We thought some of you would be interested in how this web site came into being.  Actually, three old hens hatched it.  The following is our story, as submitted for publication in current southern West Virginia newspapers:
 

"What was formerly known as Welch High School has been retrieved from the echoes of
the past. Three former students of Welch High School have put the “Maroon Wave” on
the Internet.

In 1978,  Welch High School was closed and moved to to Toms Mountain. Later, Gary,
and Northfork-Elkhorn were also closed and moved to the mountain to form Mount View
High School.  This shut down a link to a lot of memories for former students.

Don Juan Collins Skuja and Nancy Dawson  from the class of 1961, and Barbara Dawson
Cassell from the class of 1957, recently got together and decided to create the Welch High
School Alumni Web Site.

The web site is a part of the Almost Heaven Internet Web Ring and is also listed as a local
link at the Bluefield Daily Telegraph’s online web site.

The purpose of this web site is to provide an electronic gathering point for former students
to keep in touch with classmates and friends of former students of Welch High School.
One comment recently made by a person who visited the web site and signed the guest
book clarifies this objective:  “Thanks to all of you for putting this page together. I have
received e-mail from classmates that I have not heard from in 34 years. If I can be of any
help, let me know. I read the page every day and if I have time I check in
several times a day to see who has signed on.  Again thank  you for the fun I am having .
It is almost as good as a reunion.”

Reunions and special events will be posted on the web site. There is a currently a link to a
web page explaining the history of “the barrel”. The Welch High School web site also has
a guest book page which already includes entries from persons who were On the Hill from
the 1940s through the 1970s.  A page providing news about the year 2000 reunion for the
70’s students was recently added.  Plans are underway to provide a “Walk Down Memory
Lane” page which will include photos and a ‘50’s medley background.  A page
commemorating the teachers of Welch High School is also on the drawing board.  And,
many other comments and suggestions the “parents” of the web site are receiving, such as
forming an email news group,  are being taken into consideration.  The web site will
continue to expand as more people get involved.

The three women who came up with this idea were all at one time writers for the Welch
school paper, the Maroon Wave, under the direction of Mrs. Jeanette Bivens, journalism
teacher at Welch High School. Mrs. Bivens instilled in the women the knowledge, will.
and the love of journalism to continue in other fields, including electronic journalism.
Also, while students at Welch High School, they each wrote a column about school news
for the Welch Daily News. They found each other and got together again by means of the
Internet!!  They accomplished publication of this web site relying solely on the Internet
and electronic mail to share ideas and review each other’s input.

So, find an old friend.  Click on and check out the Welch High School Alumni Web Site
at:
 http://www.upws.com/web/maroonwave/WHschool.htm"

( the web site has since been relocated to https://maroonwave.tripod.com/home.html)
 

We are so grateful to all of you who have signed the guest book and for all of the kind and supportive messages we have received.  Even people who attended neighboring schools have conveyed their appreciation of the web site.

Please send us any suggestions which you feel will make this venture more useful and enjoyable.
 

 Barbara Dawson Cassell
 Nancy Dawson
 Donnie Skuja