in this special issue

Departments

FRONT WORDS – 4

ALUM & I – 6

Class Reunions are Murder by Libby Klein

Nothing and Nobody by Sarah Layden

5 things to do one month before your high school reunion by Cyndi Clamp

Fun conversation starter for your high school reunion by Cyndi Clamp

BRANCH OFFICE – 8

Quote from Reunion planner and genealogist, Carole Neal

Incorporate family history into your reunion

SCRAPBOOK – 11

Reunion School

Quote from Reunion planner and genealogist, Carole Neal

National Family Reunion Institute: tax exempt! by Suzanne Vargus Holloman

AI and the future of reunions by Josiah Schmidt

How will we ever pull this together? by Katherine Schmidt Patrick

International African American Museum

Help yourself to reunion giveaways!

Tips for a successful road trip to your reunion

Consider attending an ethnic festival

Welcome bags

MASTERPLAN – 18

Reunion love is in the air! by Carole Neal

McCullah-Wasson Family Reunion by Caleb Carter

1891: A legacy begins, a tradition continues by Phyllis Keown Winton

Reunion thoughts by Paula Sheagley

Javernic Family Reunion by Ellen Javernick

Get’em talking: Conversation starters for your family reunion by Lisa A. Alzo, MFA

FEATURES – 30

Guinness World (Reunion) Records Reunion food

Hospitality Answerman by Dean Miller

MILITARY REUNION NEWS – 41

Missing Man Tables from Fayetteville CVB

The Highground Veterans Park

USS John Young reunion, New Navy Museum planned, The American Battle Monuments

PRESERVING MEMORIES – 43

VIVID-PIX®

REUNION RESOURCES – 48

A directory of reunion-friendly places, services, vendors and products.

ON THE COVER

McCullah-Wasson Family Reunion, Neal Family Reunion AKA cousins, Javermick Family Reunion, (Mc)KHTB Family Reunion

Reunion Celebrations v June 2023

Volume 32 v Number 2

PUBLISHER

Rick Voight

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Edith Wagner editor@reunionsmag.com

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Mary Catherine Stern

ART DIRECTOR

Jennifer Rueth

SALES ACCOUNT MANAGER

Roberta McLoud roberta@reunionsmag.com

WEB WIZARDS

Mickel Arce • Howard Ehrenberg • Chris Thompson

HOSPITALITY ANSWERMAN

Dean Miller

CONTRIBUTORS

Lisa A. Alzo, MFA • Caleb Carter Cyndi Clamp • Suzanne Vargus Holloman

Ellen Javernick • Carole Neal

Katherine Schmidt Patrick

Josiah Schmidt • Paula Sheagley

Phyllis Keown Winton

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 © 2023 Reunions magazine, Inc.

Reunion season 2023 is officially here. Memorial Day is generally acknowledged as the start of reunion season. Now through Labor Day is officially family and class reunion season while military reunions proliferate right after Labor Day through early November. In fact, we’re seeing many more upcoming reunions listed and hope if you’ve not already listed yours, that you’ll do it right now. Here’s a convenient link to make that happen: www.reunionsmag.com/add-upcoming-reunion/ In this issue

You’ll find many ideas for your reunion in this issue. For your class reunion there are suggestions for things to do a month before the event and a conversation starter at the reunion. You’ll find ideas for ways to incorporate family history into your reunion program and a quick review of attempts by reunions to top the Guinness World Record for largest reunion. It seems the 4,514 member Porteau-Boileve Family Reunion in France will hold on to the title! Then, there’s lots of help planning for that all important reunion favorite: food. It includes explanations of free forms you can use to guide planning various food events. Of course, there are very interesting family reunion reports. And we hope YOU or some member of your reunion group will be inspired to add your reunion report, pictures and/or video to a feature. Send to editor@reunionsmag.com

Add your reunion!

If you’ve thought about contributing a report or story about your family, class, military or other reunion, now’s the time to do it! We eagerly await news of your reunion, its activities, programs, surprises and plans. If you have questions, contact me and I’ll answer and encourage you to celebrate your reunion in the pages of Reunions magazine! Send your questions and report to editor@reunionsmag.com. And don’t forget to include pictures and/or videos. Pictures and videos must be yours to use 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).

Support our supporters!

We have a very impressive longevity situation in this issue’s family reunions. The McCullah-Wasson Family (page 21) reports about their 133-year reunions while the (Mc)KHTB (McKeown/ Keown-Hubbard-Tolbert-Brown-Bush) Family (page 25) report 132 annual reunions. And I thought my (adopted) Seidemann Family Reunion celebrating 90 this year is pretty spectacular. Well, it is, of course, but others, obviously, started much earlier!

Looking to the reunion future, Josiah Schmidt, Hans Schmidt Family Reunion planner, provides the first in a series of articles about how AI (page 13), that mysterious thing we’ve all been hearing about can benefit reunions and reunion planning. I’ll admit that as editor, I continue to be mystified but am glad Josiah is on board to help with ways to help your reunion!

We could not provide this issue, our newsletters, nor all the material on the web, without our advertisers. They are eager to help you achieve a successful reunion. Many advertisers have special staff to cater to your reunion needs. See ads, explore listings at the end of this issue and visit their web sites for lots more information. Read about them … then, patronize these reunion friendly businesses who look forward to serving you.

We are optimistic that this will be a grand reunion season. We look forward to learning about your reunion, sharing ideas that celebrate your reunion and inspire others to reunion success. EW