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Five Steps to a Jammin Family Reunion |
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As our family members began to turn silvered-haired and lost a pep in the step, we decided to gather the family together (for more than just weddings and funerals).
Once we reached a few consensus ideas: no weaponry, no references to old family feuds that began before 1955, no extended family members with red or blue bandanas,no baby mama or daddy maybe drama!
 photo by dbking We then began on our quest for the best Family Reunion ever. Start: Monthly meetings.
As the months flew past, I wrote down a few ideas that I noticed brought about great results. Some ideas were original, some I “borrowed” from successful reunions that I or friends have attended over the years.
- PLAN WELL. My friend Hazel told me that this was the secret to the Carter Family Reunion (Family of Rueben “Hurricane” Carter of South Jersey). My children commented on how happy everyone appeared. Hazel showed us the itinerary and insisted that a busy reunion is a happy reunion.
- KEEP PLANS SIMPLE. A reunion planned for a weekend at the State Park should include a close proximity to town with plenty of maps (for the beyond-suburbia cousins) and Emergency Safety Kits (for the Urban family sector).
- WAYWARD FAMILY MEMBERS SHOULD BRING GIFTS. (You know who you are!) As Nana can attest, all will be forgiven, rather quickly, when the relative in question whips out a couple dozen gifts (ie; 3/$10 Hollywood T-Shirts) and
- Offer one to each ‘offended’ (real or imagined) relative.
- Raffle off remaining gifts in exchange for easy reunion chores – like trash duty.
CATER THE FAMILY BANQUET. No point having the Northerners up in arms against the Southerners. And one auntie’s family favorite recipe for red velvet cake might stir up another auntie’s painful Copyright wounds. KEEP CAMERAS AND VIDEO CAMS ROLLING. Nobody wants first-hand proof of how they acted a monkey-fool at The Premiere Family Reunion.
- Good Planning and Good Luck! -
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