To all present and former students, teachers and staff of Orcas Island schools:

In 1956 the Orcas Island School District began making plans for a new gymnasium to replace the aging gym at the school.  The wood-frame schoolhouse had been replaced by the brick building a few years earlier.  Now it was time to take down the old gym and build a new one.  The Orcas Island community approved the bond to build a new gymnasium at the annual school election on March 13, 1956.

Plans were made for a gymnasium with plenty of seating for spectators at basketball games, a stage for events with backstage preparation rooms and spacious shower and locker rooms.  A public dedication was held for the completed building in October of 1957.  The Gothic-arch roof, also known as a rainbow roof style chosen for the new gym, supported by curved laminated beams, amazed and delighted the community.

The population of Orcas increased over the years and the brick school building could no longer accommodate grades one through 12, so a new high-school was built along with a new gym for the upper level students. And that was when our beautiful gym became the “Old Gym.”

As our school continues to improve its facilities with the current remodeling of the middle school/library/cafeteria, this might be the time to think about giving our beloved gymnasium a memorable name.

Let’s take some time to come up with a suitable name for our nearly 60-year-old gym, which may now be “old” in one sense, but is still in great condition as it serves the needs of our community. Of course, the gym could simply be named for the grade levels that use it, but there are likely some great ideas out there among the members of our well-educated, creative community.

Betty Jean Rodenberger

Class of 1965