Published: June 10, 2007 12:32 am         

How to plan a family reunion

You’ve been nominated to plan the next family reunion and you have no idea where to start.

“Creating a family reunion committee is the first step to putting it all together,” said Mister Spiffy on family-reunion.com, an all-inclusive site with several resources for reunion planning. The self-proclaimed “family reunion doctor” suggested delegating responsibilities among family members and motivating them to stay on track.

Edith Wagner of www.reunionsmag.com and author of “The Family Reunion SourceBook” said reunions today “benefit from the innovations of new technology. Emailing cuts the cost of postage to communicate. Conference calling facilitates committee meetings with members all over the country.”

She added that establishing a Web site for sharing news, family history and reunion updates is the perfect way to connect.

The next step in planning a family reunion is deciding on when, where and what type of reunion it is. Will it be a simple potluck at the local park? Will it be held at a fancy resort or theme park or aboard a cruise ship? Does it include immediate descendants or everyone linked to the family tree?

“If this is your first attempt at planning a family reunion, send out a survey asking relatives what they would like to do,” said Mister Spiffy of family-reunion.com.

As the family reunion planning progresses, consider a theme, which will tie together the elements of a reunion: food, games, activities, invitations and more.

“We enjoy theme parties for the same reason we enjoy books, movies and theme parks. They allow us to take an imaginative trip to a different time, place or location. They satisfy our inner spirit of adventure,” said Dina C. Carson, co-author with Risa J. Johnson of “Celebration Solutions: 101 Themes and Decorating Ideas for Every Kind of Celebration” and Webmaster of www.reunionsolutions.com. “Pick a theme, twist it, turn it, stand it on its head if you want to and make it your own.”

An important aspect while planning a family reunion is the finances. To manage this, the committee needs to create a budget.

Who is going to pay for family reunion? Will it be paid for in advance or along the way or after the event?

Among the ideas recommended on family-reunion.com and www.reunionsmag.com to help fund a reunion: a registration fee, a raffle or souvenirs.

Charge a non-refundable registration fee to cover postage, invitations, decorations, paper goods, name tags, rent for the location or whatever else is in the budget. Be sure to let relatives know exactly what the cost covers and does not cover.

Raffle items of importance to the family, such as a quilt or other artifacts, for the reunion fund for the next reunion. Offer a silent auction of baked goods, crafts, white elephant gifts, etc.

Souvenirs for sale can be comprehensive family guides with family history and photos or calendars that feature photos from past reunions or a random collage of photos along with family member birthdates.

When wrapping up a reunion, have an evaluation form for everyone who attended to fill out before they leave. This will be useful in planning another family reunion down the road. For sample evaluation forms, go online to family-reunion.com/wrapup.htm or www.reunionsmag.com/reunionarticles/wrapping_up_your_reunion.html.

Remember to collect updated information along with the evaluation form for the family directory to be issued to all after the reunion.

“Get evaluations done on the spot,” Wagner said. “Collect them before members go home — it saves postage, information is still hot and anyone can write more.”