Timely Suggestions for Family Reunions
To our readers from the webmaster:
This page is the most popular of any of the pages on my website. It consistently receives more hits. As a result I try to keep it up to date, adding various links as I find them. You are always welcome to send me any suggestions you have to enhance the usefulness of this page. As I see new links or as you send them to me, I will post them at the top of this page for a few months before placing them down further on the page. For suggestions please e-mail me at grayfox@sedona.net. Thanks. Wally Gray, Webmaster.
Here are the latest additions:
Family Newsletter
News. This site has been included on Cyndi's
List with this explanation: "Perk up your family newsletter by learning
from other family newsletter publishers' experiences and ideas. This newsletter, for and
about family newsletters (and their publishers) was established to encourage family
connections through the family newsletter. It is for genealogists, family historians, and
folks who want to keep their families in touch. We share publishing pointers and highlight
actual family newsletters as examples. Jump in and join the fun!.
Suggestions sent by members of the Rootsweb mailing list:
1. From Connie Rinner: My brother and I started our
family reunions 5 years ago. We meet the first of every June at a central point for our
families. Since we have a small family (just my brother and I and our children are left),
we decided it was important to make the effort to get all of our grandchildren and cousins
together every year so they would know each other. One year, we camped out in tents!
Usually, we meet at a moderately priced campground on Lake Texhoma (Southern Oklahoma),
which provides cabins, swimming pool, and clubhouse facilities.
We posted old baby pictures of all of the adults on poster board and had a "guess
who" contest. Another year, we just played bunko, with each person bringing a simple
gift to exchange. We always have a horse shoe contest, drawing for partners. Another
"tradition" is to have banana fritters for breakfast on Saturday morning. We
also rent a pontoon boat and take a picnic lunch. We also have a campfire on Friday
evening, with all of the little ones gathered around, where we sing, have our
"master" story tellers weave a story (usually including each grandchild's name),
and roast marshmallows. We are developing our tradition as we go! We want these gatherings
to be simple and uncomplicated, with little structure - swimming, basketball, hikes, etc.
It has been fun for everyone.
At the first reunion, I made a genealogy book for my brothers children and mine. The book
is loose-leaf, with dividers for each generation, as well as a divider for each of their
children so they can accumulate their own important documents. So far, our family has been
researched back to 1599. At each following reunion, I have been able to add a section and
update the family charts with more current information.
My grandsons are 6 and 10, and watch Walker Texas Ranger on television. The little one
gave his name as "Blane Scott Texas Ranger Maner" on his first day at school
(quite seriously). They were too excited to learn that their great-great-great grandfather
and his brother were some of the first Texas Rangers!
I wish we had started this while my Mom was still living! Hope this helps!
2. From Debbie Larkins: We, too, have a family reunion
every year. Some of the things we do to keep it fun is appoint someone to do games for the
kids, because if the kids aren't having fun, they don't get to know their cousins, and mom
and dad are too busy dealing with grumpy bored kids to enjoy their cousins.
We have a Chinese auction to raise money for postage costs, rentals, etc. Our reunion is
held at the lodge of a state park (we rent the whole lodge, we are a large family), and we
have officers, including a secretary, to mail out pertainent information and remind people
to bring stuff, etc.
We make a point to involve our younger members in planning and preparation as much as
possible, because if you don't keep them involved, they won't come and as the older
members die off, so will your family reunion. We have a dance on Saturday night. Last year
we did a fifties theme and everyone wore clothes from the fifties and it was a blast.
This year we are doing Halloween in July, and everyone is to wear a costume and we will
trick or treat from room to room with the kids.
Good luck and great fun
Introduction
About 200,000 family reunions take place in the United States each year with an average of 50 people per reunion. That's 10 million people having their own family holiday. These figures are according to Edith Wagner, editor of Reunions Magazine, published in Milwaukee.
We decided to put this section of our Web site together to give ideas for family reunions, large or small. You are welcome to e-mail us with ideas of your own, and we will keep adding to this site.
We are placing a few ideas we have come up with, and we will link you to many outside sites where you can get all kinds of great ideas.
Using Online Services
Many of the articles which follow mention gathering mailing lists. With services on the Internet so available, we also need to be gathering e-mail addresses. Then those who are on the Internet can get their reunion updates electronically. Snail mail can still be used for the others. Also, usually at least one of the family members has a Web site. This person could volunteer to be the family Webmaster and dedicate one of the Web pages for the use of the reunion information.
Another use of the Internet is to have a family newsletter to keep the extended family informed of what is going on with their "cousins." For an example of a very successful newsletter see the section on links where I have posted one under "Family Newsletter" as well as the featured link at the top of this page.
Links to Sites on Family Reunions
Before using these links, please Bookmark or make Favorite this Web site so that you can return to it easily. You may also use Back button to return.
1. Family-Reunion.com.
This site is aimed at people who are organizing or attending a family reunion. It is an
outstanding site which gives long lists of suitable locations in which to hold a reunion,
many ideas for planning purposes, and even a message board where you can ask questions and
exchange ideas with others.
NEW: Family Reunion Organizer
for Windows. This is a commercial program to organize and manage family
reunions. It works equally well on small reunions of a few people or large national or
even international surname societies. To see the many features of this software you can go
to Eastman
Genealogy Newsletter dated February 16, 2000 for a detailed description. You may order
it at Family-Reunion.com.
2. KFC Family Reunions. Includes links to Planning Calendar, Frequently Asked Reunion Questions, Ask Edith (Wagner), Edith's Top 10 Money- and Time-Saving Tips, Edith's Top 10 Creativity Boosters, Reunion Trends, Links to other sites around the Internet.
3. Reunions Magazine information and offers. Many links. Edith Wagner is founder and editor of Reunions.
4. A Family Reunion Planning Checklist. Eight different points produced by finnfest usa.
5. Reviving Your Family Reunion. Mike Bellah gives a few of his ideas.
6. Reunions by Mail. Holding a family reunion can be difficult when family members live many miles from each other. With this Reunion By Mail program, you will not need to worry about the problem of gathering the family physically.(There are several ideas here for a conventional reunion as well.)
7. Planning a Family Reunion. ( From The Parent Paper.) Answers questions such as When? How Long? Where? What to eat? What to do? What not to do. Written by Joy Hong, editorial assistant at The Parent Paper.
8. Planning a Family Reunion. (Family PC.) A detailed article on such items as family logo, invitations, guest lists, decorations, pruppet show, trivia contest and memory book. Written by Eric McKinley Brewer and Judy McKinley Brewer for family.com.
9. Family Newsletter. An example of how a family newsletter could be posted for the benefit of a large extended family. .
10. Cyndi's List on Family Reunions. Cyndi has added this category and it will continue growing!
11. FamilyReunion.com. A family reunion site with a place to post and search announcements, browse for reunion books, use a search engine to locate tips for reunions, etc. Not to be confused with Family-Reunion.com, the site mentioned in #1 above.
NOTE: Link to this site for all kinds of family activities (reunions or otherwise.)
Series of articles by Edith Wagner. These are on the Family Tree Maker site:
"Thinking About a Reunion?" Purposes, family, leadership, delegation, length and frequency, when and where?
"What Should We Do at the Reunion?" Ice breakers, Bingo Madness. Skits and Entertainment, Potpourri of Reunion Activities, What if it Rains?
"Reunion Day" Visualizing Your Reunion, Don't Forget a Survival Kit (first aid), Roll Call, Leaders, Programs, the Reunion Scrapbook, Ubiquitous Signage, Personal Signage, Baby-sitting, Volunteers, Rewards.
"More Reunion-Planning Ideas" Tried and True Ideas, Themes, Your Family on TV.
NOTE: At the Family Tree Maker home page, there is a section under Current Articles entitled "Reunion Reflections." The latest Edith Wagner article appears there and is updated from time to time.
Family Reunion Ideas
By Darlene Cameron of Arizona
Here are 32 ideas that Darlene came up with as activities at your reunion:
1. Skits with props. Assign to families, age groups or numbered groups
2. Talent Show. By families, individuals or groups. Include songs, dance, poetry, skits. Either prepare ahead of time or improvise on the spot.
3. Lip Sync. Prepared songs and stereo music needed.
4. Song Contest. Each family writes a song or a cheer. Could be competitive.
5. Dance. Have a dance contest, held in a church building or other facility.
6. Campfire Singing. Family sing-a-long. Write an annual family song.
7. Spotlight. Spotlight a family member. Someone who has accomplished something special. For example, Grandma's 90th Birthday.
8. Talent or Crafts. Display items made by family members.
9. Recipe Book. Have families bring recipes on 3 by 5 cards and put together, making copies later, or sent ahead of time for books available at gathering.
10. Auction. Participants donate items made or bought. Use the money to fund next family reunion or donate money to needy families.
11. Bake Sale. Bake items to sell and use money to fund current or next reunion.
12. Genealogy Walk. A few family members research lives of ancestors. Portray events in their lives in a play or skit.
13. Building Memories. Treasure chest with items from grandparents or other ancestors depicting their times. Stories recorded by video or audio tape.
14. Quilting. Make quilts and have a drawing for them.
15. Potluck. Have a potluck dinner and exchange recipes.
16. Pie Contest. Pie eating contest with families as judges.
17. Plant a Tree. Plant a tree in a place you will always remember. Come back year after year.
18. Sew Family Quilt. Sew a family quilt. Each family is responsible for decorating their own square. Have members sew it together and then auction it off.
19. Family Choir. Put together a band or family choir. Practice during or before reunion.
20. Devotional. Hold a special devotional meeting if staying on Sabbath/Sunday.
21.Update Presentation. Representatives from each branch of the family update births, deaths, weddings, missions, new members, etc.
22. Slide Show. Slide show or video with narration of family happenings through the year.
23. Treasure Display. Bring a family treasure. Example: Uncle Joe's medals.
24. Vintage Photos. Arrange a wall of vintage photos. Have a contest to see who can guess who the photos are of.
25. Family Tree. Make a giant family tree so all can see where they fit in.
26. Tours of the Past. See where family originally settled or old homestead or family gravesite.
27. Video. Video tape people telling stories of the past.
28. Family History. Create a family history by having members bring 3 by 5 cards with a paragraph describing oldest relative they can remember.
29. Service Project. Organize a service project. Paint a church, clean up trash, trick or treat for canned goods, have a cook-off and take to elderly homes. Use money from an auction to provide for needy families.
30. Time Capsule. Make a time capsule. Use a plastic cooler and bury family treasures for reunion dated 2038 or whenever.
31. T-shirts. Make reunion T-shirts.
32. Readers' Theater. Create a Readers' Theater. Portray events in the lives of ancestors.
Cake Quilts
Cake Quilt. At a family reunion the ladies brought small cakes which were pieced together to form this large cake quilt.
This idea came from a group of ladies who held a Relief Society (church ladies' group) activity which they called a family reunion. About 150 women were in attendance from nearby cities. This idea could well be adapted to any family reunion. Here are the instructions that were sent out to create this cake:
Bring enough cake (of any kind) to feed your group. Please make the cakes 9 X 13 inches and cut them into four equal sections. Decorate each section any way you wish. A few ladies who have had experience in decorating cakes will connect all these small cakes to make a very large "Patchwork Quilt Cake" which will be on display until we enjoy it for our dessert.
At this activity, several ladies also brought their quilts which were displayed on frames.
Skits
At the same event where the Cake Quilts were used, the ladies presented skits. But instead of putting on their own skits, they brought the scripts, and other groups presented the skits. The purpose was to get the participants better acquainted with each other since they came from several different areas. The assignment was to write a five-minute skit with props, costumes, music, song and instruments (if needed.) See below for easier method of using skits.
They were told, "Do not start practicing, because you will not be putting on the skit. When you arrive on the day of the event, you will be divided into groups and each group will be assigned one of the skits to put on. It won't be the one you brought! Remember, the purpose of the event is to get acquainted."
Other instructions given: (Remember, this was for a women's group. It can be adapted to any situation.)
The skits will be put on "in the round" rather than on a stage
Simplify the skit to be a funny circumstance about women being women. Anything to do with women: family reunions, shopping, sending sons or daughters to camp or on missions, etc. The field is wide open when you think of women and motherhood.
Include a group song or dance that will go with your skit. You may use rewritten words to a familiar tune. This is requested because we want everyone to be a part of the program. So if your skits require only a few speaking parts, the rest can be involved in the song or dance. We will have someone to accompany your music, if we know in time.
Remember to make it funny, short, musical and appropriate, but, of course, not hurtful. Above all, keep it simple.
Easier method of using skits. Instead of writing skits ahead of time, have someone bring a bunch of taped vocal music that can be easily lip-synced. Mix the families up and assign each group a song. Let them practice throughout the day or time period. Have them "ham it up" so that the presentations are humorous.
The Bryan Family Reunion of 1996
Introduction
This Bryan Family Reunion was held in July 1996 to honor the ancestors C. W. Bryan and Annie Dewees Halcomb who had 13 children. The Bryans were married in 1897. There were 212 descendants who participated out of about 300 living descendants. The event was held in Colorado Springs, Colorado, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 26, 27 and 28, 1996. The list of those invited included all first to fourth cousins. In charge of the reunion were Betty J. McClendon of Arizona, Ken Rigg of Washington and C. William Bryan of Oklahoma. McClendon has provided all the material for this article.
The Reunion
At registration, everyone signed in on two pieces of paper. With one, the attendance was kept. With the other the slip was put in a hat for the eventual game of family Bingo. The get-acquainted activity was drawing the names out of the hat and each person so chosen got up and told who they were and received a gift from the gift table.
McClendon created a wall chart of pedigree and pictures. One family member
put together a cook book and had T-shirts prepared. Name tags, maps, handouts and
collection of money was done at registration.
Most of the family members were housed in the Holiday Inn. The motel gave a discount. The
Friday night gathering was an opportunity to get acquainted. It was held at a local church
fellowship hall. Light deli foods were provided. No formal program but some introductions
and orientation were held. On Saturday the main events included mixers, games and other
activities. A group picture was taken and the evening banquet was held at the motel. The
mixers and games were held in the salon in the motel. There was a continental breakfast at
the motel. Other meals were held at churches (catered) in the area. Sunday was a day of
farewells, travel and continuation of vacation for some.
Letters of congratulation were sent to the family and read on the final evening. The letters were from the mayor of Colorado Springs, the governor of Colorado and President Clinton. These letters had been requested.
The Announcement Letters
The first letter went out August 31, 1994, two years before the reunion. The committee wrote all the grandchildren of Annie May and C. W. Brady Bryan, the common ancestors. It had been 20 years since a reunion had been held back in 1974. A request was made to have the recipients send the names and addresses of all the "full cousins, double cousins, half-cousins, step-cousins, kissin' cousins, etc." The next letter was to get more information. The Bryans had 13 children, so a large group was expected.
The second letter went out February 16, 1995. Many more names and addresses had been received including "cousins once removed" (great grandchildren.) By this time the location and date had been set, and this was announced in the letter.
The third letter was sent November 30, 1995 as the group was approaching "countdown time." This time the site of the reunion (Holiday Inn, Colorado Springs) was announced. Brochures for the motel were enclosed along with reservation forms. The general schedule was announced.
An interim letter was sent on January 16, 1996 from the person in charge of the cookbook requesting recipes and family stories to be sent no later than May 5.
The fourth and final letter went out April 4, 1996 entitled "15 weeks and counting. " Family members were asked to bring photo albums and scrapbooks to share with everyone. Arrangements were made for a photocopier so information could be copied. Not all would be staying at the motel. Some would bring their RVs which could be parked at the motel. A card to order T-shirts was enclosed.
A post card request went out closer to the date, asking when the family would arrive and asking for family member's names and ages of children under 12. The group also made a choice of Saturday Banquet Entree (beef or chicken.) Provision was made for those requesting a vegetable diet.
Handouts
Handouts included a packet honoring C. W. Bryan and Annie Dewees Halcomb who were married August 1, 1897, in Decatur, Texas. Photos were included of them along with biographical sketches, a pedigree chart and a summary of the 13 children, all deceased. It was mentioned in the material that there were 13 children of this couple, 43 grandchildren, 113 great grandchildren. 169 second great grandchildren and 8 third great grandchildren. This was a total of 346 descendants. The mailing list of the descendants was also included in the packet. Other handouts included a map of the motel layout and a sheet on family trivia.
Music
Family songs were sung. Here are two (the first one was from the 1976 reunion.)
Behold Our Family Tree
Tune: My Country 'Tis of Thee
Behold our Family Tree, sweet names you'll all agree, Of thee we sing.,
Our Grandfolks began it all, their names in pride we call,
Charles William Brady Bryan and his wife Annie
To start their Family Tree, Gladdice and Willie Lee, Ninian and Maude.
My goodness, what a crew! By leaps and bounds they grew!
They said "What shall we do? Help us, oh, God!"
They started our with four, but there were many more. God's blessings
came.
May, Brady, Jennings, three; they added willingly
Grace, Herman, and, and Beulah too, but they weren't through!
Their blessings multiplied, this time there's two they cried, Twins, Roy
and Ray
Thirteen they numbered then; who knows how many kin
And her to honor them this Reunion Day?
Battle Hymn of the Bryans
Tune: Battle Hymn of the Republic
Our eyes have seen the growin' of the mighty BRYAN Clan
They are living now in 16 states spread out across the land.
Our Family Tree has rooted and is making quite a stand
Our tribe is marching on.
Glory, Glory we are Bry-ans,
Glory, Glory we are Bry-ans,
Glory, Glory we are Bry-ans,
Our heritage is strong!
