Larkin plans open house marking milestone
By Emily McFarlan emcfarlan@stmedianetwork.com August 17, 2012 9:18PM
Larkin Basketball game on December 23, 1971. | File Photo
Updated: September 20, 2012 10:00AM
ELGIN — There are the two scrapbooks one man made, full of newspaper articles, photos and lists of the music, movies and television shows popular in the years his two sons graduated in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
There are gym suits, school T-shirts, cheerleading uniforms, poms and buttons from the past five decades, and a vinyl recording of the school choir from the 1970s.
All will be on display at the community open house celebrating the 50th anniversary of Larkin High School from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at the school, 1475 Larkin Ave.
But, Larkin guidance counselor Julie Ball said, “I just think (alumni) hanging out and talking to one another will be the best part.”
“We wanted it to be not formal. It’s just kind of come in, see your friends, have a nice day and see your school one more time.”
The open house will be a “trip down memory lane” kicking off homecoming week at the home of the Royals, Ball said.
The guidance counselor and a committee of alumni who graduated in each decade from Larkin have invited as many former teachers, administrators and coaches as they can find, she said.
Larkin Principal Jon Tuin and the school yearbook staff began collecting stories and updates from alumni last school year for a “50 Royal Years Anniversary Book,” according to the Larkin High School Alumni 50 Year Anniversary Facebook Page.
There also will be a video montage, light refreshments and guided tours of the building, which has “evolved a lot,” she said.
Ball said she is unsure how many people to expect at the open house, or how many have graduated from the school.
“I think the smallest class was 350 and the largest was 600. Who knows if 100 people will come or 1,000?” she said.
Other anniversary celebrations also are in the works for the new school year, including recognition of the 50th anniversary of Memorial Field during homecoming or a football game between Larkin and Elgin high schools, she said. Larkin and Elgin share the field, which was constructed the same year as Larkin.
For more information, or to lend memorabilia to display at the open house, people should contact Julie Ball at julieball@u-46.org or 847-888-5200, ext. 5226.
