Alumni Assn. Annual Reunion Well-Attended

HARDWICK – This past Saturday, the summer solstice, a crowd of around 160 people converged on the Brochu Pavilion on West Hill in Hardwick to attend and celebrate the Hardwick Academy/Hazen Union Alumni Association’s class reunion gathering.

With a combination of high attendance, ideal weather and school spirit, the day was considered nothing less than a wonderful success by those who attended. Everything came together for the event, timely arrivals, spirited participation, a great meal and hours of stories and awards.

Once registration was complete and the meal had been served by the Village Diner, the day began with the association announcing three $500 student award recipients. The Hardwick Academy Class of 1955 sponsored the Future Endeavors award, given to Taylor Cloutier, who was there to accept his gift. He is headed to lineman’s school. 

The second Spirit Award was presented in honor of Pat Gallant from the Hardwick Academy Class of 1968. Gallant, who recently passed due to ALS, never missed a reunion and was a standout class member. Her sister Cindy Gallant Cota spoke on her behalf. The recipient of that gift was Baylie Christiansen.

The Service Award, named in honor of 2007 graduate Tristan Southworth, was given to Emma Rowell.

The alumni of Hardwick Academy responded in droves as the Association celebrated the five-year classes ending in 0 and 5. The Hardwick Academy Class of 1965 led all classes by bringing back 19 graduates. They had a fully-decorated canopy set up for their class. It was their 60th class reunion.

One of their classmates, Jane Richards, won a prize for being the very first alumni to sign up for the reunion. The crowd was entertained by Raymond Menard, who brought to the event a clock taken from old Hardwick Academy as it was being torn down in 1970.

Menard told how five members of the 1965 class went into the old Hardwick Academy building after the 1970 alumni reunion as it was being torn down. They took a clock from the building that night and have brought it to their five-year reunions ever since. The five classmates who took the clock called themselves the Royal Order of the Clock.

They had the clock mounted on a wooden plaque and attached some plates that documented its history. Menard said they now plan to turn the clock over to the Hardwick Historical Society.

This past year, the Hardwick Academy Class of 1955 presented the Alumni Association with a gift of over $12,000. Their class has been very close for years, and always turned out for their reunions. They were aggressive in raising money for future students, and at one time had over $35,000 to start giving away. One class member who couldn’t attend Saturday, Lola Smith Foster, just recently donated another $500 toward next year’s Hazen Union student awards. 

To thank them for their generous contribution, the association bought the 1955 group tee shirts, citing them as the most outstanding class in 2025. Nine class members attended their 70th reunion.

Rounding out Academy classes were six members of the class of 1960, celebrating 65 years, and 10 members of the last graduating class of Hardwick Academy, the class of 1970.

The first Hazen Union class was the group from 1975, celebrating their golden anniversary, 50 years removed from high school. One of the largest classes to ever attend Hazen, they returned 15 people Saturday.

Three Hazen alumni from 1995, Cindy Bolio Osgood, Jon Ramsay and Jack Gomes came as well as three from the class of 2005, including Dora Dernavich, Aliah Montgomery and Benjamin Brown

The association this year honored Rick Norcross with its Distinguished Alumni Award. Norcross graduated from Hardwick Academy in 1963 and spent a lifetime writing and performing music with his Rick and The All-Star Ramblers Band. He started early, at the ripe age of 16 and just this year, after turning 80, retired from his life’s pursuit. The association presented him with a certificate, gifts and a personalized shirt in Academy colors. The crowd was entertained by a few selections of his music and he donated a few of his compact discs as prizes.

Winning the award for the oldest alumni was Beverly Shepard, who graduated with the Hardwick Academy class of 1948. Traveling the furthest was Ellen Pape Gilmore, estimated at around 1,550 miles. Doris Delaricheliere won a prize for having the longest last name and Carmeline Williams was the winner of the 50-50 raffle, taking home around $330.00.

It was a busy week for the association. Prior to this weekend’s events, association president Mike Clark and vice president Pat Hussey last Tuesday were in front of the Hazen Union School Board seeking final approval to bring the Academy bell to the Hazen grounds. That effort is being opposed by a small group from the Class of 1970. A vote last fall by the Hardwick Academy alumni favored the move, but ownership of the bell is being debated in this conversation with the board and the opposing group.

Clark also informed Saturday’s crowd, the Association just recently went live with a still developing website, hardwickhazenalumni.com. He also thanked the Michael Brochu family for hosting the reunion on their property. Clark kept the crowd in good spirits as he emceed the many awards and prizes throughout the afternoon. 

Clark said one of the remaining goals of the association is to recruit new members to its board, hoping for an influx of younger Hazen Union alumni volunteers. He left Saturday’s event saying he was very upbeat and proud of the Association’s recent accomplishments.