Today more than ever, American families are scattered to the wind. Yet perhaps for this very reason, families have also been getting together for reunions in unprecedented numbers. Planning a reunion is a pleasurable but complicated undertaking that requires foresight and planning, and here to assist is Family Reuinion, an indispensable guide and sourcebook that shows how to organize and conduct four basic reunions: a Backyard Barbecue for siblings and cousins, a Homecoming Weekend, an Extended Family Reunion, and a Family Camp, which typically lasts a week and gathers up to 100 participants. Accessible and packed with ideas and information, the book shows how to create a workable timetable (18 months before a large reunion is not too soon to start planning), organize a committee, and set up a fund for expenses (and to help less-well-off members attend). There are chapters on location, including little-known church camps and family resorts; on scheduling activities for kids and adults, day and evening; on genealogy; on recording the event; and even on etiquette, including how to handle black sheep, in-laws, and stepchildren. With case studies of real-life reunions and duotone photographs throughout, this is the book that helps us connect.
Our families define us, and hence we feel the periodic need to reconnect even (or especially) with those most distant from us. This is no trivial undertaking, though, especially for a typically far-flung American clan. Help for the harried has arrived in the form of Family Reunion, a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to planning and staging a gathering to remember.
Author Jennifer Crichton knows what she's talking about, having helped organize her own 125-member reunion. Whether your family has hundreds of people or only a dozen, her advice is clear and always helpful. Topics covered include record keeping, choosing a site, entertaining kids of all ages, and etiquette ("Thou shalt orchestrate spontaneous praise unto the reunion organizer"), as well as the dynamics and logistics necessary when herding a large group of people. Peppered with examples from American families large and small, Family Reunion makes reunion organizing manageable, rewarding, and even fun. See you next year! --Rob Lightner
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Decent for the non-internet/computer savy planner:
This book is okay if you're a planner that isn't very computer literate/savy. If you like 'old school' planning it's fine. But if you're a product of new era planning you'll probably find this book a bit dated. Because of the year of publication it lacks many internet/computer recommendations. Some good ideas and a lot of beginner planner ideas as well.
Good book for first time planners:
This book was an easy read, with lots of info and ideas that would be good for first time reunion planners. However, more experienced reunion planners will find that they already know most of this info. If your library has this book, I would suggest checking it out there.
Solid Book for Planning your Reunion:
Overall this is a solid book for planning a family reunion. While there is a whole chapter on games to play at the family reunion, I would have liked even more on this area. Every so often throughout the book there is a description of a random family reunion - this is needless fluff. But don't skip the Appendix - it has some very helpful information in there.
great for 1st time reunion planners:
This book gave us lots of ideas for our family reunion.
Great for us first time reunion planners!
Get this book and have a great time with your family!
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