In the past 10 years, I can’t even begin to count how many graduations I have attended.

Locally, I shoot at least three or four every May for the paper, but this year, I have another special one of my own to attend, and one that will look vastly different from the Barry County way.

Local ceremonies kicked off Sunday at Wildcat Stadium with 137 seniors turning their tassels, one of the largest classes in the area.

Cassville also does things a bit differently, keeping a COVID-necessitated change since 2020 and holding the ceremony outdoors at the stadium. Despite the stiff breeze claiming a few mortarboard hats, it was a beautiful day and sunny ceremony.

Whispers prior to the commencement were mainly focused on one aspect, start time. Predicting early May weather in southwest Missouri is about as easy as advanced trigonometry, but on a day like Sunday, a 6 p.m. or even 7 p.m. start could mean cooler temperatures and sunset lighting. Or, it could be freezing and cloudy — your guess in May 2024 is as good as mine.

Other area schools with smaller classes have their ceremonies indoors, generally in a gymnasium that can be equally sweltering with the number of family and friends packed in.

Other than Cassville and Monett’s outdoor graduations, I have attended one other outside. When my sister graduated from the University of Texas in Austin, that ceremony was held in a courtyard on campus and at dusk. It was 90-plus earlier that day so the timing was necessary to keep people from falling out.

Graduations locally, and even that University of Texas one, rarely go past an hour. With as many as I cover each year, I am thankful for that.

My graduating class was 650 strong, and our ceremony took four — yes four — hours to complete after the val-sal speeches, commencement address and each of us walking. I repeated the process with my brother and oldest sister, all of our graduations taking place at what is now Simmons Bank Arena in Little Rock.

I have two more sisters still to graduate high school, one this month and the other next year. Both are in Little Rock, but both sisters go to schools with much smaller graduating classes than mine, praise the Lord.

Being in a smaller district with a smaller class also offers unique opportunities. This year, for instance, the majority of Cassville graduates handed principal Tyler Willis a small rubber ducky of some kind. I seem to recall this tradition starting not terribly long ago at Cassville, and even it is a bit tame compared to some of the props Assistant Superintendent Ashley Fly has had to endure in Exeter in recent years.

No matter the year of graduation, that late teens sense of humor has not changed much over the decades.

I would give just about anything to be able to go back and “rubber ducky” my high school principal at our graduation. I cannot even begin to imagine the look on her face if hundreds of ducks were piled up on the stage.

We had a few show-outs, but with a class so large, coordinating such a display, without Principal Rousseau catching wind of it, would have been quite a feat!

As I continue to attend graduations, especially from a photographer’s standpoint, I try harder and harder each year to capture moments for seniors that only happen once.

During the ceremony, it could be a moment of unexpected humor, like when two Cassville students went early on the exit cue and returned back to their chairs while the Alma Mater was playing. Or, It could be an emotional moment, like salutatorian Ella Reuter getting choked up talking about her friends’ and family’s impact, and her friends on the front row cautiously wiping tears to keep their makeup from smearing.

Catching those moments has always been a fun challenge, and this year, I have challenged myself to adding something new.

Each graduation I attend, I intend to get at least one memorable candid photo of each graduate. I feel I met that goal in Cassville, and I have more than 2,400 pictures to show for it!

In adding the new personal challenge, we are adding a new offering for local families. All of the graduation photos I take this year will be available for purchase at https://cassvilledemocrat.zenfoliosite. com/home. Digital downloads are only $5 each, and there is a wide array of options to order prints mailed to your door.

I couldn’t be more proud to continue being innovative and providing a service unlike any other in this area. If you know a local senior graduating, I hope I can create a lasting memory for you this week.

Kyle Troutman has served as the editor of the Cassville Democrat since 2014. In 2017, he was named William E. James/Missouri Outstanding Young Journalist for daily newspapers, and in 2022, he won a Golden Dozen Award from ISWINE. He may be reached at 417-847-2610 or ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com.