Hopedale High School Alumni Association
P. O. Box 25
Hopedale, MA 01747
www.hopedale-alumni.org     hopedalealumni@gmail.com
 
- April 2023 -

Dear members of the HHS Alumni Association,

In November of 2022, the HHSAA sponsored a reunion for the 135th Anniversary Celebration of Hopedale High School. Everyone who ever attended Hopedale schools was invited to attend. When we hosted the130th, so many people came! I heard from people who did not come that year and said they wished they had, and from people who did not know anything about it at all. So, my expectations were high for the 135th. I can honestly say I was more than a little disappointed by the turnout. Whether it was lingering fears of covid or just a bad weekend, attendance was not what I had hoped for. When I expressed my disappointment to a friend, she said, “people may have moved on from Hopedale” and were just not interested.


This has given me a lot to think about over the past few months. As a charitable foundation, we obviously rely on people remaining connected to us for donations to continue the good work we do supporting the schools and the graduating seniors. So, is that connection something some people take with them, and others leave behind on graduation day? Is it something that is appreciated more with the passage of time? Or does it fade as the years go by? For me, the passage of time was a factor. As my life and career became more settled, I began to think of ways I could give back to my community. And Hopedale was the community I thought of first. When I became involved with the HHSAA, I had not lived in Hopedale for twenty-five years. Now it has been forty-five years. And yet, I still think of it as my community. I have lived in Medway for far longer than I lived in Hopedale, but my connection to Hopedale has always meant so much more to me.


If you receive this letter, you have chosen to be a Life Member of the HHSAA. Several years ago, it was decided by others to discontinue sending it to all HHS graduates, and only to Life Members. I personally felt it should always be sent to everyone. An important connection was lost when that decision was made. I know some people have never bothered to read this letter. Some only read it to see who donated and how much. But it is still a connection. And hopefully, as meaningful a one to you as it is to me. Let us keep that connection going! If you have friends, siblings, children, or grandchildren who graduated from Hopedale and are not already Life Members, please pass along the information on becoming a Life Member that is included in this letter.


Wishing everyone a healthy and connected 2023!
 
- Karen