  REUNION 2007 (Where most of us stayed) VENICE, FLORIDA / May 10-13, 2007Thanks again to Bill and Bonnie Victor '69 for putting on a great "ALL CLASS" reunion!!REUNION - Attendees Lists (Thanks to Jim Burrows) Wed. and Thurs, May 9th.-10th.  Registration at the Venice Little Theatre (old Gym) ( Click here for Pictures ) Thursday, May 10th.  6-9 PM Cocktail Reception at the Venice Historic Train Depot 303 E. Venice Ave. Live Entertainment, Free Hors d'oeuvres, Cash Bar. ( Click here for Pictures ) Friday, May 11th.  10AM to 1PM Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota. ( Click here for Pictures ) 9:30AM - bus leaves from parking lot by Venice Mall (Old Field Parade grounds) 1:00PM - bus leaves Ringling Museum to arrive back in Venice by 2:00PM  1 to 5PM Beach Party Nokomis Beach - North Jetty Park Shelter. Live Band Lots of Food & Drinks ( Click here for Pictures ) Saturday, May 12th.  9:00AM - Alumni Business Meeting Baggage Room, Venice Train Station ( Click here for Pictures )  6:30PM - Evening Dinner - Plantation Golf and Country Club, Dinner (Doors open at 5:30PM) ( Click here for Pictures ) 1st Drink is Free - Cash Bar Uniform of the Day: Better Casual(Dinner Jacket not required, but preferred) Hors d'Oeuvre - Choice of: Roast Duck & Chutney Canape or Brie en Croute Dinner - Choice of: Chicken Breast, stuffed with spinach & herb cheese or Prime Rib of Beef Vegetarian dinner available upon request. Dessert: Cheesecake Red and White Wine on each table. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
REUNION REPORT
The Spirit of ‘60 Cadets Restore the K.M.I. Ideal A Memoir by Rawleigh L. Sallee, Class of ‘60 May 14, 2007 On May 10-12, 2007 a K.M.I. reunion for all classes was held in Venice, Florida. Well attended, this event drew former cadets from as far away as Maine, Mexico, and several western states. The agenda included registration at the Venice Little Theater (the old K.M.I. armory and gym;) a cocktail reception at the Venice Historic Train Depot (where cadets would disembark and embark from the train for trips to and from Florida and Kentucky;) a tour of the Ringling Museum in Sarasota; a beach party on Nokomis Beach, North Jetty Park; an alumni business meeting in the Baggage Room, Venice Historic Train Station; and an evening sit-down dinner at the Plantation Golf and Country Club. These “K.M.I. boys,” as residents of Venice referred to cadets who wintered there, were all glad to see each other; affirmed the high quality of their education at K.M.I.; mourned the loss of many classmates; and sadly acknowledged the impending danger that the history and heritage of K.M.I. may soon pass into oblivion. The above sentiments would be echoed by the vast majority of former cadets not in attendance at the reunion; however, most (including many present on this occasion) would admit that they would not have enthusiastically stated their appreciation for K.M.I. during their cadet years. For most, this appreciation began to sink in as graduation approached. For many, appreciation for K.M.I. would only come several years later. Ideally, K.M.I. would have been a high school equivalent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point or any of the other military academies. Ideally, the K.M.I. motto, “Character Makes the Man,” would have been in the daily lives of K.M.I. cadets an actual equivalent of General Douglas MacArthur’s terse exclamation of values, “Duty, Honor, Country!” The truth is, many alumni fondly regard their K.M.I experience as having been somewhat of West Point quality. However, K.M.I. was not AND NEVER COULD HAVE BEEN an equivalent of the Academy. For one thing, expectations of West Point cadets in academics; physical training; and leadership far exceed expectations at K.M.I.. West Point graduates are expected to be prepared to lead troops in combat. Perhaps the most profound difference is this: West point cadets are there because THEY WANT TO BE THERE. Parents cannot place their sons or daughters at West Point, nor can they require their cadets to remain there. When they first report to West point, new cadets unconditionally commit themselves to pursuing the ideals of the Academy. Cadets who become disenchanted with the West Point agenda are free to leave. Most K.M.I. cadets were there at the insistence of their parents. Some were allowed to share in varying degrees in this decision. Some seriously didn’t want to be there but were required to remain. Naturally and understandably, many cadets were not fully committed to pursuing K.M.I. ideals. Acceptance and pursuit of ideals varied greatly. Each year, as cadets were promoted academically, they were also promoted in cadet military rank. As at West Point, commensurate with their rank, cadets were expected to lead and supervise underclassmen and classmates of lower rank and held responsible for their effectiveness in discharging these responsibilities. Especially among cadets who did not wholeheartedly subscribe to K.M.I. ideals (“the system”,) this structuring of the cadet battalion precipitated incidents of adverse peer pressure, the severity of which depended on the particular personalities involved. Applications of peer pressure which discouraged cadets from discharging their responsibilities necessarily compromised K.M.I. values. Peer pressure was as operative at K.M.I. as in public schools and potentially more cruel; because, at the end of the day, there was no escape home. School was home: the cadet battalion was family. Resisting, overcoming, and carrying on in spite of this pressure, all the while forgiving the perpetrators, bearing no grudges, became a growing, strengthening, character building experience. There never was a complete negation of the K.M.I. Ideal. This is why cadets from all classes want to preserve K.M.I. history and tradition. The administration and faculty could not force cadets to be effective, dutiful leaders or followers. The quality of the cadet experience each year depended on the maturity, wisdom, and commitment of cadet leaders, most noticeably, the seniors. When the seniors reported to K.M.I. in the fall of ’59, the new cadet major, Frank Stalcup, also class president, captain of the football team, and student council president, presented to his class his vision of a restoration of the K.M.I. Ideal. He encouraged all of his classmates to embrace K.M.I. values. Possibly due to Frank’s extraordinary leadership, popularity, respect, and charisma, the class unanimously affirmed and accepted his vision, which he named, “The Spirit of ’60.” The following is a quote from page 3 of the ’60 SABER. 'The Spirit of ‘60’ is a plan designed to accomplish esprit-de-corps: a philosophy of our way of living at K.M.I. calculated to make well-minded boys of high character: a philosophy embodied in all 72 members of the class with the vigor and spirit that was fulfilled in achievement. The signs on the campus are not boastful comparisons of former years, but are emblems of a way of life for each of us, here and now.” As the ’59-’60 school year progressed, not all was perfect: mistakes were made; however, there was a conspicuous effort by the cadet battalion, led by the seniors with Cadet Major Frank Stalcup setting the example, to uphold the K.M.I. Ideal. All of these years later, whenever cadets of all classes congregate, there is conspicuous reverence for the slogan, “Character Makes the Man.” Form to submit for positions on the Board of the KMI Alumni Association in PDF format.
KMI Alumni Association Treasurer Greg Rohrer Phone # 502-429-5217 |
