MASTERPLAN

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.

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/categpry/podcasts.

Continuation from June 2021 issue … CHAPTER 5: with permission Committees

As in most organizations, committees have emerged. The Bullock family has an executive committee of its national board. Sheila Linton explains, “Our Executive Committee got started because of the scholarship fund. We wanted to work on the issues related to that and found ourselves dealing with many other things.13

At the Bowser family’s fifth reunion, the following gave reports: the charter committee, the historical committee, the committee on committees, awards committee, and reunion site committee. Most of the functions of the committee are self-explanatory by their names, but the committee on committees had some interesting functions. The concerns of that committee were the following: 1. Dispersing information on schools and scholarships. The committee made a positive statement that it believed that it is in the best interests of the Bowser family members to promote education and training in order to develop marketable skills, whether it is through college or university education or technical training programs. 2. Voting. There were Bowsers voting when other Black people could not vote. “Furthermore,” explains the committee member, “a Bowser was a registrar for the Republican Party during the 1800s. With this kind of history, it becomes imperative that all of us register to vote in November. This is phase one of our civic responsibility as citizens of this country and as members of the Bowser family.” 3. Highlighting family members. Some ideas concerning family achievements. This archive might include a short paragraph listing achievements of family members.14

Other families may have a good and welfare committee, a type of committee quite prevalent in church and similar organizations. The purpose of this committee is to send births and anniversaries greeting cards, get-well cards, and expressions of sympathy. With members being far-flung, it is not easy to keep up with the news, but this committee serves a really important role in this new form of the extended family. Another family reports having a ways and means committee, which deals with financial programs; a hotel representation committee, which usually helps with publicity. More and more families now include a scholarship committee.

When Wrise Booker and Vallery Kountze organized the 2003 Kountze family reunion, they established the following reunion committees: steering committee, facilities and transportation, financial affairs, communications, program development, youth development, social interaction, heritage, and scholarship. Each committee had a set of tasks clearly identified.

2008 Kountze Family Reunion

Charitable Activities

Giving back to the community is often expressed as a desirable act at family reunions. Family members who have given to others, primarily through their good deeds, are acknowledged. Families may pass the hat or solicit funds to give to some desired organization. This is most often done on a one-time basis although the intent is to do so more often.

Philanthropy is not new to African Americans although much of the money goes to the church. A study by the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy notes, however, that there are traits that distinguish African Americans philanthropic tradition from conventional notions of philanthropy. These include the foundation of the African American philanthropy as being derived from a distinctive notion of family as an inclusive and permeable institution. African Americans frequently express their giving and serving through the idiom of kinship. They consider much of their giving and serving to family, neighbors and needy strangers as general obligation rather than philanthropy. When formal contributions of time and money

are made, African Americans prefer going through the church.15

Examples of what some reunion families have done include contribution to scholarships at colleges that educated relatives, establishing funds for needy families, contributing to organizations researching diseases for which African Americans are at special risk. The value of giving is passed on to future generations at the reunion.

Some families are incorporated to conduct charitable projects. One such family is Camilla and Zach Hubert. The Camilla and Zach Hubert family is incorporated as a nonprofit — a 501(c)(3) foundation — and one of the primary purposes is a support black education, particularly in the state of Georgia. Their reunion had begun in 1974, primarily as a fun thing, and they continued to have reunions. Somewhere along the line, one of the cousins who inherited property when his mother died, and looking at the deed, saw that there was a parcel of land attached to the deed, which the grandfather had left to the family. He had also left land to each of his twelve children, but this particular thirteen acres was attached to this one piece of property and was unused. The family decided to become incorporated, and the land is now in the hands of the Camilla and Zach Hubert Foundation. The family has to follow strict bylaws. The Camilla and Zach Hubert family carry out charitable projects with the Springfield, Georgia, community where Zach set his homestead after slavery. The foundation makes annual contributions to Spellman and Morehouse Colleges, where Zack sent his twelve children. They have written a book about the family, which they sold, and they have cut timber as ways to raise money. Governed by an elected board of trustees, they have regional vice presidents and other officers, which meet the Internal Revenue Service requirements. As a nonprofit, the family must be always conscious of special regulatory obligations and meet annually.16

Families do not have to be incorporated to give to charity. The Booker family, one of the oldest African American families in Medford, Massachusetts, agreed to donate a monetary contribution annually to a Medford organization that serves needy families and children. Traditionally, this family has its reunion at Thanksgiving. One year, they discussed the issue of gift-giving in the family, recognizing that receiving gifts loses its the significance after childhood. They decided to contribute to children who might not have warm sweaters or small toys. The family hearkened back to its early family roots when one of its ancestors instilled in the children a sense of community, which has been carried out by family members in many ways over the years.

The Alston-Taylor family reunion has a scholarship fund and also contributes to the Diabetes Foundation because the disease runs in the family. The United Negro College Fund is another recipient of this family’s contributions as is true for several families.

The Shaw-Harmon family raised money to donate to the Civil War Museum in honor of their ancestors Timothy Shaw and Robert Riley, who served in the Civil War.

The Weems family gave a $500 scholarship fund to the Boston chapter of the Hampton Alumni in honor of their parents, who were members of the Class of 1909. Gertrude Howard, who was born in Boston, Massachusetts and Samuel Weems, who was born in Rome, Georgia, met at Hampton Institute in Virginia. Their eight children believe that without Hampton, it is very doubtful that they would have met.

The value of service is also promoted. The Dow family noted that it wanted a charitable project because “[they] had reached a certain point and now it was time to put something back into the community.”17 Although the ideas do not always come to fruition, the thought is there. A facility to give foster children special services and a retirement home especially for aging family members are two examples of family reunion charitable thoughts.

A frequent question to the Family Reunion Institute is whether the family should incorporate as a nonprofit or 501(c)(3) organization. Since the institute does not give out legal advice, we can only note some of the pros and cons of being a nonprofit and encourage the family to use one of its own family member lawyers, see if a local law school may have interns who can help with this question, or hire a lawyer. If the family’s main objective to become a nonprofit is that they might be able to get foundation and corporate funds for their reunions, the work involved in maintaining a nonprofit may not be commensurate with what they might receive. Unfortunately, experience has shown that those institutions are not good sources for income for family reunions, although they may give generously to other ventures. Families have discussed becoming a nonprofit so that the monies family members give to the scholarship fund can be tax=deductible. The scholarship will need to go to someone outside the family, however. Economic Programs

Self-determination was a phrase used constantly in the 1960s by the Black community. This expression seemed to scare the majority society almost as much as the words Black power and dropped out of sight. Without using the phrase, the sentiment is still there. Self-help, like philanthropy, is not new for African Americans. “We need to help our own,” “We need to be in charge of our own institutions,” and “We need to help our young people” are increasing refrains. Thus, even though families are scattered, they bring back the extended family function of financial help that was seen when familied lived closer together. Family Scholarships

African American families are developing scholarship programs to benefit their children. This is a sensitive endeavor since within the diversity and size of the family, not everyone will benefit. Scholarship programs have come a long way since the time twenty years ago, when Augusta Clarke, a former city council member in Philadelphia, simply ordered her Alexander family groups to put “$50 in the pot” at the banquet or business meeting. She collected as much as $900 in twenty minutes. Now, there are scholarship programs in many families. They are structured and governed by bylaws or very specific criteria. Although these rules vary from family to family, nearly all include such criteria as to who is eligible.

When Thelma Jones of the Harper/Outlaw/Banks family shared at the Family Reunion Conference that the potential candidate’s family must have attended the reunion at some time, many other families inserted this rule in their criteria. Mrs. Jones started the scholarship at her family reunion in 1994, ten years after the reunion began. It was one way to involve teenagers and to get them to return to the reunions. It serves also as a morale booster. The scholarship amount depends on the amount raised from family and the number of graduates. An application is required, sometime with an accompanying essay as to what the candidate feels about the family. Graduates from high school, certification programs or vocational/tech schools are eligible, as are those who have earned a GED. Everyone is eligible since family income is not a criteria, but reunion participation and attendance adds points.

The Kountze Family Scholarship is governed by a legal trust. Members of the family serve as trustees and decide who will

Banks Hill Outlaw Family Reunion receive the scholarship. Each year, the scholarship committee chair writes letter to family members soliciting funds for the scholarship. An application is necessary, but the scholarship can go to any age person, and they must be attending an accredited college. Thus, an applicant or recipient can be a person in their fifties. While one of the criteria is that the family of the recipient should have attended a Kountze family reunion, this is not always the case. In fact, the Kountzes found that when they gave a scholarship to a family member who had never attended the reunion until he came to accept the scholarship, this developed a bond, and that family has attended ever since.

The Flo-Line family quilts were originally thought of as a fundraiser for the scholarship fund. Area chairpersons were sent muslin patches and directed to distribute, collect, and return the completed ones for assembling. The patches immortalized some event, experience, or person. There were patches that contained a family cake recipe, doilies brought by slaves in the Underground Railroad, sport hobbies, portraits, memorial photographs, family crests — all kinds of things that uniquely linked the family members. What was to be one quilt turned into six quilts as family members became so excited that they sent in many patches. Those quilts were auctioned, but only six people could get them. Thus, patterns of the quilts were reproduced on stationary, puzzles, and posters, and sold. It became clear that the real value of the quilts was the family history and memorials displayed on the patches. However, the family did raise over $3,000 for the scholarship fund. Opalene Mitchell, who had the original idea for the Flo-Line quilt, taught audiences how to make the patches and involve family members at the Family Reunion Conference in a workshop entitled “A Stitch in Time.” Using that title, she then wrote a book in great detail about the process, including how to get the stationary and other by-products made.18

The Harper basketball shootout raised money for the family’s scholarship fund. Each participant was given fifteen seconds to shoot basketballs into the hoop. Each sponsor pledged ten cents or more for every basket made. The participants submitted an official scorecard to their sponsor, indicting the number of baskets successfully made.19

The purpose of the Ransom Sease scholarship is to assist those who wish to grow educationally during the year. There are two types of scholarships: a medical one and a general education scholarship. The medical scholarship is available to those seeking to study in the medical field; the general scholarship is open to all other majors.20

The George and Sallie Bullock descendants not only offer the high school students scholarships but also award a scholarship for aspiring teachers. Named the Vernell Pernsley Scholarship after a deceased member of the family who taught in the Philadelphia school system for thirty-six years, it is hoped that this scholarship will encourage more Bullocks to enter the profession.

The Britt family goes even further by giving a scholarship to a student outside of the family.

continued on page 24

Explore back issues for more reunion planning ideas!

2017 Reunion Celebrations!

Arce Family Reunion

Newton Family Reunion

Morse High School Class of 1966 35th Anniversary of The Wall

Sowell Family Reunion VOL 27 NO 2 $3/USA

Evans Family Reunion

2018 Reunion Celebrations!

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Vol 28 no 2 $3/USA Emergency and Other Funds

Emergency funds to help family members have also been established. In 1985, the National Lowe family agreed to establish an emergency fund. Each chapter is assessed a given amount of money to go into the fund to provide financial assistance for any family member in distress, such as fire victims, deaths creating a hardship, and serious prolonged illness in the amount designated by the national body per family member. A set of regulations accompany how the money is distributed.21 This fund has been in existence over twenty-five years.

In another family, every time a baby is born, everyone sends one dollar to start an account in the child’s name. And in yet another family, when someone dies, the children or parents receive $2,000 from the national chapter toward funeral costs. These kinds of activities emerge from families at reunions. In other words, without the reunion, such support and caring would probably not have happened.

African American families meet in hotels, so they often realize the amount of money they are spending. Conversation begins about using their property or building a facility that they can use and rent to other African American families for conferences and reunions. Barbara Jenkins noted that her family spent about $50,000 in the hotel alone. With a family of about eight hundred attending the reunion the cost of rooms, banquet and food amounted to a great deal. “If we just had a portion of the money, there’s no telling what we could do. We’ve been talking about it at executive board committee, but unless you act on it …”22

The idea of setting up a collective family business often arises but runs into trouble because family members feel that the introduction of giving up money will disrupt the family.

There are a lot of them that aren’t really pleased with the idea in moving toward a family business because they fear that once you bring money into the structure, there’s going to be fighting. So there are a lot of conservatives, but we’ve got to still look at this and still move on it to the future.23 (Gaither)

While there may be resistance, families move through it with sensitivity and caring. As we’ve noted in another chapter, however, many a business has started at the reunion between two or three family members.

The Kwanzaaa principle of Ujaama, cooperative economics, can become a tool for families to work with. Notes Ayesha Imani of the Stith-Porter-Ballard family, “Our children seem to forget that we are businessmen; we’ve been entrepreneurs.”24 In 1980, the Dow family began talking about and planning a new project that eventually became known as the 10-36 plan. Each family member who wished to would contribute a $10 per month for thirty-six months. This money would be used to generate more funds.

Quite a number of families discuss starting a credit union. They believe this would help family members.

Not all the ideas of families come to fruition, and they recognize that it is more than a notion to implement some of the ideas. However, this does not keep families from thinking about them. Networking

Family reunions are about networking in the larger sense. When people say that the reason they want to go to the reunion to meet the cousins they’ve never met or to see family members that they haven’t seen I a long time, they’re often talking about networking. To a certain extent, many activities that go on are networking

activities, i.e., connecting people to each other, to their past, or to the common ancestry.

The Flo-Line family uses the newsletter to network. Business cards are placed in the newsletter, and often, an article highlights an entrepreneur in the family. This, of course, is to encourage the use of that person’s services. Family members may even advertise in the newsletter.

The Dow family set up a resource directory of trades and businesses in the family. Family members help to keep the money in the family by calling on family members first, even if the cost is a little more expensive.

The Kountze-Dugger reunion held a workshop for networking among the young people in the family between the ages of twenty and forty. The discussion turned to business, and one of the members mentioned her desire to start a magazine. She found that her cousins could be very helpful. One could do the colorizing and find a good printer, one could help her to get ads, and one could help with photographs. Someone reminded her about her own brother and his writing ability. All this was very inspiring and Renaissance — the magazine with a positive outlook on African Americans — was launched. Her brother became her editor, and her cousins, all of whom were out of state, helped do what they said they would.

Looking for creative activities has led to the networking between the members. One family has started a credit union. One family has established a travel agency business, although it mainly serves its own family members. Real estate and other businesses have developed between cousins and relatives in a family because of the reunion. The Gaither-James family realized that they could use the services of a florist in the family, no matter where they lived.

There’s more to the networking than the tangibles that are gained. Networking is a learned skill. The networking that goes on at the family reunions exposes people, particularly young adults, on the mechanics of it. Other Benefits of Organization

Within this extended family structure, the talents in the family come to light. As they come to know each other, members learn to use these talents, often mobilizing and utilizing resources that they did not know existed.

Individuals in the family have become entrepreneurs as a direct result of involvement at the family reunion. They found a task that they enjoyed doing and made it into a business venture. Persons who initially agreed to become the family historian have become certified genealogists. One person who had set up the workshops at his family reunion went into business of training and giving workshops.

Ann Cureton had helped to organize and implement what turned out to be a very productive and successful Gaither-James reunion in Camden, South Carolina. The workshops had been meaningful, the play had been fun, and the talent show had been extraordinary. As the reunion came to a close, she said, “It will be pretty soon that we won’t have to go out of this family to get anything because we will have the resources within our own family, and we should use them.”25 While, of course, all of us are interdependent, her comment came from seeing so many arenas in which the family members shared their talents, their knowledge, and their expertise. They could help and use each other. This 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

Leo Schultze says it well.

If we are to continue in the future, we must become aware of our responsibilities, our dues, our pledge to our youth to give some assistance for their educational achievements, but above all this: this first order of business will be the order to take us in the 21st century. It just might be that organized families like ours with noble ideas, as such, may be the role models.26

Footnotes: Chapter 5 continued 13 Interview with Sheila Linton, Bullock Family Reunion. 14 Bower family bylaws. 15 Cheryl Hall-Russell and Robert Kasberg, African American Traditions of Giving and Serving: A Midwest Perspective (Indiana University Center on Philanthropy). 16 Camila and Zach Hubert family history, 1977. 17 Interview with Helen Wilkinson, Dow family reunion. 18 Opalene Mitchell, A Stitch in Time (Philadelphia, PA: Family Reunion Institute, Temple University, 1997). 19 Harper News, Harper family reunion. 20 Ransom Sease Family News, December 2006. 21 “Scholarship,” National Low Family Reunion website, ibid. 22 Interview with Barbara Jenkins, Wilson-Lake-Herbert family. 23 Warren Gaither, ibid. 24 Ayesha Imani, presentation at the National African American Family Reunion

Conference, 1992. 25 Interview with Anne Cureton, Gaither-James family. 26 Leo Schultze, The Force (Winter 1995).

(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)

Harvey Brantley Family Reunion

Vision: To be a United Family Gathering that is Extraordinary in doing life together. Theme: Living a Legacy of Generational Family Love, Faith, and Posterity

INTRODUCTION

Family reunions are special occasions where interconnected families come together in the spirit of unity. Our family reunion is multigenerational, multi-ethnic, and ultimately, destined for multiplication. Our theme for our 2021 reunion was “Living a Legacy.” Often, families talk about leaving a legacy, but how often do we focus in on living out that legacy of each family member through grace and fellowship.

The objective of our family reunion this year was to live the legacy of our ancestors and maintain, recover, and discover our own legacy by focusing on posterity. Posterity is the succession of generations, wealth creation, and familial holistic growth. As a result of this year’s family reunion, we have had workshop-like discussions which resulted in some family members being inspired to start businesses, ministries, and to pursue higher career ventures.

Family reunions thrive when there is a momentum of shared vision and objectives. Great leaders cast vision! It is important to cast a vision for your family reunion that extends beyond the norm and includes everyone. Why? Many family members need to see the vision to believe it, and they will congregate around a common purpose, theme, or vision that includes them. After you formulate a vision, create a family mission statement (if applicable), followed by goals and objectives that you want the family reunion to achieve.

This year, our Goal was to: “Promote family education, health and wellness, as well as encourage Generations to increase the bonds of Grace and Fellowship.” In addition, the older generation entrusted the Next Generation (40 and under) with some of the family reunion planning.

This year’s reunion was special, and during a pandemic, we were able to pull off a high energy, engaging, heartfelt family reunion that everyone respected and enjoyed. We chose a hospitable hotel that accommodated us to enact our mission with fidelity.

Our Mission was to: “Provide opportunities for family engagement through authentic fellowship, faith, fun, outreach, and partnership.” We did just that during this Family reunion which incorporated a variety of events and activities that the whole family engaged in. Be sure to create a team or committee and involve emerging young adults to give feedback, as the elders of the family guide and provide accountability.

Many family reunion planners might ask: “Well how do we get everyone together from all sides of the family to attend the family reunions..?” The answer to that question is: “One family at a time.” You will never be able to reach everyone, but those who do attend, should be valued and prioritized. We must consistently value one another, and encourage one another, as you then transfer that love to family members who were unable to attend, distant or even lost.

Secondly, we must also know that our presence is a blessing. When we choose to present ourselves back to one another at family reunions, it creates a stronger sense of self-worth, and self-identification. Family reunions help you know yourself better, as well as those who you share relations with. In other words, family reunions can help you become a better person inside and outside of your family structure.

Day 1 – Our family reunion this year began with a pre-service dinner that was topped off with recreational bowling, games, and fellowship time at a local entertainment center. Day 2 – Thursday was the official hotel check-in and Welcome service event. During the welcome, we had an extravagant Gospel night with a sharing of the vision, welcome letter from the Governor, a variety of special guests, Christian performers, food, fellowship, theatrical skits, and a comedy show. The theatrical skit, performed by a professional acting troupe, provided an opportunity for family members to be inspired to do the same. As a result, we had a family talent show followed by a special Celebrity Comic View comedian who blessed us with clean comedy, fun, and laughter. Our special guest DJ helped us top Thursday off with a family dance-off, which involved line dancing and popular dance selections to which all family members were able to get foot loose on the dance floor. Day 3 – Friday, family members explored the city and historic places of Atlanta, Georgia. Family members toured Stone Mountain Park, the Atlanta Zoo, and all the historic districts (Martin Luther King Center; Atlanta History Center and GA Aquarium City, to name a few). A family reunion carpool was established as we toured the city marveling at the city skyline, sightseeing and taking pictures. Friday evening was a family game night that included light snacks, games, a special guest comedian and the ultimate Family Reunion Karaoke Idol Showdown. Day 4 – Saturday was the family reunion picnic at a popular metropolitan park. We rented a pavilion and had the entire park to ourselves. Food was sponsored by Atlanta’s signature barbecue catering company in addition to our grill master cooking on the grill. Saturday evening, we all dressed to impress in our ‘Purple and Gold’ theme colors, as we got ready for the banquet that involved a deluxe dinner at the hotel. The banquet also involved a memorial program that recognized ancestors, an award show for accomplished family members, birthday recognitions, and a soul train line dance and farewell dance to end the night. Day 5 – Sunday morning, our family offered a farewell church service for family members who were able to attend along with a final breakfast.

All in all, we were able to do things in the Spirit of Excellence because of our proposed vision: Living a Legacy!!! Shared by Dr. Brian Cunningham, Family Reunion Planner, Author/Life Coach-Speaker, Atlanta, Georgia

The new National Museum of the United States Army in Fairfax County is a great place for families. Current COVID-19 safety precautions established.

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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. Let us help you plan your family’s reunion. GoGo toto FXVA.com or call 703-790-0643

Groshek Chickfest!

It was with great anticipation that the Groshek gal cousins were able to attend CHICKFEST in person this year at their grandparents’ former farmstead home in Galloway, Wisconsin. Last year, at the height of Covid, the chicks had to settle for a Zoom call reunion. It was nice, but not quite the same.

This year, a handsome Scottish highlander greeted them at the door reminding any rogue males that CHICKFEST is for “lasses only.”

Inside, the table was surrounded with laughter and chatter. Dishes of homemade desserts and snacks filled the table: pineapple whip cream cake, potato chips and dip, peppered cukes picked fresh from the garden, meatballs and pasta salads. There was something to satisfy any palate.

Rain was forecast, but the sun shone brightly all day as the chicks gathered outside for the traditional group photo. This year's special honor went to Cindy and Mona who turned sixty!

Then it was time to vent out the year of frustration and grief on the Coronavirus shaped piñata. A cousin had bought a baseball piñata from a party store, spray painted it black and attached red crepe paper spikes to the entire surface. Hanging from an old apple tree, the piñata contained “humbug” hard candy with a small alcohol wipe attached to each piece.

Back inside as the sun set, the chicks laughed so hard they cried ... almost blowing the roof off. The chicks did make one exception to the NO MALE policy while allowing two-year-old Milo to have fun picking piñata scraps and apples from the front lawn after he attempted a swing. Shared by June Groshek Czarnezki, South Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Little Milo, who would not sit still for the picture, is the fourth generation. Three generations of Groshek Chicks! Special honorees, Cindy, is second row on the right and Mona was missing!

Taste of reunions!

Who doesn’t look forward to the wide array of wonderful smells and tastes of reunion potlucks, picnics and banquets? Do these pictures remind you of wonderful memories and make your mouth water? Add these to why you can’t wait for your next reunion!

Jordon Family mini-Reunion

Our reunion was very small. Just two siblings, spouses, children and one grandchild who was too young to be vaccinated so we couldn't go anywhere. We stayed at my home in Michigan and the others came from Pennsylvania. We hadn't seen each other since my nephew's wedding in December 2019 (he's the one holding the dog). We just shared yummy meals in the house. We didn't go to restaurants or museums. One day we took a walk to a neighborhood park and played with the visiting dog. An excellent activity was when I brought out countless photograph albums and everyone perused them from cover to cover. Some photos had never been seen before and others brought back feelings of nostalgia.

The Big Boy is a fixture in our backyard. My husband had always wanted one and was able to purchase it from the company that made them for the restaurants. The neighbor children loved to look at it when they were young. Shared by Leah Jordan Bisel, West Bloomfield, Michigan.

Celebrate your reunion! Share it with the world!

See your reunion on these pages and on our website. If you are not your family or group scribe, find someone eager to write about your reunion and share it with us. Consider students who could score a publishing credit! We edit everything so perfection is not as important as the facts of your story. Be sure to send high resolution pictures and videos in these formats – .mp4, .mov, or .wmv via www.wetransfer.com (a free transfer service up to 2GB). We do not have deadlines but use materials as they are received so the sooner you send your reunion story, the sooner you can expect to see it in Reunions magazine! Send to editor@reunionsmag.com and thank you.

Marilynn Stewart was at Costco when she encountered a woman who said she was buying for her family reunion! The woman said they were expecting 300-350 members. Marilynn could not resist taking and sharing this picture.

Misener/Misner/Mizener Family Reunion

Misener/Misner/Mizener Family Reunion

The 117th annual Misener/Misner/ Mizener Family Reunion was scheduled for August 15, 2020 in Wellandport, Ontario, Canada and was cancelled.

The 117th annual Misener/Misner/ Mizener Family Reunion was then scheduled for August 21, 2021 in Wellandport, Ontario, Canada and was cancelled.

The 117th annual Misener/Misner/ Mizener Family Reunion is now scheduled for August 20, 2022 in Wellandport, Ontario, Canada and we certainly hope to hold it.

Our reunion is a one-day event and usually draws family members from New York State, Michigan, Iowa, Florida and Ontario, Canada.

Attendance in the early years was in the 250-300 range, but now we are happy if we break 40. Most of the people that come have been coming all of their lives. I've managed to persuade a couple cousins to come occasionally – particularly when our cousin from Florida comes! Kids are included, but rarely come. There used to be games and prizes organized for them – but now it’s mainly the grandparents that come!

Right now, its me and a cousin who look after the organization of the potluck lunch and beverages. A cousin helps with the computer stuff and a few more cousins handle the registration desk. We don’t pre-register, so it's whoever shows up. I’m currently the treasurer and the newsletter producer. I always say, “as long as the cousin who looks after the kitchen and I show up – we are calling it the Misener Reunion. And Mae and I are in our early 70s!” Lament shared by Janet Fear, Oakville, Ontario, Canada.

Tips for a successful hybrid reunion

As families everywhere are easing back into reunions this year, things may look a bit different.

Virtual reunions via Zoom dominated most of 2020, and now families are longing for in-person gatherings with face-to-face conversations and hugs! But perhaps not everyone on the guest list is able to attend or travel to the reunion destination. For families who learned how to creatively meet online, it is easy to use technology to include these faraway family members in reunion festivities. While this type of hybrid reunion may be a reflection of current times, it could also serve as a model for families to use at any event where loved ones have to miss out.

For my family, this year marked our 54th ALAFFFA reunion, held at our usual venue — the 100-Acres House in South Park, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2020, the gathering was smaller than usual due to COVID concerns and restrictions, so it was important to bring back the usual activities and fun for those in attendance, while at the same time, allowing those unable to join us feel they were still able to enjoy parts of the special day.

The planning committee decided to keep some of the ideas from last year that worked well, including having the main meal at noon — a make your own taco bowl with chicken or steak, cheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream and tortilla chips. At 5 PM, traditional barbecue fare (hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, macaroni salad, tossed salad, fruit salad and the customary ALAFFFA kielbasa/pork and sauerkraut pot) was served. A cookie table with to-go containers was available. A family meeting after the meal was held to discuss the next year’s reunion (our 55th), share family updates, and remember those no longer with us. Time was also allotted to have a family toast to recognize two marriages that took place in 2021, welcome a new baby to the family, celebrate another baby on the way, and note other individual milestones and achievements.

This year also featured the traditional ALAFFFA Cornhole Tournament, the return of ALAFFFALYMPICS. This year we introduced J-ALAFFFA-DY—a new Jeopardy-style trivia game. Four generations participated and were divided into three teams, blue, green, and yellow. Each team had their own color-coordinated button to press to “buzz

in” after each question was read by the host. While long-distance participation for the Cornhole tournament was not logistically possible, those attending virtually had the option to participate in the trivia game. After a spirited competition, the yellow

by Lisa Alzo

Celebrating 54 years of ALAFFFA Family Reunions at the 100 Acres House in South Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania July 10, 2021.

Teams Blue, Yellow and Green competed to correctly answer family trivia questions during the J-ALAFFFA-DY trivia game at the ALAFFFA family reunion.

team emerged victorious. How could we not win with the family historian (me) on the team!

Afterwards, each yellow team member received a “gold” medal and posed for a team photo. A group photograph wrapped up a beautiful summer day and another fun-filled ALAFFFA Reunion!

A jam-packed family reunion event is only possible because of the dedication and effort of the reunion committee consisting of members of the second and third generations. Over the years, the perfect blend of advanced planning and room for flexibility has always served as a winning formula for our family reunion. Honoring our immigrant grandparents and the first generation who initiated the reunion has always been central to our gatherings and serves as an inspiration as the torch passes to subsequent generations. The reunion continues to be a touchstone for our family and the ability to add in a virtual component ensures we do not lose touch with those family members who are not able to travel due to health reasons or work obligations. Everyone who wishes to participate can be present in some way. Of course, there are challenges associated with a hybrid-style reunion. First, there is the technology component. Wi-Fi access is essential, so someone needs to provide a hotspot along with a computer, tablet, or smartphone and a paid Zoom account for uninterrupted meeting times. Invitations with the meeting link(s) need to be provided to virtual attendees in advance. Secondly, for organizers at the in-person event, keeping to a schedule is key to make sure virtual attendees are not kept waiting. If all participants give permission, you can record the Zoom meeting and have it as a reunion keepsake to be shared with everyone after the event.

Finally, it is essential to keep all virtual attendees engaged so they do not feel lost in cyberspace when it comes to the dynamics which naturally occur during in-person interactions. Perhaps assign two people who are comfortable with technology and online meetings to be the Zoom co-hosts so they can control the video and audio settings and troubleshoot any issues. For our family, Zoom has become an integral part of how we stay in touch throughout the year so adding this as a checklist item for future reunions is

Front and back of first place something the planning committee can gold medal given to Team easily do. Time will tell, but I envision that a Yellow winners of J-ALAFFFA- hybrid reunion will continue to be an option

DY trivia game during ALAFFFA-LYPMICS 2021. for us in the future. 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.

Williams Family Reunion

IMG_1774.mov The Williams Family are descendants of Enoch Williams and Mary Simmons. The baby girl of their nineteen children was our Auntie Thelma. She was also the last surviving sibling. Much beloved, I was blessed and honored to compose this poem as part of the Celebration for Auntie Thelma who was 102 at the family reunion in Miami, Florida, a year before she died in 2018 at 103 years of age.

Our biennial reunion was postponed until August 2022. Why? The majority of the family was opposed to a virtual reunion. To the right is the poem Sheri Williams Pannell, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, composed for Auntie Thelma.

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Aunt Thelma at 102

by Sheri Williams Pannell August 1, 2017 You are so beautiful to me You’re everything I hoped for Everything I need You are so beautiful to me – Joe Cocker Regal bearing as she sits tall A crown of gray atop her head Dispensing wisdom we sit at her feet Hanging on to each word that’s said Every place and name is there In a mind so sharp, remembering all She answers the phone, “Hello, my dear…” Each voice recognized, during the call God has blessed her with more than 100 years While many others have been called to glory Perhaps the Lord has blessed her So she may testify and share their stories Gracious, yes, Aunt Thelma is But, don’t her soft voice fool you She has a wit that cuts straight to the bone And an opinion that will school you She is like that virtuous woman We read about in Proverbs 31 Honored by all her family Respected and loved by everyone Her eyes have witnessed history Her heart and back have carried pain Yet, she has been able to carry on Because she trusts in Jesus’ name

© 2017 Sheri Williams Pannell