There's a lot of gray hair — or in some cases, none — and a few of them walk with canes now, but for the 100-plus Church College of Hawaii alumni holding their Mega Reunion on campus from July 24-27, they still show an abundance of Seasider spirit as well as aloha for each other and their alma mater.
Following BYU-Hawaii's Golden Jubilee 50th anniversary celebration in 2005, alumni who attended the university between 1955-64 formed their own constituent group, networked online, expanded to include all CCH alumni through 1974 — when the university's name changed, and began to hold a series of mini-reunions. For example, they met on campus in 2006, in Kona in 2007 and on Kauai earlier this year; but Laie always holds a special place in the hearts of all alumni.
The 2008 Mega Reunion began with an opening session in the McKay Auditorium featuring a historical summary of Latter-day Saint education leading up to the establishment of CCH by Riley Moffat [pictured immediately below], a former BYUH/CCH Alumni Association president and BYUH reference librarian; and a lecture by former two-time CCH student body president and BYUH professor Ishmael Stagner II [pictured at top right], which he originally gave on campus several years ago.
Moffat related how soon after the Saints started to gather to Laie in 1865 the missionaries started a school near where the temple now stands. It was this school where missionary Sisters Flora Amundsen, who later married Ezra Taft Benson, and Billie Hollingshead, who joined the original CCH faculty, taught. When then-Elder David O. McKay of the Quorum of the Twelve visited the school in 1921, he envisioned establishing a Church university in Laie, which finally started taking steps toward reality when he became president of the Church in 1951.
In July 1954 President McKay appointed Dr. Rueben D. Law as the new school's president and told him to be ready to open it in one year. "We have waited too long," the prophet said.
"At the groundbreaking in 1955, President McKay made several important statements pertaining to the mission of the college," Moffat continued: From this school will go men and women whose influence will be felt for good toward the establishment of peace internationally; and in his dedicatory prayer: ...that this college, and this temple and this town of Laie will become a missionary factor influencing not thousands, not tens of thousands, but millions of people who will come seeking to know what this town and its significance are.
"CCH opened in the fall of 1955 in temporary buildings as a two-year college with 20 faculty and staff, and 153 students," said Moffat, who also praised the efforts of the building or labor missionaries.
With the additions and the Polynesian Cultural Center made in the second labor mission from 1960-63, he added, "Laie had been transformed in eight short years from a little plantation village to a college town with a major tourist attraction. The stage was now set for prophecy to be fulfilled. May we continue that vision."
Stagner explained he has been asked many times to repeat his lecture which uses the metaphor of a Hawaiian canoe and paddlers on a journey to demonstrate the success of CCH/BYUH students thus far in establishing peace internationally. First, however, he also thanked "the kahuna kalai wa'a, the master canoe builders — the labor missionaries — who built this campus."
"In a Polynesian canoe, every paddler had a purpose or a function. Paddler number one was the alaka'i — the leader or pacesetter," he said, citing examples from among his former classmates and teachers who exemplified this and each of the following characteristics.
"Undoubtedly the thing I remember and cherish most about my CCH days were my crewmates — classmates and dorm mates," he said [such as Kona Temple president and CCH alumnus Earl Veloria, pictured at left during the 'Ano'Ai reception]. "They were and are the ones I think of now after nearly 50 years of separation and about whom I have the warmest and the tenderest memories."
"The second position in the canoe is the ho'i or the person who helps the others when they have to switch the paddles from one side to the other," Stagner continued, noting the mix of paddlers on both sides of the canoe creates lokahi — a unity or balance of power.
"The next position, number three, is the powerful 'olu'olu — the person who will do the hard work without complaint, fanfare or recognition."
Stagner described the next paddler as "one of the most critical and essential" — the huikala or forgiveness: "Someone who is willing to right the canoe, bail it out and continue to paddle on course. It is one of the hardest positions to fill."
"Finally, you have to have a cosmic guide and goal, thus the final position is the steersman or the akua... So there you have it — alaka'i, lokahi, 'olu'olu, huikala and akua, which put together spell aloha, or love, or peace. The message has never deviated or changed [from] the love, the peace, the aloha that has always guided this school," Stagner said.
Earlier in the opening session, CCH alumni Joe Ah Quin sang a beautiful rendition of Behold Laie, while Phyllis Nihipali Kuamoo did a hula in the background. That evening the alumni also held an 'ano'ai [greeting] reception, which was marked by heavy pupu [refreshments], shared talent and lots of laughing.
(Above): Church College of Hawaii alumni enjoy the 'Ano'ai reception. (Below): CCH constituency group alumni leader Gary Wong (in cowboy hat) teaches fellow classmates to do a western line dance.
The CCH alumni held a variety of workshops on July 25 and visited the Polynesian Cultural Center. The reunion also included a golf tournament and cultural tour. In addition, they will participate in the Laie Days celebration on July 26, hold an Aloha 'Oe banquet that evening, and a special testimony meeting on July 27 starting at 10 a.m. in the Aloha Center Ballroom.
— Photos by 1970 CCH alum Mike Foley
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