In 1937 at age 5, Mr Scrimshaw was enrolled at Featherston School. His two older siblings were at the school too as it went up to the final college years.
He decided to finish school at age 15 when the polio epidemic hit New Zealand in 1947 and all school children were sent home for the year in early October.
"We used to sit at old kauri and cast-iron framed desks with a wide bench that sat two students," says Mr Scrimshaw, who is a guest speaker at the celebrations. "We had just moved to pencil and paper from ink then, but also we wrote with chalk on the blackboards.
"We all sat up straight and did what we were told, particularly by Mrs Mutter who was very tall and big to me then and used to stomp around a lot.
"I bumped into her 30 years later in Wellington and she called out to me, 'Are you still shuffling your feet, Scrimshaw?' I recognised that voice immediately."
With much larger families back then, Mr Scrimshaw said Featherston was a busy school with five to 17 -year-olds attending and, as many of the rural schools had closed due to a restructure, the school was crowded.
"South Wairarapa was so small then and of course everyone knew everyone and helped each other out. I remember one time I was playing and missed the bus home and the two Miss Colliers, who were sisters, picked me up in their new 1937 Morris 10; it was great.
"One of our favourite games was to pick up the long grass just mowed by the horse-drawn mower and put it on the paths to see who we could trip up," he said.
Floris Nation is a former pupil of the school and its current administrator.
With three weeks to go until the anniversary she is busy making calls, writing lists and sending emails to get the celebrations ready.
She has the catering, speakers and events organised but is still rounding up people. So far over 200 former pupils are expected.
"We have people coming from many different parts of the world and from around the country - the person coming the furtherest is a Coory from Belgium while her two sisters will come from Australia and Wellington," Mrs Nation said.
When she was a student in the 1950s, the school roll was over 320.
"The bus from Western Lake Road to the school was packed," she remembers.
The school's roll today stands at 60.
ANNIVERSARY
The celebrations start at 6pm on Easter Friday, March 29, with a mix and mingle at Anzac Hall.
On Saturday the school is open for all to look at old photos and a DVD, and the day ends with a dinner and dance.
The event closes with a church service on Sunday morning and the cutting of the anniversary cake.
