How To Organize A Successful Family Reunion

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Since the advent of the personal computer and network technology genealogy research by family members has become an addictive pastime that has contributed to many happy reunions while others have discovered family members they never knew they had the world over.

If your reading this article you're probably one of those family members who have a spot in your heart for such reunions. But what if you were asked to organize the next event? Where would you start? When should you start? Should you hire a family reunion planner? The answers to these questions are three fold.

1. Get Help Early In The Project
Form a reunion committee comprised of at least one member per 25 attendees. Delegate all tasks. Your task is to follow up with the progress of each task and keep everyone on the same page.

2. Good Communication
You've heard it said "if you build it they will come?" Not if no one told them you build it.

3. Provide Plenty of Time To Rally Support
Often good communication and plenty of time is all that's needed to rally support. You want to let the family know that your planning a reunion well in advance. At the very least give them a date. Details can follow later. Now they can schedule time off or adjust their vacation plans to include the reunion.
To that end Mark recommends that the reunion be planned at least one year in advance providing plenty of time to foresee and execute action items.

To keep reunion meetings from getting bogged down with too much information and little time to follow up with delegated tasks make use of good scheduling, planning tools and action items lists.

For example, if there is a need to schedule a tour of a memorial site, order catering and have a professional on location photo shoot one needs to know when to make calls, who to contact and when to follow up with that person. To avoid forgetting important tasks all that's needed is a good scheduler. Family reunion planner organizers help to keep everyone on the same page.

Good Reunion Planning Tools
A good planner organizer should contain a time line preparation reminders, scheduling worksheets, committees assignment sheets, reunion needs lists, meal planner checklists, as well as other essentials for time and cost efficient family reunion planning.

Raising Reunion Event Funds
Collecting funds often becomes a major concern. Figuring out how to get family members to dig deep into their pockets is always a challenge. The key is to plan a fun event early in the year that features activities the family will enjoy. Mid-way into the event, not at the end, schedule to have a live or silent auction of several items highly valued by the family.

Another helpful fund raising activity is a rummage sale. Make certain the location for the sale is in a high traffic public place. Be certain to have more that enough items to sell. Don't turn anything down so long as it's presentable. Tip: collect and sell DVD's and music cd's. Everyone loves rummaging through movie and music collections.

With plenty of time set aside for planning, rallying support early in the project, a family reunion committee to delegate tasks to and good follow up using a family reunion planner the task of planning a fun and enriching family reunion can be an enjoyable one for all.

Fun Family Home Decorating Project - Window Well Diorama

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Is that a diorama in your basement...or is that a dinosaur in your casement? That could be the opening line of a Dr. Seuss book, or it could be a silly rhyme you make up while having some family fun.

Here's a terrific home decorating project the whole family can participate in. It's not expensive, it will just take an hour or two, and the results are a standout conversation piece with long-lasting decorating value.

You literally can make a diorama in your basement if you are lucky enough to have one or more of those big window wells in your basement. (First you have to be lucky enough to have a basement. If you don't have a basement, read the end of this article.)

The big egress window wells are eyesores--who wants to look at that much galvanized metal or concrete? But those big window wells are just what you need for this project.

You can make a diorama out of the deep well by lining the curved window well with a decorative scenic liner to make the backdrop and then by customizing the foreground with whatever materials you choose--landscape materials like rock or mulch, driftwood, boulders, figurines or sculptures, water features, and artificial or potted real plants. If you have a window well grate covering the opening at the top, you could even hang items down from the grate using clear fishing line. Think about flying birds, insects, and pterodactyls! Or how about jumping dolphins, whales, or fish! Each person in the family can contribute to the project by adding an item to the scene.

That scenic backdrop serves two purposes--it covers up or camouflages the ugly metal or concrete window well, and it provides a gorgeous scene to enjoy.

You can find just what you need to make the backdrop at http://windowwellscenes.com/. Do you want a colorful perennial garden right outside your window? Or maybe you would like a serene waterfall. You might wish you had a mountain or river view. Or perhaps you'd like to live on a golf course. There are beautiful and impressive scenes of a woods, canyon, lake, and countryside. If you're into sunrises, there's a gorgeous one available. Paradise awaits with the dramatic ocean scene with lots of sand and palm trees. Add a miniature beach chair and beach umbrella or a bucket and shovel, and you're there.

Every one of the scenes could make an impressive focal point in your basement. Just make your choice, collect the items you want to add, and you have the makings of a great family decorating project. You will have a great time together!

Oh yes--if you don't have a basement or you don't have window wells, these huge scenic panels make great one-piece wall murals. Since they are waterproof, they can be wiped off if anything splashes on them. Just staple or tack the panels up on the wall. Trim them out with wood molding, and they will look like huge framed art on the wall.

Your family can still have fun adding things to the pictures like plastic bugs. Now where is that hot glue gun?