SCRAPBOOK

We hope reunion planning workshops will come back soon in many places. Many have been held as conference calls and zoom meetings since 2020 and that may continue. This list is provided as a service to reunion planners. Basic listings are free to workshop hosts. These are exciting opportunities for planners to learn how to organize reunions. The workshops are ideal for beginners and experienced reunion planners looking for fresh, new ideas. Check workshops online for current listings. February 4, 2023 11AM CST/12PM EST WEBUILDLEGACY The virtual session is scheduled for 60 minutes. Register:webuildlegacy@gmail.com

April 29, 2023 12-2PM EST FAMILY REUNION INSTITUTE VIRTUAL REUNION PLANNERS WORKSHOP This free workshop covers topics of interest to reunion planners. To register:admin@familyreunioninstitute.net www.familyreunioninstitute.net

September 9, 2023 Douglasville, Georgia REUNION PLANNING WORKSHOP AND TOUR OF PARKS AND CONVENTION CENTER Contact:Rylee Gorvoream, govoream@douglasvillega.gov

Is a National Park in your reunion future?

National Parks are all over the country and whether you go there to stay or just to visit, they are an important part of American heritage and tell many stories that engage all ages. The following are some general tips to follow when planning and enjoying National Parks. Y Always be aware of the rules and regulations of each National Park. Some may require you to book a reservation ahead of time. Y Be prepared to pay fees in some parks. Y There are laws governing each park as to what activities are legal. Licenses for fishing and hunting for example are required in some National Parks. Y Do not trust your GPS when going to National Parks, especially those that are in remote locations. Some of the directions via GPS can lead you to backcountry roads that may not be passable by your vehicle. Y There are almost always options for accessibility in the visitor center for each of the National Parks. In these visitor centers, you can rent a wheelchair, for example. Y When planning to hike, know your limits. Some parks’ weather can change rapidly. Thus, be prepared for any and all situations. Y Be aware of the car limitations for each park, some may support RVs while others might not. Y As most of these parks are covered by lush forests, the best season to visit is fall so that you can see the magnificent beauty of these National Parks. Y Most of the details and information regarding the National Parks can be seen on the

National Park Service’s website. Also see the map of the 25 Best Parks in the

United States!

HOSPITALITY ANSWERMAN

The Site Inspection – an important part of any successful reunion

Q:Our family is thinking about having a reunion next year (2023), and we weren’t sure what help we could expect from the Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) in the city where we’re planning to get together. Didn’t many CVBs scale back their operations during the pandemic of 2020 and 2021? We’re curious what help they can provide, and what we’d have to do on our own.

A:Yes, some CVBs did have to reduce their staffing during the pandemic, but most – if not all – are back to pre-pandemic operations. They’re open, they’re looking to attract new business to their destinations, and they’re ready to be of service to you and your reunion group!

I’ve said many times over the years that any planner’s first call when beginning to organize a reunion should ALWAYS be to the CVB where you’re thinking of getting together. An excellent place to start is in the Reunion Resources section at the back of each issue of Reunions magazine. Or simply look up (Name of Destination) CVB online. Call and ask for the person who specializes in serving reunion groups, and then ask the following questions: v “Why would my reunion have more fun if we get together in your city/destination than if we go somewhere else?” v “We’re looking for nice places to stay that can provide rooms for $ _____ in the month of ________. What are our options likely to be?” v Why have other reunion groups met with you? What did they like best about your area? Was there anything they didn’t like?

Once you’ve spoken to several locations and received their information, narrow your search to a select few (say three or four) destinations that you’re seriously interested in and call each CVB representative again. Ask him/her to collect bids from hotels that meet your needs. You’ll need to tell them the number of rooms you’ll likely need, the dates you’ll need them, and the rates you’re looking to pay. Include hotel features that are important to you — for example, a swimming pool, a ballroom for your banquet, a hospitality room for your group to gather in, and so on.

The CVB will respond with bids they receive from hotels that are interested in hosting your reunion, and review them with you. They’ll be happy to arrange a visit to their city so you can see the hotels and the area’s attractions first-hand.

Even after you’ve selected your destination and the hotel where you’ll meet, the CVB can continue to be of service. They can provide handouts, maps and discount coupons for your attendees, information about obtaining additional services you’ll need locally (motor coaches for sightseeing, caterers for your picnic, tickets to attractions, etc) and all sorts of additional insights and recommendations.

We recently had a group call us here at Visit Fairfax; they’d already selected their hotel and had signed a contract, but still needed assistance finding a location for their picnic and securing the services of a caterer who could provide exactly the picnic meal they wanted. Even though the group was already “booked,” we were happy to help find the perfect picnic spot and catering company they needed, as well as provide advice about tickets to local attractions and transportation to the museums they wanted to visit in downtown Washington, DC.

And best of all – and I really can’t stress this enough! – the services that the CVB will provide to you are almost always completely free! The CVB representative truly is your very best friend in whatever city your group is gathering!

About the Hospitality Answerman

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 (dmiller@fxva.com;703-790-0643) 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.

???????? What is your question for Dean Miller, Hospitality Answerman? Send to editor@reunionsmag.com

Do you want to see your reunion in Reunions magazine? It’s simple! Here’s how to do it!

I’m often asked: how can I get my reunion in the magazine?

You’re the expert about your reunion whether as the planner or a regular participant. You know what’s unique about your group and you are proud to be a part of it. You want to celebrate with lots of others and sing it from the roof tops — or tell it in Reunions magazine. All you have to do is write a report or story and include all the details you think are important and special about your family, class, military or other group. We want to learn about it and share it with others who are thinking about or planning their reunion and can learn from your experience.

You should know that we do not judge your writing, but we do edit everything we use. If you submit something and say we can’t touch a word of it, we’ll send it right back because we reserve the right to polish everything we use. We have never had a complaint about our editing and until we do, we will continue to consider it a

Arce Family Reunion

Seidemann Family Reunion part of our duty to make the best, most enjoyable reading we can for our audience. You can make it as long or as short as you want. We want to read all about your reunion. We do ask that you make sure all names of people and places are spelled correctly.

If there is something very special you’ve included or done and you want to acknowledge that, feel free. Perhaps your historian or a genealogist has made a special presentation or you’ve invented a new game, contest or tournament other reunions might enjoy or you have special workshops other reunions might learn from. Share them!

Add pictures and videos, of course. Speaking of pictures, we frequently receive very colorful descriptions of a groaning board or potluck of food that leaves our mouths watering. Don’t just describe it: take pictures!

You should also think about how you want us to illustrate your submission. Pictures and videos must be yours and you authorize us to use. Send high resolution pictures (250KB or higher, if digital, and 300 dpi, if scanned). Please send videos as an .mp4, .mov, or .wmv video file via www.wetransfer.com (a free transfer service that allows up to 2GB to be sent). If you’re sending your large group picture, we only need to know the name of the reunion. If you share pictures of smaller groups (say two to maybe 10 people max), please identify them, left to right and add children’s ages.

The best time to write a report is right after your reunion when you are still high on the success, the adrenaline is raging and memories are fresh. It’s also when you can most easily get help from other attendees (either their ideas and/or photos and videos when they’re still at everyone’s finger tips.)

Feel free to ask questions. Send your stories, pictures, videos and questions to Edith Wagner at editor@reunionsmag.com. We will acknowledge receipt and estimate when you might see your report in an issue. It’s a fun way to celebrate the hard work of planning and staging your reunion and its many members. We look forward to learning about you and your reunion! EW

Stay in touch!

Do you get our newsletters? We send a newsletter the first and 15th of every month like clockwork! Of course, they contain news, but they also include reminders and ideas germane to where you would be if you’re planning a reunion for the next season: just as magazine issues do. For example, at the beginning of reunion planning season, we’ll suggest ways to look for destinations and places to stay. As you get closer to reunion time we may share invitation ideas and in summer we’ll concentrate on ideas for reunion day activities.

Mentions are very short with links to more information, which we hope you’ll take advantage of. We don’t try to intrude on you, but give you convenient and easy ways to follow through if what you see interests you or catches your curiosity.

We know that you aren’t as focused on your reunion as we are year-round, but we don’t want you to drop the ball; just be reminded from time to time to think about your reunion. We include reminders about our giveaways that change every month and upcoming planning workshops. We also poke you regularly to add your upcoming reunion to our list and send your reunion picture to be added to our photo gallery!

It’s just a little reminder month after month. If you’re not already on the list, sign up right now!

SIGN UP RIGHT NOW

https://reunionsmag.com/add-upcoming-reunion/

EMAIL PICTURES TO

editor@reunionsmag.com

PHOTO GALLERY

https://reunionsmag.com/photo-gallery/

Easy way to navigate our website and Pinterest pages!

We like to think that our unique Social Media Index is rather ingenious! Not to toot our own horn, but it cuts a lot of confusion and saves you considerable time navigating our online assets: of which there are many. You will find this helpful navigating tool right at the bottom of the www.reunionsmag.com home page and other pages as you explore the website. What we’ve done is listed major topic sections on the web and Pinterest boards and linked them right from the Index. Simple! You do not have to click on drop-downs, (though, of course, you’re welcome to) but go directly to the subject that you’re curious about or interested in. It eliminates the frustration of having to guess where to look. It’s a great way to plan your reunion night or day, at your leisure, by yourself or with others, even in your pajamas and slippers in the middle of the night if, like me, you can’t sleep!

Special note that for many of these subjects, you can obviously read about suggestions and solutions, but for some there are also podcasts you can listen to. An example is the governance of your reunion in two podcasts, the second focusing on planning committees. More material about governance is contained on the website. All together, governance stresses that reunions should be a joint responsibility of many members rather than a solitary exercise. It emphasizes the rule: do not do it alone! Involve others, preferably from many generations for family reunions.

So, you’re just starting to plan a brand-new reunion or you’re the new chairman and you need a timetable. Well! there it is: click on it and go straight to a suggested timetable of steps from beginning 18

to 24 months ahead with just the idea of a reunion all the way to suggestions for surveys at the end of your reunion to solicit everyone’s reactions and suggestions for future events. Establishing a budget is crucial for all your planning because that dictates the parameters of the reunion. Will it be a one-day potluck picnic or a full weekend extravaganza? That will certainly affect what kind of budget you develop. The budget should not be rigid so that new ideas or resources can be accommodated along the way. Make sure that every budget item will have a source of funding to avoid any one person having to make up an unexpected expense. Paying for the reunion is always a major issue worthy of many ideas and suggestions. For family reunions there will always be a range of abilities to pay unless a benefactor steps up to provide the funds. Yes, it happens. But do not wait for that miracle! Instead, check out many fundraising ideas that can happen before, during and after the reunion. Fees, dues and freewill giving can be the basis for paying for the reunion. But fundraising can also be fun which takes planning ahead. Will you do raffles? Auctions? Sales such as personalized souvenirs or t-shirts or food or rummage? Where will you hold your reunion? Will it be at someone’s home or a destination city, resort or ranch? If, as often happens, the reunion starts as a celebration of a milestone birthday or anniversary, the location is dictated by the celebration. But then, everyone has so much fun you decide you must keep meeting so, will your reunion stay in one place or move? If you move, review “finding a location” on the website or one of many Pinterest board suggestions. But in any case, definitely consult the local convention and visitors or tourism bureau Social Media Index v www.reunionsmag.com who often have a staff member available with suggestions and all kinds of help. PODCASTS Exploring the Social Media Index and https://reunionsmag.com/podcast/ Pinterest boards, you will find many links to PINTEREST BOARDS https://www.pinterest.com/reunionsmag/_saved/ staging your reunion days. Reunion day activities, games, focus on kids, who are the next generations you’ll want to engage to GOVERNANCE sustain family reunions. Incorporate history, https://reunionsmag.com/podcast-leadership-part-1/ preserve memories, have memorials. What if https://reunionsmag.com/podcast-leadership-part-2-emphasis-committees/ members don’t all know one another? You’ll want to have name tags or t-shirts that identify TIMETABLE family branches. https://reunionsmag.com/reunion-timetable/ Explore! Spend some dedicated FUNDRAISING IDEAS time exploring all the information https://reunionsmag.com/category/paying-for-the-reunion/fundraising/ and materials about reunions in these resources. And add back FINDING A LOCATION issues of Reunions magazine which https://reunionsmag.com/category/getting-started/choosing-a-place-getting-started/ highlight hundreds of reunions as excellent examples for you to learn CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU from and enjoy.https://reunionsmag.com/podcast-conventions-visitors-bureaus-can/

SURVEYS AT THE END OF THE REUNION

https://reunionsmag.com/wrapping-up-your-reunion/

Name badges or buttons?

In an earlier issue (v31n1; see: ISSUU.com/reunionsmag), we featured name tags and the various ideas that some reunions use to identify members at their events. This time we feature two laminated military reunion name badges with lanyards. An advantage of these is that they can be collected at the end of the reunion and used again for future reunions rather than having the expense of making them each time. For the next reunion you only need to have badges made for people who have never attended a reunion.

Then, there are buttons rather than badges. They can identify the reunion or be used as an award, such as “most hair lost since the last reunion!” They too, can be collected and reused at the next reunion, but we suspect many members would rather keep them and wear them proudly after the reunion!

See many more ideas on our Pinterest boardcalled “Who are you? www.pinterest.com/reunionsmag/who-are-you/

Are you searching for reunion hotels?

Hotels are eager to bid for your reunion and often offer benefits including free rooms.

Here’s a simple way for you to find a hotel. Go to reunionsmag.hotelplanner.com and state your needs; hotels will respond with lots of detail to help you make a decision. No obligation. Explore now!

Reunionsmag.hotelplanner.com offers significant group travel advantages. There are the best rates negotiated and online discounts. You save time: no more calling around, hotels come to you. You receive bids and can compare offers. When you have chosen and committed to a hotel, you’ll get a free event website for your reunion.