The night I met Brent at one of the football bonfires and we're still together.  Learning to drive in the McLean High School parking lot.
I will always remember the folksongs and humor of Joe Martellaro.  His lunch time "concerts" with a "Whaling Song" and a "Good Guitar" gave me a love of folk music that continues to the present.  Whenever I attend one of the local folk festivals, I still think of Joe and his talent for making people feel good.  If I can't make it to the reunion (the 25th), have Joe play Joan Baez's "Forever Young" for all of us.
Making music with Mark Brimijoin, Charlie Seawell, Kay Rothgeb, Randy Warner, Skip Maginniss and Michael O'brien.
Discovering Dylan Thomas through Laura Leichliter.
Teen Club with Bonnie, Terry and Bob Cooter in 8th grade.
Being present at the football game that provided us with the joy of 'THE PASS". (Caption of the picture in the Junior or Senior yearbook.
I remember one particular incident vividly....When we were using our senior lounge near the doors of the auditorium, there were a lot of green fern plants separating the lounge from the hall--anyway, Mr. Lyons was coming through the ferns to get to the lounge and one of our classmates yelled "Look at the lions and tigers in the jungle coming through".  It was funny at the time and I still get a smile on my face when I think of that.
The day the first copies of the "CLAN" came back from the printers.
Madrigal performances, sports, most of all friendships.
You can click on a person's name to go to their picture page
Performing in our green Elizabethan outfits in madrigals under the watchful eye of Elbert Morton.  Mountain climbing and canoeing adventures with Larry Marchant.
When David Bayne gave a campaign speech on my behalf for senior class Scc.  I WON!  He was amazing.
The Christmas we delivered a Lute to Mr. Morton for his Christmas present.  The Christmas I hosted the Madrigal Christmas party.  The Junior, Senior Basketball Game.
Graduation:  Mr Burke said, "Molly, you look like you're on your way to your execution."  After 2 lovely years at McLean, especially with the TARTAN, that's exactly how I felt.
Falling in love with Sally Searcy
Making Varsity Basketball
All out efforts to avoid Mr. Lyons.
Graduation ceremony at Constitution Hall:  I made it up the stairs, to the stage, across the stage--savored the moment for a few seconds--down the steps and back to my seat without tripping, slipping or fainting.
Wrecking Fred Postelle's car in the parking lot of McLean High School--March 1962.  It was an accident that involved several other parked cars.  Butch Gilbert & Roseanne Taugner were also on board.  It so soured me on the idea of driving that I didn't get my license until I was 23 years old.
Forced to stand on top to table during American Civilization until I could state why I believed I was more worthy than a gorilla. Four others joined me that hour before we answered well enough.
Wearing a damn Scottish kilt in front of the whole school at football games.
Actually making the wrestling team!
Singing Kingston Trio songs with Sonny and Han at sock hops.
Decorating the Junior Prom--then having to share my date.
Holding back the hormones and maintaining a facade of sanity.
Besides the friendships, I suppose I'll always remember the joy of watching Mr. Harless and Mr. Miller playing basketball.
A collection of most memorable moments from our high school years written just prior to our 25th reunion in 1988
The look on Phil "Big Roth" Johnson's face when he opened his locker and found it stuffed with milk cartons.
Graduation Day!
Driving to Annandale High School in the wee hours to plaster "GO HIGHLANDERS!" signs all over--who was with me???
  OR
Susan, Sally and Kay walking out of Mrs. Stiltz's geometry class wearing mustaches made from the "pills" on our "Villager" sweaters.
The class picnic at Great Falls at the beginning of our senior year to welcome new students.
Roth opening his locker which had been filled with empty milk cartons.
The time David Sollenberger was injured and I got into the starting lineup for a basketball game.
Graduation and moving on to some great times in college.
Being chosen as a princess at Homecoming  This honor was certainly not based on typical beauty standards.  Steve Harlow used to call me Cochise (no doubt it was the hair do) or how about Sheena of the jungle.  I have finally learned to walk more gracefully.  I think this honor was given me because I was never a part of any one click.  I was at home with the jocks and could take it with the intellectuals.  I truly enjoy all kinds of people and sharing our different lives.
Toilet paper parties--Particularly when we discovered that shredded newspaper was impossible to clean up.
Mr. Dowell standing on his desk!  And of course, Prom night.  Football games--it was all great.  And Faye Small being so cheerful with that darn back brace!
Couldn't run in Regional track meet because I was caught out after curfew.
I'll never forget the night during our senior year when Tony Newkirk, Han Ponsen and I (actually got up in public and) sang "Jamaica Farewell" during the Sweetheart Dance and all forgot the words at exactly the same moment.  Sure, you all laughed then, but I'm still wondering to myself 25 years later:  Were they laughing with us?
"A bad memory"--The fact that I had to leave with my family the day after graduation.
When I made Sweetheart Queen & the summer after graduation--going to the beach, picnics, movies with such lovely people as Karen Glines, Karen Hansen, Terry Jordan, Jim & Mary Ellen Blencoe, Donna Kronauer Sharpe, Mike Renfro--Everyone who was in the "Big Roth Fan Club"!
Skinny dipping at Mrs. Lerg's beachside cottage with other girls from her senior gym class--Mrs. Lerg had invited us for the weekend, in May.  I don't remember how we handled the food or the other logistics, but we all tried to water ski and, one night we all (?) snuck down to the beach and went swimming, "bare buck naked".
No single event;  more like a series of snapshots frozen in time;  moments in my owndevelopement, in my relationships with others;  faces of teachers;  faces of friends.
The Bali-Hi Dance.
Class trip to the mountains.
Making varsity football and basketball as a sophomore.  Having 52 stitches in my hand & arm after the Jeb Stuart basketball game in my senior year.  Coaching the Senior basketball team with Terry Grefe against the Junior team.
This is tough!  Instead of picking one.......Cruisin' in Schaeffer's '55 Chevy.  Being on the first McLean team to beat Washington & Lee at anything (1962 J.V. Football).  Mr. Morton's Drama class.  Mr. Rapier's Algebra class.  Class trip to NYC.  Mr Harless' death.  McDonalds.  Canoe trip on the Shenandoah. Watching Harlow run.  My Vespa.  Black Pond.  Mr. Lyons.  The Brickskeller.  There is much more.  As many things and memories as there are people who touched our lives in a more innocent time.
1959-Beverley Skrinak directing "Skin of our Teeth."  (?year) Elbert E Morton directing oratorio "Elijah" and performances of "Call Me Madam", Ballad of Baby Doe" and (one-act) "Clio-Clio-San" in local competition.  And everyone of the performances by the McLean High School Madrigal singers!
Math class in a tempo on a cold winter's day with Ed Anderson throwing open a window, taking a deep breath and declaring in his fullest voice, "The colder it is, the purer it is!" (So I took his advice and moved to Canada.)
The times and activities that I shared with friends--too many to list--but, hey, isn't that what reunions are all about--to talk about all those memorable moments.
Firing off an indignant letter to the N.VA. Sun after Stew Udall spoke to our leadership conference.  Little did I know that this would launch a young Goldwaterite on a lifetime of public affairs and involvement in liberal Democratic politics!!
Fountain hopping in D.C.
The GTG/MPC (still don't know what GTG is, do you guys?)
Teaching Peggy Nagley to drive.
Like so many high school-age people I lived in a psychological cocoon.  It took a startling event to make me realize that there was a world outside McLean High--A real world which could and would affect me and my classmates--a reality over which we had no control.  The Cuban Missle Crisis in the fall of our senior year stunned my naive senses.  It marked the beginning of my search for that fine line between the realization and acceptance of the fact that there is much in life over which we have no control, and the knowledge that we can control both the general direction and many specifics of our own lives.
Climbing in the ceiling and on those tall, tall ladders to adjust the lights in the auditorium.
Ski trip, trips to Ocean City!, field parties.
"All rolled into one"--it has to be the great school spirit we enjoyed at McLean High!  I'll never forget cheering for out losing football team (we never seemed to win much at football) in a driving afternoon rainstorm, with mud flinging as we did our jumps.  Always we had some die-hards sitting in the stands under tarps cheering the team on (remember me--I was always the shortest--so on the end--usually cheering to the on or two in the stands near the end zone.
Whether we were planning a class party (remember the year we went to a rock quarry in Maryland in open-bed hay trucks to swim?), dance, the Prom--always we had great enthusiasm and many volunteers who would turn out (even 'till 2:00am decorating).
My children have missed this unifying spirit in their high school in California--and love to browse through my old year-books to re-capture this feeling.  Great Memories.
When I looked up Kay's skirt in A/C class and decided to ask her out.
When Mark first asked me out in A/C class after writing piles of fascinating, illustrated notes unbeknowst to Harry Maranian or Rachel Ames.
Saundra Rorex's telling me that I should have a more positive outlook; it was a seminal remark and led to my undertaking responsibility for the direction of my life. (It shocked me--I'd never considered my point of view having a bearing on life experience.
*Graduation: Constitution Hall
Singing in the chorus of "Call Me Madam".
All those great slumber parties!!!!!
The night Madeleine Brown drove over the cement curb at a drive-in and ripped the bottom off her mother's car. (just the oil pan, probably.
Camping trip to Skyline Drive end of Jr. year (organized by Marsie Glenn).  I forget most of the details and some of the faces (Marsie, Tony, Paul, Han, John Chiles, Warren, Larry Phillips, Laura Leichliter, Judy Lamar, Koky, Ruth??) but I think we all had a great time.
There were many!  However, I'll always cherish my special friendships with both Paul Bates and Joe Hickman and our many exploits together!  (I wonder where they are--can't find them anywhere)
Being photographed with Tony Newkirk for Ingenue Magazine!
The "hayride" to Lake Cacapon, WV that we couldn't convince the school to sanction.  We rented our own flatbed tractor trailers, met at McDonald's and went anyway.
The several caravans to Beaver Dam Swim Club (rock quarry with life guards) in Cockeysville MD.  Did Judy really jump off the 65 foot platform?
Entering the model "A" in the antique car parade at the Winchester Apple Blossom Festival.  How many of you jumped on the bumpers and running boards as we pushed "Esmerelda" by for the governor to review?  I remember that the trip was marred only by a certain blonde friend who got too much bouncing, fumes, beer, and not quite enough air in the back seat.
Crashing the "all girls swim party" at a forgotten residence in Great Falls.  Those invited guests and those uninvited guests shall remain anonymous.
This is being written with hesitance.  It could fall into the hands of our teenage daughter.
Building class Homecoming floats in my back yard--much fun and mess.
Great pep rally's being caught chewing gum by Ms. Dektor, the caring attitude received from the faculty, great school spirit.  The thrill of graduation ceremonies from Constitution Hall.
Steve Taylor's olympic event: backyard fence hurdles and the "Play Ball" assembly--shortest assembly in McLean history.
I cannot tell a lie.  The most memorable moment was when I received my diploma on graduation night, June 11, 1963.
My most memorable time was beating Ezell for Drum Major of the marching band.  Of course there was the dance band competition at Carnegy Hall and getting second place.  Oh yeah, watching Mr. Lyons chair come back against the band room door.  Good thing there was a window or we would never have gotten the band instruments we had to have for our JAM sessions.  All the girls I liked.  BEAUTIFUL mimories.......
Want to add to your memories or add a new one?  Just remember something you forgot?  Submit it below.
My most memorable moment was the time I was preparing to become a citizen, and already was very nervous about it, and at the same time a history project was due the same day.
The history teacher asked the class if everyone had their project finished and if not, she hoped it was a very good excuse.  I was the only one in the class that was not ready.  At least no one else spoke up.  The teacher asked me why, so when I told her that I had to study to get my citizenship papers, she replied, "Well, in all my years of teaching I have heard all kinds of excuses but never like this or as good."  She did give me extra time to complete the assignment.
In Poland the teacher would not be this nice, because it was very strict in school.
This page was last updated: April 10, 2008