TO OUR SHIPMATES

WE HAVE A LIST OF FOLKS WE KNOW ALL WRITTEN IN A BOOK
AND EVERY YEAR AT REUNION TIME WE GO AND TAKE A LOOK
AND THAT IS WHEN WE REALIZE THAT THESE NAMES ARE A PART
NOT OF THE BOOK THEY ARE WRITTEN IN, BUT OF OUR VERY HEART

FOR EACH NAME STANDS FOR SOMEONE WHO CROSSED OUR PATH SOMETIME
AND AT THAT MEETING THEY HAVE BECOME THE RHYTHM OF THE RHYME
AND WHILE IT SOUNDS FANTASTIC FOR US TO MAKE THIS CLAIM
WE REALLY FEEL THAT WE ARE COMPOSED OF EACH REMEMBERED NAME.

AND WHILE YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF ANY SPECIAL LINK
JUST BEING SHIPMATES HAS CHANGED OUR LIVES MORE THAN YOU CAN THINK
FOR ONCE WE HAVE BEEN SHIPMATES, THE YEARS CANNOT ERASE
THE MEMORY OF A PLEASANT WORD OR OF A FRIENDLY FACE.



SO NEVER THINK OUR GREETINGS ARE JUST AN ANNUAL ROUTINE
OR NAMES FOUND IN A BOOK AND FORGOTTEN IN BETWEEN
FOR WHEN WE SEND OUR REUNION NOTICES THAT WE ADDRESS TO YOU
IT IS BECAUSE YOU ARE ON A LIST OF FOLKS THAT WE ARE INDEBTED TO



FOR YOU MAKE UP THE TOTAL OF THE MANY FOLKS WE'VE MET
AND YOU HAPPEN TO BE ONE THAT WE WILL NEVER FORGET
AND WHETHER WE HAVE KNOWN YOU FOR MANY YEARS OR FEW
IN SOME WAY YOU HAVE HAD A PART IN SHAPING THINGS WE DO

AND EVERY YEAR WHEN REUNION TIME COMES WE REALIZE ANEW
THE BEST GIFTS LIFE CAN OFFER IS MEETING FOLKS LIKE YOU
AND MAY THE SPIRIT OF THIS REUNION THAT FOREVER ENDURES
LEAVE ITS RICHEST BLESSING IN THE HEART OF YOU AND YOURS