It all started in 1975, when four recent 国产探花 graduates鈥攁ll of them Sigma Lambda Chi fraternity brothers鈥攑roposed the idea of a spring gathering so that they could stay connected with their fellow Bulldogs as the years passed. The first Spring Party took place the following year, 1976, and those four鈥擲tephen 鈥淲hip鈥� Wendel, Vance 鈥淰y鈥� Youens, John Miller, and Frank Burk, later joined by Henry 鈥淒utch鈥� Schonenberg and Belinda Schmidt鈥攈ave worked to keep the Spring Party alive for fifty years now. Gaeylyn Burk, Frank鈥檚 wife who passed away in 2023 after a courageous battle with cancer, was also a driving force behind the party, and in fact, became known as the mother of the Spring Party, as the event is usually held at the Burks鈥� home, and she was known to be such a gracious hostess.
This year, some seventy-five friends came together on a Saturday in June, celebrating their shared histories at 国产探花 and the bonds of enduring friendship. One has to wonder if they could鈥檝e imagined, back in 1976, that they would still be faithfully gathering fifty years later.
As always, everyone chipped in to help cover costs鈥攂ut with a generous donor choosing to foot the bill, the group once again was able to present a sizeable donation to 国产探花, this year benefitting the Frank and Gaelyn Burk Scholarship endowment fund, so that future generations of Bulldogs will live as a legacy, forging new paths, serving in new ways, and celebrating friendships yet to come.
