class of 1973 and friends are planning their fortieth reunion for August 2013, with Godby's other three original classes, from 1970, '71 and '72. As before, all class year graduates and their families and teachers are welcome to share in the festivities. Join the group on Facebook, or contact Patty Stewart Roberts if you are interested in attending. Around two hundred have been attending these fortieth reunions, and they have been a lot of fun.
The Class of 1978's thirty-fifth reunion is on Saturday, June 8, 2013, at Three Rivers State Park. Contact Sheila Woodall Ponting if you are interested in attending and contributing to the event. More details are here.
The Class of 1983's thirtieth reunion will be held July 19-20, 2013. Contact Sheila Price if you are interested in attending or helping to organize the reunion.
The Classes of 1993 and 1994 are celebrating their twenty-year reunion together on the weekend of Friday, July 26, 2013. Contact Louis Cross for more details or visit their website.
2013 AGG Hall of Fame Inductees
The Class of 1983's thirtieth reunion will be held July 19-20, 2013. Contact Sheila Price if you are interested in attending or helping to organize the reunion.
The Classes of 1993 and 1994 are celebrating their twenty-year reunion together on the weekend of Friday, July 26, 2013. Contact Louis Cross for more details or visit their website.
2013 AGG Hall of Fame Inductees
Education: Horace "Chip" Bashinski, Class of 1970
Civic: Barbara K. Hobbs, Class of 1974
Philanthropic: Belinda (Mills) Keiser, Class of 1976
Professional: Moni Basu, Class of 1979
Professional: Moni Basu, Class of 1979
Business: Rudy Rowe, Class of 1986
Medical/Health: Julie Gladden Barre, Class of 1986
These Godby alumni now teach at Godby
Sharon McClellan Thomason
These Godby alumni now teach at Godby
Sharon McClellan Thomason
Jenny Taylor
Darius Jones
Carolyn Jackson
Danley Skelly
Robin Oliveri
Libby Wyman
Jason Strickland
Monica Leimer
Heather Dieter
Daphne McClain
Lawrence Morrow
Isaiah Taylor
Chris Kelly
Looking ahead...
Isaiah Taylor
Chris Kelly
Looking ahead...
It's not too early to begin thinking about Godby High School's first FIFTIETH reunion in 2020. The Class of 1972 and Friends Reunion including years 1970, 1971 and 1973, contributed a budget surplus of $250 towards the reunion, staking claim to being a large part of the planning process, and will include the entire Godby community in the festivities.
Support the Association of Godby Graduates
Please join us on Facebook and donate to the AGG Scholarship Fund.
Send checks or money orders to Godby High School, 1717 West Tharpe Street, Tallahassee, Florida, 32303. Write "AGG" in the memo line. All proceeds benefit the AGG Scholarship Fund.
The AGG gratefully recognizes contributions of $250 or more in perpetuity at our website.
Help a Godby Senior go to college.
Please send suggestions, constructive criticism, and submission of alumni news for possible publication to me at MitchGans@comcast.net.
Mitch
Class of 1981
