CLASS FACTS: Class Flower: Tea Rose Stands for “I’ll remember always” Class Song: “2012” by Jay Sean Class Color: Blue Stands for peace, stability, unity, and confidence August 2012 GRADUATION 2012 – 243 ALUMNI JOIN THE LONG RED LINE An unexpected rain storm drove the ceremony inside, but the inclement weather did not affect the celebratory mood of graduation. With a packed gym and an auditorium crowded with the overflow, tradition still reigned. 243 successful seniors marched to familiar strains of Pomp and Circumstance, speakers recalled their trek through 13 grade levels to this point, and caps were thrown in the air. Foreign exchange students were recognized. Class officers spoke and addresses were made by award winners. And there were some recent traditions continued. Principal Dr. Robert Bryson summed up his message to the graduating class from the classic children’s book, I Believe in You, while sitting in his rocking chair. The annual distinguished alumni recipient – former Green Bay Packer executive Ron Wolf ’56 – addressed the class. RON WOLF ’56 NAMED DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI: ADDRESSES CLASS OF 2012 For Green Bay Packer fans from the 1960’s – those who followed the Sunday heroics of Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Max McGee, Forrest Gregg, and Jim Taylor in the Lombardi era – there was no better or classier team. But for loyal “cheese heads,” (a reference to true fans of the Green and Gold) the decades that followed were a wilderness. After 25 years of declining mediocrity, the Packers arrived in the 1990’s as the worst team in the NFL. Then came an epic transformation. Green Bay started winning again and bumper stickers appeared around the country, proudly announcing, “The Pack is Back!” And the acknowledged architect of Green Bay’s startling turnaround: our own Ron Wolf, Class of 1956. Ron played football and baseball while at Susquehannock, but he said, “I didn’t have time for much else. Like many teens, I worked in the Summers canning factory in whatever spare time I had.”
Transcript
CCLLAASSSS FFAACCTTSS:: Class Flower: Tea Rose
Stands for “I’ll remember always”
Class Song: “2012” by Jay Sean
Class Color: Blue
Stands for peace, stability, unity, and
confidence
August 2012
GRADUATION 2012 – 243 ALUMNI JOIN THE LONG RED LINE
An unexpected rain storm drove the ceremony inside, but the inclement weather did not affect the celebratory mood of graduation. With a packed gym and an auditorium crowded with the overflow, tradition still reigned. 243 successful seniors marched to familiar strains of Pomp and Circumstance, speakers recalled their trek through 13 grade levels to this point, and caps were thrown in the air. Foreign exchange students were recognized. Class officers spoke and addresses were made by award winners.
And there were some recent traditions continued. Principal Dr. Robert Bryson summed up his message to the graduating class from the classic children’s book, I Believe in You, while sitting in his rocking chair. The annual distinguished alumni recipient – former Green Bay Packer executive Ron Wolf ’56 – addressed the class.
RON WOLF ’56 NAMED DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI: ADDRESSES CLASS OF 2012
For Green Bay Packer fans from the 1960’s – those who followed the Sunday heroics of Bart Starr, Paul Hornung, Max McGee, Forrest Gregg, and Jim Taylor in the Lombardi era – there was no better or classier team. But for loyal “cheese heads,” (a reference to true fans of the Green and Gold) the decades that followed were a wilderness. After 25 years of declining mediocrity, the Packers arrived in the 1990’s as the worst team in the NFL. Then came an epic transformation. Green Bay started winning again and bumper stickers appeared around the country, proudly announcing, “The Pack is Back!”
And the acknowledged architect of Green Bay’s startling turnaround: our own Ron Wolf, Class of 1956.
Ron played football and baseball while at Susquehannock, but he said, “I didn’t have time for much else. Like many teens, I worked in the Summers canning factory in whatever spare time I had.”
Past Distinguish Alumi Award Recipients
2005: Bill Gantz ’55
2006: Randy Edsall ‘76
2007: Jim Holley ‘60
2008: Tom Clark ‘72
2009: Ronnie (’85) and Rob (’89) McCoury
2010: Roberta Thoman ‘ 65
2011: Robert Wolf ‘58
Biographical summaries of past recipiencts can be found at:
www.syc.k12.pa.us Go to to "Alumni page," then to "Distinguished Alumni Award"
Although Ron describes the 1956 Warriors politely as “not very good,” he made a strong connection with its coach, Bob McCoy, a mentor with whom Ron speaks with respect and affection to this day.
“A quote that comes to mind when I think of Coach McCoy is ‘To thine own self be true.’ He taught us the importance of honesty, personal responsibility, and the basic principles of hard work,” Ron said. These traits were to serve Ron well as he set off from New Freedom on a fascinating life journey.
Upon graduating from Susquehannock in 1956, Ron joined the U.S. Army and was assigned to train at Fort Bragg, home of the storied 82nd Airborne Division. From there, he went to Berlin and served in Army Intelligence during one of the most dangerous periods of the Cold War. The Russian’s had chosen Berlin, then jointly occupied by WWII allies, as the Cold War’s first battleground.
After receiving an honorable discharge in 1959, Ron pursued a college degree at the University of Oklahoma, graduating in 1963 with a major in History, and an intention to work for the Central Intelligence Agency. But an acquaintance recommended him to Al Davis – owner of the Oakland Raiders – as someone good at remembering names and numbers, and analyzing data. Davis quizzed Ron, was impressed with his football knowledge and ability to recall, and offered him a position as a talent scout. In this role, Ron helped assemble a team that included the likes of Art Shell, Gene Upshaw, Ken Stabler, and Jack Tatum, the nucleus of a Raider dynasty that won Super Bowl XI, abiding by the slogan, “Commitment to Excellence.”
When the NFL established an expansion franchise in Tampa Bay in 1975, Ron joined the Buccaneers as vice president of operations. There, he helped draft a roster that, in only four years from inception, would play in an NFC championship game.
In 1978, following the expiration of his Tampa Bay contract, he returned to Oakland where he remained for the next twelve years as director of player operations, assembling a decade of playoff contenders and adding two more Super Bowl wins to an already impressive resume.
Ron left the Raiders in 1990 for a year with the New York Jets. But the Green Bay Packers were looking to replace their general manager in 1991 and Ron took the job. He began immediately to execute one of the most dramatic turnarounds in NFL history, leading the Pack’s return to consistent contender status, a return culminating in a Super Bowl victory in back-to-back appearances. Of his mission, he said simply, “I came here to win.”
While his personnel decisions garnered the most publicity – hiring Mike Holmgren, drafting Reggie White, and trading for a little known back-up quarterback named Brett Favre – his effect on the organization was more sweeping. He quickly recognized that Green Bay’s problems ran deeper than players-in-uniform. His task was to change an entire organizational culture.
He converted Green Bay from perennial also-rans into consistent winners, exemplified by the fact that they have mounted the NFL's best regular-season won-lost record since the 1993 institution of free agency. Ron is recognized as among the sport’s premier executives and has been named accordingly by The Sporting News and is a member of the Packer Hall of Fame. Now retired, he calls taking Green Bay from “worst to first” and restoring the NFL’s most storied franchise to its rightful place as his greatest career accomplishment. His philospophy is the basis for his book, The Packer Way: Nine Stepping Stones to Building a Successful Organization, a work that is far more than a memoir. It is a guide to changing any organization into a winning organization and sustaining that position. The Packer Way is used in the corporate world as a guide to transformational leadership.
2012 Commencement Now Available on You Tube Channel
The entire 2012 commencement is available for viewing on ths SYCSD
YouTube channel. Go to: www.syc.k12.pa.us. Go to “Warrior TV;” then to “Web Broadcasts;” and
then to “Special Features.”
ALUMNI PRIDE” AND MORE ON WARRIOR TV WEBCAST
Joshua Chronister ‘94 Jeff & Joy (Keller) Brown ‘74 Susan Barnhart ‘85
Todd Stiffler ’85 Anne Druck ‘83 Daniel Jesse Mays ‘43
Dave Seitz ‘53 Bob Williams ‘52 Kevin Krebs ‘94
Mark Rill ‘99 Lisa Myers ‘89 Jeff Garner ‘95
Roberta Thoman ‘65 Darryl Engler ‘65 Jack Hedrick ‘55
Daryl McCullough ‘82 Kevin Angle ‘97 Bobbie (Clark) Lamond ‘88
Eric Thiegs ‘91 Robert Wolf ‘58 Bruce Bauman ‘ 67
Jeff Molinsky ’97 Paul Rego, 97 Doug Walters ’03
Ronnie (’85) and Rob (’89) McCoury Erica Shallcross ‘08
Click here for link to Alumni Pride and other Warrior Webcast features
Alumni will also be fascinated with the district’s new ‘YouTube’ channel, a showcase for the creative talents of Susquehannock students. In addition to alumni features, the channel includes a treasure house of productions originally broadcast on the School District cable channel 99. Click here for a direct link to the YouTube Channel. The station manager for Warrior TV is alumnus Mark Rill ’99. Another alumnus, Tim Hare ’94, is the station’s faculty advisor. Click here for a link to Warrior T.V. Programming.
GOLF TOURNAMENT RAISES FOUNDATION FUNDS
The sixth annual Susquehannock High School Celebrity Golf Tournament raised more than $13,000 toward scholarships and Susquehannock Alumni programs. The money will help fund a future scholarship for one senior student for each varsity sport, for a total of 24 scholarships. The funds raised will also be used toward continued work on the Susquehannock Alumni Field House and other Susquehannock Alumni Association activities. Jeff Joy, representative of the Susquehannock Alumni Association and Athletic Director Chuck Abbott, on behalf of the All Sports Booster Club, presented a check for $13,105 to the Southern York County School District Foundation. The two organizations co-sponsored the annual golf tournament. The event brought a record number of golfers this year along with an outstanding group of local celebrities, Abbott said. This year’s golf tournament surpassed the $11,600 that was raised from last year’s event. (In the photo, representatives from the All Sports Booster Club and the Susquehannock Alumni Association present a check to the SYCSD Foundation; featured, left to right, are Foundation Director Bruce Bauman, Foundation President Glenn Geiple, Susquehannock Athletic Director Chuck Abbott, and Foundation Director and Alumni Association Steering Committee Member Jeff Joy.)
There will be a pre-game social at the Glen Rock American Legion on Friday night. The Saturday banquet will be held at The American Saloon. Contact Richard Stoner at 717-779-5275 or email to:
A weekend event to include a tour of the high school and a banquet at Bon Air Country Club is in the planning stages. Contact Stan Bortner at 717-433-5996 or [email protected].
Class of 1967 45th
Reunion July 21, 2012
A banquet is planned at the Great American Saloon in Red Lion. More details to come. Contact Janet Heathcote – [email protected].
Class of 1972 40TH
Reunion TBA
The Class of 1992 is organizing for its 40th reunion and is in need of a coordinator. Contact Diane Edsall Winter
The reunion will be held 7:00 pm – 12:00 midnight at Hereford Fire Hall, 516 Monkton Road, Hereford, MD. The event will begin at the Homecoming football game on the preceding Friday night. Contact Dennis Schwanke at
717-891-0313; [email protected]; For additional information – go to www.syc.12.pa.us/SusquehannockHigh.cfm.
Class of 1988 25th
Reunion
November 24, 2013
The class is organization its 25th reunion celebration. Contact Laura Duryea at [email protected]. 717-683-
5198
Class of 1992 20th
Reunion
The Class of 1992 is organization for its 20th reunion. Conact Heather Capezion at:
The recipients of the prestigious 2012 Shipley Distinguished Acheivement Awards were honored at a Ceremony at Sovereign Bank Stadium on May 6. The Awards are presented to teams or athletes who have achieved at the highest level attainable within Pennsylvania or at the national or international level. The following Suskie graduates were among the honored.
Hannah Bentz ‘12: The senior libero was named to the 2011 PVCA Class AA All-State girls volleyball team. At Susquehannock, she helped the Warriors win the YAIAA Division II and District 3 crowns. The 2011 squad also advanced to the PIAA state semifinals.
Kaycee Franz ‘12: As an outside hitter, senior Kaycee was also a key member of the outstanding 2011 girls volleyball Warrior squad and was named to the AA All-state squad.
Chelsey Bryant ‘12: Also a senior, Chelsey was selected to the state AA all-star field hockey squad. In addition, she was named YAIAA Division II player-of-the-year and led the Warriors to a Division II title.
Sherelle Walker ‘12: Sherelle was granted a Special Acheivement Award for being named to the All-state AA Volleyball squad for the second consecutive year. She will be playing Division I NCAA volleyball for University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC).
Troy Chiloat ’11: As a Penn-State-York freshman, Troy was named a 2011 United States Collegiate Soccer Association All-American.
Kylie Carrington ’08: The junior setter was named a 2010 American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III All-American. At Frostburg State University, she already holds the school’s all-time assist record.
Get on the bus! We’re going to see Randy Edsall, ‘76
and the Maryland Terrapins
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Join the Susquehannock High School Alumni Association for a visit to College Park, MD to see Head Coach Randy Edsall, ’76, as the Maryland Terps match up with the University of Connecticut Huskies. The motor coach will leave Susquehannock High School at 8:00 a.m. and will return immediately following post-game tail gating. The cost is $80 per person, which includes transportation and game ticket.
Once again, we have been graciously invited to a pre-game and post-game tail gate party hosted by alumnus Larry Doll. There is no additional cost for the tail gate party. Larry is a SHS 1967 alumnus featured in our October 2011 Alumni Newsletter. His firm, Drexel Hamilton, was recently featured in the New York Times for their work with employing disabled veterans.
With a reputation as a top-notch builder, leader and recruiter, Randy Edsall is in his second season as Maryland's head football coach. Edsall, a Susquehannock High School alum, previously spent 12 seasons as head coach at the University of Connecticut where he took the program from FCS (formerly Division I-AA) status to five bowl games, including a BCS contest. Edsall, who was hired in 2011 as the 34th head coach in Maryland history, guided the Huskies to a pair of Big East Conference titles (2007, 2010) and postseason appearances in each of his final four years, including the 2011 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. The 2010 Big East Coach of the Year, who also had a successful run as an NFL assistant, led UConn to eight or more wins in each of the last four seasons as the Huskies successfully made the ascent to the FBS (formerly Division I-A). In fact, Connecticut was 33-19 over Coach Edsall’s last four seasons, including a pair of bowl wins.
REGISTER NOW TO RESERVE YOUR SPACE! The trip is limited to the first 44 registrations received.
Send completed form to: SHS Alumni, SYCSD, PO Box 128, Glen Rock, PA 17327
