Update September 27

Greetings All Good People! One week to go before we need to submit a head count to our caterer. Please place your ticket order by Friday October 4th.

See below for our dinner menu provided by Georgetti’s Market & Catering

ENTREES

Chicken Cacciatore (GF)
Grilled Salmon Tuscany w/yogurt dill sauce and mango salsa on the side
Roasted Pork Loin w/cremini mushrooms, carrots, onions (GF)
Farfalle w/sundried tomato, capers, and young tomatoes

SIDE DISHES

Roasted Potatoes (GF)
Oven Roasted Vegetables (GF)
Rice Milanese

SALAD

Tossed Romaine w/balsamic dressing

Rolls w/Butter Spread (herb oil on table)

DESSERT

Assortment of small sweet or savory bites

Update August 2024

Hello old friends, 

Welcome to Reunion 2024! The date is set for Friday October 18th, when we expect to see old and make new friends. We are updating this website to again serve as our CAS community hub for Reunion 2024 with all the old content intact and new information and updates to come.

In June we were delighted to find the Merchantville Community Center, formerly the Merchantville Country Club, a historic venue built ca. 1916 and deeded to the Borough of Merchantville in 1954 for $1. The MCC space features a large open space seating about 140 on the second floor with an adjoining outdoor deck and smaller meeting space on the entrance level, seating about 60. See the 2024 Information page for more details.

We hope to see many of you in attendance and hope everyone has a great time with conversation, music, maybe creative arts, and delicious food and drink. 

It will be good to see you again, 

The 2024 Reunion Committee; Jeanie, Dave, Bob, Bob, Sharon, and Bill 

PS - The Reunion Committee needs your help to put this show on. Please support us by participating in the advance planning, or helping with setting up on the day of our reunion.

Send your ideas, volunteer offers, comments and resource offers to CinnAlternativeSchool2024@gmail.com .

September 17, 2010

Hi,
Bob Stirner here, CAS class of 1976.
For me the idea or notion of having a Cinnaminson Alternative School reunion has been more than a passing whim for the last 20 years but more of a driving obsession.
Why it has taken so long for me to put dreams into action I cannot explain, life, kids, career perhaps..doesn’t really matter. What does matter is that about 16 months ago over extensive conversations with Bob Glass we bit the bullet, put what little funds that we could amass personally between us and rented the CAS building for a day thus sealing the first ever, all inclusive CAS reunion.
Neither of us had ever embarked upon something like this before but it has proven to be both a learning curve and a major , new life journey one that both of us have relished in it’s endeavor.
Along the way we found or located the entire, original CAS faculty, all live and well.
At first we all kind of ran in circle like a carnival bumper car ride but as the photo’s and memories started to come out so did the original fervor and ridiculous elation that we all felt many years ago in that special place and time called The Alternative School.
Countless hours of planning, pressing the flesh, hugs, time and commitment have been spent off hours, in between life, kids, and careers to recreate ( to the best of our ability’s ) a “day in the life” at CAS. Not a schmatltzy, black tie at the Holiday Inn with a DJ event….an event that lives and breathes the passion , ethos and love of any particular day at the A school.
This has not proven as easy as it may sound…for instance…all of the “video” that we have ( and I am talking HUNDREDS of hours of in the moment stuff ) were shot on a very early Sony platform machine…reel to reel video predating the video cassettes we are all so familiar with. Well, we have the tapes, no machine. We then sourced a guy in Maine whom not only had the machine but duped to DVD..OK, but at 150.00 a reel…times 28 reels!! Not an option, budget doesn’t allow for it, in fact there is NO budget for such things. So I, ( being the Antique / Ebay kind of guy that I am ) found a machine . Well, 4 machines and 475.00 of my own funds later we think that we have one that works. After shop time ( and another aprox 150.00 ) I believe we will be in business.
One might ask WHY we are doing this and the answer is because it IS the difference between the schmaltzy reunion and the reunion of substance AND because it was important to that end.
 
The renting of the old A school was another pivotal part of our trip. Not only do we have the school for any manner of “hang” time but for a first ever community meeting in over 30 years.
Having spent countless hours with Lee and Ray in particular but also Jack and Kyra I can officially report that the “cat is out of the bag” again , the wonderful feeling that we had many years ago has been re kindled and the something, I don’t know exactly what but, something very cool is going to happen , again, that day. My late night conversation’s with John Blair on the phone have been not only fun but comforting and reassuring, absolutely no different than 30 plus years ago when I was 17, scared shitless with no direction…had it not been for him as a teacher, friend and mentor………I dunno.
 
I am personally appealing to all that have NOT paid to PLEASE do so now.
Truly, a scant few have nothing short of conspired to make this happen for all of us. They have devoted much of their time, money and personal strength’s to everyone and have created something much larger and stronger than our “day” in November. A re connecting of the dot’s has taken place, we have literally dunked our heads in old waters that our somehow just as fresh and invigorating now as they were then.
 
I NEED YOUR HELP, to all that have RSVP’d, PLEASE send in your payment’s NOW We have a hard, fixed OCTOBER 11TH DEADLINE for inclusion to the reunion.
Caterer’s have been given deposit’s as have Event ( Tent’s, generator’s, table’s, chair’s etc ) coordinator’s, as have monies for liquor etc. The budget WILL determine scale of the reunion in all aspects.
 
WE WANT TO MAKE THIS THE REUNION THAT MOST OF US THOUGHT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN.
IT WILL HAPPEN, WE WILL ALL BE THERE AND IT WILL PROVE TO BE THE PARTY THAT IS LONG OVERDUE!!!!!!
 
OCTOBER 11TH PAYMENT DEADLINE!!!!!
 
I for one will probably take a literal financial bath on this, BUT I have the comfort of knowing that my years of longing will be satiated, that we ARE going to reunite on that same ground, with the original faculty and student’s and that it WILL be a good.
 
I AM HAPPY.
 
PLEASE SEND IN YOUR PAYMENTS, it would help reduce my stomach acid level greatly.
 
See ya in November.
 
Love and affection to all.
                                                Bob Stirner

March 24, 2010

Our goals for the reunion are SLOWLY coming into place, Kyra attended the last planning meeting and it was great to see her!!
Our short list still factors around rounding up as many CAS students as we can and believe me when I say that we have been diligent in our efforts. The fact remains that we are still shy over half of the attending student body and that we greatly need everyone's help on this.
Many folks we know are coming yet have not yet climbed aboard the website guestbook or classmates section. It is important for all to get aboard as it creates even more excitement about the reunion as time passes. Many however are completely unaccounted for and this is where YOU come in. If everyone currently visiting this site took a  proactive stance to encourage other students ( either those that we are aware know about the reunion of or not ) to climb aboard, our mission and monetary goals would be met shortly. This might require reaching out, making a few calls and maybe having to repeat those calls to encourage folks to climb on the reunion train and to provide us with their email addresses for contact.
Truly the reunion has been an absolute labor of love and has been driven solely by our love and passion to make it happen in the RIGHT fashion, at the old A school and in the old A school spirit and philosophy.
Truly also all initial funds came out of scant few pockets as we did not have the luxury of an alumni association structure or purse.
It has taken 30 something years to make this reunion finally happen so NOW is the time to pledge both your personal and ( more importantly at this juncture ) MONETARY support for our, VERY SPECIAL reunion !!! If you have not yet sent in your monies for tickets PLEASE do so!! If you are able to donate time, services or money...even better!!
My involvement and participation in the reunion has been an incredibly personal and emotional endevour but it would seem that ALL of you share in those same, special, amazing emotions that we shared together between 72-77.
A true, community action is needed here to grow our base and to realize our dream to reunite the Cinnaminson Alternative School at LEAST one more time!!! I relish seeing you all again REALLY soon!!! 
Bob Stirner

February 21, 2010

We met with the representatives from the Footlighter's Theater last week and we have signed the contract and given the deposit for our Reunion.  They have offered us full access to the building the day before for decorating and setup and they have approved our plans for the tent and facilities setup.

We are on our way!

Cheers,

Bob G




February 2, 2010         

Hello Everyone,                                       

Here is an update on where we are....

Our second Reunion planning meeting was held last night.  Attended by: Lee O, Ray S. Bob S. Bob G. Donna C, Cindy P, Randy L and Jack Hinger!  It was an absolute delight seeing Jack after all these years.  I can attest to you that he still commands a fantastic sense of humor.  He insists that he "does not belong on the internet" so you may not see his input on the website but he is on the bus and fully along for the ride.

Some committee members have been fielding questions from some people asking "what are we getting for $100.00?  The short answer is A LOT.  We are renting the school for the entire day from 8:00 am to 12:00 am.  Dues to the space constraints inside the school a massive event tent will be setup in the parking lot, where dinner, dance, drinks and delight will be served up.  We are lining up one of the areas top caterers.  Entertainment, photographers and a few surprises are also in store.  We have waited 30 years for this so we are committed to bring everyone a memorable event.  Without going into great detail (leave that to the planning committee) you can do the math yourself... Rentals, tent, generators, heaters, food and drinks all add up.  Deposits for all these things are all coming due in the next few months.  So PLEASE, PLEASE PLEASE, when we send out our next notice to request you to purchase your tickets do so as soon as you can.  There will be some cool incentives offered for early ticket purchasers.  Remember that your ticket price is 100% refundable if you discover down the road you can not make the event.

Furthermore...

Check out the Sponsorship page.  We will be listing (within a week) items for the event that you or your company can sponsor.

Check out the picture of Jack in the photo album section that we took last night.

Please take some time a make sure that every classmate you have contact information for knows about the Reunion and the website.

And most of all get ready to have a great time!

Cheers,

Bob Glass