Family reunion stories?

[fudge stripe cookays]

Since I started writing this family history, I've had more and more cousins asking if we'll begin having a family reunion. I've got lots of ideas, but I'd be a first timer, and I'm nervous! Plus, I'm still trying to find everyone. And we're talking not only nationwide, but also four provinces in Canada. We are WIDESPREAD.

I'm considering a weekend thing, in summer, at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, very close to the family's ancestral home. Probably at one of the places that has a water park, to keep the kids busy.

Because the family does not know each other very well yet (many haven't even known the other branches since the 1910s), I think things like tug of war and games might be a bit too much this early-- quite a bit of the family is aged, but sound like they want to come, and they are into it.

Friday would probably be the icebreaker evening. 10 branches of family involved, so I'm thinking 10 T-shirt colors so everyone can see who is closest to them to help them get acquainted at first. A display of genealogy info, scrapbooks, and pictures (Plus the formative manuscript).

Saturday would probably be buses into the town where they lived, and a big picnic at a pavilion in Beloit, have the meat catered and have lots of nearby relatives provide potluck.

Sunday would be catered brunch at hotel with superlatives, awards-- that kind of thing before everyone leaves. And definitely a family directory so everyone can keep in touch and pass the torch now that I"ve dug everyone up!

Let me hear your horror stories! What went wrong, what went right, tips for stuff many of us would never even think of! I'm sure there are some interesting ones! Come on reunion planners! Give me the benefit of your expertise!

:hi:
fsc

[fudge stripe cookays]

1. Kickity...

[XNASA]

2. Just had a family reunion last year.

Swelteringly hot day but there was a pool. And a couple of kegs of cheap beer.

Lot's of drunk uncles and cousins.

My cousin Lisa, who is a recent Mrs. Arkansas was there. Raorrowwwwwwwwww.

Oh, and my cousin Diane, who had just turned 50, crept off and got a tattoo while everyone else was partying.

But remember, since you're holding your reunion in Wisconsin, anything could happen. You might as well just go for broke and hold it in The Dells. That would really be weird.

[fudge stripe cookays]

4. I've driven past The Dells...

and I know Soul Asylum filmed a video there. But it's a little far north of the whole "family connection" thing.

Some folks are very excited about that part (it's nice to see others like myself who are enough of genealogy geeks to enjoy a visit to Beloit, the cradle of Smith civilization).

But if we make it a repeat thing, and someone else can pick up the emcee title, The Dells would be fun and surreal for the next one. And the family from Minnesota and northern WI would have it a little easier.

[AllegroRondo]

3. My wife's family does this every 2 years

and they rotate the site among the areas with large numbers of relatives. We hosted in 2004.

Your 3 day plan is very similar to what we do. Friday night informal icebreaker, then a Saturday evening semi-formal dinner with catered food and family entertainment. Sunday is a brunch sendoff and goodbye.

Some tips -
send out lots of information about the place where it is being held. We always just go to the local tourism board and grab a ton of brochures to send out. People may be coming in a couple days early or staying longer, and may like to know what there is to do in the area.

name tags - we always color code the name tags so people know which "branch" of the family tree others are from. Makes it fun. If you see green, you know they're from Memphis, etc. We also do "branch" pictures in

Side trips - the hosting family also hosts a number of smaller side trips during the weekend. For example, we had trips to a local winery, a baseball game, an antique shopping district, and a children's museum (among others). This is a fun way for the hosting group to show off nice things that may be off the main tourist areas, or that the entire group may not like, but that some may find very interesting.

At the semi-formal dinner, we hand out silly prizes for various things. Like oldest attendee, youngest attendee, family that traveled furthest, etc.

[fudge stripe cookays]

5. Sounds like I'm on the right track!

Yep, I've come to really value CVBs in various spots; I use them a lot when I travel doing research for in-detail street maps to find old houses, restaurants, things to do, etc.

I planned on doing like I did for our wedding and having little gift bags full of that stuff at the hotel, with an event schedule, brochures of stuff to do, the shirts, etc.

If we can, every few yeard, we'd be going other places like Calgary; Vancouver Chicago; Everett, WA; Deep Creek Lake, MD; Pittsburgh....have to think of a few others.

:hi:
fsc

[AllegroRondo]

6. I would suggest sending the brochures and schedule early

it makes it easier for people to plan their trips. Someone may decide to stay an extra day to hit Six Flags or Gurnee Mills, that kind of thing.

[fudge stripe cookays]

9. I was going to put some information in with the packets we send out.

Then put the actual brochures in their giftie bags. I'm going to have to worry about postage to Canada too, so will save a little bulk.

[youthere]

7. We have a "cousins" reunion every year...

it is an attempt to recreate the formal family reunions we used to have as children. My fathers maternal family hosted a huge reunion every year. It was a very big deal and a lot of planning went into it. There was even an elected "reunion committee" that did all the planning. You had to RSVP and there would be games and music and they even printed t-shirts every year. It was always held over a weekend in the summer and my dad planned his vacation around it.
The "cousin's "reunion is nothing like that. It usually consists of the same 7 or 8 that show up towing cases of Bush Lite and a tube of summer sausage. There is always my one (very odd) cousin who gets completely hammered and tries to hook up with his female relatives. I went twice and decided that was enough for me.

[fudge stripe cookays]

10. .

:rofl:

Hopefully, the number of lecherous old farts in attendance will be minimal. But you can never tell!

[slj0101]

8. My family is so small and close-knit,

that holidays like christmas are pretty much reunions. The SO's family has a big reunion for every milestone birthday her grandmother celebrates.

[fudge stripe cookays]

11. Aha.

One or two of the branches I've found are very small, and were freaked out that they were part of such a much larger family unit. Some of them still don't really consider themselves part of the whole yet.

I'm hoping to change that!

[greatauntoftriplets]

12. I can't really help, but....

if you are talking Lake Geneva this summer, get moving on hotel rooms ASAP.

Good luck! Sounds like quite an undertaking.