Alumni engagement and philanthropy



50 YEARS ON SINCE GRADUATION – GEOGRAPHY CLASS REUNION  

29 May 2019

Jennifer Mussen, one of the reunion organising team, offers some personal reflections on a recent class get-together and suggests some handy hints and tips for any fellow graduates thinking of arranging a similar celebration.

An exchange of cards between former 1960s classmates resulted in a ‘golden get-together’ in April of this year which attracted alumni from Scotland, England and Northern Ireland back to Queen’s to mark a milepost graduation anniversary.

Messages and greetings from alumni in Canada, France, The Netherlands - and even Portglenone in County Antrim - were also read out during the afternoon, adding to the sense of occasion.

The germ of an idea came in a Christmas card from Dorothy Armstrong back in 2017 and it set the course to celebrate 50 years since we both graduated as part of the Geography Class of 1969, though on the day we were also joined by a number of other former students who left Queen's in 1968 and 1970. 

The main source of advice and help came from key personnel in the Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) at Queen’s, especially from Shelley McEvoy. Her advice and wise counsel ensured a wonderful day for all who came to the Reunion Lunch in the Canada Room and Council Chamber on 13 April 2019.

Comments from those present, and from those sending apologies, paid many tributes to the calibre of education we had all enjoyed at Queen’s. In 1965 nobody had yet stepped on the Moon, The Beatles were still a band and the Geography Department at Queen’s numbered 500 students and was the largest in Ireland.

The staff were highly regarded in the world scene and we were fortunate to have been taught by academics of such standing. From emails received as we planned the event, it was clear that most of the respondents owed their careers to the grounding they received, whether they studied in the Faculty of Arts or Science.

A number of lecturers were invited to the Reunion Lunch but sadly none were in attendance to hear praise heaped on their names. Noel Mitchel was especially remembered as he had guided the organisers to several sources of tales and anecdotes involving many of those present.

As you can see from the photographs, the Canada Room and Council Chamber were a fitting backdrop for the Lunch. The beautifully laid tables were soon awash with the noise of old friends meeting up after, in some cases, 50 years since their last encounter – possibly over a cream tea at graduation.

Photographs and memorabilia from the 60s were on display. Interesting that a highlight for many was the field trip to Europe undertaken in third year and many tales revived those memories.

The food at the event was superb and delivered by a great team. To mark the Irish location we chose beef in Guinness and salmon, added to which were salads, breads and sauces, followed by a platter of desserts.

Such was the noise and laughter that stopping for short speeches may have interrupted the audience intent on ‘memories’!

To conclude the day a campus tour was organised and most guests took part. Changes to the quadrangle, the cloisters where the Geography Library used to be, the Great Hall and the Old Library, now The Graduate School, ensured a very sentimental conclusion to a wonderful reunion.

Email addresses have been exchanged and promises made to meet up whenever paths cross again. From Alberta to Toronto, Nice to West Sussex, Utrecht to Bushmills, it was a one-off event which we will all recall fondly.

Pointers for those thinking of a reunion

  • Contact Eventus to ensure the venue you wish to use is free on your date. There is a room booking fee, which has to be priced into your ‘ticket cost’
  • Think carefully about your venue as it is often difficult to predict how many will attend – is the space too big or too small?
  • Work with DARO staff to draw up a contact list of possible attendees. With GDPR (data protection legislation) this is much more difficult than you might expect
  • Ask former classmates for an indication of support at an early stage but note that more will say they will come, than actually do!
  • Have at least two on the organising committee to oversee arrangements, to act as a brake, and to take on tasks on the day
  • Choose the date carefully and set the response date well in advance
  • Ticket price needs to include all extras including gratuities; make sure you have an explicit ‘no refunds’ policy
  • If opening a separate bank account to manage income and payments make sure to choose the bank you will work with carefully
  • Work with Hospitality to choose your menu and your beverages; wine can be expensive though fewer take wine at a lunch than at a dinner.
  • Name badges do work especially if the gap is 50 years or more!
  • For those travelling long distances make a list of local accommodation
  • Involve guests in the programme if they live in Greater Belfast.

The event was organised with help from Dorothy Armstrong in Belfast, Phyllis Toubkin in England and Alan Davison in Nice.

Further advice and guidance on organising reunions at Queen’s can be found on the Development and Alumni Relations Office website or by contacting Alumni Relations Officer, Natasha Sharma on tel: +44 (0)28 9097 3135.

To submit graduate news items, or for general enquiries about this story, please contact Gerry Power, Communications Officer, Development and Alumni Relations Office, Queen's University Belfast or telephone: +44 (0)28 9097 5321.

Photo: Members of the Classes of 1968, 1969 and 1970 in the Canada Room, with (inset) Dorothy Armstrong (left) and Jennifer Mussen.

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