This past weekend I went to Pennsylvania with my wife for her 35th high school reunion. It is the 3rd one I've gone to with her, and so far, the best. It was more informal and low key than any of the others and everyone seemed to have a good time.
I will admit to a little uneasiness at being around a group of people I really didn't know, but I hung in until about 11 when I went upstairs to our room to catch the Tennessee score.
I did notice a few similarities between this reunion and the ones I've been to for our class.
There was about 25-30 percent of the class that attended.
A couple of the guys showed up without their wives, but 15 to 20 of the ladies showed up without their husbands.
Most of the people who still lived in that town did not show up. Some didn't even bother to respond to the request for information to make up a class contact list.
The ones who did show up seemed to really enjoy themselves and the few I know personally that didn't attend expressed disappointment after the fact.
Also, I've talked to several people at work who had reunions this past summer and I've heard a few tips or ways of making them more fun.
1. First, schedule them either early or late in the year so there will be less chance of a conflict with family vacations.
2. Post the first couple of ads about a year in advance in the local newspaper or other source and let the local folks think about it a little longer.
3. Have it over several days (weekend) and make it so that each day/event is optional. That way someone who may not be able to attend one thing, because of work or whatever, can attend something else, and people from out of town might be more willing to come in for several days as opposed to just one.
4. Make one of those extra things family oriented, so those with kids/grandkids can attend, like a picnic or something like that.
5. Everyone who usually attends 'adopts' someone who usually doesn't attend and encourages them to show up.
6. Celebrate every classmate's birthday since we will all have one sometime during that year.
If anyone else has any ideas, add them to this post. You're going to be 58 before you know it. :)
2 comments:
How many reunions have we had? I remember there was one in Knoxville at the hotel, one at the yacht club, one at the high school, and was that a reunion at Buddy's or a class get-together. Was there any more?
I thought there was 7, but I could be wrong. Every 5 years, right? I know I missed 5, 30 and 35... if the one at Buddy's was a reunion.
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