I have just finished reading your article regarding the change
in direction of the Sober Graduation Night and feel that I must
respond.
Sober Graduation started in Hollister in 1989 with a group of
parents headed by Mrs. Fran Staben. At that time, the high school
was unwilling to have anything to do with this affair and refused
to provide any space for such an activity. The high school’s
attitude was that once the seniors graduated, they were no longer a
part of the high school community.
I have just finished reading your article regarding the change in direction of the Sober Graduation Night and feel that I must respond.
Sober Graduation started in Hollister in 1989 with a group of parents headed by Mrs. Fran Staben. At that time, the high school was unwilling to have anything to do with this affair and refused to provide any space for such an activity. The high school’s attitude was that once the seniors graduated, they were no longer a part of the high school community.
Mrs. Staben came to me, as the Exalted Ruler of the Lodge at that time, and asked if the Elks could provide a place. The Elks Lodge has served as the location for that activity since its inception. The lodge, in addition to donating its facility, and its kitchen free of charge to the committee also provided all of the soft drinks to the seniors at no charge. The Lodge also provided from two to five members every hour of the activity as additional chaperones.
As far as the issue as to what type of seniors to admit, that decision was always made by the committee of senior parents. The rationale was that the committee, of which I was chairman in 1999, decided that we wanted to have all our students in a safe location. It was our intention to provide safety and security for each student, not to have them submit to isolation and possible exposure to the police. It was the goal to keep all of our seniors out of the hospital, out of jail and out of the morgue. Now, the committee has decided to limit the activity only to already sober students and ignore those who are in the greatest danger on the night of their graduation.
I am also concerned that the tone of the article seemed to suggest that it was the location, the Elks Lodge, which made the event a “sober-up event.” That decision was not made by the location of the event but rather by the parents on the committee. I would also remind the members of the community that absolutely all of the seniors lived through their graduation night during those years and that, without the benevolence of the Elk’s Lodge, there would have been no Sober Graduation activity here in Hollister.
Geoffrey Holland,
Hollister
