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The first decision you’ll need to make is who to invite.
Of course, everyone is in the “family,” but you
have to draw the line somewhere. Will it just be immediate
family members, such as grandparents, parents, and children,
or will you research your family genealogy to include all
of the descendants of one central ancestor? Once you decide
who is invited, you have your guest list and can begin the
planning process.
Get in touch with at least one person from each branch of
the family to help you track down contact information, including
e-mail addresses, for all members you’re planning to
invite. E-mail is especially helpful when delivering updates
and information to a large group. Compile the names and information
you gather into a notebook or binder, and note how each person
is related to the family. (You can use this information later
to create a family directory!)
The first communication with the entire family may just be
a notice that the family reunion is being planned, and invite
suggestions. You may want to send out a survey to find out
what your family members would like to participate in. Some
questions you might include: What time of year will be best
to get together? What types of activities do you suggest?
Would you be interested in helping with planning? Those who
want to help with the family reunion planning will form a
planning committee.
The planning committee works as a team to make sure that
all aspects of the family reunion are taken care of, and
that no details are left out. (It’s very hard for one
person to be responsible for such a large task!) The committee
will take into consideration all of the different interests
of family members and make sure that the reunion is one that
everyone will enjoy. Delegate specific tasks to each committee
members so that someone is responsible for each major aspect
of the family reunion: location, social events, budget, communications,
etc. Some special interests that committee members may wish
to take charge of include obtaining t-shirts and reunion
memorabilia, planning activities for children, family historian,
setup and cleanup, etc. Once you get started, you can start
holding the next year’s planning meetings at the current
reunion, while everyone is together!
Portions of this text were
inspired by The Family Reunion Institute, School of Social
Administration, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 215-204-6244. |
