Stardust, a social organization at Florence High School, is celebrating its 60th

anniversary.

In honor of this milestone, the club is inviting all former members to attend a reunion before its annual lead-out Saturday at the Florence-

Lauderdale Coliseum.

“There will be a reunion for Stardust alums at 6 p.m., and light refreshments will be provided,” said Lisa Newbern, current Stardust sponsor.

Stardust, founded in 1952, was created to be a second social club for young ladies, according to Bette Lynne Mardis, who served as the organization’s third president in 1956.

“There was only one at the time Stardust was created, and it was Nenon,” she said. “It was rather small with only nine members. There were a lot of girls wanting to join so to expand the number of girls involved, they created

Stardust.”

Although Stardust has been around for 60 years, some members thought this anniversary would never happen or the club would dissolve after Coffee and Bradshaw high schools merged, beginning with the 2004-05 school year.

“I am actually surprised it is still around,” said Bethany Gober, who was president of Stardust during the 2001-2002 school year. “I figured when the two schools combined that the clubs would end or they would merge. It is great that Stardust is still around.”

The 60th anniversary has allowed current and past Stardust members to reunite and reminisce about their time in the club.

In its earliest years, the focus of the organization was more social.

“Stardust gave us things to look forward to because there wasn’t much to do,” Mardis said. “We had a progressive dinner once a year, lots of hayrides, picnics, slumber parties and sock hops. Stardust gave us lots of opportunities and without it life would have been dull.”

For Emily Alexander, being a member of Stardust helped her adjust to a new community.

“I moved to Florence from Tupelo in late June of 1953, and I knew a few Stardusters from church,” she said. “For me, it was a realm of creating really good friends. I was able to walk into Coffee and know that I belonged.”

As Stardust evolved, so did its goals. The current club is more centered on community service than parties, vice president Laney Risner said.

Carleigh Eaton, club president, agreed.

“We focus our community service on causes we feel strongly about,” Eaton said. “This year, a lot of our service has focused on children.”

The club also uses monthly dues and fundraising efforts to make contributions to Safeplace and the United Cerebral Palsy center, Newbern said.

Stardust has been considered a high school sorority by some, and for that a stigma has been associated with the organization, members say.

“Most people who don’t know anything about Stardust probably think it is silly to have a social club in high school,” Gober said. “Little do they know that community service is the key to this whole organization. The parties and lead-out are just for fun. I think some people thought that we thought we were better than other people, but that was so far from the truth. We were just a normal group of girls who enjoyed helping out in the community and having fun.”

Members say they are taught skills they may have never learned without the organization.

“I have always been outgoing, but Stardust gave me the confidence to talk in front of a large group,” Eaton said.

“You learn how to deal with people, work together and compromise,” Risner said.

Tickets for lead-out are $5 and may be purchased when the doors open at 7:30 p.m.