Lucille Machon has seen many, many high school graduating classes honored at the Boothbay Region Alumni Association banquet. After a year of not holding a banquet due to waning interest, the Alumni Association scheduled a good time to start up the tradition again this year.

Machon, 97, was in attendance Sunday's event and was honored as the oldest alumni; her class, the class of 1934, graduated 80 years ago. We're not sure if she has any living classmates but it was nice to see that Lucille was able to make it to the event and be, perhaps, the oldest alumni ever to be honored at the event. She even stood to a round of applause from the 100-plus people in attendance.

Association President Lynn Gilley Martin got the (hopefully now, annual) event started by welcoming the guests of honor, the BRHS class of 2014, as they entered the gym to a standing ovation to take their seats.

As guests, the graduating seniors were given first dibs at the buffet table, provided by Lisa Orne Hallinan and others.

After the dinner, Martin made special mention of two classes who were celebrating special anniversaries, the class of 1944 (70 years), with five members present and the class of 1954 (60 years) with five members present.

Guest speaker for the event was Stephanie Bourette Hawke, class of 1984. Hawke, who co-owns Hawke Motors with her husband, Andy, talked about what life was like in high school in 1984, with no computers, no cell phones, no Facebook and "waiting days for your pictures to be developed from your 110 cameras."

"I didn't take advantage of what school had to offer," Hawke said. "I headed south to Florida after graduation with no plans, no job, but after a couple of years, I came home."

Hawke talked about her days running the Carriage House Restaurant in East Boothbay and never realizing how hard it was going to be.

"You're 18 and you think you have it all figured out, but you'll change direction," Hawke told the class of 2014. "Whatever you do, give it your all ... volunteer, take the time to have class reunions and stay friends."

School Principal Dan Welch followed Hawke at the podium and praised the class of 2014 for being a close unit but being diverse at the same time.

"I tried to come up with a few words to describe this class, but they are all so different and talented," Welch said. "There are amazing athletes, artists, builders, those that spend time on boats, those that love academics, musicians and others."

In his message to the class, Welch concluded by telling them to "be the best you can be, no matter what. Best wishes and go out, not by adhering to those of us wishing for you to make us proud ... go out and make yourself proud."

As is tradition, a roll call of each decade's alumni were asked by Martin to stand and be recognized. The decade having the most alumni in attendance was 1980 to 1989.