HISTORY OF VICTORIA HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
The Victoria High School Alumni Association has been in existence since the fall of 1993. Rich Billinger ’68 gives an account of how, where, and why the association was formed. “In 1993, the class of 1968 celebrated our 25th class reunion on Memorial Day weekend. Previous to that Frank Dreiling ’68, Kathy Billinger Kuhn ’68 and I had talked about how it would be nice if there was an alumni association in Victoria. In June, a couple of weeks after our reunion, I called Frank and Kathy to ask them if they could come over to my house to get things rolling. After a couple of meetings, we had decided we would organize a meeting for after the Homecoming game in the Knights of Columbus Hall. We made flyers to advertise the meeting and even got a couple of freebees from the media to help get the word out to those interested. We came up with an agenda for that meeting that included election of officers and ideas of what the function should be of the association, such as having a banquet on the homecoming weekend. At that first meeting after the game we were very happy with the support we received and from that point on, there have been some great alumni people that have made it happen.”
At that first organizational meeting four officers were elected, namely: President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The officers set bylaws which stated that the association would be governed by the four officers in addition to five board members. The main purpose of the association would be to provide activities for the alumni of Victoria High School. These nine board of directors with the help of other volunteers spent many hours compiling class lists dating back to 1922 and making plans for the first VHS Alumni Homecoming Festivities.
The board of directors established the following committees: Membership, Entertainment, Newsletter, and Scholarship. The members on these committees played a vital role in helping to achieve the goals that had been set for that first year.
Annual dues were set at $5.00 and that figure assessment has remained the same since the inception of the association. The only change has been to offer a discount for paying lifetime dues. The board also stipulated that graduates of fifty years and beyond would be honorary members and exempt from paying dues. To welcome the association’s newest members, the graduating seniors are entitled to a one-year free membership. The alumni association also offers an associate membership to all current and past educators of Victoria High School as well as current and past board of education members of Victoria High School.
The VHS Alumni Association is proud of its progress and accomplishments. Activities for homecoming have been planned every year dating back to 1994. Scholarships have been awarded to graduating seniors every year starting in 1994. An alumni newsletter, The Next Page, has been published every year since the beginning. The alumni association hosts an end-of-the-year BBQ for the graduating seniors to welcome them and brief them of our goals and accomplishments. Donations have made it possible to make contributions to Victoria High School organizations and other district projects. The newest addition to the alumni association is the establishment of a website.
Dedication, hard work, time, and effort have made the alumni association a very successful organization. It provides the opportunity of renewing friendships and sharing those treasured memories of the VHS school days. All alumni and associate members can feel a great sense of pride and ownership in being members of the Victoria High School Alumni Association.
E-Mail info@victoriaalumni.com