The Story of the Baggars

B. O. Plenty, the unshaven, tobacco-spitting, earthy but colorful character in Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy comic strip, often proclaimed, “I was the eighth of seven brothers”. (Spend a while thinking about that.)

With apologies to B.O. – and Chester Gould – I can say that “I’m the second of six Baggars”. Not beggars. Not baggers. But Baggars.

We’re not exactly sure how the name came to be, other than the older sister of one of us had a lot to do with it. We do know when it first surfaced, and that was in the late 1950’s and very early 1960’s when all of us were students at San Jose State University (then only a college).

We were also, at that time, all participants in a campus group called “Tri-C”, which was sponsored by the then mega-church, First Baptist of San Jose. The “club” had about 150 student members, and much of our growth in group dynamics occurred there

The six of us lived together as roommates, four at a time, in different sets, during the several years we were all in San Jose. At first we started calling each other “Baggar” (anything except one’s real name). Then our circle of friends began referring to the six of us as “The Baggars”, and it stuck.

The “official” Baggars are Dwight Klassen, Ralph Higgins, Bob Rodde, Jerry Horton, Joe Medal and myself. I knew Bob first (in high school), and then I met Dwight at Westmont College in Santa Barbara. Of course we all ended up at SJSU. Each man is uniquely gifted (personal exemption) and all are productive contributors to their respective communities.

I could write a book – and perhaps I should – about the shenanigans we pulled off as students. But the most interesting and meaningful thing that happened is that those experiences bonded us together for life. We are all still friends, and with the exception of Jerry who lives in Texas (check the web site of his life's passion), we see each other somewhat regularly.

Right now I find myself wanting to relate stories from the lore of the Baggars of which there are legion, but I will refrain for now. Maybe such would provide fodder for future posts for this blog (on a slow news day), similar to my “spiritual re-draft” series (well, not really, as we were much less spiritual then).

The photo at the top was taken almost two years ago when half of the six Baggars happened to be together at a party at Ralph's house in the Bay Area. From left are Dwight, myself and Ralph. The three of us, along with Bob, still maintain quite close contact.

If any of the guys ever sends me a pic of the six of us from way back then (Dwight’s the only one organized enough to lay a hand on it if it still exists), I’ll publish it here on the blog.