Carol Baumgartner doesn’t want to call it a class reunion.

Instead, the event the 1951 Austin High School graduate is planning for next weekend has been dubbed a “class gathering,” or a time for former Packers to simply reunite and “chit-chat,” Baumgartner explained.

There’s something else that makes the gathering unique — Baumgartner is looking to draw people from the classes of 1949, 1950 and 1952, as well as from her own class of ‘51.

The idea, Baumgartner said, is to get a number of old friends back together, regardless of when they graduated. Baumgartner herself said she had friends in all four classes and in fact married her high school sweetheart, a 1949 graduate.

Baumgartner, who describes herself as the consummate organizer, said her class has been meeting annually since 2007, as they decided having reunions every five years wasn’t often enough. But the idea to get other classes involved is new, and Baumgartner said she is hoping for a good turnout.

Specifically what that turnout will be Baumgartner doesn’t know — she’s gotten confirmations from graduates living in the Twin Cities, Florida and Montana, but others are still undecided or haven’t responded. A typical class-of-1941 gathering was around 40 people, Baumgartner said.

“How many will come, I don’t know,” she said. “But the message has gotten out.”

The event will run both on Friday and Saturday afternoon, starting at 2 p.m., at the Austin Elks Club. Registration is not required, but for more information, contact Baumgartner at (651) 464-6049.