Products, software and advice for planning family, military, and class reunions

Synopsis of The Reunion Planner book, the ulitmate guide to planning reunions

• Describes how to plan a class, family, military or other group reunion.
• Can be used as a supplement when hiring professional planners.
• Tips for finding lost classmates, family, military buddies or anyone.
• Examples for entertainment, decorations, door prizes, games & memory albums.
• Provides budget worksheets, to-do lists, sample imvitations, questionnaires and surveys.
• Tips on finding people on Internet.
• Announcing your reunion on Internet.

Read Me First (Book's Introduction)

It's time for a reunion! Whether it's a class, family, church, university or military group being reunited, as reunion organizers, we want to make this an absolutely wonderful event. We want attendees to leave convinced that it was the perfect reunion. While we're at it, let's imagine an event that exceeds all expectations.

Sound like ambitious goals? With a little organization and forethought, along with a few enthusiastic volunteers, these aspirations are attainable and well worth all our time and effort.

Of course, those of us who plan reunions realize it takes energy, and lots of it. It represents a labor of love. To be successful, a reunion must: 1) be a memorable experience, 2) raise enough resources to cover all expenses and 3) retain a surplus for the next reunion. Our primary goals are to bring people together again to reminisce, reestablish friendships and appreciate the reunion that rekindled these relationships. This book will help you achieve these objectives.

As the title suggests, this book is designed to help make your reunion a social and financial success. While people who go to their reunions have different expectations, they all want to have a great time. To that end, you must provide more than the basic package, and you don't want to lose money! Any recipe for success calls for planning, organization, cash flow and enthusiasm. If you have the last ingredient, we can help with the rest. The result: a fun-filled, personalized reunion that is organized, well-attended and financially successful.

The Path To Successful Planning

Congratulations! In using this book, you have set the plan in motion. Planning a reunion is a unique and gratifying experience, and yes, time consuming in our busy lifestyles. However, planning is the essence of success and this reunion guide provides the tools you need to give you the confidence it takes to plan a sensational reunion. We also show you how to simplify and streamline your efforts by using a computer program to organize all the data.

As the organizer for my 10-year class reunion, before the arrival of personal computers, we did everything by hand. That really took a long time. When it was time for our 20-year reunion, I had lost much of my paperwork and had to recreate almost everything from scratch.

By my next reunion, computers were widely in use. Putting all our alumni data into one, comprehensive database seemed resourceful. Fortunately, at that time, I was working with a systems analyst named Neal Barnett. I asked him if he could write a program that would include all the information I needed. He did, and the result was a program that worked so well, we decided to design one to go along with a book for reunion planners.

Using a Computer

We highly recommend using a computer program. If you don't have one, we suggest you find someone who does to help you. You can store all the details of your group's reunion including names, addresses, phone numbers, location, response status and purchases. Just having a program can be an incentive for planning your reunion. It is much more efficient and convenient than not having one. Throughout this guide, we use computer disk icons to suggest where you might apply our companion computer program or other comparable software.

If You Don't Have a Computer

While a computer definitely makes the job easier, we have designed this book to help reunion committees even when one is not available. Just follow this book from start to finish. A worksheet and sample budget in Chapter 4 will guide you toward a positive ending balance. Computers have become a necessity of life, but don't fret. The old-fashioned way (handwrite, type and draw) may take a little longer, but it still works.

Reunions "R" Us

Reunions are an important part of our culture. As people get older, they become more nostalgic and have a greater interest in revisiting the past. According to Roper Starch Worldwide of New York City, approximately 7 percent of adult Americans attended a high school, army, college or other reunion in 1995. Reunion Research shows that more than 350,000 class and family reunions are held annually. Military reunions may be less in number, but the incentives and interest in having them might be even stronger.

Soldiers share a special bond but according to Bill Masciangelo, author of the Military Reunion Handbook, military reunions are decreasing since 85 percent of military reunions are held by World War II veterans whose members are getting scarce. The potential for military reunions continues to thrive, however, as is evidenced by the numbers. Korean vets number 4.6 million and Vietnam vets make up 8.3 million and are approaching their 25- and 30-year anniversaries. "I was in the Navy during the Korean War and the ship I was on in the early 50s still has reunions every year," said Enrique Tabyanan, organizer for his 70th Air Refueling Association.

Edith Wagner, editor of Reunions Magazine, reaffirms this idea based on her research that naval reunions occur more often than any other military service since shipmates formed strong bonds serving on ships in close quarters.

What's New in This Edition?

First, while the initial edition of The Reunion Planner focused on high school reunions, this effort is expanded to include family and military reunions.

Secondly, in spearheading my 30th (and fourth) high school reunion, I discovered many new and exciting ideas. Furthermore, with feedback from the survey in the first edition, the incentive for updating this guide grew even more.

Thirdly, with the immense advances in technology, including tips for finding people on the Internet seemed timely. Finally, a Resource Section was added to provide easy access to reunion vendors and related services.

Getting the Most Value From This Book

The Contents outline each chapter's main topics and along with the Index are useful reference tools. Organized by chronological tasks, each chapter takes you step-by-step through the reunion and beyond. Do not despair if you don't have the recommended time to plan your reunion. While there is a wealth of ideas throughout the book, just do what you can in the time available. Conversely, if you try to do to much, things may get done carelessly.

Tips and Tricks

To get the most benefit from this guide, focus on those sections that apply to your reunion and follow these suggestions:

• Scan through the entire book first.
  
• Keep a highlighter and Post-It-Notes tm handy. Highlight those pages and ideas you may want to refer to later.
  
• Jot down ideas, questions or thoughts on a notepad and bring them up at future reunion committee meetings. Transfer successful ideas to a task list.
  
• Reference the book throughout the planning process being sure to concentrate on the relevant time frames.
  
• Refer to the helpful Tips and stories displayed in italics and small print sent in by readers of our first edition.
  
• Consider getting extra copies of the book for other committee members. (Call the publisher for multiple-book discounts.)

Review the chapter outlines below and highlight those areas that most reflect your reunion plan. Chapter 1, Initial Decisions, offers incentives to organize your reunion. If you conclude you just don't have the resources to do it on your own, you should consider hiring professional planners. This chapter will show you how to work with professionals and still maintain a personalized reunion. Chapter 2, Get Organized, reviews what you can accomplish at committee meetings and proposes when and where to have the event. The Checklist that follows is a handy reminder of all conceivable tasks. Copy these pages, and record items as they're completed. The third chapter addresses the biggest boon in reunion planning since the advent of personal computers . . . finding people on the Internet. Several Websites that offer the most comprehensive value as of this writing are cited. Considering how quickly the information superhighway changes, the only way to keep pace with the latest offerings is to continue checking the Internet, including our Website and others for updates.

Create a money plan using the worksheets in Chapter 4. Setting up a budget and maintaining accurate accounting records is an essential part of the planning process. Doing this early will help prevent financial blunders. In this chapter, you'll learn about planning early fundraisers and how to come up with a suitable ticket price to make certain all expenses are covered with a safety margin. This section includes tips on how to estimate a turnout, and, if you're running short on cash, how to deal with last minute appeals. Chapter 5, The Foundation, offers guidance on a first mailing. It also has ideas for ice breakers, activities and games with hints on hiring entertainers, videographers and photographers. Media ads, bank accounts and accounting guidelines complete the basics. Creating an Ambiance is the subject of Chapter 6. Ideas for themes, souvenirs, memory albums and name tags are proposed.

Chapter 7 reflects on how to Get People There. Typically accomplished through mailings and phone drives, you'll find more ways to encourage attendance. One of the more difficult aspects to reunion planning is encountering those reluctant to attend. As organizers, we put so much effort into planning the event that it's discouraging to encounter disinterest. This chapter will help planners soothe some perceived fears and anxieties.

Reunion Decor is reviewed in Chapter 8. Topics include decorations, displays and memorabilia along with advice on what items to sell at reunions. Chapter 9 focuses on family and military reunion specifics. It offers reunion locations, games and activities, souvenirs, awards and fundraising. Genealogy research and family histories as they can be developed at reunions are covered in Chapter 10. Chapter 11 has program and award suggestions. Chapter 12 examines how to organize an effective registration process. Chapters 13 and 14 sketch out a weekend reunion and discuss closing costs and responsibilities. Lastly, Chapter 15 relates how to stay up to date with reunion planning.

Our first edition included a survey asking readers to send in their reunion stories and experiences. Planners from all over the country who used our guide responded to our survey. We heard what worked and what didn't, the pitfalls and the victories. We received samples of newsletters and announcements. Sprinkled throughout are quotes and stories from some of these letters.

We Want More of Your Feedback!

Please continue to send us your reunion experiences. We would especially like to know how you overcame difficulties and solved problems. Just photocopy the survey toward the end of this book, fill it out and send or fax it to us so we can include your input in our next edition. Our address and phone numbers are on the last page of this book. Quicker yet, respond to our Survey directly on our website. Help us continue the journey in helping others create wonderful reunions.

Our Website also offers other reunion products and services. We even point you to related Websites. If you have questions or comments regarding anything in this book or the companion computer software, simply contact us through our Website.

No matter what the economic climate, rain or shine, reunions will go on. They are distinct events that allow us to revisit special moments in our lives and, in fact, become milestones themselves. We need the special handful of people like you who take the initiative to bring the rest of us together. Completing this process becomes rewarding beyond measure for so many others, and, it becomes a fabulous experience for you.