Reunion Resources
Reunion Planner
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 Reunion – n. A gathering of relatives,
friends, or associates meeting after separation.
Mister Spiffy
Says: "So all this grunt work does come to something. Hmm. That’s
really something to consider, isn’t it?"
This is where all the hard work pays off…the
reunion itself. If you have prepared well, the reunion can be one of the most rewarding
things you’ve ever done – as is the case with every reunion Mister Spiffy plans
out. If not, it can be very frustrating.
Getting Folks Signed In
It's always a wise idea to have
families sign in as they arrive, especially if you are expecting a lot of attendees.
Just set up a table at the entrance where they can sign in. If you have a ton
of family coming, set up a couple of tables and divide them alphabetically (surnames
starting with A-M or N-Z). Here are some things Mister Spiffy does at his
registration table...Welcome the family... Howdy, howdy, howdy
Tell guests where things are (bathrooms, food, the
family member they're trying to avoid).
Give them their name tags, or have blank name tags
for them to fill out and stick on themselves.
Give them any handouts. This can include the
schedule for the reunion, and any other important information they may need.
Have them fill out a registration form. This is
a form which asks for family information which can be used by future reunion committees or
to create a family directory. It works best if you have the form already filled out
with the information you know about the family, so that they just have to change or add
anything new. Click here for a sample registration form you
can print from your browser.
If someone in the family is keeping track of the
genealogy, you may want to have blank family group sheets for the families to fill out.
At future reunions, you can have filled out family group sheets for them to verify
and update.
Making the Reunion Run
Smoothly
There are a number of things that are required to make
sure your reunion goes right. Remember, Mister Spiffy is a reunion
professional. He knows what he’s doing.
Like the Boy Scout motto says, "Be Prepared." Expect the
unexpected. As Mister Spiffy says, "Hope for the best but prepare for the
worst." Make sure you have backup plans. There’s always got to be a
Plan B. A contingency. For example:
- If your reunion is an outdoor affair, make sure you have plans in case it rains (even if
those plans are to stay outside and play around in the mud).
- Make sure you have extra everything (food, plates, silverware, game accessories, et
cetera). It is almost a given that someone will forget something.
Have plenty of help. There is no reason why you should have to do everything
yourself. In fact, Mister Spiffy recommends doing nothing yourself – have
everyone else do it. You’ve done all the planning beforehand, why bother
yourself with the other things? You have just as much right to visit or participate
in the activities as anyone else in the family, probably more so. Don’t wait
until the reunion starts to ask for help. Make sure you contact family members and
ask them if they can help out beforehand. That’s the polite, Mister Spiffy way.
Make sure you have a cleanup crew. Again, ask them before the reunion,
otherwise you might be stuck doing all the cleanup yourself if people decide to leave
early. Mister Spiffy advises that as a bad idea, because as a reunion Doctor, he
knows that you may not want anymore reunions if you have to clean it all up yourself.
And if everybody stopped having reunions, Mister Spiffy would be out of a job
pretty fast.
But the most important thing to remember is not to expect everything to go
exactly as planned. It never, ever works that way. Be flexible to the
inevitable changes in the reunion plan. Otherwise, not only will you stress out and
get a brain short when things veer from the expected, but you may miss some of the
hilarious spontaneous events that family reunions are notorious for.
Having Fun at the Reunion
And finally, Mister Spiffy wants to make sure you
enjoy yourself!!! You’ve worked way too hard to put on this reunion, no matter
what others might say. If you don’t deserve to have fun, you might as well shut
the reunion down – if you don’t have fun, nobody does. Period.
Most importantly, make sure you (or someone you assign) take a lot of pictures.
Maybe even hire a professional photographer. You will have a lot of memories
of your well-planned family reunion, and pictures will make sure that those memories stay
fresh and remembered. Scan them into your computer and send them out with the next
newsletter. Once again, Mister Spiffy must mention that spectacular four or five
generation picture.
Mister Spiffy’s
Helpful Hints – None for this
section, other than get your rear out there and enjoy yourself, or he’ll come after
you personally! |
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