By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY
Salina Post
St. John’s Military School, Salina, Kansas, May 11, 2019, Final Order: Congratulations on 131 years of excellence. St. John’s Military School, Salina, Kansas, is hereby officially deactivated by order of Colonel William J. Clark, President.
With that being read at the conclusion of commencement ceremonies Saturday, the school that had been a fixture at the north end of Santa Fe for so many years, became history.
The sun occasionally peeked through the heavy gray clouds Saturday morning, somewhat setting the tone for the final commencement ceremony in the school’s history.
In early February, the school announced that for financial reasons, it would be closings its doors at the end of the current school year.
Hundreds of people turned out for the end-of-the-year and end-of-the school activities this weekend. More than 300 Old Boys — St. John’s alumni — were there, as were parents of current and graduating students. There even were some parents of Old Boys in attendance.
All were there to support the graduates and to say goodbye to the school they loved; the school that made such a positive impact on so many young men’s lives.
Native Salinan Duckers recalls her time at St. John’s Military School
As the First Infantry Division Band from Fort Riley played Pomp and Circumstance, the Class of 2019 processed across Browning Parade Field through a column of undergraduate cadets to the front of Jack Vanier Hall.
Lieutenant Colonel Randall Hoppe, chairman of the board at St. John’s, spoke of the history of the school from a personal perspective.
“As we go through today’s ceremony, we’ll also be celebrating 131 years of helping young men reach their potential that they may not have otherwise achieved. I’m one of those former cadets that without the foresight of my parents and the family of staff here at St. John’s I would not be standing before you,” Hoppe said. “I have the deepest appreciation now — at the time I probably didn’t — for Colonel Keith Duckers, Lieutenant Colonel Paul Kellogg, colonels Farber, Loy, and Guernsey, and the entire St. John’s Military School Family.”
Hoppe continued, “Though today I say farewell to St. John’s in a physical sense, St. John’s Military School will live on in my heart and in my memories forever, and I hope it will for all of you as well.”
Dale Browning, headmaster at St. John’s and an Old Boy himself, spoke of the St. John’s family and of brotherhood.
“Can you believe this? This school, for this one commencement, has attracted over 300 graduates and Old Boys of this school. Gentlemen, I am so proud of you. Thank you so much,” Browning said. “They are decent young people. Many of them have gone on to extremely successful careers. I cherish the time that I have had with them over this weekend.”
Browning said that of his 18-member graduating class, four members are still alive.
“And do you know all four of us know each other and communicate with each other constantly,” Browning said. “Gentlemen, I hope all of you have that relationship with one another.”
Browning said the cadets’ and Old Boys’ love for St. John’s wasn’t the physical campus. It was, he said, for each other.
According to Browning, the St. John’s Board of Trustees is trying to “put together some scenerios that will perpetuate the antiquities and the legacy of this school.”
“We hope it is going to be Linger (the building on the corner of Ninth and Otis). We don’t know if that’s going to be a fact. That’s our goal. It’s our goal also to move all of the artifacts, the senior pictures, everything from St. John’s to that building and store it,” Browning said. “We hope, too, that once we get that done, in short order, that we can have reunions there.”
“We have some options that are being explored that help to perpetuate providing services to young people who need it. That’s our goal,” he added.
After Cadet Battalion Commander Philip Tabor, Colorado Springs, Colo., gave his farewell remarks, he was honored by being named this year’s salutatorian. Kenneth Golden, Katy, Texas, was named valedictorian.
Other members of the Class of 2019 at St. John’s Military School include the following.
Andres Ayala
El Paso, Texas
Christopher Bergman
Chicago, Ill.
Daniel Bright
Scottsdale, Ariz.
Ethan Broome
San Anselmo, Calif.
Robert Conde-Reed
Wichita, Kan.
Parker Diehl
Holcomb, Kan.
James Evans
Sour Lake, Texas
Joshua Jeffries
St. Louis, Mo.
William Kaczor
Los Angeles, Calif.
Christopher Martin
San Anselmo, Calif.
Alexander Neroni
Georgetown, S.C.
Kecheng Qian
Qidong, China
Blake Wedelstedt
Leawood, Kan.
After the Class of 2019 received their diplomas, all cadets and the Old Boys formed a circle around Browning Parade Field for the Handle Ceremony. It is fortunate that the parade field wasn’t any smaller as the circle went from edge to edge in all directions.
The tradition was begun in 1981. Old Boy Jack Vanier rescued the front door handle from the fire ravaged Vail Hall in 1978. Prior to the fire, every St. John’s cadet had held the handle to enter the building. Since 1981, all graduating cadets and Old Boys have continued to do so. Because this was the final year of the school’s existence, undergraduate cadets were allowed to participate in the ceremony.
After the handle ceremony, the corps of cadets passed in one final review. At the conclusion, the St. John’s flag was rolled, enshrouded in a case and marched off the parade field as a bag piper played Amazing Grace.
Before Tabor relayed the order to dismiss the corps of cadets for the final time, he order the cadets to do pushups while loudly thanking their parents, much to the amusement of the Old Boys.