Family reunions are great opportunities to bond with the entire clan. It gives the younger generations a chance to know more about the often complicated maze of aunts, uncles, great grandparents, cousins and so on. It also gives the older generations a chance to touch base with other family members they have not seen for a while. All in all, if a reunion is done properly, it will be one grand and memorable occasion.
Here’s a checklist of the things to remember when planning a great family reunion:
Committees: If you are spearheading this event, you don’t have to go at it alone. You can actually assign volunteers into committees that are responsible for different tasks. You can have:
- A communications committee, who will handle all communications, invitations and phone calls.
- Party and decorations committee, who will think up the theme and concept for the reunion as well as decorate the site, if necessary. They can also be the ones who will assign games and activities that will help ensure that everyone (both young and old) has fun during the gathering.
- Finance Committee, who will handle the finances for the reunion. They can set up collections or initiate fund-raising events. It is important that a committee handle the money aspect so that this will not be an issue that can cause bad feelings among family members.
- Travel arrangements committee, who will make reservations and other travel arrangements if the event is an out of town affair.
- Food committee, who will handle the food preparations or who will coordinate with the caterer. They must ensure that there is enough food and that the necessary flatware, dinnerware and food trays are handily available.
- Cleanup committee, who will be in charge of cleaning up after the party.
When assigning committee members, make sure that each committee is led by a responsible adult.
Family and Guest List: Make a list of all the family members to invite. It’s a big no-no to leave anyone out of this big event so be careful to ensure that everyone who should be invited is invited. Send out the invitations well ahead of the event. If this is an out-of-town affair, be sure to give the invitees enough time to make their travel arrangements. After the invitations are issued, go through the list and call each of them – noting down who can come and who cannot make it.
Reunion location and date: Where will you be holding the reunion? At a public park, at someone’s backyard or in a restaurant? Or better yet, will you be holding a grand family reunion in a popular holiday spot? It really depends on the budget and the time allocated for the reunion. Be sure to arrange with the other family members regarding the date of the reunion so that everyone can make themselves available.
Photographs: While everyone is having a good time, it is easy to forget about taking pictures and capturing great moments during the reunion. You can assign some members to record the event and take pictures and videos of everyone having a ton of fun.
Have a budget (and stick to it!): When contributions are collected from family members, it is important to have a budget to ensure that your collections are enough to cover the expenses. Be sure that the finance committee or the treasurer keeps track of the money going in and out. You can also look for areas where you can save, such as buying tickets early, getting supplies in bulk, purchasing wholesale flatware or disposable cutleries and plates.
A Note About Organizing Family Reunion Meals
Food! Getting your family to gather round the tables and enjoy a sumptuous meal is one of the important elements of a successful reunion. After all, eating is one of a reunion’s main “activities”. Feeding a whole clan will be a challenge but it can be done with some advanced planning. If you’re planning a potluck meal, be sure to have a list so that you will have a good distribution of main dishes, appetizer and dessert.
Once you have decided what food to serve (if opting for catering) or who will bring what (for potluck meals), you need to ensure that all the picnic necessities are present. Make a checklist of all that you will need for a great meal. Aside from the basic plates, spoons and fork, you may need the following: chafing dishes, serving items such as food scoops, disposable bowls, soup warmer or a condiment stand.
Lionsdeal.com is an excellent source of all these supplies. Lionsdeal not only offers a wide range of disposable products but also food containers, serving items, cooking utensils and so much more.
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