MORSE HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI from the classes of 1968 and 1969 prepare for the golf tournament Thursday morning. NATHAN STROUT / THE TIMES RECORD

BATH

As hundreds gathered in Bath for the Bath High School Alumni Weekend, one thing was clear — even decades after graduation, school pride remains strong.

“We joke about instead of bleeding red, we bleed blue and white,” said Diane Perkins Delano, class of 1968.

The class of 1968 are hosting the event this weekend, which marks the 50th anniversary of their graduation. As Delano and her former classmates prepared for the alumni golf tournament Thursday morning, their sense of pride and connection with the school was evident.

For many, the connection with Morse High School and Bath High School before that is a family affair.

“I counted the other night, and so far I can come up with 21 family members who have graduated from Morse High,” said Delano. “Four or five generations.”

Barbara Risteen King noted that her mother-in-law, who passed away last year at 107, had graduated from the school in 1927. But the familial connections don’t end there.

“I had one (grandson) graduate last year and I’ve got one who’s a junior right now,” said King. “My mother graduated from Morse, us four kids graduated from Morse, my grandsons are graduating from Morse.”

But even more than the family ties that go back generations, what keeps these former classmates together is the sense of pride and community that they all share.

“It’s the spirit,” said King. “We’re together. We do everything together.”

“A lot of it is because Bath is the city of ships, shipbuilders. That’s a big part of the pride … the culture, everything,” said Delano.

“It’s the spirit,” said White. “We’ve got it.”

“Everybody just joins in,” said Delano. “Go down Front Street in Bath and check out our windows.”

As if just to prove that their school spirit is just as strong today as it was 50 years early, they spontaneously began singing the school song:

The Blue and the White,

Colors ever dear to me.

Banner of Morse High, the flag of victory.

Rah, rah, rah!

Blue and the White

When we hear the battle cry,

We’ll fight for the glory of

The Blue and White of Old Morse High!

M-O-R-S-E M-O-R-S-E Blue White

Blue and White, get in and fight for Old Morse High!

When asked what had changed in the last 50 years, only one thing came to mind.

“Hair color,” said Linda Wing Landrum dryly.

“I don’t think the school spirit has changed,” said Marion Rice White. “That’s always been there.”

Brian Hatch, one of the organizers of the weekend with the Bath High School Alumni Association, noted that the alumni association was one of the oldest in the country.

“It’s not necessarily the largest alumni association, it’s the largest continuous alumni associations,” said Hatch. “We’ve been going since 1891.”

Part of what’s kept that going is a vigorous sense of school spirit, but it also brings with it a sense of responsibility to give to the next generation of Morse High School alumni. To that end, the alumni association has worked over the years to develop a healthy scholarship fund to help the current graduating class.

“In 1959, the class of 1909 at the Alumni Banquet gave $200 and they said ‘We would like $100 to be given to a deserving senior and this other $100 to start a fund to do so and give scholarships to our kids,’” said Hatch.

That $100 fund has grown over the years, to the point where the trustees are now managing over $4 million.

“Now we give $245,000 from the fund plus another $100,000 from outside sources,” said Hatch. “It’s a heck of a legacy that we’re giving to the students.”

This year, alumni, lead by the class of 1968, furthered that legacy. The alumni donated $60,000 to the Morse High School Scholarship Fund, as well as donating $21,000 towards the creation of an alumni room at the new Morse High School building.

“Ten years ago a small group of (the class of 1968) after our 40th Reunion came up with the idea of trying to do something really special for our 50th Reunion. Our goal was to give a total class gift donation beyond what any had done before,” said Hatch. “I think we achieved that goal!”

Most of that money was raised through the golf tournament, which netted nearly $50,000.

“I am so proud and pleased for my classmates for their tireless efforts to make this happen. They dug deep into their wallets; they spent countless hours working behind the scenes; they contributed generously from their hearts to help make something good for future Morse graduates as well as all Morse alumni,” said Hatch.