Thirty years ago a group of young individuals known as the Class of 1993 eagerly awaited their graduation from Fresno Christian High School. Little did they know that this momentous occasion would be marked by the absence of their beloved senior spoon.
The Senior Spoon of 1993 was not your typical kitchen utensil; it was a large wooden spoon, its surface covered in the signatures of each and every student in bold permanent ink. This unique tradition had its roots in the eccentricity of Doug Greene, a beloved leadership teacher known for his peculiar sense of humor.
He made it his mission to hide the spoon within the ceiling panels of his classroom, thus beginning a treasure hunt. The seniors carried the spoon everywhere they went, including formal events like Sadie’s and Homecoming! As fate would have it, on the very last day of school, after the tearful goodbyes and speeches, Alumnus Koby Johns, a member of the Class of ’93, stumbled upon the spoon.
It lay atop his notes in the empty auditorium after his graduation speech – a discovery that left him both bewildered and shocked.
Although the exact significance of the spoon remained hazy, Johns couldn’t help but feel that it was a symbol of service, a reminder of the selflessness they should carry into their adult lives. Intrigued by this relic, Johns decided to perpetuate the tradition. He took it upon himself to gift the current class of seniors with their very own wooden kitchen spoon and a new commission.
Johns had multiple opportunities to reveal the fact that he was the one in possession of the spoon, but just never felt led to do so. When he was invited to teach at the Fresno Christian Class of ’24 Senior Retreat, he felt moved to present the symbolic memento.
“It seemed like the right place and time for a new generation to rediscover it,” Johns said. The spoon had followed him his entire senior year, and he had no idea as to the message that it was supposed to convey. However, as time progressed he realized “…that the spoon was symbolic of serving others and the mixing of ingredients.”
On the last day of their senior retreat at Hume Lake, students spent their evening around a crackling bonfire under a star-studded sky. Each senior etched their signatures onto the spoon. But this act was more than a simple signature; it was a promise, a commitment to always remember their fellow classmates and to be a friend.
As the seniors signed the spoon, they silently made personal vows to reach out and care for one another, regardless of the diverse paths that lay ahead.
Johns hopes that the class of 2024 can live into the symbolism of their own Senior Spoon.
“We are made to serve. 1 Peter 4:10 tells us to use our gifts to serve others,” Johns said. “When we do that, we experience a little bit of Heaven to Earth.”
Johns prays that the seniors can be a friend to all and learn to “mix it up!”
Signing the spoon was a tender moment that encapsulated the essence of their time together, a symbol of enduring friendship and mutual support that would guide them through their separate journeys in years to come. In the end, the Senior Spoon of 1993 became a legacy of unity and service.
Although… the class of 1993 still has no idea that Koby Johns has had their Senior Spoon in his garage these past thirty years.
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