It doesn’t matter if your vision of a family reunion is a 50-person potluck, 500 family members packed in the local park, or a weekend cruise to nowhere -- if you don’t plan it right, your folk may disown you.
So says Sandra Jamison, author of “
Finding Your People: An African American Guide to Discovering Your Roots,” who has planned and attended more than a few family reunions -- and has the T-shirts to prove it.
She says Africans Americans have a history of being disbursed across the country and an even stronger history of reuniting to celebrate their heritage and family pride.
With July and August prime family reunion season, Jamison offers tips to make your family reunion a success. “Getting together with the folks from up north or down south has been a part of our culture," she says. It’s not unlike planning a wedding, so don’t forget the reason you are doing this.
Share the WorkYou may think you're an experienced event or wedding planner, but it’s best not to turn into the bridezilla of the reunion and micromanage every last detail, Jamison says. “Identify responsible people in your family. Make sure they have e-mail and know exactly what they are supposed to do,” she says.
Create a planning committee of three or four people, put them in charge of logistics, invitations, food and activities. Keep communication open and continuous leading up to the big day. Have a list of action items. For more details, go to check this article,
Celebrating Your Roots! Tips for Planning Your Reunion for great family reunion planning tips.
It’s not a FREE-unionCost is one of the first factors to consider when planning your reunion. “Do some sort of assessment to see what your family can afford,” says Jamison. Set a budget or and decide whether you want to have a registration fee per family. Make sure to keep your reunion funds separate from personal funds and consider opening a separate account for it that can be used year to year. Jamison's family has annual dues for each family to build reunion seed money. Or offer a layaway-style plan to help family members pay for the event.
Make it About Family, and Friends, tooThe food, the music and the good times are the easy part. But Jamison says icebreakers, games, fashion shows and talent competitions are a great way to keep everyone involved and spending time together. Check out
Reunions Magazine for ideas for activities and ice breakers to keep the reunion moving.
And be ready for some faces in the family you don’t recognize.
“The extended family is very real and if you are Bubba’s best friend, then Bubba’s going to invite you,” Jamison says. “It’s like a big wedding. You may not fit at the front of the table with the wedding party, but you can still share in the buffet.”
All I Got Is a T-Shirt?A black family reunion is not complete without the T-shirt, says Jamison. “Don’t think for a second you can get away with not having a T-shirt made for everybody,” she says.
But a silk-screen souvenir is not the only way to make your reunion memorable. Try to think outside the box for different family reunion give-aways. Remember, it’s about family and your roots. Jamison suggests having a family tree posted somewhere and let people add to it. Or consider framing your family tree in an inexpensive picture frame for each family attending. Or have a talented family write the story about the founding family members.
If your family is not the planning kind or this is the off year for the reunion, more and more cities are offering family reunion-style events. Check out the National Council of Negro Women's 22nd annual National Black Family Reunion Celebration Washington, D.C., one of the oldest such events takes place September 8-9, 2007 on the National Mall. Also, check out the eight-city
The Ebony Family Reunion Tour from July 7 to August 25.
For more information about planning a family reunion, go to
Reunions Magazine the
Family Reunion Prime and Temple University's
Family Reunion Institute .
