The Lower Dauphin Alumni Association
Providing over 33 Years of Service to the
Students and Alumni of LDHS
1989 - Present
The Lower Dauphin Alumni Association was founded in 1989 as part of a plan to collect and preserve historical artifacts, design fundraising projects to support student activities and academics, and as a contact point for alumni. The official organizational meeting of the Lower Dauphin Alumni Association (LDAA) was held on April 15, 1989 where by-laws were approved and officers elected. By June LDAA had 600 members. That fall LDAA participated in the Homecoming activities, began a newsletter, and formed a scholarship committee. Homecoming 1990 saw the first appearance of the Alumni Band, a crowd-pleasing group that makes a now annual appearance at the football game. We also entered a float featuring former Homecoming Queens and held a dinner-dance. For the past several years the Alumni Cheerleaders have made an appearance at Homecoming games and are a great favorite with the sports fans.
Founding:
Convener – Dr. Judith T. Witmer, then Principal for Academics, LDHS, later Asst. to the Supt., LDSD
First meeting – April 15, 1989
Founding Members: Catherine Reed Eshenour ’66; Marjorie Park Cassel ’65; Russel E. Cassel; Carl W. Espenshade ’62; Nancy L. Hivner ’72; Elizabeth Musser Radle ’62; Joseph M. Snavely ’83; Jean Deimler Seibert ’65; Kirk (Wade) Seibert ’65.
Current Officers: President Kris Neibert Eisenbise '81; 1st Vice President Carl Espenshade'61; 2nd Vice President tbd; Secretary Kathy Imhof Weber '74; Treasurer George Kline '72; Corresponding Secretary Barbara Olson Bowser '62
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Current Board Members: Susan Petrina ’65, Elaine Mader Royer ’65, Gloria Shertzer Mader ’61. Number of members – technically anyone who was graduated from LDHS 14,000; sustaining (supporting membership) members – approx. 600
Ex Officio: Dr. Judith Witmer
LDAA is an independent organization, not funded by the school district.
Purpose: to collect and preserve historical artifacts, design fundraising projects to support student activities and academics, and plan programs by which alumni continue their involvement in their Alma Mater.
Alumni Cheerleaders
Activities and contributions:
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Board meets monthly
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Sponsored the Golden Jubilee: 50th Anniversary Celebration, 2010
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Maintain a database of alumni addresses
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Publish an Alumni Directory – Latest in 2015
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Active in Homecoming and Alumni Recognition
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Homecoming 1989 – first participation ; 1990 – first Alumni Band and a float featuring past Homecoming Queens; later, Alumni Cheerleaders
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Various groups are honored at Homecoming; the following to date: wrestlers, football teams, field hockey, the first Championship Football Team (1960), the band, and major half-time program in 2010 honoring the undefeated “Team ’70”, Distinguished Alumni Awards.
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Falcon Pride newsletter, began fall 1989
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Purchase and Installation of a Falcon Pride sign board in the gymnasium
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Purchase and Installation of an Award Plaque honoring LDAA scholarship winners
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Scholarship, supported by the Falcon Alumni Trust. We have awarded twenty-nine scholarships since the inception of the award in 1990. We manage several other scholarships funded by various alumni groups and individuals.
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Installation of Alumni Lobby which includes a large walk-in Show Case used for museum quality exhibits that change several times a year
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Honor Distinguished Alumni: Refer to Distinguished Alumni/Alumnus page for updated list.
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Alumni Band
est. 1990
LDAA: Did You Know???
The Lower Dauphin Alumni Association (LDAA) was founded in 1989 and that year participated in Homecoming, started a newsletter, and established a scholarship.
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Homecoming 1990 was the first appearance of the LDAA Alumni Band. We also entered a float featuring former Homecoming Queens and held a dinner-dance.
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We established a trust fund to provide scholarships for graduating seniors.
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We began to collect items of historical importance, such as yearbooks, programs from music and sports events, photos, scrapbooks, uniforms, pennants, the LD Bible, and class schedule cards. These are catalogued and preserved.
In the 1990s we sponsored a Sports Complex Committee which brought together former athletes, community leaders and others to support a feasibility study in response to the need for more playing fields.
LDAA organized sponsorships of folding chairs to be used by the winter sports teams and has provided signage for the gymnasium, proclaiming FALCON PRIDE!
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We honored the 1960 Championship football team and all LD football captains on their fortieth anniversary of Falcon Football
We paid tribute to the Big Blue Band at Homecoming 2002.
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We serve as a trustee for class gifts, support various school activities, and sponsored a directory of alumni names and addresses.
We also undertook a major capital improvement project by installing a large Falcon mosaic (a gift of the Class of 1988) and building an imposing Alumni Memorabilia Showcase, paid for by alumni donations, in the entrance lobby that contains the history and mementos of Lower Dauphin High School.
We published Loyal Hearts Proclaim: The First Fifty Years, a history of LDHS.
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We purchased a field banner to be used for football games, band competitions, and other events.
In 2010-2011 we held a Golden Jubilee.
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We award scholarships and our website is now into it's second year!
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Want to help? Contact ldalumni@ldsd.org.
