SHELBURNE FALLS — The remaining alumni of Arms Academy gathered over the weekend to celebrate their 10th all-class reunion, with alumni coming from across the U.S. and Canada to remember their alma mater.

Every five years, the living members of all graduating classes of the former Arms Academy on Severance Street — now home to the Shelburne Historical Society — have the chance to reminisce about their high school days by gathering for a parade in Shelburne Falls. In advance of Saturday’s parade, 40 alumni gathered for a celebration on Friday, and a reunion luncheon on Saturday attracted 130 alumni and their guests.

The alums lined up on Conway Street, with members of the oldest classes taking their place at the front of the parade and the more recent graduating classes following suit. Individual floats and vehicles were dedicated to each of the classes. The Shelburne Falls Military Band was also part of the festivities.

Some classes, like the Class of 1956 and Class of 1965, had a wagon attached to a truck to pull the small groups of alums. Meanwhile, a small convertible carried the oldest alumna of the day: 99-year-old Marion Stafford of Colrain, who graduated in 1943.

“I think it’s awesome,” reunion co-organizer and Class of 1965 graduate Marlene Field of Shelburne said of getting her classmates back together every few years, with the last reunion being held in 2022 due to pandemic-related delays.

“We had wonderful times,” she added about her experience at Arms Academy, adding that this class camaraderie is something she believes has been lost for newer generations. “Things have changed. They don’t have this anymore and I think it’s too bad.”

Arms Academy was a high school for primarily Buckland, Shelburne and Colrain students prior to the opening of Mohawk Trail Regional School in 1967, which serves nine hilltowns. Arms Academy opened in 1833 and closed after 85 years of operation, with the last class of seniors graduating in 1967. The other classes of freshmen, sophomores and juniors transferred to Mohawk Trail. These classes were also honored on Saturday to recognize their attendance at the academy.

Prior to the start of the parade, members of the Class of 1956 recalled their time at the academy, with Bill Peck of Colorado remembering the impact his science teacher, Edward Frude, had on him. Frude was named Massachusetts Teacher of the Year in 1960.

Colrain resident Joan McQuade recalled the fun she had with her classmates and community, while also feeling proud of her education.

“We didn’t have a lot of pressure. We just had fun, and when we had a group party or something, everybody was invited. It didn’t matter whether you were in the class or not, you just went,” McQuade, 86, said. “It was just a wonderful feeling to be there, and little did we know at that time that we were getting the best education from anywhere around because of our teachers.”

As the oldest remaining member of the Arms Academy alumni, Stafford, who turns 100 on July 30, said she remembers her time at the school during World War II. She said she can recall the bombings at Pearl Harbor “like it was yesterday.” After her time at the academy, she went on to become a nurse and have a family. Two of her six grandchildren, Casey Ryan and Jordan Alber, joined her in Saturday’s parade.

“When I went to Arms Academy, I was the one country bumpkin. I’ve never been anywhere, and I thought it was the height of sophistication when you got to go to Arms Academy,” Stafford recalled, mentioning a glass corridor she would pass through to get to her classes.

Now, 81 years after graduating, Stafford said she loves coming to the reunion. She recognizes that, between the last reunion in 2022 and now, she became the last living member of her class.

“I can’t die,” Stafford said. “I love to see everybody.”

With many of the remaining alumni in their 70s and beyond, McQuade said she appreciated the chance to connect with some of the younger classes of Arms Academy. She expressed a desire for the younger alumni to keep this reunion tradition going.

“I don’t know if it’ll be the last or not,” she said, “but we’ll see. The younger group has to be encouraged to come forth and carry on.”

Erin-Leigh Hoffman can be reached at ehoffman@recorder.com or 413-930-4231.