Retro RFH Graduation Traditions — Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect

Our annual RFH graduation reprise in honor of the RFH Class of 2023 … Congrats!

RFHers did the graduation walk on Friday. And it’s a walk that has veered off onto different paths over the years — but always to Pomp & Circumstance.

Wow. So much has changed, yet stayed the same. The venue has gone from the RFH Borden Stadium to the front lawn to the Borden Stadium and the football field again to the RFH auditorium and mixed up and around over the years. Now it’s at the Monmouth University. And two years ago, in pandemic times, the venue was outside, masked and virtual. Now it’s back to Monmouth again for the second year out of pandemic graduation times.

Even the girls’ and boys’ color scheme has been changed from purple gowns with white sashes for boys and white gowns with purple sashes for girls to purple gowns for all with white sashes. But, the colors are still purple and white. The school colors have never changed. The RFH mascot is still a bulldog. The iconic RFH tower is still there. And, graduation is still a bittersweet time.

RFH in the 1970s Photo/George Day — RFH in the 1970s
Photo/George Day

The future lies ahead for teens to grow, reinvent themselves and learn and oftentimes stumble into adulthood. But, left behind are those days of, well … that depends.

No matter what, memories of high school times are always implanted somewhere in the recesses of minds even the most resistant to them.

Remembering those times, kooky as they may have been, brings at least one smile to the face over the years, especially when graduating into days of the dark dinosaur ages of RFH grads.

So, from the dinosaur of ’78 to the Class of 2023: Congrats! Remember and treasure!

Here’s your Retro Pic(s) of the (George) Day … a look back to graduation of the class of ’79 graduating on the football field. Recognize any of the class? Teachers? Administrators?

Thanks again to George Day for these great looks back!

— Elaine Van Develde, RFH Class of ’78