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Your family hasn't had a fun gathering in quite a while and you have decided it is time to do so. You decide to take on the project and make things happen but are a little fuzzy on where to begin. I have been in on the planning process for several family reunions and I have accumulated some ideas that just might help make the planning process a little easier.
Getting Organized:
The first thing to do is form a planning committee. "Nothing gets done by committee?" you might be thinking? Pick the committee instead of asking for volunteers. Even if it is just one other person. Base your criteria for selection of committee members on the following: organizational skills, enthusiasm, and proliferation of ideas and interest in family gatherings. Choose folks who fit the criteria. Then send them an invitation telling them of your plans and why you chose them to join the team. This will put them in a positive mode from the beginning and their thought process will already be cooking by the time they respond.
The next order of business is to get organized. It will be helpful to put together a 3 ring binder for each committee person that contains a section for a calendar, which was printed from a word processing program, a guest list and addresses, a preliminary outline of tasks and notes. You can start spreading the word about your planned gathering while coming up with your address list. As you call others to find addresses of family members, it will provide you with an opportunity to let them know of your plans. They will mark their calendar and tell others as well.
Pick a "Mascot" for the event. That provides a focal point for the planning process. It can be the family coat of arms, a favorite cartoon, a character from clip art, or even just the family name. Just be sure you don't violate anyone's copyright or trademark's with your use of a logo. Then use the "Mascot" on letterhead, invitations and a web page. When folks see the logo they will think "Family Reunion."
Since we are in the age of computers, set up an email address. Their are a variety of no cost emails accounts to choose from - Yahoo and Hotmail to name just 2. A web page is also very helpful and easy to acquire. It can be used as a repository for information about the reunion. Keep the web page up to date with all the latest information. If you have family from out of state, provide a few travel links to aid them in making travel arrangements. For an added bonus, provide some genealogy links in case any family members want to do a little family research before the gathering. After the reunion, you can appoint yourself web master and turn the page in the Family History page. If you are not terribly computer literate, someone in the family will be. That person would be a good choice for a committee member to help setting up email and web pages.
Let's Meet and Plan:
The first committee meeting should be a "Think Tank Session". Pitch your ideas to make the day interesting and inviting. If you have relatives from out of state you want to make the reunion as attractive as possible so they won't have to think twice about coming. Even if you have to resort to telling them something like "all those not present will be the subject of much gossip. " This just might the incentive some need to be there. Additional meetings may be necessary to make sure the planning process is progressing. Meetings don't need to be held in person - they can be done on the computer in a group chat. Yahoo! has web chat services that are fairly simple and fun to use.
Some things to have at the reunion are: a guest poster; a banner for the front porch so folks know when they have arrived; name tags utilizing the mascot; souvenir of the day; family trivia; post cards and an after the fact item is a reunion book containing pictures and facts of what happened that day.
The guest poster is the actual guest book. Make it 24"x36" with the mascot prominently displayed, the date and location of the event. You may find a lot of folks will just sign their name when they arrive but might add an addendum before they leave noting how much they enjoyed the day. After the reunion, the poster can be copied and included with the reunion book or just given to those who wish to know who was present.
The souvenir of the day can be anything from a nametag that might say something like "Certified Family Reunion Participant" or "I was here" to items such as pens, mugs or hats with the reunion information printed on them. Always include the date and location on the item. At a family reunion we once organized at the home that had been in the family for over a hundred years, we gave out small bags of dirt and seeds from the wisteria that has grown in front of the house for about 90 of those 100 years. I printed stickers to stick on each bag that described the type of soil and what the seeds were from as well as the date of the reunion. All the participants were able to bring a little piece of the family home to their own home. The kid's were especially delighted to have something to bring home and plant.
Everyone knows some family trivia. Ask other family members for some facts and note these family facts on oaktag or poster board and put them on display for all to see. Put some of the facts in the form of a question and see who has been paying attention to the family over the years. The younger folks will learn some family history and the older folks will relive the good old days for a few hours. If you haven't had a family gathering for a while or you have folks who have never met before this just might became the catalyst that sparks conversations about your ancestors. You just might find the family history that flows forth that day amazing. It might be like each departed person had suddenly appeared and told a short history and a favorite story about themselves.
I should note that if you have family members taken to fits of rage and violence, you want to be careful what kind of family facts you do post. No need starting the Hatfields and McCoys all over again - unless that is the kind of entertainment you are looking for.
The banner for the front porch should be large enough to be seen from the street. A good size is 36" wide and 10 feet in length. It might say "If you are looking for the (name of family) Family Reunion then you have arrived". Display it prominently so no one misses the gathering location. Not only will all the family members find the house but also so will a few folks who didn't know they were lost. The banner can be done in AutoCAD (a computer graphics program) and then printed on a wide format color plotter on white Mylar.
The reunion book can contain the following: a copy of the reunion poster that everyone signed. Any reprographics store can make copies. Include a biography of each family attending. Print up a form with names, address, telephone number, interests, pets, where they work and any thing else the participant might want to include. Each family filled in as much information as they wished. We took a lot of pictures during the day and included pictures of each family with the biography. We had the pictures developed in a GIF format and printed them out on a computer.
I once made up some post cards using Microsoft Publisher and printed them on card stock. The post cards said "I went to this fabulous Family Reunion and all I am going to send you is a crummy, home made post card." A lot of folks actually sent them to people they know. And others brought one home to add to their memory collection.
What To Provide:
It isn't necessary for the host to provide anything but a gathering place but some things the reunion host may want to provide is coffee and muffins for those early morning arrivals, soda, beer, wine, water, cooking grilles (gas, charcoal or otherwise), paper plates, cups, plastic eating utensils, napkins. Trash barrels filled with ice make a nice cooler for soda, beer and wine. Treats for the kids are a nice touch be it a pez dispenser, something to play with, a bag of candy or coloring books to provide some unwinding time (for kids as well as adults). Everyone brings his or her own lunch and snacks and lawn chairs.
Location, Location, Location (and other things to consider):
In picking the location for the gathering a few things to consider are: Bathroom facilities, parking, parking fee's, hours of use, in case of inclement weather alternatives, things for kids to do, wheelchair and handicap accessibility and user fee's.
If the location is a private home: Parking - If you live on a street that has restricted parking other alternatives will be necessary. Will participants be able to park and walk to the gathering or will they have to park in a remote area and be driven to the gathering. Bathroom facilities - will your bathroom accommodate a large gathering? Remember, almost everyone will need to use the bathroom at least once during the day so that will be added flushes. An alternative is to rent the portable johnny on the spots for use. The cost is minimal and they will be delivered and picked up at the place of gathering. This will cut down on the folks running in and out of the house and additional toilet flushes during the day. In case of inclement weather alternatives - Will your reunion be a rain or shine deal? If in rains, will you be able to accommodate everyone in your house? An alternative is to put up a tent or a tarp to cover the gathering area. They can be rented or bought. All you really need is a giant piece of plastic that can be purchased fairly inexpensively. Not only will it keep out the rain but also it will keep the sun off everyone. Things for kids to do - kids, especially the young ones are not to want to sit still and listen to the grown ups all day long. They will want to play so it is important to have a few things to keep them occupied. Even just a few playground balls to toss around will keep them occupied. If you have kids and they have a favorite babysitter, perhaps the babysitter could be hired to keep the kids busy for a few hours. He or she could organize games for the kids or take them for a walk around the neighborhood. This will give the adults some time to chat with the family and not have to worry about keeping an eye on the kids. It would be nice to provide lunch for the babysitter. Wheel chair and handicap accessibility - If you have invitees that are in wheelchairs, use walkers, have trouble walking or are elderly it is important to consider these folks when establishing the location. Any accessible barriers will be discouraging for those with walking difficulties. Another important consideration will be bathrooms. Will folks with walking difficulties be able to get to and use the bathrooms.
If the location is a public park or other public facility: Parking - is their ample parking and will there be a parking fee. Some public parks might charge a per car fee or group parking fee. When making inquiries for the facility, find out if their are any parking fee's and what it is. Then let folks know so will have the fee ready when they arrive. Or if it is a group fee, pay that in advance. Does the facility to be used have established hours of operation - opening and closing? That is important for folks to know especially if they have a long drive. Who wants to arrive at a site and find they will have to wait another few hours for the place to open or arrive late in the day and find they are about to close. Do they have trash facilities or do have to remove your own trash? Picnic tables and bathrooms? Two key items. Both provide a place to sit for the desired effect. Does this place have pavillions? Do you need to reserve them if they do or are they used on first come first served basis? Is there a playground for the kids? A place to swim? Is boating and fishing allowed? Is there a used fee involved? If so does it need to be paid in advance? If swimming is allowed will there be a lifeguard on duty or is a swim at your own risk beach?
Financing The Event (no need to mortgage the house):
If you wish to provide things for the gathering how do you manage to finance this? Several ways. As I walk about, I look for change that has been dropped. Any change I find I put in a can that I fill from 1 January to 31 December of each year. At the end of the year I usually have anywhere from $40 to $60 dollars. I once donated 2 years of collections to the Reunion fund. I also donated the money from my returnables as well. Other committee members donated their returnable money as well. As the reunion got closer, you will most likely hear from family members who want to know what they can bring. Give them a list of items you plan to provide and let them pick one of those items. You will find you have donations of soda, beer, wine, deserts, games to play, ice for the buckets and a few will make cash donation. After all is said and done, nobody will have a major out of pocket expense.
If you have relatives travelling some distance to the reunion, they might need to make vacation plans. A good time frame to send out announcements is bout 12 months in advance. Almost immediately, folks will start to respond and let you know they will be there. The Announcement you send out should have the mascot on it, if you have picked one and include the pertinent information. If you have established an email and web page address, include those as well.
A Few Last Thoughts
The day has finally arrived and you are set to go. The sun is shinning and not a cloud in sight. If you are holding the reunion in your backyard, the layout of the area is very flexible. Grills should be off to the side and out of the way where the kids may run but kept in sight in case the kids do go near them. Community items such as soda, beer or lunch items folks bring to share should be kept together in an accessible area. Picnic tables should be grouped together so folks can chat. If the tables are spread out, folks will tend to keep to their own little groups. The idea of the reunion is for everyone to catch up with each other. If there are participants that haven't met a lot of the other family members segregated areas will discourage the intermingalation aspect of the event.
If you are holding the event at a public place such as a park, the layout of the area will not be as flexible. If you can move picnic tables closer together you can establish an eating and conversation area. Grills will most likely not be able to be moved. But you can work around that. If you are the first to arrive, put your lawn chairs where you want to establish the conversation area. Others will follow suit and you won't have the family congregating in their own little group. I'm not saying everyone should stay in one giant friendship circle but you don't want family A, B and C staying in their own little group for the entire day. Folks will break off into small groups to talk about their jobs or families with a cousin they haven't seen for years. But it defeats the purpose of the gathering if they stay in their own little groups and don't at least say hello to everyone.
If the event has a definite ending time, begin cleaning up about 30 minutes before hand. Others will follow suit. Make sure any cooking fires have been properly extinguished and trash is properly bagged for disposal. If kids have been digging in the sand, make sure any holes have been filled in and smoothed over. If kids had toys they were playing with, make sure they take their toys with them when they leave. The last person to leave should make one final look around to make sure nothing has been left behind.
Hopefully, your day was a success. Everyone had fun and will look forward to gathering together again. This may spark others to follow your lead and will volunteer to plan the next reunion. You may decide to do this every year or every two years but if you decide to hold the gathering the same time each year, it will become an automatic date saved each year.
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