2021 Reunion
Celebrations!
Your reunion photo could be here! McLaughlin Family Reunion
Your Reunion
Tholen Family Reunion
White-Heyward Family Reunion
Dow Family Reunion
Vol 30 No 2 Virtual Edition June 2021
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in this special issue DEPARTMENTS FRONT WORDS – 4 REUNIONS FEATURE – 6 ZOOM REUNIONS Introduction
The Brolras ZOOM! by Karen Robertson Jernigan Family Reunion invites by Beverly Paige Groshek cousins ZOOM! by June Groshek Czarnezki Powell Moody Reunion cooking show from Allison Bell Bryant Family ZOOM Reunion by Carla Bryant
ALUM & I – 10 On, Wisconsin!
Memories of Greene County Training School-South Greene by Thelma Harper Jones 31 reasons why you should go to your high school reunion
SCRAPBOOK – 12 Reunion School Ontario Ancestors ZOOM call Reunion results in organ donation Hospitality Answerman Giveaways for your reunion Black History Tours in Austin, Texas Georgia’s First State Park for African-Americans Common mistakes to avoid redeeming Hotel Points Travel safety tips
MASTERPLAN – 19 Strengthening the Family: Family Empowerment: Excerpt from Black Family Reunions, Finding the Rest of Me by Dr. Ione Vargus What should we do for our reunion this year? by Lisa Alzo Gottung Family Reunion by Sandy Smith Roark-Conner Association (R-CA) Reunion by Johanna Roark Road Trip Activities and Travel Journal for Kids by Kristy Alpert White-Heyward Family Reunion by Janet White Brag Badges by Marilynn Stewart RANCH REUNIONS
How about a dude ranch reunion? Stagecoach Trail Guest Ranch, Rankin Ranch, Upper Canyon Outfitters & Guest Ranch, Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch, Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch, Canyon Madness Ranch REUNION DISPLAYS
MILITARY REUNION NEWS – 45 Challenges and Opportunities for the Military Reunion Planner by John Baker The State of the Military Reunion Market a discussion with Sharon Danitschek Upcoming Military Reunion Network events Amphibious Ships Reunions by Louis “Skip” Sander African-American Military History Museum USS John Young Veterans Association by Mike Trotta
REUNION RESOURCES – 51 A directory of reunion-friendly places, services, vendors and products ON THE COVER
Want your reunion to join this special group? Send your reunion report with pictures from which we select our cover photos.
Reunion Celebrations June 2021 Volume 30 • Number 2 PUBLISHER Rick Voight EDITOR IN CHIEF Edith Wagner ART DIRECTOR Jennifer Rueth SALES ACCOUNT MANAGER Roberta McLoud WEB WIZARDS Howard Ehrenberg Chris Thompson Sarah Christiaansen HOSPITALITY ANSWERMAN Dean Miller CONTRIBUTORS
Kristy Alpert • Lisa A. Alzo Allison Bell • John Baker Amanda Rankin Barrett • Carla Bryant Cyndi Clamp • June Groshek Czarnezki Sharon Danitschek • Bettie Gillyard Griggs Thelma Harper Jones • John J. Lesjack Meredith McGlone • Patti Miller Patti Mordasewicz • Beverly Paige Jane S. Parker • Jacqueline Bell Pyatt Johanna Roark • Karen Robertson Louis “Skip” Sander • Michelle Schuerman Sandy Smith • MaryAnn Stanger Marilynn Stewart • Meris and Seth Stout Michael Trotta • Karen Tholen Dr. Ione Vargus Javier Wallace • Janet White Reunions magazine, Inc. (ISSN #1046-5s235), is published 4 times per year. Email correspondence, queries, requests, submissions to editor@reunionsmag.com or send to Reunions magazine, PO Box 11727, Milwaukee WI 53211-0727. Written permission from the publisher is required for reproduction of any part of this book except pages which encourage sharing. Please explain your intended use when requesting permission to reprint and guarantee tear sheets of reviews and reprints. Reunions magazine, Inc., is not liable for information presented as facts in any of our advertising, byline stories or materials. We reserve the right to edit and/or refuse any material submitted for publication. We take responsibility for submitted materials but unless accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE), submissions and photos will not be returned. All materials sent for publication become property of Reunions magazine, Inc. Advertising information contact Reunions magazine, Inc., PO Box 11727, Milwaukee WI 53211-0727 | 414-467-8104 roberta@reunionsmag.com | www.reunionsmag.com. © 2021 Reunions magazine, Inc.
2021 REUNION CELEBRATIONS! v REUNIONS 3
FRONT WORDS
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the responsibility of making your reunion o here we are on the cusp of yet PO Box 11727 happen. It can also expand the range of ages another reunion season but unlike Milwaukee WI 53211-0727 involved since ZOOM meetings are very any other. A year ago we already knew common among the younger generation that the summer and autumn reunion call 414-263-4567 who can now step up and be a part of seasons would be disrupted and most visit www.reunionsmag.com reunion planning. planned reunions had been e-mail editor@reunionsmag.com Years ago, when Reunions magazine was “unplanned,” postponed, cancelled or “young,” I often got post-reunion phone calls shifted to virtual. Reunions were only a very small part of all the collapses that happened including great from planners complaining that young adults did not seem interested in coming to the reunion and how could they fix damage to the hospitality and travel industries on which that. It seemed rather obvious to me knowing planners were reunions depend. Now one year later there is some uncertainty, however things usually older and planned for their own interests. Simple, I said! Ask the kids what they want to do at the reunion and are looking up. Many reunion planners are not yet comfortable make sure you plan to their desires. I suggested things like enough to commit to full reunions this year. Some have mini going to the zoo or roller skating or going to a disco or dance local events planned while many are holding their breath and club to which callers would make it clear that did not interest planning big, boisterous returns for 2022. Which one are you? them. But it was not the older planners we were talking about The 2020 reunion season saw an enormous expansion in and when they asked their younger members, they were the use of ZOOM technology as a substitute for in-person surprised at what kids wanted to do. When they made sure events. Many were online gatherings where everyone had a kids could do those things, kids happily came to reunions. It is chance to tell what they were up to while others tried hard to that younger crowd who will sustain your family reunion so replicate actual reunion events with activities shared during the you’ll want to cater to them now. And urge them to get ZOOM meetings. Examples include: history telling by the Good involved in planning so their needs will be met. The same is Family Reunion; a family choir and cooking lesson with true for golf. If you have members who are golfers, at least everybody cooking along at the Grant-Johnson Family Reunion; know where the public golf courses are and who can play on and a scavenger hunt for kids at the Bryant Family Reunion! All so very clever and unique that one wonders if these aren’t going them. One game of golf at a reunion will make those members very happy. to continue in some form for future reunions. When we stopped printing Reunions magazine in late It seems that planning committee meetings could benefit 2019, we also stopped hearing from as many reunions as we mightily by the use of ZOOM meetings, if they don’t already. once did, though at the time we continued to add reunion That way, committee members can live anywhere in the country stories to our web page and alerted you to the additions in our or the world and still be integral to helping plan the reunion! newsletters. It seems regular magazine arrival reminded you This should expand the number of members who can share in that you wanted to see your reunion in the next one and you sent your stories/reports and pictures. Now we want to see more reunion stories and reports from you. These do not have to be recent reunions, you can go back and report some of your reunions in history. You should know we edit everything we use in the See your reunion on these pages and on our website. magazine so don’t worry about spelling (except for names) If you are not your family or group scribe, find someone and grammar because we’ll make it so you will be proud of eager to write about your reunion and share it with us. yourself when you see your reunion in print. Of course, we want pictures and now you can add your reunion videos as Consider students who could score a publishing credit! well. Pictures must be high resolution (250KB or higher if We edit everything so perfection is not as important as the digital and 300 dpi if scanned). Please send videos as a .mp4, facts of your story. Be sure to send high resolution pictures .mov, or .wmv video file via www.wetransfer.com (a free and videos in these formats – .mp4, .mov, or .wmv via transfer service that allows up to 2GB to be sent). Send to www.wetransfer.com (a free transfer service up to 2GB). editor@reunionsmag.com and you can expect to hear from us with questions as we prepare for the issue. We look forward to We do not have deadlines but use materials as they are reading about your reunion! EW received so the sooner you send your reunion story, the
Celebrate your reunion!
Share it with the world!
sooner you can expect to see it in Reunions magazine! Send to editor@reunionsmag.com and thank you.
4 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
FIND YO U R Y E ST E R DAY TO DAY With diverse multicultural jewels throughout Little Havana, Little Haiti, Historic Overtown and more, Miami lets you find your roots and reunite with your past. Reconnect today in Greater Miami and the Beaches. Visit MulticulturalMiami.com to see our special Plan Your Reunion page!
What else will you find? Start your discovery at MiamiandBeaches.com © Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau — The Official Destination Sales & Marketing Organization for Greater Miami and the Beaches. // CS 02739
ZOOM reunions
The Brolras’ ZOOM!
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he triennial reunion of the Brolras should have taken place in 2021. For a year, the two families in charge of planning have made and cancelled plans over and over. The resorts found that would house all 83 members had let so many employees go, they weren’t sure they would still be in business. Other resorts wouldn’t write in a cancellation clause in case the pandemic continued and we had to beg off. No cancellation clause, no reservations. T-shirts have been designed, and people are probably already practicing for the talent show and getting fit for the Brolra Olympics. The city has been selected and announced, but before we could make travel arrange-
Brolra Halloween reunion in costume.
ments, the meeting date had been rescheduled for 2022. Since our relatives are spread from Vancouver, Canada in the North; Kansas City, Missouri in the East; Gilbert, Arizona, in the South; and
Carmel, California, in the West, we only see each other every three years. But 2020 brought us a new mode of communication! ZOOM!!! We had a surprise birthday party for one member, a costume get-together for Halloween, and many monthly ZOOMS just because we could. So basically, we got to see each other more than ever in our lifetimes, and it has been wonderful. When 2022 rolls around, we won’t be like strangers, and hopefully we’ll be allowed to hug again. Shared by Karen Robertson, Wildomar, California, who is the devil in the upper left picture.
Jernigan Family Reunion invite
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nvitations are essential whether your reunion is in person or virtual over ZOOM. This is an example of an invitation to a Jernigan Family Reunion. The Jernigans have been “staying together” over ZOOM because they’ve lost key members to Covid. Their virtual get-togethers include an agenda of fun, games and “a little genealogy in the mix.” Different members host meetings. Shared by Beverly Paige, Shreveport, Louisiana.
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ZOOM reunions
Groshek cousins ZOOM
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or about 20 years each July, the Groshek female cousins have gathered at their grandparents’ farm in Wittenberg, Wisconsin, to celebrate just being Groshek cousins. One of the traditions is to pass the BUZZARD (stuffed animal) to anyone celebrating her 40th birthday. Over the years we now celebrate those who are turning 50 and even 60 years. And believe me, we have so many cousins that someone is always hitting a milestone birthday. We celebrate with pizza, cake and snacks all the while talking, reminiscing and laughing at decibel levels that just about blow the roof off the house. We pose for group photos and generally have a
great time. So, when COVID struck, the “chicks” were saddened that our yearly reunion could not take place. That’s when the ZOOM call idea took hold. It wasn’t quite the same, but the shared camaraderie was a welcome respite in dark times. We are hoping to meet in person in 2021. P.S. the person circled in red was a rogue MALE cousin who decided to invade our territory. Shared by June Groshek Czarnezki, South Milwaukee, Wisconsin, whose face is covered by the picture, bottom row second from the right.
Add your ZOOM reunion! Have you had a ZOOM reunion? Do you have committee meetings on ZOOM or Skype? Think about sharing your experience with other planners. Take pictures or send a live ZOOM video and we’ll share it in a future issue or online for other reunions to learn from you. Include your ideas and outcomes and we’ll celebrate your reunion on these pages or online at www. reunionsmag.com!! Send to editor@ reunionsmag.com. Pictures must be high resolution (250KB or higher if digital and 300 dpi if scanned). Please send videos as a .mp4, .mov, or .wmv video file via www. wetransfer.com (a free transfer service that allows up to 2GB to be sent).
Powell Moody Reunion cooking show
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ne of the afternoon activities at the Powell Moody Family ZOOM Reunion is a cooking show. Here cousin Pricilla Powell shows members how to make a peach cobbler: yummm! Shared by Allison Bell, Evans, Georgia. 2021 REUNION CELEBRATIONS! v REUNIONS 7
ZOOM reunions
Bryant Family ZOOM Reunion
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bout 36 to 38 families joined a three-and-a-half-hour Bryant Family ZOOM Reunion. The event was a substitute for the 44th consecutive Bryant Family Reunion originally scheduled to take place in Fairfax County, Virginia. We were determined not to allow the 44-year run to be broken; and given the uncertainties attributed to the pandemic, it was even more important to see/be with each other in 2020.
Hollister family calling in from Dakar, Senegal, where cousin Elizabeth Hollister and her husband Brian are teachers with their son Finley.
Carla Bryant, reunion ZOOM moderator.
Family joined from Savannah and Sylvania, Georgia; Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; New York; Freddie was calling from a Caribbean island and his daughter called briefly from North Carolina. Family from Indiana, Maryland, and Virginia, were present, and our cousin Elizabeth and her family called in from Senegal, West Africa, where they’ve been teaching for the last couple of years. Three questions were asked of everyone 1) Introduce yourself, tell us where you’re calling from, three things that you’ve been doing/or have done since we last met and who you’re descended from. 2) What you are looking forward to getting back to when the pandemic is over and 3) How did you get your name? I have written in my notes a 4th question, but I don’t recall asking it: What are you missing by not physically being together this year? When there were enough children on the call, we did an intermittent virtual scavenger hunt. Kids were asked to find in their home and bring to the camera: something shiny, someone else’s shoe, something blue, something with a flower on it, something with a hole it, a writing instrument, etc. “Bryant Family Preference” polls were created for voting. Selections included: What is your favorite color? Sweet tea or lemonade? Choices of favorite cartoon characters, pancakes or waffles? Bare feet or shoes? Favorite season, etc. Polls were put up intermittently and voting took place while listening to family members’ answers to the questions posed, or during performances. The results of the polls were shared and briefly discussed as a transition to the next question of the group or a performance. Old family photos of those both present and those no longer with us, were flashed intermittently through the day. There were four songs sung, one by one of the children. Our cousin, Freddie Bryant, a professional musician, graced us with three songs played on his guitar. 8 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
The reunion was brought to a close by opening the microphones for free talk. Freddie shared that he was influenced by a family member who was a musician and asked if anyone on the call knew him. That opened a brief introduction to a late relative (John “Willie” Scott) who was a professional musician who influenced, mentored, and played with some well-known musicians throughout his career and life. The perfect poem was read by our cousin, Angel. The poem spoke to not taking some of the small but meaningful things in our lives for granted and becoming better once we come to this.
Cousin Freddie Bryant serenading the family from Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean.
It was expressed by many who attended to have been a wonderful time of not only seeing one another again, but being grateful to have been able to have done so. Several of us shared that we learned some things about each other or were formally introduced to relatives who we have seen, kissed and hugged over the years, but really didn’t know. While there were so many members of our family who did not drop in that day, the spirit of the Bryant Family was held tightly together by those of us who came together to validate the love that we have for our family and to celebrate that we are still here! See full ZOOM reunion! Report shared and ZOOM hosted by Carla Bryant, Bristow, Virginia.
ALUM & I
On, Wisconsin!
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he University of Wisconsin-Madison Varsity Band reunites on the field for its first full-group practice since March 2020. On a blustery gray March afternoon, about 200 student musicians got the chance they’d been waiting a year for – the chance to be a band again. The UW–Madison Varsity Band gathered for the first large group practice since the COVID-19
lockdown began. Flashing green Badger Badges to show they were in compliance with campus health rules, they lined up on the practice field – carefully distanced, with bell covers to limit the airflow from their instruments and two masks (one regular and one with a small slit, for playing). “Let’s move some air!” Corey Pompey, director of athletic bands, exclaimed, starting a warmup exercise. The band suspended practice in March 2020 for what members expected would be just a short hiatus. Instead, it had been a year of rehearsals via ZOOM and in small groups of the same instrument. Now, at last, they were together – trumpets, trombones, clarinets, saxophones, mellophones, euphoniums, flugelhorns,
drums, cymbals and, of course, the tubas. It wasn’t quite the entire band – students split into two groups, each practicing for an hour, and some members who are studying remotely weren’t able to join – but it was a start. When the first three notes of the warmup sounded a little tentative. “More brass! More brass!” urged Pompey, perched atop a ladder, coatless despite the chill. “Tubas, let me hear a B flat. And hopefully it’s the same B flat from all of you.” Then it was time to try “Varsity,” the tune that closes every sporting event and celebration. The first note started… and stopped. “Woof! Try it again!” Pompey said. A few more starts and stops and the band began to hit its stride. “Nice, beautiful sound,” Pompey said. “Oh! You sound good!” They moved through all the favorites – “On, Wisconsin,” “If You Want to Be a Badger,” “A Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight,” “The Horse” – Pompey’s ladder quivering as he stomped his foot. “This is a really, really momentous occasion and the hope is that we don’t go backwards – we keep moving forward,” Pompey said. “It’s good to see you, everybody. I can’t wait to do it again.” Drum major Josh Richlen of Greendale stepped up to lead the band in its slogan of the day. “Eat a rock!” the students shouted. “It’s good to be back! On, Wisconsin!” It’s not yet known when the band will perform for fans again at venues like Camp Randall and Union South’s Badger Bash. They hadn’t played in public since the Rose Bowl in January 2020. From Meredith Mcglone in The Flamingle from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Alumni Association.
Memories of Greene County Training School-South Greene High School annual reunions
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ach year, I visit Snow Hill, North Carolina, during the Memorial Day weekend for an all-school reunion (activities last from Monday through the following Sunday evening with a huge picnic) to preserve and perpetuate the legacy of Greene County Training School-South Greene High School (www.gctssghs-alumniassociation.org/). The school operated from 1925 until 1969
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when it closed as a result of integration. My oldest sister and brother are members of the Class of 1969, the last graduating class at South Greene High School so they were inducted into the Golden Circle at the 2019 reunion with great fanfare and a lot of respect and reverence as the last graduating class before our dear alma mater closed. Like me, both of them are actively involved in a leadership role with the alumni association and local chapter. GCTS-SGH is a Rosenwald School. Julian Rosenwald, the philanthropist who was part owner and leader of Sears Roebuck, built thousands of schools throughout the south
to educate African Americans. Though he was a huge blessing in disguise, sadly the records show that he received money from many white supremacists who wanted and were determined to keep segregation the law of the land. My Class of 1970 was the first class to graduate as an integrated class at Greene Central High School and will celebrate our 50th Anniversary next Memorial Day Weekend at GCTS-SGH and will be inducted into the Golden Circle. I am proud of my high school and am determined to share the school’s legacy every chance possible! Shared by Thelma Harper Jones, Washington DC.
ALUM & I
31 reasons why you should go to your high school reunion Need a good reason to go to your high school reunion? How about 31? 1. You’ve got nothing to prove. 2. You want to swoon over your ex-boyfriend. 3. You want your ex-boyfriend to swoon over you – might want to start looking for that perfect cocktail dress now. 4. No one can relive that big game like the friends who were there with you when it happened. 5. Few events offer the opportunity to go back in time and laugh like a teenager. 6. This party doesn’t involve puffy prom dresses, dyed to match shoes, or big hair – though you might see a few photos of just that. 7. You know high school didn’t define you. 8. You might find out Mr. Most-Likely-To-Succeed is now a stay-at-home dad, and Miss Biggest Flirt is now a tenured professor at an Ivy League school. 9. You traded in your sporty Chucks for sexy Jimmy Choos a long time ago. 10. Even though your life didn’t follow the road map you had planned, you know deep down your path has been uniquely yours. 11. Even with the best of intentions, you really don’t get together with those high school Facebook friends. 12. You look better than you’ve ever looked before. 13. You feel better than you’ve ever felt before. 14. You are so not who you were back then. 15. You want to remember who you were back then. 16. You can’t hear the infectious laugh of the classmate who sat behind you in geometry, see an ex-boyfriend’s smiling blue eyes, or hug your former locker Proviso West High School, Hillside, Illinois, Class of 1988 partner on Facebook. 17. To introduce your husband to the girlfriends who got you through your first heartbreak. 18. It is sure to be chock full of status worthy Facebook postings or fodder for your blog. 19. Even if you’re recently divorced, have a bit less hair, lost your job or wear a few extra pounds, you are still who you are, only better. 20. It is a great way to show your partner where you came from. 21. And an even better way to see how far you’ve come. 22. There are very few opportunities in life to reinvent yourself. 23. You can watch a movie about a reunion – Grosse Pointe Blank, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion – or you can live it. 24. Group memories are best shared as a group. 25. At a reunion, everyone shows up older, and then grows young again. 26. Your classmates know just what it is like and just how it feels to be 28, or 38, or 48, or 58 or 68. 27. To talk about your high school glory days, not to relive them, but to tell your classmates “I’m glad we went through it together” makes for a great evening. 28. The “I didn’t like anyone then,” “I still talk to everyone I want to talk to,” and “everything there is to know about anyone is on Facebook” excuses are predictable and ordinary. You are neither. 29. Rarely in life do you get to look back through a new lens. 30. Being someone’s “friend” on Facebook does not mean you know anything about them other than what they did last Friday night. 31. Because you can. From Cyndi Clamp, Varsity Reunion Service, St Louis, Missouri; www.varsityreunions.com/blog Maine East High School, Park Ridge, Illinois, Class of 1969 2021 REUNION CELEBRATIONS! v REUNIONS 11
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Ontario Ancestors ZOOM call
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Most of these events are sponsored and presented by convention and visitors bureaus. Most are family reunion planning sessions, unless noted otherwise. Most take place on Saturdays, are free or at nominal cost. All prefer or require advance reservations. We add new events online as soon as we learn about them. Visit www.reunionsmag.com and click on Reunion Planning Workshops. FAMILY REUNION WORKSHOPS BY DEKALB COUNTY, GEORGIA Virtual Presentations 11 am-Noon Wednesday, June 9, 2021 Wednesday, October 13, 2021 In-Person Presentations 10 am-1 pm Eastern Time Wednesday, August 11, 2021 Saturday, September 18, 2021 REUNION EXPO Noon-5 pm Saturday, November 20, 2021 Register at www.discoverdekalb.com/meetings-groups/ Contact: Penny Moore, 770-492-5018 FREE VIRTUAL FAMILY REUNION PLANNING AND LEGACY BUILDING WORKSHOPS Attendees enjoy hearing from industry experts and participate in “live” question and answer. Limited virtual seats are available, to register, send an e-mail to webuildlegacy@ gmail.com Noon Eastern Time June 26, 2021 (Reunion School Part 2) July 31, 2021 August 28, 2021 September 2, 2021 October 23, 2021 SAVE THE DATE Saturday, April 2, 2022 WeBuildLegacy Family Reunion Planners Conference and Expo Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MILITARY REUNION NETWORK Noon Eastern Time June 7-10, 2021 | MRN Educational Summit Colorado Springs, Colorado Keynote: Dan Pedersen, creator of the Navy Top Gun Program June 10-11, 2021 | FAM Pueblo, Colorado June 23, 2021 | Virtual FAM, Springfield, Illinois Contact Sharon Danitschek, info@militaryreunionnetwork.com
425-501-1430 www.militaryreunionnetwork.com/upcomingevents/ #!event-list 12 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
eunions magazine publisher, Rick Voight, and editor, Edith Wagner, spent an interesting half hour recently discussing the state of reunions and how genealogists play into the magazine with Patti Mordasewicz, editor of Ontario (Canada, not California) Ancestors eWeekly Update. A lot of the discussion was around what will happen to reunions in 2022. We’d love to hear your impressions about our insights!
Reunion results in organ donation
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ichard “Dick” Hanusa, a US Army veteran and pilot, has lived all around the world but never imagined that moving his family back to Wisconsin, his home state, would save his life. While living in New Berlin, Wisconsin, Hanusa’s daughter, Sarah Weaver, became best friends with Michelle Schuerman. High school classmates bonding over the fads of the 1990s, Weaver and Schuerman never knew their friendship would later bond them for life. College and starting families separated the two, and it wasn’t until years later the duo reunited. Then one day, while stuck in traffic on the way to see one of their favorite bands, Weaver shared that her father needed a life-saving kidney transplant. Without hesitation, Schuerman started the living kidney donor evaluation process with the Transplant Center at Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin. In August 2014, Schuerman donated her kidney to Hanusa, with tests confirming their organ compatibility was the highest non-relative match this nationally ranked Center had seen in their Michelle Schuerman and Dick Hanusa transplant history. after successful kidney donation. Now, almost seven years after the transplant/donation, both Hanusa and Schuerman are doing great and have a new appreciation for the gift of life. Hanusa, says “I think of Michelle every day and thank her when I put on my kidney transplant medic alert necklace. Because of organ donation, I appreciate every single day to the fullest and enjoy my wonderful life with my family!” “The majority of people on the transplant waiting list need a kidney, and almost 20 people die each day in the US alone, while waiting,” said Schuerman. “These numbers are staggering and can be reduced, if more people consider living organ donation.” Since donation, Schuerman, is a peer-to-peer organ donation mentor at a transplant center, and started the social support group, Living Donors Together of Wisconsin, for living kidney donors, in partnership with the National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin. Because of Organ Donation: A Collection of Inspiring Stories Celebrating the Gift of Life is a compilation 25 authors’ organ donation stories just released in April 2021. For more information and to order, go to www.becauseoforgandonation.com/.
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Hospitality Answerman
Q: A:
What does the Hospitality Answerman’s crystal ball look like for family reunions? Are family groups going to be getting together in 2021? In 2022? What will hotels be offering reunion groups? And will reunions be as big as they’ve been in the past?
Alas, while the Answerman’s crystal ball isn’t any clearer than anyone else’s, we can see some trends starting to develop, particularly as it pertains to groups getting together next year. Unfortunately, while everyone is extremely eager to get “out of the house” and mix and mingle with family and friends right now, there likely won’t be many big family gatherings scheduled for 2021. There are still too many folks who haven’t been vaccinated, too many challenges with travel, and too many local limitations in place that limit the size of gatherings in hotels and other public venues. What we’ll primarily see for the remainder of the summer in 2021 will be small family gatherings (backyard cookouts and the like) with local attendees. Even if a larger group wanted to get together this year, finding an appropriate venue, getting everyone there from multiple destinations, and complying with all of the (still omnipresent) health restrictions and guidelines would be more trouble and bother than most groups are willing to undertake. I attended a trade show in a midwestern city last week; it was the first time I had gone to a travel industry event in over a year. Here are some of the protocols all of the attendees had to adhere to: n E veryone had to submit either a vaccination record or a negative covid-19 test to the event organizers in advance of the event. n E veryone had to sign a statement promising not to hug or shake hands, promising to wear a face covering at all times, and promising to report aanyone who wasn’t wearing a face covering. n S ocial distancing was maintained at all times, including at meals (there were four people seated at each large banquet table instead of the normal ten) and on the motor coaches taking us to an off-site dinner (26 passengers on a motor coach that would normally seat 52).
you’d like to get together now, as prime dates in the summer of 2022 are likely to be in higher demand than they normally would be. Remember … all of the reunion groups who didn’t meet in 2020 and 2021 will be looking to get together next year! To keep your reunion affordable for everyone, keep these simple steps in mind: n B ook early! Find a city and a hotel that works for your group and lock in your dates. n P repare to be flexible on your dates when looking. Have a first, second, and third choice set of dates in mind. n D on’t be afraid to ask the CVB or hotel, “What dates would you like us to come in order to get the best deal?” n C onsider suburban locations and smaller towns outside of big cities. Likewise, look at locations where most (if not all) of your attendees can drive or take the train, rather than fly. Air fares are likely to be high for the foreseeable future, as the airlines recover from the pandemic. n W hile hotels have typically preferred that you hold one or more meal functions in the hotel during your reunion, many hotels have scaled back their food service options. Be sure to ask if the hotel will have an operating restaurant, can handle your dinner in the ballroom, etc. n A nd finally, if you’ll have lots of kids attending and having a swimming pool available is important to you, be sure to inquire if the hotel will have a pool open and available for your use. Many hotels have removed their swimming pools completely, and others closed their pools for the duration of the pandemic. By starting your reunion planning now, and not waiting until later in the year, you’ll ensure yourself of better options, better pricing, higher attendance, and more time to prepare for a terrific gathering in 2022!
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About the Hospitality Answerman
Ask yourself … would your family want to go to all this trouble to get together this year? Probably not, which is why we’re seeing a huge surge of interest in groups getting together in 2022. A year from now, a much greater percentage of the population will have been vaccinated, travel should be much easier, and reluctance to get together should be much lower. Planners looking to hold reunions in 2022 should be talking to the Convention and Visitor Bureau (CVB) in the city/cities where
Dean Miller, national sales director for Visit Fairfax (www.fxva.com), the convention and visitors bureau in Fairfax County, Virginia, is a great friend of reunions. Contact him (703-790-0643; dmiller@fxva.com) when you are planning a reunion in the Washington, DC, area. Fairfax County is nearby, affordable, and conveniently located to all the area has to offer.
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What is your question for Dean Miller, Hospitality Answerman? Send to editor@reunionsmag.com 2021 REUNION CELEBRATIONS! v REUNIONS 13
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Giveaways for your reunion!
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f you’ve not already discovered our Giveaways and contest page, now’s the time! Many are prizes you can use for your reunion. At the moment, you can enter to win a copy of Photo Detective Maureen Taylor’s Identifying Family Photos or one of four copies of Kristy Alpert’s Road Trip Activities and Travel Journal for Kids. There are Brag Badges to help family get to know one another better and sets of four games from Goliath Games. And a DNA kit that would be treasured by anyone who won it from myHeritage.com! Go to the Giveaways page on www.reunionsmag.com/resources/giveaways-contests/ now to enter for one or all of the prizes before time runs out!
Black History Tours in Austin, Texas
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e know Texas as part of the West … cowboys and rodeos but playing down the history of slavery and segregation it shares with other Southern states. Most people who visit Austin, Texas, go for the music and the food. Black history has not been a draw. Now Javier Wallace, founder of Black Austin Tours tells the lesser-known stories of Austin. Wallace’s family roots in the Austin area date back 200 years. He explores this personal history in his excursions through the city’s East Side. Though recently, he has led his trips virtually. He talks about how the Austin City Council forced Black families into a Negro District in 1928; legal and de facto segregation at the city’s parks and pools; and a 19thcentury economy powered by plantations—including Ancient Oaks, where
The Texas state capitol, an important landmark on the tour, is a Renaissance Revival building in the heart of Austin, constructed by Black prisoners in the 1880s. Wallace connects the story of the building’s construction to broader topics, including convict labor, mass incarceration, the policing of Black communities, and the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. 14 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
Wallace’s ancestors were enslaved. “We walk every day in these historical injustices,” he says. Nationwide protests against racial injustice in the spring and summer of 2020 have touched many aspects of American life. Since then, Wallace says, there’s been a major uptick in interest in his tours and, among the white visitors who seek him out, a desire to learn about the Black experience and become better allies. He is eager to offer reunion groups his Austin Black History Walk. He cautions that health and safety measures may limit the size of the group but multiple groups can be organized. Guests will learn about The City of Austin’s 1928 Master Plan and creation of the “Negro District,” which is centered around East 11th Street. You will visit important sites and institutions throughout a one-mile journey. Guests will also be able to engage in dialogue about the changing nature of East Austin and the city’s Black community. A large part of this experience is to support local Black owned businesses in the neighborhood. “The contributions, experiences, and history of African people in this city,” Wallace says, “are in every nook and cranny.” Contact Javier Wallace, javier@blackaustintours.com; Black Austin Tours, www.blackaustintours.com/
Learn a new way to have a reunion Learn reunion!!! Learn a a new way to have a reunion Zoom brings people together. Zoom brings people together. Zoom together.
The more the merrier!! The more the merrier The merrier
Teaches literally and and emotionally. emotionally. Teaches you you how how to to connect, connect, literally Teaches you how to connect, literally and Teaches you how to connect, literally and emotionally. emotionally. Tutorial Videos by: Tutorial Videos by: Tutorial Videos by: Tutorial Videos Tutorial Videos by: by:
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Georgia’s First State Park for African-Americans
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en sites in Cartersville, Georgia, and surrounding Bartow County mark a history trail of its African-American citizens, including a unique park considered to have the prettiest beach on Allatoona Lake. Recently renovated and open to the public, Cartersville’s George Washington Carver Park (3900 Bartow Carver Rd, Acworth) was founded in 1950 as Georgia’s first state park for black Americans. In 1950, a Civil Rights victory was achieved when George Washington Carver Park was established and John Loyd Atkinson, a World War II Tuskegee Airman, became the first black man hired as superintendent of a Georgia State Park. Front porch for relaxing As Atkinson predicted, each removed from Georgia’s park system summer families from Atlanta, and its lease transferred to Bartow Birmingham and Charlotte County. Also on the Cartersvilleflocked to the park, known as Bartow County African-American “The Beach,” for church picnics, Heritage Trail is the adjacent Pine family reunions and to see the Acres Retreat, the former Pine Acres famed St. John’s Ski Bees. Girl Scout camp. Pine Acres Retreat Atkinson cultivated the park until offers rustic cottages, 32 platform 1958, when Cartersville resident campsites and lodges to enable large Clarence Benham became the and small families to enjoy a new park superintendent and create-your-own retro summer camp operated the park alongside his experience, with plenty of activities family. His son, Robert Benham, and room to roam. Guests enjoy an who later became Georgia’s first outdoor swimming pool, pebble black Supreme Court Chief beach, hiking trails, fishing sites, Justice, “had the pleasure of archery and canoe and kayak rentals, growing up at the park.” Justice as well as the proximity to George Benham shares that “most Washington Carver Park. Affordable people saw the park as a rates are available for single cottages refuge” from day-to-day life, and and for larger groups. “looked forward to the weekend Cartersville-Bartow’s Africanwhen they could come to The American Heritage Trail encompasses Beach.” 10 locations: George Washington African American Heritage Trail, Bartow County, Georgia In 1970, the park was Carver Park and Camp Pine Acres in Acworth; Gassett’s Grocery, Conyer’s Alley, Summer Hill Heritage Foundation and Masonic Lodge in Cartersville; the Euharlee Covered Bridge and Black Pioneers Cemetery in Euharlee; St. James AME Church and Noble Hill-Wheeler Memorial Center and Rosenwald School in Cassville; Melvinia “Mattie” Shields McGruder’s gravesite in Kingston; and the Adairsville Depot Museum. The Heritage Trail brochure is downloadable at www.visitcartersvillega.org/gwcp/. To reserve facilities or rentals, contact Cartersville-Bartow County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 770-387-1357; www.VisitCartersvilleGA.org 16 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
Photo Solutions for Family Reunions
Maureen Taylor Author • Keynote Speaker • Podcaster
“Nation’s Foremost Historical Photo Detective” —WSJ
Identify, Preserve, and Share Your Photos On-Demand Classes:
maureentaylor.com
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Common mistakes to avoid redeeming Hotel Points
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ou carefully collect reward points, maybe even open a credit card to boost your earnings with a hotel chain. Avoid these common mistakes when redeeming hotel points.
DON’T BE TOO QUICK TO REDEEM YOUR POINTS. Compare the value of your points with the cash rate to see whether it even makes sense to use hotel points. In other words, don’t blow tens of thousands of points for a $200 hotel room when you might be better off paying cash and saving points for a more expensive redemption later. Here’s how you can know: divide the cash cost of a night by the number of points you need. If you’re getting under a half-cent per point in value, it’s not a good deal.
REDEEMING POINTS FOR NON-TRAVEL AWARDS Hotel points are currency so you can cash them in for many different rewards, not just stays. But you get far less than you would to use them for travel. For instance, you can use hotel points for store purchases or for gift cards from hundreds of retailers, but you only get 0.2 cents per point. That’s well below the potential for rooms.
Travel safety tips
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ith many starting to travel again, these are safety precautions you should take. These are tips to ensure your long-awaited travel plans aren’t interrupted.
Don’t rely on technology for your itinerary. We are dependent on our smart phones for almost everything. Low batteries, lost phones or no signal can disrupt your plans. Before you leave home, print details of your dates, times, confirmation numbers, locations, and contact information for all your travel. Share the information with friends and family. Rental car companies, airlines, hotels, and tourist attractions can help you recover lost information. Don’t make your travel public until you return home. Social media posts announcing a trip or showing photos is a good way to inform people your home is vulnerable. Let your financial institution know you’re traveling. Monitoring charges on cards is common today. If they don’t know you’re traveling across or out of the country, it could result in extra scrutiny on your account. If they can’t contact you, it might result in your charges being declined.
LETTING POINTS EXPIRE Review policies of programs to ensure you have some qualifying activity to keep your points active for when you want to use them. For example, some points expire after 12 or 18 or 24 months of no activity but Best Western Rewards points don’t expire. “Activity” usually includes using a cobranded credit card or making purchases through a hotel program’s affiliates to keep your points alive.
FORGETTING ABOUT FREE NIGHT CERTIFICATES Several hotel credit cards deposit award night certificates into members’ accounts, either automatically or when they hit certain spending thresholds. For example, some award a free reward night each year to a yearly free weekend reward good Friday through Sunday. All these certificates expire, usually around a year after they are issued so, if you have a hotel credit card, make sure to redeem any free nights you might be entitled to before they lapse, and before you use any points instead.
NOT CANCELLING ON TIME One of the biggest selling points of using hotel points to book a stay is the flexibility to cancel if you need to. Many award rates are refundable up until 24 hours before check-in. Miss the deadline, though, and you could be on the hook for one paid night at the “best available rate” (read: expensive) plus taxes and fees.
NOT BUDGETING FOR RESORT FEES Many hotels in vacation destinations charge resort fees, while city properties charge “amenity fees” for Wi-Fi, gym access, and activity passes. Some hotels waive these fees on award stays, others do not. So, expect an automatic charge whether or not you actually use any of those amenities. Redeeming hotel points for stays can be a great way to save money but there are a lot of mistakes to avoid to get the most enjoyment from your trip. From an article by Eric Rosen in Travel + Leisure. He is also host of the Conscious Traveler podcast. 18 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
Back pockets are no place for valuables. Wallets, passports and valuables should be kept in cargo or front pockets that can be secured. Minimize your wallet or have an alternate wallet just for travel. Have a first aid kit. A small one for air travel or a larger one for road trips. Don’t rely on emergency services in the short term. Secure wraps, tourniquets, bandages, and hemostatic agents can save lives. This is a must for any cross-country travel. Have cash on hand for emergencies. Don’t use unfamiliar ATMs. Avoid being scammed by recording devices or card readers. Use credit cards to minimize the amount of cash you carry. Secure your items in the hotel room safe. Potential thieves know people hide belongings in suitcases. Be aware of your surroundings. Situational awareness is critical when traveling. Be aware of the same car exiting behind you. Recognize the same person following you around. Trust your instincts. When you start to feel unsafe you are probably sensing danger. Don’t risk your safety for the perfect photo. Selfies can result in unnecessary injuries. From Doug Parisi, Director of Training, The SafeDefendTM System; www.safedefend.com
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strengthening the family: Family Empowerment
Excerpt from Black Family Reunions, Finding the Rest of Me by Ione Vargus, PhD, founder of the Family Reunion Institute at Temple University. CHAPTER 5: with permission
Family Empowerment might be a serious learning tool for many reunions who’ve never even thought of how they govern and expand their reunions. This excerpt is the first of a series of three to improve reunion leadership. Also read about governance and listen to two podcasts about reunion leadership on www.reunionsmag.com/podcast/.
Preserving the Extended Family
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frican American family reunions have become a part of the permanent fabric of this country’s society. This has particular significance because the reunion as an institution is controlled by individuals and families. There is no dependence on government and little dependence on monies outside the family. The participants are willing; the goals are meaningful. One of the most exciting aspects of the reunion is how they have progressed from a cookout where people mostly ate and socialized strengthening the extended family. Family members have established businesses, developed land, used one another’s services, and helped the growth of a business. They have developed charitable projects for within and outside the family. They have developed scholarships for members of the family. This has occurred between people who initially may not have known one another very well or even at all. In other words, they met at the family reunion, began to discuss something, and then discovered like interests and opportunities. Sometimes a project has taken several years to occur, and sometimes it develops at just one reunion. The family reunion provides a setting that people may not find in other places. It provides an environment in which some family members are willing to risk an association. In his newsletter to reunion professionals and suppliers, Tom Ninkovich, the coauthor of the extremely useful Family Reunion Handbook, wrote, “Of course, no particular race or ethnic group has an exclusive lock on family reunions. But I can tell you one thing: the African American community in this country knows exactly why and how to plan reunions, and fully understands their social value and potential.”1
National Structures Initially, the main goal of the reunion is to bring the family together, but as time goes on, the family becomes more structured. A member of the Gaither family explains this growth: “I guess it was a general consensus among the family that we’re getting together, we’re eating, we’re having a good time. Now, let’s do something else.”2
National Boards and Officers Families find that they have issues to consider and business meetings are held. This often leads to setting up a national organization with officers, an executive board, and a constitution and bylaws. Warren Gaither, an actor from Detroit, became chairman of the Gaither-James family’s board of directors after the second year. He explained the purpose of the board. “The board basically keeps the family together while at the same time giving us time to organize and look at different horizons.”3 This is so important because individual families are diverse. He noted, “We have a wide range. There are some that are rather affluent, and
there are some that aren’t. But yet and still, in terms of economics, we’re still family.” There is, in fact, an understanding that not everyone has had the same advantage, and the tendency is to reach out to those less fortunate. In this respect, the family reunion reminds one of mutual aid societies that once existed in many black communities. Board members often serve as consultants to the host region to help plan the reunion. Other functions of the national board may include resolving disagreements, setting policy by which families will operate the reunion, establishing guidelines for the reunion, and maintaining the official family history and records. They promote the family and keep the family cohesive. Boards also deal with many family issues that do not necessarily relate to the reunion but are at a more personal level. At an annual meeting of the family, suggestions arise that the board may act on. Since they are in frequent communication, they can take the ball and run with it. The officers of the Timothy and Easter Benton family include cochairman, secretary, financial secretary, treasurer, chaplain, assistant chaplain, and sergeant at arms. As with most organizations, the officers comprise the executive board.4 The National Lowe family reunion has fourteen board Officers. Along with the typical board members, the officers include two senior active members and two youth directors, a chaplain, and a parliamentarian. The deliberate inclusion of seniors and youth on the board help to ensure that those age groups interests are considered. In addition, the National Lowe family reunion has a board of directors consisting of representatives from each section of the country that comprise attendance at the reunion.5
Regional Chapters Very large families may even be more complex in their structure. u T he National Hairston clan has sixteen state and local chapters. Each of these chapters holds its own annual reunion, has its own board of directors and collects dues. Some chapters have their own constitution. u T he Terry family has thirteen family chapters and has divided these into regional committees in Detroit, New England, Trenton-Philadelphia, and New York-New Jersey. u T he descendants of George and Sallie Bullock conduct annual family reunions through five regional committees. The regional committees consist of New York; Penjerdel (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware); Maryland/Washington DC; Virginia; and North Carolina. Each Bullock regional committee has its own officers and conducts its own fundraising activities to help finance the reunion if it is the host or to help underwrite the cost of chartering a bus for family members in their region. u T he Ritter family reunion has seven chapters and an executive continued
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masterplan board with two adults and one youth member. Standing committees are transportation and publications. Meetings are unconstitutional unless at least one youth is present. The local and/or regional meetings are as special as the reunion Each of the seven chapters has a youth group.
Family Clubs Now many reunion families not only have national boards and regional structures but also local family clubs consisting of people who live in the same city or area. This is one of the most important by-products of the reunion. For the extended family was not only disrupted by mobility and people moving far away from the area but from a disconnection that happened even within a given city or location. Extended family members deserted close-knit neighborhoods for a suburb or a better-kept neighborhood in a large city and lost contact with the families they left behind. But when they go to their first family reunion, they become reconnected and decide they want to keep connected. Rotating from home to home, the local family might meet once a month in fellowship and spirituality, and the extended family comes back home. Now roles revitalized at the national reunion are revitalized at the local level, with families returning to the preservation of the extended family, though they might not now live in the same neighborhood. The local family club then governs itself and calls upon the skills of nearby relatives. Robinson Roots, which has an annual family reunion, has a local family club in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia club has activities and engages in fundraisers to help with the costs of family club members getting to the reunion when it is held in other cities. The Philadelphia group usually attends a homecoming in South Carolina in August and has ongoing programs. The family club may also send representatives to other affairs to represent the family. The role of the extended family is renewed. Doretha Davis explains her family club: We’re there for their support. We’re not only there with our presence but we’re there monetarily. If there’s a need, we try to react to that need and help with that need. If we have to shell something out of our pockets, we’ll do that. Because we do pay dues all year, and we have some kind of a budget, we have a rule that if someone is ill, we send them a card. That may not seem like a lot. For some folks that may be the only card they will get if they don’t have much outside contact. If a person is in the hospital we may send them a cash donation, and of course if there’s a death, we send a cash donation plus we service them with our presence. We say we will serve a meal to whoever comes out of the treasury for that purpose. There are so many little things … We’ve never been taken advantage of and I don’t think that we will. We do operate with a set of rules in order to be consistent.6 The Dow local family club meets the third Saturday of every month and the committees meet in addition to that. Just as the Simpson family kept minutes of its family gathering way back in 1918, minutes of the meetings may be kept today. The Dow Family Association, which has twelve chapters, tries to meet on the same day across the country. By keeping minutes of its monthly meetings, it can track its achievements.
Constitution and Bylaws Families often find the need to have rules and regulations and 20 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
develop bylaws and constitutions. Edwin Sutherland wrote to me in a letter sharing his family’s bylaws. He said, Back in 1989, I did draft a set of bylaws but at the time no one was interested in forming a set of bylaws. Anybody that [has] had much dealing with people knows that is one of the best ways to deal with family and non-family issues because conflict will arise. I am sending you a complete copy for you to use in any way you see and feel is appropriate to do so.7 In addition to describing the officers and their duties, Mr. Sutherland even included program formats and plans for Friday evening, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening and the banquet, and Sunday morning.
At Dow Family Reunion picnic
The Dow family felt that they should have bylaws in order to have some type of guide to operate — “so it wouldn’t be haphazard — consistency more or less. It will help the younger group. They’re the third generation.”8 Bylaws of the Dow family set the name of the reunion, who can be members, reunion date (e.g., the fourth Saturday of August) meeting dates, who can vote, and the types of officers. Special requirements may also be listed, for example, there will be no political rallying. The Robinson Roots family, which meets annually has bylaws so that they can agree to do certain things. The family has lots of ministers and so holds their own church service, but the bylaws stipulate that the format should be that of the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) pattern. Another bylaw requires that the upcoming host family select a site immediately after the close of the present reunion and at least before December. The family relies upon bylaws to standardize procedures from reunion to reunion, with everyone benefiting. A representative from each of the eleven states represented at their reunion is on the bylaws committee. The whole family approves any recommendations. The National Lowe family reunion has the following articles: Name, purpose, function, membership, dues, and governing body. Under each article are the detailed descriptions of its meaning written within in a very legal framework.
Mission and Purpose Sometimes, the purpose of the reunion is stated. The Dow Family Association states its purpose as follows: u T o promote family cohesiveness u T o approve fundraising activities u T o provide operating capital u T o help in educating students whose parents are voting members9
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Enjoying Wilson-Lake-Herbert Family Reunion banquet
The Wilson-Lake-Herbert family has the following purposes: u To introduce and raise the family together as a group u To be aware in response to what has happened to each u To assist, encourage, and help one another as much as possible u To socialize and join in group recreation activities u To promote the active participation of the younger generation into the activities of the family10 One of the most structure families is the National Low family reunion (NLFR). It has the following mission: u To invoke the spirit of God in everything we do so that the blessing of the Almighty will continue to rain upon the NLFR now, henceforth, and forever. u To honor our ancestors, their traditions and values u To show unconditional love to our family and encourage respect of our elders and nurturing of our young u To provide an avenue for networking among family members. u To instill a sense of pride in the family. u To leave a legacy of strength and importance of family for posterity. u To ensure that the interests of all family members are best served by the NLFR to the best ability of the NLFR board of irectors.11 The following example is somewhat unusual in its evolution. The Blackwell Family Reunion Club adopted a constitution and bylaws in 1960 and updated them in 1974 to “meet the growing demands of the Blackwell kinsfolk.” “Refusing to eradicate her heritage,” Thelma Doswell developed ideas for this constitution that took on a decidedly African-oriented theme. (People might call it Afrocentric today.) She changed the titles from president to head chieftain and chieftess, and throughout the document, she referred to family as a clanship. Earlier articles were expanded and described in great detail. Proposed amendments and updated charter to the original constitution was twenty-five pages long. In addition to the head chieftain and chieftess, the committee included an associate and deputy chieftain or chieftess, corresponding and recording secretaries, a treasurer, and an executive advisory council. Officers could be blood relatives only. The advisory council also appointed persons as chaplain, councilors, consulting editor, genealogical historian, herald, parliamentarian and registrar, whose roles were spelled out in the constitution. This is an extremely innovative and creative document. It also identified a cemetery task force whose responsibilities were to find neglected cemeteries where Blackwell kin were buried, plan
to restore the grave spot marking and dedication, and provide a map or blueprint of the plot for the local clerk’s office. This item was well before most families even thought about the family cemetery. A few years later, the family was presented with another constitution to vote on. They changed the name of Blackwell kinsfolk to the Blackwell Family Reunion Club and returned to the more standard names of officers. Bylaws included the following articles: 1. Meetings—what the order of business should be. 2. Elections—that the officers shall be nominated at the annual meeting and shall be voted upon therein. 3. Dues—the fiscal year of the Club shall be from November 1 of the current year to October 15.12 … to be continued Footnotes: Chapter 5 1 Tom Ninkovich, Family Reunion Handbook (Reunion Research, 1996). 2 Interview with Tim Cureton, Gaither James Family. 3 Interview with Warren Gaither, Gaither-James family. 4 Interview with Lucille Wiggins, Benton family reunion. 5 “ Bylaws,” National Lowe Family Reunion website. 6 Interview with Doretha Davis, Robinson Roots. 7 Edwin Sutherland in a letter dated December 4, 1999. 8 Interview with Helen Wilkinson, Dow family reunion. 9 Dow family reunion bylaws. 10 Wilson-Lake-Herbert Family bylaws, 11 “ Mission,” National Lowe Family Reunion website. 12 Blackwell Family constitution and bylaws.
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his is a book filled with inspiration and wisdom for all reunion planners. Dr. Ione Vargus, founder of the Family Reunion Institute at Temple University in Philadelphia, traveled the country for many years visiting black family reunions to observe and experience how families met and celebrated. She interviewed family members for their impressions and practices. “Through activities at reunions,” she writes, “values are transmitted … recognition of family talents and role models … inspiration to engage in community concerns, advice on good parenting skills and the potential for positive character development occurs during the reunion.” Citing examples from the experience and reports of countless reunions, Dr. Vargus weaves tales of many practical reunion experiences that can be applied to your planning and your reunion. Dr. Vargus’s study and commitment to family reunions through the Family Reunion Institute and her many national family reunion conferences earned her the richly deserved title of Mother of Family Reunions. This is a book that every reunion planner should read and share with their committee members, friends and family as ideas for reunions now and in the future. EW (Xlibris, 2020, 205 pages, $31.99 hard cover, $17.99 soft cover, $3.99 e-book; www.xlibris.com/en/bookstore/ bookdetails/810743-black-family-reunions) 2021 REUNION CELEBRATIONS! v REUNIONS 21
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What should we do for our reunion this year?
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f you’re like my family, that’s the question we’ve been asking ourselves. My family has been holding a reunion every year since 1967. Typically, our event has been held in the same location in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on the second Saturday of July. We’ve been doing this so long that we even created our own acronym—ALAFFFA—derived from the first letters of the surnames of the seven core families (Abbott, Lizanov, Alzo, Figlar, Figlar, Figlar, Augenstein). Past readers of Reunions magazine may remember some of the previous articles I contributed about some of our milestone reunions, or the themes and traditional activities that make up our time-honored tradition. In 2020 many families cancelled or postponed their reunions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our gathering went on as planned with social distancing, masks and other precautions in place, but many family members opted not to attend. At that time, we set our date for 2021 for our usual gathering place. Looking ahead, we also made plans for our 55th reunion in July 2022, a special weekend celebration to be held at a nearby resort. And while things are looking much more optimistic this year, there is still a sense of
Family, Leaving our Mark on South Park, ALAFFFA, est. 1967). The benches were dedicated at our last “normal” reunion held in 2019 and instituted as a final request from my uncle, Michael “Pops” Figlar who passed away in 2018. What will a 2021 reunion look like? As we navigate this “in flux” period in our lives, my family is considering how we move forward with these questions:
4 What safety protocols will we need
(masks, cleaning, social distancing)?
4 How to handle the food? Should we go back to buffet style or consider other options (potluck, catering, or pizza delivery)? John and Veronica Figlar
caution as we prepare for the “new normal” of the reunion experience both in 2021 and beyond. Our usual reunion spot is a county park where we rent a facility that includes indoor and outdoor seating, a fully operational kitchen with appliances and electricity, a small children’s play area, and an adjacent softball field. In addition, this house includes seven tables with attached benches — each one engraved with the name of one of the seven core families (for example: “Anna and John Alzo
4 What activities should we plan (the
usual games such as softball or cornhole) and indoor trivia or board games in case of inclement weather or for those unable to participate in outdoor sports?
4 How do we use technology to connect with those family members unable to attend in person?
4 What can we do to make sure old
traditions (having a theme, designating a time for family updates, and discussion, etc.) are not lost?
4 How do we leverage the skills of each
generation in the family to make sure 2021 is a memorable experience for all?
4 What is the appropriate way to remember those who have passed away?
50th anniversary ALAFFFA Family Reunion in 2017 at Ogelbay Resort in Wheeling, West Virginia. 22 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
by Lisa Alzo
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Perhaps you are asking some of the same questions. As families come out of quarantine and reunite, there will likely be an adjustment period that is filled with emotion and anticipation. The one thing I know about our family is we are resilient. Our reunions started to make sure that no matter what happens in life, we have one day a year where we can come together to honor the memory of John and Veronica Figlar, the patriarch/ matriarch of our family who left their homeland of Slovakia in search of a better life. As immigrants they worked hard and raised seven children who passed on the importance of traditions. Over the years, four members of the original ALAFFFA seven (and a few of their spouses) have since passed away. As the second and third generations assumed the duties of reunion
planning, we have had to navigate our way through the losses of our loved ones and keep the reunions going each year. Technology and social media help us to keep in touch on a daily or weekly basis, but it’s the “connectedness” of being together in the same place that ensures we create more cherished memories for our descendants. So, whatever happens in 2021 and beyond, I know we are ready. Whether we all participate together in person or some of us have to join virtually through ZOOM, what really matters is marking the love and sense of family at the core of our reunions. We are learning to pivot, and hopefully your family will too.
About the author Lisa Alzo has been surrounded by family at their 50+ year running reunion and walks in her ancestor’s footsteps literally and figuratively as a genealogist, lecturer and writer. Author of 11 books and endless articles for newspapers and magazines, Lisa earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the highly acclaimed Creative Nonfiction Writing Program at the University of Pittsburgh. She works as a writing coach and online educator through her website Research Write Connect – www.researchwriteconnect.com.
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Gottung Family Reunion
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escendants of Matthias and Anna Gottung who immigrated from Germany and settled in Marathon, Wisconsin, celebrated their 9th biannual reunion in July 2019. The reunion was held in Door County, Wisconsin, with the largest attendance ever of 66! “Reunion central” was at the Birchwood Lodge in Sister Bay. Participants enjoyed a school bus transporting them around the peninsula. Families enjoyed cherry picking, a traditional Door County fish boil, a Pub Crawl, and many other activities. Those gathered also held an auction which netted over $1,000 toward reunion expenses. Family members from across the United States voted to defer the 2021 scheduled reunion to 2022 due to Covid concerns. However, all are looking forward to the 2022 reunion, the locale of which will soon be voted upon! Reported by Sandy Smith, West Des Moines, Iowa, who says that “through the years I have gotten some great ideas from the magazine!”
Cave Point County Park on the Lake Michigan side of Door County, Wisconsin.
Door County, Wisconsin, tradition!
Locally caught whitefish is boiled on an open fire in a large metal kettle. The mild whitefish, potatoes and onion are served with melted butter, lemon wedges, coleslaw or salad, bread, and a slice of fresh-baked cherry pie. Note: menu added because it is one of the editor’s favorite meals ever!
Cousins Helen Smith and Anne Gregg picking Door County cherries … yummmm.
9th biannual Gottung Family Reunion at the Birchwood Lodge in Sister Bay, Wisconsin. 24 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
Sometimes we notice little ironies as we’re reading about reunions. This time we noticed that the Gottung Family Reunion met at the Birchwood Inn in Sister Bay, Wisconsin. The Roark-Conner Association (R-CA) Reunion met in Birchwood, Tennessee. What are the odds?
masterplan
Roark-Conner Association (R-CA) Reunion
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ormally held in the Birchwood, Tennessee, area, the 2020 reunion was the first Roark-Conner Association (R-CA) Reunion held virtually. About 70 Roark and Conner relatives from 23 states (AL, CA, CO, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, KS, LA, MD, MI, MO, MS, NC, OH, SC, TN, TX, UT, WA, and WV) signed in to the 62nd Annual Reunion. A number of others visited without officially signing in and ten family members were first time reunion attendees.
These were reunion highlights! Mary Hotze Witt, Registrar, welcomed Virtual Reunion attendees. R-CA 2020 President, Terry Roark gave opening and closing remarks. The Board of Directors held the annual business meeting and voting for 2021 Board of Directors took place.
2020 Virtual Roark-Conner Association (R-CA) Reunion collage
Three family members gave presentations about two ancestors: “William Marion & Virginia Conner Roark” given by Debbie & Jessica Johnson, “Martha Jane Conner & Silas Witt” given by William “Bill” Witt, and on “Cleaning Cemetery Markers” given by David Johnston. Two family members provided inspirational messages during the Sunday Worship Service. Many family members submitted beautiful songs for the Sunday Worship Service. There were many family heirlooms submitted for virtual display. Gene Johnson was honored with an R-CA Resolution for his dedication to the R-CA. Wanda Lovell Wilkey was thanked for 11 years of dedicated service to the R-CA.
Roark-Conner Association (R-CA) Reunion Facebook cover including board of directors
To commemorate the 75th anniversary of WWII, we paid tribute to Roark and Conner WWII veterans. A group photo was developed of reunion participants. Plans are underway for the 63rd Virtual Reunion to be held September 24-26, 2021. It will be available on the R-CA website: www.Roark-Conner.org.
“Birchwood, Tennessee Memories” were featured in a wonderful video submitted by Connie Roark Perrin and Carlene Delashmitt.
Shared by Johanna Roark, R-CA Social Media Director, Birchwood, Tennessee.
2019 Roark-Conner Association Reunion 2021 REUNION CELEBRATIONS! v REUNIONS 25
masterplan
Road trip
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oad Trip Activities and Travel down to where kids are able to Journal for Kids by Kristy Alpert experience both the big picture of a Win a copy of Road Trip Activities and Travel Journal for (Happy Fox Books, May 2021). trip as well as the little details that Kids by Kristy Alpert (Happy Fox A road trip is such a special event help make it so memorable. Books, May 2021). in a kid’s life, according to author Using all five senses on road trips Go to Giveaways and contests Kristy Alpert, “There’s a brief window can help create longer-lasting page on www.reunionsmag.com during childhood when imaginations memories. to enter to win one of four are either nourished or numbed. Road In the same way scent can trigger copies offered to Reunions trips offer the rare chance for kids to memories, so can colors, sounds, magazine readers. There are two reignite their own imaginations, where textures, and tastes. Kids rarely drawings so enter now for your chance to win. they can make memories and have experience anything with just one experiences they’ll keep the rest of sense, but it’s often one specific smell their lives.” or sound that winds up triggering a Pack up the family car, hit the road, and entertain the kids for memory later on. The author encourages kids to use all five senses the entire trip! Road Trip Activities and Travel Journal for Kids is a throughout their journey, from challenging them to only spot one must-have activity book for kids to enjoy on the way to your destinacolor outside the window to testing their hearing with a little game tion. It includes car games, puzzles, writing prompts, questionnaires, she created. By using all five senses on a road trip, kids are able to interview ideas, scavenger hunts, brainteasers, and more. The book create more memories. is filled with more than 50 entertaining activities and endless fun … Adventure truly lies in the journey. Too often adults hurry to to enjoy the journey as much as the vacation itself! arrive somewhere. Time just moves differently on the road, where Road trips help shape a child’s future. Road trips do so much there’s no pressure to rush to catch a plane or run to board a train. more than just teach kids how to sit patiently in a car. They’re one Road trips are less about arriving on time and more about enjoying of the rare times when a kid is left with nothing to do but learn how the journey along the way. to entertain themselves. Many parents try to throw distractions at You’ll have to get the book to discover the best boredom them to keep them “quiet” or “calm” with technology, but this book busters for long or even short trips. But some of the author’s instead helps guide kids in many ways to entertain themselves and favorites are Radio Roulette and Seatback Storytellers. She’s a big figure out what interests or excites them personally. Kids today crave fan of daydreaming prompts, too, because they give kids a tangible engagement and adventure, and they’re not going to get it by zoning focus while encouraging them get creative with the details … all in out with a movie. The beauty of a road trip is that it slows travel their own heads.
White-Heyward Family Reunion
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nbeknownst to any of us in March 2020, our world would be turned upside down. All the best laid plans for reunions, weddings, anniversaries, and vacations came crashing down to a screeching halt. We would no longer be able to gather for our bi-annual White-Heyward Family Reunion in Savannah, Georgia. The sound of laughter, church 26 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
service, picnic, spades tournament, and the smell of country cooking is now just a memory from previous reunions. As we move forward and reminisce about past reunions, we’ll honor the memories of family members we’ve lost along the way. Although our family reunions are on pause, we will celebrate the 90th
birthday of the oldest matriarch of our family on a Saturday in May, with a surprise drive-by parade. We are grateful for all the ideas we’ve received from Reunion magazine that made all of our reunions a success. Shared by Janet White, Stone Mountain, Georgia
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masterplan
Brag Badges break the ice at your reunion!
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rag Badges are the ultimate “Getting to Know You” game for your family reunion. They’re a most unusual, fun way to help family members get to know one another. Brag Badges can be used as an ice breaker, getting to know you activity at the beginning of your reunion or as an activity that continues throughout the reunion. A Brag Badge is a small tag, resembling a “military dog tag” that lists family members hobbies, interests, occupations or accomplishments. They are a perfect way for members to show off their talents and achievements and a great way for members to get to know each other better! Members will have fun discovering relatives who love pizza, ice cream or dancing. They’ll find relatives who drive trucks, teach school or have been to Hawaii. They’ll find relatives who are Eagle Scouts, Veterans or couples who have been married for 50 years. They’ll discover relatives who share their same birth month, like to read, play baseball and so much more. Collecting Brag Badges is fun for children who will see a badge they want to wear then, look for a family member who will help them earn the one they desire. They’ll connect with a new cousin,
aunt or uncle or be surprised by the accomplishments or interest of a favorite relative. To add to the value of each Brag Badge, ask for them to be signed before they can be earned so family members will remember who helped them earn the badge. Display badges by laying them on a table or in a display box and let members supervise themselves.
HOW TO USE BRAG BADGES Brag Badges are meant to motivate and encourage members to talk to others at the reunion and the goal is to learn something about others they may not know. Invite participants to wear a badge that represents one of their interests or accomplishments and take several to give away. Each participant has a chain that they hang the badges on and wear them throughout the reunion. The person with the badge can say, “Ask me why I’m wearing this badge?” Then they talk about their interest or their job or an award they’ve received. Several people may want to listen because they’re interested. For example, Uncle Kenny takes the badge that says he’s been on a cruise and says, “Let me tell you why I have this badge.” Or cousins Tammy and Ben ask why he’s wearing the cruise badge. Uncle Kenny then tells Tammy and Ben about the cruise he went on and gives each a badge. Tammy and Ben can then tell Uncle Kenny about one of the badges they’re wearing and give it to him. When Uncle Kenny has given out all of his cruise badges, he can choose another set of badges that represent an interest. This continues until all the Brag Badges are gone. It is suggested that you require that badges be signed before they can be earned so members will always remember who the relative was that gave them the badge. In our example, Uncle Kenny would sign the back of the cruise badge before giving it to Tammy and Ben. Some of the best stories come from members who had been married 50 years. They love talking about their wedding. “I’m a Veteran” badge is another great conversation starter for sharing memorable experiences.
WANT YOUR OWN BRAG BADGES? Over 60 different Brag Badges are included in a digital download you will receive to print on card stock, laminate, cut and punch a hole at the top for a ball bead chain or ribbon to wear around the neck. No physical product will be shipped. Print as many copies as you need depending on the size of your reunion. You don’t need one of each design for everyone in your family — badges are more valuable, if the number is limited. There is a lot of cutting involved when creating your Brag Badges so it’s wise to use a paper cutter. Enlist tweens and teens to help cut and punch holes in cards. If you laminate your badges you’ll need permanent markers available to write on them.
HOW TO ORDER FAMILY REUNION BRAG BADGES – GET TO KNOW YOUR FAMILY • $24.95 www.etsy.com/listing/706748875/family-reunion-brag-badges-get-to-know?ref=shop_home_active_2 28 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
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ranch reunions
How about a dude ranch reunion?
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ith international travel at a near standstill for the foreseeable future, finding a domestic reunion destination with availability may be difficult. Thankfully, dude ranches provide a perfect, safe family environment. From horseback riding to river rafting to spa services, there’s truly something for everyone at every age at a dude ranch. Get out into the fresh air and wide-open spaces to experience a once in a lifetime vacation —and a heck of an adventure too! Dude Ranchers’ Association (DRA) member dude ranches ensure you receive genuine Western hospitality, combined with the lodging industry’s highest standards for your reunion.
The DRA is a FREE resource to help planning your dude ranch reunion. Visit www.duderanch.org to find over 90 dude ranches across the Western US and Canada. If you need help narrowing down the list, contact a ranch expert! The DRA will help you find the perfect reunion destination. All DRA member ranches are all-inclusive and include meals, lodging, and most activities! All the planning is done for you, after booking your reunion. To talk to a dude ranch expert, contact The Dude Ranchers’ Association, Cody, Wyoming, info@duderanch.org; 307-587-2339.
Stagecoach Trail Guest Ranch
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hen you’ve got four generations with 28 grandchildren ages 1 to 20, what could possibly be pleasing to all? Christmas is a time to give loads of meaningless stuff, but not in 2019. We decided instead of toys that get broken and clothes they grow out of, we’d give our family a trip they’d never forget. We booked a cruise, told the parents of the 28 grandchildren, but left it a surprise for the great grandparents and children. Then, the more we thought about a cruise the less appealing it looked. We may see each other at dinner but how could we all fit on an excursion? And what could every age do together that they would enjoy? I started looking for an all-inclusive trip that would allow us to be together more, doing things that all ages would enjoy. And then I found it: an all-inclusive dude ranch on New Year 2020!
Family in their Christmas hoodies.
jumping and hugging as they learned each new fact about what we thought would be a once in a lifetime family reunion. The teenagers were a little skeptical. Out in the middle of nowhere on New Year’s Eve kind of ruined the friend plans they had made. December 27th we loaded 10 vehicles and headed to the Arizona desert from the freezing state of Idaho. We turned off the freeway in anticipation of ... nothing? Nothing but a long sandy road and loads of nothing. Teenage depression set in. No restaurants, no WiFi, no Rebecca Norris lassoing her dad, Mark Stanger. people. What could we We made look-alike hoodies and on possibly do for five days and four nights that Christmas morning, all 48 people were in would be fun? What would the parents do our living room. One..two..three – and the in the middle of nowhere to entertain the sound of ripping paper filled the air. The little ones? Riding a horse for five days? hoodies were held up and said “Adventure Maybe this was not such a good idea! Awaits. Dude Ranch 2020.” The shouts and We reached the gate of the Stagecoach screams of joy were piercing. There was Trail Guest Ranch happy to finally see 30 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
civilization and buildings that looked like they just stepped out of a Wild West movie set. No cars! No people! As we exited our cars and began to stretch … out of nowhere appeared a couple of super friendly cowboys welcoming us to the ranch and getting us set up and ready for our first ride. Most of the children had never ridden a horse or been near one. This just might be a disaster as they started to cry or simply refuse to ride. The parents insisted they give it a try. We got settled in and when the clock struck 4 PM, off to the corrals we went. 48 horses were all saddled up. These weren’t just any horses. They had been especially picked for each child and adult. The wranglers treated us as though we were part of the family. With a lot of patience, a few tears, and a load of help, we headed out on what would be the first of many rides exploring the surrounding desert. Seeing animals, wrecked planes, and beautiful cactus was only part of this adventure. With the skill of the wranglers,
ranch reunions to wonderful cowboy entertainment. Somewhere in the busy days, the ranch hands taught us to play black jack and the teenagers became the dealers. Fireworks, dancing, kid’s crazy mixed drinks (with juice, of course), wagon rides, piñatas, pony rides for the toddlers... every moment was full of the absolute best family fun ever. We went from kids wishing we were on a cruise to everyone so happy we
Tanner Norris (5) taking his turn feeding the goats.
48 family members learned to ride what would soon become ‘my horse.’ Arriving back at the ranch, we had just enough time to freshen up before the dinner bell rang and we were able to enjoy a delicious dinner and more food than we could ever eat. The night didn’t stop there. The kids and some adults headed to the heated pool and hot tub talking about how they didn’t want to come and now how much fun they were having. After a late-night swim, the little ones were all tucked in and the teenagers and adults sat around the campfire listening
Yucca, Arizona 866-444-4471 • www.stgr.com
Larrey and Retha Anderson in need of rest.
Retha Anderson (left) and MaryAnn Stanger with a ranch hand (?)
went to the ranch. In fact, that once-in-a-lifetime trip happened two years in a row. By the time we left the second year, the teenagers had their own rodeo that we got to enjoy. The Christmas toys are soon forgotten, but our time at the ranch memories will last a lifetime. I can imagine our grandchildren telling their grandchildren about the horse they call their own and the unplugged family reunions we had at the Stagecoach Trail Guest Ranch. Reported by MaryAnn Stanger Twin Falls, Idaho.
Buckboard ride to the desert
2021 REUNION CELEBRATIONS! v REUNIONS 31
ranch reunions
Rankin Ranch
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any families gather at Rankin Ranch each year to create lasting memories. One of these is the McLaughlin Family. For their 10th wedding anniversary in 1979, Dennis and Donna McLaughlin chose Rankin Ranch to have a quiet getaway, just the two of them. After spending a few days at the ranch, they could not help but notice that not only was this the perfect getaway for them as a couple, but for their children Heather (8) and Mark (6). From 1981, the McLaughlin family continued to visit the ranch as their children grew up over the next 10 years. As countless other children have, Mark and Heather grew up spending their summers on the ranch. This included horseback riding in the warm summer sun, and participating in kids camp and ranch activities. The ranch may have been a bit different then, but the McLaughlins would probably say not much. Heather and Mark
Caliente, California 661-867-2511 www.RankinRanch.com
McLaughlins ready to ride.
32 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
McLaughlin Family
returned to the ranch in 2017 with their spouses, children, and parents. “It was wonderful to return after 27 years and find everything almost exactly the same as it had been,” said Donna. Rankin Ranch has been a great source of family time for many families, including the McLaughlin’s. Donna reported, “[It is] so refreshing to get away from the hectic world and be in nature, relax and enjoy your
wonderful hospitality. The simple life in wonderful nature is hard to find nowadays for such an age spread, but your ranch is the perfect place.” The McLaughlins have since returned to the ranch and it has been a blessing to watch their family grow over the years. We look forward to seeing them again in 2021! Reported by Amanda Rankin Barrett Caliente, California
ranch reunions
Upper Canyon Outfitters in the Ruby Valley
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emories made as big as the Big Sky in the Ruby Valley - a piece of Heaven on earth! We were so fortunate to have our Miller Family Reunion at the marvelous and magical Upper Canyon Outfitters in Ruby Valley, Montana. In fact, we loved it so much the first time we went back two years later! Upper Canyon Outfitters is the perfect setting for a family reunion, as there is truly something for everyone and for every age. We ranged from 70 years old to 3 months old. Not once was “I am bored” heard. The owners and staff truly went out of their way to be sure that our experience was second to none. Everyone was comfortable, well fed, and well entertained, in every aspect. The accommodations are first class. The rustic themed lodge and Alder, Montana cabins are immaculately 406-842-5884 clean and roomy. Meals are well prepared, plentiful www.ucomontana.com and fun. Fishing, horseback rides, hikes, history tours, excursions to surrounding areas, massages, horse shoe competitions and campfires were offered and thoroughly enjoyed. Duck races in the creek were truly a highlight for all ages as Donna and her crew made them so darn much fun! Perhaps most importantly, we were able to sit back, breathe in the clean air and renew our spirits. We united as a family, shared memories, and made new friends and new memories. The serenity, beauty and calmness of the land brought us back to what life truly should be. For those from big cities we could only dream of such wide-open spaces. There is not a better place to unite as a family as this little piece
Children of George and Jane Miller, (l to r) Tom Miller, Ed Miller, Steve Miller, Ann Glueckert and Cil Ebert. Their mother Jane Tate Miller was raised on this ranch. The original family cabin is still on site, updated now and used to house the guides.
of heaven created by God and the Tate/McDonald Family. The Upper Canyon Outfitters experience and memories will live on for generations of the George and Jane Miller family. Shared by Patti Miller, Missoula, Montana.
The Miller Family Reunion
2021 REUNION CELEBRATIONS! v REUNIONS 33
ranch reunions
Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch
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n June 1963, my parents took my older brother, my twin sister and me to a place in Loveland, Colorado, called Sylvan Dale Ranch. We had no idea what to expect — horseback riding, hay rides, good food. We had so much fun, the owners were so kind, and five years later Dad and Mom took us again to spend a family week before my brother went off to college in the fall. I shared stories, pictures and slides with my husband and our own three kids often over the years, always hoping to be able to go back and show them what I was talking about. Mom passed away in 2004 and when Dad passed away 12 years later in 2016 and left an inheritance, it dawned on me that taking my husband Bill, our three adult children and their spouses + the six grandkids would be the one thing that would make my parents smile. I brought the idea up to the kids: excitement ensued! Fifty-four years later I was going back to Sylvan Dale for a ranch vacation and taking my family with me! We had never found the opportunity to spend more than a weekend together because adult children can get so busy. So all 13 of us were together for six days — no phones, older cousins taking care of little cousins, a kind staff and a posse of Colorado’s best wranglers who went out of their way to make sure every single one of us “Kansas City Slickers” was having an awesome ranch experience! It was my dream! When we arrived, the ranch had the same feeling as the 1960s but so much more! More activities — horsemanship lessons, of course, and the breakfast ride I loved so many years ago. But there was also bass fishing, archery, team sorting, and all the trail rides you thought you could fit in a day. But the best part? We all agreed it was meeting for three ranch style meals each day, sharing and laughing about something that happened on the trail, or during a lesson, at the pool. And Linus on Valley Girl every day after the evening activity we got together, pulled out the guitars, banjos and mandolins for a family sing-a-long before lots of hugs and a chorus of
Tholen Family at Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch
You are my Sunshine and Irene Good Night — our family favorites. My husband and I returned to Sylvan Dale Ranch during the last two summers, once by ourselves and once with a grandson Loveland, Colorado who chose a return to Sylvan 970-667-3915 Dale for his graduation gift. The great memories created www.SylvanDale.com these years keep us going between our family trips. This summer we’ll reunite again at Sylvan Dale with the two newest members of our clan to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary — 15 of us! There is nothing sweeter than having a family. And having them all gather in a place that has become so special to all of us and is so far removed from what we all do in our everyday lives, pretending to be cowgirls and cowboys for a few days! I’m sure it would make my parents smile. Happy trails for now! Report shared by Karen Tholen, Roeland Park, Kansas. Photos by Julie Ulstrup Photography
Tholen boys 34 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
Tholen girls
ranch reunions
Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch
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eronimo Trail Guest Ranch hosted the Priestlys for a fun-filled family! Since our ranch is only four cabins they had the ranch to themselves and our undivided attention. They rode horses on beautiful trails and across crystal clear spring fed creeks; hiked to scenic overlooks and archeological sites; learned about the area history; had campfires with s’mores; played indoor and outdoor games; ate meals together around one big table; and enjoyed a couple picnic days with lunch on the trail and more exploring! We showed them some of our favorite places including the spectacular Taylor Creek Canyon with 500-foot cliff walls, and an area we call the “Dwelling Canyon,” the history of which ranges from 80 to 1,800 years ago! The Mimbres people were in this area from 200-1150 AD and today you can see
Priestly Family at Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch
pictographs (rock wall paintings), ruins of cliff dwellings and even find pottery shards they left behind! About 100 years ago Basque people brought sheep through the area and you can see the stone shelters they built. And in the 1930s-40s there was tin mining in this same canyon, and you can see claim markers, old equipment and evidence of the mining process! They also visited another archeological site we like to call the “Pottery Mesa.” Anywhere you sit you can still find 1,000-year-old pieces of pottery just lying on the ground and, if you’re lucky, even find an arrowhead! All ages enjoy this real-life scavenger hunt! All artifacts are left where they were found for others to enjoy in the future. We had a great time sharing this special area with the Priestly family. They were able to reconnect and bond as a family with an experience they will remember forever! Shared by Meris and Seth Stout, owners of Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch
Trail ride at Geronimo Trail Guest Ranch
Winston, New Mexico 575-772-5157 www.GeronimoRanch.com 2021 REUNION CELEBRATIONS! v REUNIONS 35
ranch reunions Photos Courtesy of Canyon Madness Ranch
Canyon Madness Ranch
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his ranch has just opened its doors to guests in April 2021. It is a luxury ranch set on 14,000 acres of outdoor adventure paradise amongst the geographic majesty of northeastern New Mexico. The ranch offers thrilling equestrian pursuits, firearmrelated sports, and an incredible range of outdoor activities, from sport climbing to archery, hiking, river kayaking, ATV/UTV rides, rock crawling, spectacular hiking, fishing and hunting. The ranch offers enough terrain of all types to satisfy the recreational desires of any guest. Two bookend canyons define the majesty of the ranch. On one side, the steep river canyon is lined by multiple layered cliffs of red sandstones and moss rocks and houses more than two miles of the Canadian River, the longest tributary of the Arkansas River rising from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The ranch accommodates 16 guests for family reunions and it should be noted that children of all ages are welcome for exclusive bookings. For non-exclusive stays, children over 12 years of age are welcome. Horse riding adventure at Canyon Madness Ranch
Roy, New Mexico • 617-816-4850 www.CanyonMadnessRanch.com Canyon Madness Ranch Teepee Lodge
36 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
ANY-SIZED FAMILY. ANY-SIZED BUDGET. WE ACCOMMODATE BOTH. You have a big family. We have activities for everyone and every budget. From fine dining to family casual, from easy-going hotels to uptown luxury, we’ve got your budget covered. And with a world of fun for all ages and interests, Fairfax County is tailor-made for your reunion. The new National Museum of the United States Army in Fairfax County is a great place for families. Current COVID-19 safety precautions established.
Let us help you plan your family’s reunion. Go to FXVA.com or call 703-790-0643
2021 REUNION CELEBRATIONS! v REUNIONS 37
displays
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isplays are a very popular decoration at all kinds of reunions. For any kind of reunion they usually depict memories, nostalgia, honoring history, forebears and the past. Displays are rarely something you “throw together” the day before the reunion. They take careful thought for what they’ll include and how they’ll be assembled and constructed. First you’ll need to decide what content materials you’ll need for the display and will it stand or be laid out on a table and how that will be done. Most start with a visualization of a design and how the objects will be mounted and presented. Then, there is the selection of pictures (lately videos), memorabilia and artifacts you’ll need to have a cogent and memorable presentation. One very common display at all kinds of reunions honors members no longer present to celebrate. Those are commonly displays of pictures, often a short biography, flowers and candles. They help members recall the good times when the members were alive to make you laugh and cry and remember so much of the time you spent together … when. We’ve often illustrated articles in Reunions magazine with displays but here we make the displays the goal of the presentation. We’ve collected displays from family, class and military reunions as examples for how you can develop your own reunion display. If someone volunteers to produce the display(s), keep in mind this is a major project and can always use help at least collecting memorabilia to display. A great example of that is the Roark-Conner Association (R-CA) Reunion family heirloom display that was videotaped for a recent virtual reunion. The following are examples of displays from a number of reunions to give you ideas for mounting your own visual memories of your family, class and military group. Send your pictures to editor@reunionsmag. com for us to share online or in a future virtual issue. 38 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
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amily historian, Bettie Gillyard Griggs, Compton, California, with the Gillyard Johnson Mahoney Family display of decades of memories. The Gillyard Johnson Mahoney Family story has been researched, compiled and sourced by Bettie Gillyard Griggs. More details and reunion information can be found at www.gillyard-johnson-mahoney.com.
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he 2020 RoarkConner Association had a virtual reunion in which there are many family history presentations and dedications, particularly to members’ military service. You will encounter their full reunion in another section of this issue. Their heirloom collection was made into a virtual display well worth your exploring as there are many lovely contributions from various family members.
displays
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ilitary reunions are no exception when it comes to displays. In addition to awards and medals, they include flags, plaques, caps, books, pictures and trinkets. This display table is at a USS Stark County LST 1134 reunion. Shared by John J. Lesjack.
Dague Family Reunion
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he invitation to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Dague Family landing in America included a list of items they hoped family would contribute to display. Wall of Fame: We will have a display area for information about members of our family that have made special achievements or received recognitions. Send information in advance or bring with you. Memorial Area: An area will be available to post obituaries or information about our loved ones that we have lost since the 2001 reunion. Genealogy Display Area: Everyone is welcome to bring their information. We will have a computer and hopefully a copier available to help share our information. Daughters or Sons of the American Revolution: Barbara Gieseler Kromann will be available to assist you with your applications. Family History Presentations: Anyone that would like to present information to the group may do so.
Memorial table at Powell Moody Family Reunion. Shared by Allison Bell, Evans, Georgia. 2021 REUNION CELEBRATIONS! v REUNIONS 39
displays
Stewart Family Reunion
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arilynn Stewart writes about how her mother-in-law, a grandma, great grandma and great great grandma to over 100 children, displays pictures of the crowd. She does a wonderful job at remembering their names, their birthdays and anniversaries. “Cookie Grandma,” as some of her great grandkids call her, has worked hard to keep pictures of her prosperity hanging on her walls. At first, she kept pictures of the grandkids in frames but there are so many and they changed so much that it became a real chore changing photos and rearranging frames every time she got a new photo. Through much trial and error, “Cookie Grandma” finally found the perfect solution to hanging all those photos. Now, she uses inexpensive photo/curtain clips and wire. Each photo is glued to a piece of poster board or heavy cardboard. It can easily Close-up detail of be changed by turning the cardboard hanging wire and clip over and gluing another photo on the holding photos. back. Hang the wire and clip the photos! Grandma did get help with the last part of the installation. At the reunion this is a great way to display photos of ancestors, past reunions, or a way to honor those who have passed. Of course, you shouldn’t be screwing eye bolts into the wall of your conference center or into a tree, but a piece of string tied between two posts or make a large frame that can be moved from reunion to reunion. LED photo clips can be found on Amazon. Shared by Marilyn Stewart, Bear River City, Utah, who manages www.familyreunionhelper.com.
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his is another way to mount a collection of family ancestor photos from the Spaulding Family Reunion, descendants of Benjamin and Edith Spaulding.
40 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
A full wall of pictures could be replicated with a large framed board that can be carried from reunion to reunion each year with the same or new photos.
displays
Seidemann Family Reunion
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he Seidemann Family Reunion has facilities few families have access to. The reunion, held for 87 years the third Sunday of every July, is centered in a large barn at a family-owned farm in Newburg, Wisconsin. Hundreds gather for food, entertainment, fun and Wisconsin beer, of course. The barn is the permanent home of a massive collection of memorabilia and history all carefully tagged with explanations of implements, tools, utensils and necessities of farm life beginning in 1848. There are rooms set up like a kitchen, living room and school classroom. One room has a wall of pictures and information about the generations of members who have served
Kitchen tools also carefully labeled because their original uses may not be obvious.
Display of military achievements of family members dating back to the Civil War.
in the military. In the center of the barn are rows of display cases with family history documents, publications and pictures of the family dating back to Germany before their ancestors immigrated to Wisconsin. I have attended Seidemann reunions for almost 30 years and have never been there when members didn’t bring some artifact someone had found to add to the “museum” collection. It continues to grow!
Observed by Edith Wagner, Reunions magazine editor and honorary Seidemann cousin.
Early farm implements with tags explaining what they were used for.
Books of family history.
Baskets with tags explaining how they were used. 2021 REUNION CELEBRATIONS! v REUNIONS 41
displays
Bell Ransom Family Reunion displays
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acqueline Bell Pyatt explains how she designs and makes the Bell Ransom Family Reunion posters. I decide on a theme for each poster based on our reunion theme for the year with an emphasis on continuing a family tradition of excellence, achievement, and service. Special posters have been made to honor a family leader who may have died during the year. For instance, the founders of the reunion had special posters. I ask for idea input from my sisters and cousins. For most of the posters, my husband, my sister, a cousin and I made the pictures. Over the past seven or eight years, a cousin has been assigned as our reunion photographer. He makes photographs and shares them with the family. He has thousands. The posters are stored in my basement and with the help of my cousins, they are put on display at our Saturday reunion program. We probably have more than 20 posters or exhibits. My first poster was displayed in 2003. There are no duplicate posters. The theme of all of the posters generally stresses honoring our heritage by continuing the Bell-Ransom family legacy. Pictures and explanation shared by Jacqueline Bell Pyatt, Fort Washington, Maryland.
NOTE: Given the sheer number of posters and ideas that other reunions could benefit from, we will be adding all of the Bell Ransom posters for you to review online at www.reunionsmag.com/bell-ransom-family-reunion-displays/.
42 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
t
The “History” poster highlights the hard work of my grandparents and other family members. They were landowners, farmers, entrepreneurs, achievers, and gave outstanding service to their communities.
displays
The “Gold Stars” poster celebrates those family members who have attended every reunion. They were presented “Gold Star” lapel pins during the reunion program and designated as our “Golden Stars.”
" My sister made the table display of framed photographs for the 40th reunion. I made the poster. The small photographs on the tree are the children of my grandparents, Sumner and Alice Bell. The display celebrates all of the reunion families. My sister made black and white copies of all of the families framed and displayed them with copies of all of the reunion programs.
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2021 REUNION CELEBRATIONS! v REUNIONS 43
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Decorate your class reunion!
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ecorating for a high school reunion doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Decorate with tablecloths, balloons and flowers in school colors. Make numbers for the graduation year to hang on the wall. Display old year books, school papers and articles, posters, t-shirts, sweatshirts, megaphones, pom poms, diplomas, ticket stubs, ribbons, awards, letter jackets, medals, trophies and mascots from school years. Scatter school photos and earlier reunions as conversation starters!
Photos courtesy of Varsity Reunions! Kelly High School, Chicago, Illinois, Class of 1967, 50th reunion
A.L. Brown High School 60th reunion
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he A. L. Brown High School, Kannapolis, North Carolina, Class of 1958 held their 60th class reunion. A nice assortment of memorabilia was displayed. Members of this class have been meeting on the last Thursday of each month for dinner and fellowship for several years. Then they decided to do luncheon meetings in the future to make driving safer for attendees. In addition, a reunion is held every October. This has been a way to keep in contact and update everyone on any news from the year. Shared by Jane S. Parker (wife of a deceased class member), Salisbury, North Carolina.
A.L. Brown High School, Class of 1958 photo exhibit.
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he seashell exhibit is a tribute to classmates who have passed away. It has been a longtime project of classmates Sandra Sharpe Cody and Donald Daniel who keep it updated for the yearly meetings. Sandra hand imprints the names on the shells and Donald made the back and painted the seascape in acrylic paints. They hot glue the shells on the memorial. When they started the project, they were going to toss the shells into a small lake where they were having their reunion, as they called out each name. But Donald thought they were too pretty and that Sharon “had worked entirely too hard for a one-time use.” For someone wanting to duplicate this idea, Donald says he made the board of one-inch thick foam board which is light enough to transport and stable enough to support the weight of the shells. This one has over 100 shells on it, each with the class member’s name and dates on them.
44 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
military reunion news e
Challenges and Opportunities for the Military Reunion Planner
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he Covid-19 pandemic placed a severe hardship on the military reunion market. Many, if not nearly all reunions planned for 2020, were either cancelled or postponed for another year. Some groups may decide not to meet again, others will be smaller. Some people may be leery of getting together and some may not be able to get together anymore. All things considered, I found it was time to reboot my thinking and planning tactics and come up with new and exciting ideas that would attract interest and boost reunion attendance. Like many groups who did not meet in 2020, I have lost faithful reunion attendees and others have decided not to attend future reunions which make this reboot that much more important. For something new and different (and as an example of this reboot), I am currently putting together a two-city reunion for 2022. That’s right, a two-city reunion – Memphis and Nashville! This is how that is all going to come together and what different thinking and tactics I will use! First of all, it’s really not that hard to perceive and visualize. The hard part is selling it as a reunion idea. As with any reunion, hotel rates and tour and activities costs are always the number one consideration. So is transportation. With two cities, folks would need to fly into one and fly out of the other. This would also be a six-day reunion instead of the usual four or five days. Folks are getting older and are beginning to experience mobility issues. I considered these and other factors to achieve the goals of gaining additional interest and attendance. The reunion will start on Monday in Memphis and then, on Thursday “follow the music trail” to Nashville, concluding on Sunday. As a selling point, I stressed folks could choose to attend only the Memphis portion or only the Nashville portion or both based on what they want to do. Tours and activities are optional too so folks can fit the reunion to what they want to do and can afford. Surprisingly, a survey of the reunion group resulted in a high percentage going for the two-city reunion idea. I had already decided on a Nashville hotel I have used before
because it is a great property for military reunions. I will soon do hotel site visits in Memphis to select a hotel there. I am in communication with a tour company and have received a proposal for all the tours and activities. I will share these shortly. I always try to come up with something new and different for the attendees to experience and enjoy. Besides getting together with old military friends, tours and activities are the next big draw in boosting reunion attendance. Here are the activities I’ve planned for Memphis – the Lorraine Motel and National Civil Rights Museum, Sun Records, tour of Memphis, Graceland Mansion and museums along with dinner and entertainment on Beale Street. Nashville will include a back stage tour of the Grand Ol’ Opry, tour of Nashville including RCA Studio B, Country Music Hall of Fame Museum, and Ryman Auditorium with lunch at the Wildhorse Saloon, a luncheon cruise aboard the showboat General Jackson and the Grand Ol’ Opry radio show. I’m hoping Johnny Cash’s Hideaway Farm will still be available for dinner and entertainment to take the place of a formal banquet at the hotel. It’s currently for sale so its status and availability are questionable. As I said previously, costs are a big factor determining reunion attendance. I am seeing an increase in hotel rates and tour costs over previous years. The hospitality industry really took a bigger hit with Covid than it did in 2008 due to the economic downturn experienced then. In 2019, things were getting back to normal then the Pandemic struck. It appears hotels are not going to slowly adjust their rates upwards as they did after 2008, but are going to make the necessary increases in room rates and services to recover pandemic losses more quickly. My success as a reunion planner has been to take people places they would not have gone and once there, for them to experience things they never would have, and all at a reasonable cost. I hope these cost increases will not hamper future reunion attendance. Reported John Baker, Military Reunion & Travel Specialist, Holiday Cruises and Tours of Scottsdale AZ; www.holidaycruisesandtoursaz.com.
Explore back issues for more reunion planning ideas! 2017 Reunion Celebrations! Arce Family
Newton Family
2018 Reu
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e military reunion news
The State of the Military Reunion Market
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he following discussion assumes that most reunions were cancelled or postponed in 2020. It also assumes that coming back in 2021 is being done with some hesitation, though, most military reunions, many of which are later in the year, are not hesitant. Fortunately, it hopes that by 2022, the reunion market will experience a boom! These are questions we asked Sharon Danitschek, President of The Military Reunion Network, about her observations of the state of the military reunion market. This discussion took place in April 2021.
You did a survey of military reunion planners to determine the state of the military reunion market. Why is it important to understand what is happening with military reunions? For several reasons. First the hospitality industry went from thriving to shuttered in the space of two months. From May 2020 on, hoteliers focused on staying in business. Staff was cut to bare bones and services were either cut or changed to follow safety protocols. As time went on and the level of “open” expanded, the focus shifted to building business again. Hoteliers needed to understand if military reunions were a viable market to chase and how to go about attracting potential business. From a business stand point, industry experts say the leisure market and regional drive market will bounce back first. Military reunions fall in that category. The other reason the survey is important is, military reunion planners needed to understand what the hotel industry was experiencing as it relates to their events. It is easy to read the newspaper or watch TV to get a sense of the challenges businesses faced across the board, but reunion planners needed to understand how the shift in business impacted what they were doing. The survey focuses on hotels and destinations related to military reunions.
How did Covid19 affect the reunion market in 2020 and how do you see it’s continued affect in 2021? To answer that question, I think it’s important to look at the overall meetings industry. In March 2020, Meeting Professionals International conducted a survey where 96% of the 830 respondents experienced event cancellations. 47% of the respondents to their survey had 11 or more events cancel. Last year, almost everything cancelled, regardless of what type of event it was. Military reunions followed that pattern. It was rare to find a 2020 reunion moving forward as planned. The majority rolled their events from 2020 to 2021 at roughly the same date pattern. We asked hospitality industry respondents what happened to reunions that did NOT automatically roll their dates. 56% said reunion planners were just going to wait to see what happens. Now with the country opening back up, events are being rebooked, resulting in a huge compression in the last half of this year. Reunion planning will require greater detail of information and conversation with attendees and hotels. Safety protocols, contract language, attrition, Reunion COVID19 and vaccination policies, and post reunion updates will all be a part of reunion planner responsibilities. As to the virus itself, by the end of the year we will have learned to live with it and in doing so go about our business. There will 46 REUNIONS v reunionsmag.com
always be a small percentage of reunion attendees who feel better staying closer to home. For the majority, they will be out on the road again.
What percentage of military reunions are cancelling their meetings? What percentage are postponing planned meetings? But more importantly, how many are going ahead with plans in 2021? Great question! Again, let’s start with the overall meetings industry to answer the last part of your question. An organization called, IMeet, conducted a survey in the beginning of 2021. One of the questions was, when will contracted events take place. Respondents said 38% would be in 3rd quarter 2021 and 48% in 4th quarter. It is great to know when actual business will take place, but what about new business? They had a follow up question focusing on new RFPs. What quarters are of interest for potential new business? 29% of respondents had requests for new business potential in the third quarter of 2021, while fourth quarter jumped to 55%. Shifting to military reunions, and the percentage of reunions cancelling, postponing, or moving forward, I look to the survey for overall market indications. We asked: What is the status of your NEXT reunion? 51% said their 2021 reunion was contracted. Just over 20% said their 2021 reunion is planned but not contracted yet.
What is the expectation for attendance? Are some members not as eager to attend as they were in the past? The question we posed on our survey focused more on the impact and perception vaccine availability has on attendance. With vaccine distribution well underway, would your reunion attendees consider going to a reunion at which they could meet safely? 69.7% answered yes. 27% were not sure what their attendees thought. 2.8% said no. The vaccine has a definite impact on decisions being made about traveling and connecting in person. Attendance is expected to be about the same or slightly lower.
For those going ahead, has concern about Coronavirus variants affected their planning? We did not specifically address Coronavirus variants in the survey so I would rather not speculate. In individual conversations, the variants seem to be lumped in with the initial COVID19 strain.
Since military reunion members live all over the country, how do members feel about traveling? Are they willing to stay closer to home to attend a reunion? Or are they willing to travel cross country, for example? I honestly think the question is which type of travel is preferred? There is greater interest now in driving to a reunion vs flying. The concentration of people in the airport is more daunting than the actual flight. There has also been interest in holding smaller regional reunions across the country vs one large event. I think this alternative provides the opportunity to drive vs fly as well as meet
military reunion news e in smaller numbers than meet with existing government guidelines. I should also add that a few months ago, I spoke with a Navy wife who said she could not wait for her husband, the reunion planner, to get out of the house! “Go to the reunion, honey. I don’t care where it is, you should go!” She was laughing as she said it.
Do you see The Military Reunion Network’s services completely recovered by 2022? Yes, I see the industry bouncing back in 2021 and recovered by 2022.
How have you changed your services to meet planners needs during these strange times? Are they receptive and eager to participate in your offerings? “Necessity is the mother of invention” is a quote I have repeated many times in the last year. MRN has had to evolve not only to survive as a business, but more importantly to maintain the connection to our Veteran and Hospitality community. I felt and still feel a great responsibility to the MRN community to keep them updated on the vast and often conflicting information as we ride the “corona coaster.” Information not only about businesses being open or closed, but the new landscape of safety protocols, contract language, and general expectations of holding an event. We have been virtual for the last year. I must say, in the last couple of months “Zoom Fatigue” has really impacted everyone. One of the things we talked quite a bit about this last year was respecting the lens from which people view COVID19. I heard a presenter say, “Your view of COVID19 is based largely on where you live.” I think that is absolutely true. South Dakota remained open while New York and California went into lock down. Your percep-
Upcoming Military Reunion Network events! June 7-10 — MRN Educational Summit, Colorado Springs, Colorado, with Keynote by Dan Pedersen, creator of the Navy Top Gun Program.
June 10-1 — Pueblo, Colorado FAM tour
June 23 — Springfield, Illinois, Virtual FAM
August 29-September 1 — Chattanooga, Tennessee, FAM tour
tion of gathering together is fundamentally different if you live in South Dakota or California.
Are you planning any new activities or offerings in the near future? Yes, in addition to our online events, we are thrilled to hold our MRN Educational Summit live and in person! I am overly excited about our Keynote Speaker! Dan Pedersen created the Navy Top Gun Program! Now in his 80s, he still wants to speak in front of a crowd. Sharon! Thank you for your time and service to military reunions and military reunion planners.
Sharon Danitschek,
President of The Military Reunion Network The Military Reunion Network is a trade organization focused on supporting Veterans through education, resource, and connection. They teach Veterans to plan their own events and connect them to destinations and hotels that are military reunion minded. The mission of The Military Reunion Network is to reduce Veteran Suicide by encouraging continued connection through Military Reunions. Sharon Danitschek, MRN President, was recognized as one of Meeting Today Magazines 2019 Trendsetters, for the work she and MRN are doing to support Veterans across the country. You can listen to a complete discussion of The State of the Military Reunion Market at Click here to view video.
Amphibious Ships Reunions
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ouis “Skip” Sander announced that his USS Rankin Association has responded to leadership fatigue and declining attendance among decommissioned ships and among ships that have never had a reunion. They organized a permanent series of Amphibious Ships Reunions open to all who have served in the Amphibious Navy. They had four reunions so far, with others planned for 2021 and 2022. Recent attendance has included over 160 people from ten organized reunion groups and 15 never-had-a-reunion ships. The 2021 Amphibious Ships Reunion will be held in Annapolis, Maryland, from Monday, September 20 to Friday, September 24, 2021. All who have served in the amphibious Navy are invited to attend. You can come with your ship's organized reunion group, or on your own. To see the whole story, including past reunions and a video of happy attendees, visit www.amphibreunion.org. Contact: Louis “Skip” Sander, The USS Rankin Association, 412-3671376; www.ussrankin.org.
October 13-16 — Louisiana Northshore/New Orleans area FAM For details, contact Sharon Danitschek, 425-501-1430, info@militaryreunionnetwork.com; www.militaryreunionnetwork.com/ upcoming-events/#!event-list 2021 REUNION CELEBRATIONS! v REUNIONS 47
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African-American Military History Museum
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he African-American Military History Museum in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, is dedicated to honoring over 200 years of sacrifice and service of African Americans in the military. It provides education about contributions by African Americans in the US military through a variety of programs. The museum is in the USO Club opened in 1942 to serve as a home away from home for African American soldiers stationed at Camp Shelby, in the segregated army of World War II. This building is the only remaining USO constructed especially for African American soldiers in public use in the US. It is now listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and is a Mississippi Landmark. The museum bears witness to the service and sacrifice of African Americans beginning with Buffalo Soldiers of the post–Civil War era through the modern-day conflicts of Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Hundreds
The African-American Military History Museum in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Korean War exhibit at The African-American Military History Museum
of artifacts, photos and unique displays, including one of the most complete sets of authentic Spanish-American War medals, fill the restored main hall. Each item tells a story of pioneers such as Hattiesburg's own Jesse L. Brown, America's first black naval aviator, and lesser-known heroes such as Ruth Bailey Earl, also of Hattiesburg, whose image and actions represented the more than 500 black nurses who served during World War II. Their acts of valor and bravery while under fire are presented with honor at Hattiesburg's African American Military History Museum at the Historic USO Club, so that we may be inspired by their courage and patriotism. The African American Military History Museum is located at 305 East 6th St, Hattiesburg MS 39401; www.hattiesburguso.com. Admission is free, donations welcome. Docent and self-guided tours available.
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kip Sander also reports that with persistence and luck, you can find truly outstanding entertainment for your reunion. And it doesn't have to cost a lot of money. Years ago, we had a barbershop chorus entertain us in Norfolk, Virginia. They were great, and to top it off, they put on their show at no charge. Two years ago in Dallas, we wanted something similar. The internet led us to a championship barbershop quartet. Some phone calls (with crossed fingers) established their availability for our banquet, and some YouTube videos showed they would definitely be worth their modest asking price. Their performance at the reunion was truly awesome, and luckily our photographer decided on her own to film it. Their rendition of the national anthem still raises the hairs on the back of my neck. If we wouldn't have asked, we wouldn't have heard them, and if our photographer hadn't been so alert, we couldn't have shared it with you. Enjoy. Legacy Road Quartet, Dallas, Texas 48 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
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USS John Young Veterans Association
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eunion planner Michael Trotta expanded benefits for former crewmembers of the USS John Young DD-973 through the formation of the USS John Young Veterans Association, a 501(c)19 non-profit organization. Since forming the organization the group has been planning their next event, which will be held in Galveston, Texas, June 10-13, 2021. Events and activities planned for the former crew and their families include a visit to Seawolf Park and the NASA Space Command Center. This year’s event has two new sponsors: Leinenkugels and Black Rifle Coffee Company. The Mayor of Galveston, Dr. Craig Brown, will be the guest speaker and welcome guests to his city. Information about the event has been posted at www.DD973.org under the 2021 USS John Young reunion 2021 link. There are DD-973 t-shirt so many surprises going on behind the scenes for this event it truly will be bigger and better which is why we picked Texas!! Reported by Michael Trotta, Tarpon Springs, Florida, Reunion@dd973.org; www.dd973.org
Reunion Planner Michael Trotta (Founder, USS John Young Veterans Association) with Chief Operations Officer, Bruce Bramlett onboard the USS Texas. The Houston area was originally chosen for the reunion because of the battleship USS Texas. Unfortunately, the USS Texas suffered flooding and had to undergo extensive repairs, so the reunion planners were the only ones able to enjoy the ship and a private tour during the planning phase. The USS Texas is going into drydock later this year and will return as a museum at a new berthing location that has not yet been chosen.
USS JJohn Young DD-973 Challenge coin. Challenge coins are small medallions, bearing an organization's insignia or emblem, carried by the organization's members. James Raymond, planner, felt the need to “challenge” Galveston Police Department’s Public Affairs Officer during a planning tour. 50 REUNIONS v www.reunionsmag.com
e military reunion news Welcome to Reunion Resources! We encourage you to tell the listings you contact that you learned about them from Reunions magazine. And if at any time you find any info that is inaccurate or e-mail or web links do not work, notify us immediately at editor@ reunionsmag.com; PO Box 11727, Milwaukee WI 53211-0727. And by all means, feel free to comment and/or suggest changes and additions you’d like to see in this section. Reunions magazine will not be held liable for information presented as facts in these ads.
FLORIDA FLORIDA PARADISE VILLAS Kissimmee and Orlando, FL 866-939-7376 reservations@floridaparadisevillas.com www.floridaparadisevillas.com Attention groups!! Sleep 8-30 per vacation rental in the Orlando area! We offer condos, townhomes or pool homes in resort settings with water parks and more! Homes include full kitchen, additional bathrooms, 3-14+ bedrooms, game rooms, movie theaters and much more. Similar to the cost of one room, from $900/5 nights. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD ON PAGE 6. GREATER MIAMI CVB 701 Brickell Ave, Suite 2700, Miami FL 33131 305.539.3000 | 800.933.8448 www.MiamiAndBeaches.com www.MultiCulturalTourism@gmcvb.com Whether family, class, alumni or military, Miami is perfect for your reunion any time of the year. Let us help you create the best reunion that people will be talking about for years to come. Play in the sun and sand, visit historic heritage churches and other locations, find fun parks and recreation areas or specialized venues to hold your family reunion or other get together. With diverse multicultural jewels and robust outdoor activities, Miami lets you find your roots and reunite with the past. Reconnect today in Greater Miami and the Beaches. Visit www.MulticulturalMiami.com to see our special Plan Your Reunion page. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD ON PAGE 49.
REUNION RESOURCES ILLINOIS
TEXAS
CHICAGO SOUTHLAND CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU Reunions of all kinds, including family and military, can find superior facilities located conveniently to anywhere in the Midwest – and across the country. With our true Midwestern hospitality, the Chicago Southland feels like family. We offer complimentary services to ensure your reunion’s success. Call 888-895-3211 or Visit our website www.ReuniteInTheChicagoSouthland.com.
FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS Located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, Fredericksburg, Texas is an ideal destination for reunions. Just over an hour from either Austin or San Antonio International Airports, or a quick drive from any of the major metro areas in Texas, Fredericksburg has everything your group needs to host a memorable reunion. Local attractions include the National Museum of the Pacific War, Lyndon B. Johnson State and National Parks, the Pioneer Museum, Wildseed Farms, Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, Luckenbach Texas, more than 50 wineries and tasting rooms, awardwinning restaurants, boutique shopping and more. Numerous unique accommodation options, including boutique hotels, motels and luxury guesthouses, are group friendly. 302 E. Austin Street Fredericksburg , TX 78624 830-997-6523 www.VisitFredericksburgTX.com
LAKE COUNTY CVB Plan an unforgettable reunion in Lake County, Illinois – We’ll work together to help you plan a family experience that lets you explore all the excitement of Lake County. From entertaining attractions like Six Flags to our convenient, centralized location close to Chicago, there are so many reasons to choose Lake County for family friendly fun. For free Reunion Planning Assistance call or email us with your reunion planning questions. 800-LAKE-NOW | kimberly@lakecounty.org www.LakeCountyReunions.com
MISSOURI EXPLORE BRANSON in Southwest Missouri surrounded by the beauty of the Ozark Mountains. Call the Branson Convention & Visitors Bureau to assist you in locating lodging for your next reunion in this ideal destination at the center of America’s heartland! Family values and budgets are honored! Branson’s breathtaking scenery, genuine patriotism, live music shows, exciting attractions for all ages, and authentic southern hospitality create memories worth re-living! Whether your reunion is family, military, or graduating class, request Welcome Bags and the Branson Reunion Planner Kit: Lenni Neimeyer, CTIS, CSTP | 417-243-2105 Email: lneimeyer@bransoncvb.com www.ExploreBranson.com/groups VISITCAPE CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO on I-55 between St. Louis & Memphis. Perched on the Western banks of the Mississippi River, Cape Girardeau is a small city with a big heart and something for everyone, from families to history buffs, outdoor adventurer and everyone in between. Consider us the prime location for your reunion. Call VisitCape at 1.800.777.0068 or visit us online at www.VisitCape.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD ON PAGE 17.
OHIO EXPERIENCE COLUMBUS Columbus is full of unforgettable experiences, distinct neighborhoods and one-of-a-kind tours. As a leader in experiential tourism, Columbus knows that getting groups in the middle of the action and behind the scenes is important. We put your wellbeing first with the Live Forward Safety Pledge. Whether you’re planning a group activity or giving individuals time to explore on their own, Columbus’ neighborhoods welcome groups in their own special way. Contact the Tourism Sales team at 1-800-354-2657 tours@ExperienceColumbus.com www.ExperienceColumbus.com/reunions
VIRGINIA FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA 3702 Pender Drive, Suite 420, Fairfax VA 22030 Enjoy everything that Northern Virginia has to offer. From the monuments and memorials of nearby Washington, DC to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center to George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Fairfax County is the ideal location for your military or family reunion. The spectacular new National Museum of the United States Army opens mid-year 2021. Call Visit Fairfax at 703-752-9509, and Dean Miller, our reunion specialist, will go to work for you! dmiller@fxva.com | www.fxva.com SEE OUR DISPLAY AD ON PAGE 37. FREDERICKSBURG TOURISM VISIT FRED The Fredericksburg Region is known for its Colonial and Civil War History, arts community and year-round group-friendly offerings. Just 50 miles south of WDC, the Fredericksburg Region boasts an award winning distillery, wineries and breweries, outdoor adventures, parks and more. Make memories with your family, classmates, and military buddies in the Fredericksburg Region. To book your reunion, contact Victoria Matthews: (540) 372-1216 | 1-800-260-3646 vamatthews@fredericksburgva.gov www.VisitFred.com
WYOMING DUDE RANCHERS’ ASSOCIATION 1122 12th Street, Cody WY 82414 Helping people find quality Dude and Guest Ranch vacations since 1926. Let us help you find the perfect all-inclusive location for your next reunion! Call 307-587-2339 | info@duderanch.org www.duderanch.org SEE OUR DISPLAY AD ON PAGE 37.
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