Reunion Budgets: How to Collect Funds Early

Planning a reunion can be exciting, fun, and rewarding, but it also has its downfalls. As with any event, a budget must be set before any plans can take place, and this can be particularly difficult if you are counting on the financial assistance of others. Even worse, you might not just be collecting from “others”, but old acquaintances and even strangers. Establishing a budget for a reunion can be overwhelming, particularly since it’s impossible to impose any monetary restrictions when you have no idea how much will arrive prior to the event taking place.

While no one likes to badger others for money, high school reunions present a unique circumstance. In most cases, the budget for a reunion is formed by the investments of former classmates and teachers. Once a reunion committee or group has been established, those individuals canvass for funds by charging each person to attend the function. Of course, in order to make plans for the reunion, the money has to arrive early – preferably, several months prior to the actual event.

What throws a fork in early requests is the planning time that each attendee requires. Some former classmates may not have their vacation time approved until one month prior to the reunion, leading them to hesitate before purchasing tickets. Others may have to discuss the event with their spouses or partners before making final plans, especially if travel is involved. It’s easy to procrastinate when it comes to a reunion because there is often a great deal of preparation required.

Unfortunately, if too many attendees fail to buy tickets or pay a required fee, it can affect the entire experience for everyone else. Without a budget to follow, committee members may be forced to downsize the overall event, change venues, or ultimately cancel the reunion altogether. This can be very disappointing for individuals who have been waiting for the day they would be reunited with past friends and teachers. Oddly enough, to bring uncooperative attendees out of the woodwork, talk of a cancellation may be just the ticket.

If you are working with a planning committee, you have no doubt formed an e-mail list or online social networking group to keep in touch with school alumni. If you’re having trouble getting firm responses, there is no harm in starting a sneaky rumor that the reunion is on its way to being called off. After all, if you can’t develop a plan and form a budget, there is little chance that the reunion can go ahead anyway. Don’t be afraid to start a fire underneath their feet to get them moving.

You can also use online networking groups to keep potential attendees up-to-date on the event’s progress. If you receive $1,000 towards your budget in the first few months and that number seems to stand still, perhaps someone will take notice. It’s also important to inform others about the amount of planning involved. Unless they’ve tackled a similar project, they may not understand that there is more to creating a great reunion than booking a venue.

The key to acquiring a sufficient amount of funds is to set a due date. Tell former classmates that their money must be submitted by a certain date in order for the plans to begin. In order to give those last-minute attendees some extra time, choose a fake due date approximately two weeks’ prior to the actual due date. Then, as the makeshift date approaches, start e-mailing or messaging your past schoolmates and provide them with a countdown. Try contacting them two weeks, one week, and finally, three days prior to the date set.

Once the fake date has passed, add up the numbers to see where the reunion budget stands. If the funds are still lacking, send out a final e-mail or message, stating that the date has been extended by another week. Be sure to note that there will be no further extensions granted and that if you don’t receive a response by at least x-number of people, the reunion will run the risk of being cancelled. You may be surprised by the amount of classmates who will succumb to the pressure of a deadline, even if their ability to attend remains unclear.

Although you may be feeling burdened by the responsibility of creating a large-scale event, the pride that you will feel at the end of the journey will make it all worthwhile. Seeing the faces of former classmates as they enter the event, hearing compliments about the food, or listening to attendees rave about the decorations, venue, or music will be immensely satisfying. As you hassle old acquaintances for money, it is important to keep the final goal in sight: an unforgettable night filled with great friends, great food, and great memories.

How to Minimize the Awkwardness of Meeting an Ex at Your Reunion

Admittedly, it may not be an ideal situation. Running into an ex-partner at your reunion can be awkward, intimidating and, yes, even stressful. However, we are often our own worst enemies and, therefore, we tend to torture ourselves with expectations and possibilities. Perhaps it’s been ten years or more since you saw your ex, or maybe you’ve kept in touch via e-mail (and letters, before technology was king) but haven’t stood face-to-face since high school.

Sometimes, nervousness associated with an old flame reunion stems from harboured feelings of hurt or resentment. Teenage breakups can be devastating and the experience can carry over into future relationships for years. There is nothing like young love and oftentimes, even the most gentle of high school splits can wreak havoc on an adolescent heart. If you found your boyfriend under the bleachers with the head cheerleader, or if your straight-A girlfriend hired the cute exchange student as a tutor, that pain may still feel very real, even all these years later.

Hesitation to face an ex may also be traced to your current situation. If you consider a great job and a beautiful family to be the ultimate measures of success – and you possess both – you will no doubt walk into that reunion with your head held high. On the other hand, if you feel your situation is lacking, you may be dreading the thought of informing your ex that you’re still ironing out the wrinkles in your life.

Fortunately, there are ways to lessen the discomfort and possible embarrassment. First and foremost, confidence is a must. If you can’t be happy about the way your life turned out, you certainly can’t convince others of the same, particularly an ex. Take a long, hard look at your circumstances and identify the brightest spots. Let’s say you’re a writer who has yet to publish a book, but you work a regular gig as a columnist. While you may not consider the column to be the height of your success, your former partner may prove to be impressed.

Next, looking good is crucial. True, it may sound shallow, but it’s a major component of self-assurance. Revel in a great facial or massage, dish out a few dollars for a good haircut and style, and buy a new outfit especially for the reunion that highlights your assets and downplays your flaws. If you don’t have the financial resources to be frivolous, don’t worry - you can still turn heads on a budget.

It is also vital to constantly remind yourself how many years have passed. Simply put, the topics and situations you fear may not even be a concern for your ex. In fact, he or she may actually be looking forward to seeing you again. This is your time to shine, to show others what you’ve become and to make it obvious that you are not who you used to be. Even if your personality is the same, your life has changed.

Once armed with a knockout appearance and a long list of conversational pieces, it’s time to hit the reunion. On the way there, occupy your mind by thinking about the other classmates you want to see, then force yourself to stay distracted by making predictions about their jobs and accomplishments. Often, it’s the hours prior to an event that make us the most nervous because we start to create unlikely predicaments in our heads. You may daydream about your ex laughing in your face, refusing to speak to you, or announcing that he or she has become extremely successful.

Although being happy for an ex is the more mature road to take, it can be hard to act excited about a former partner’s triumphs if bitterness rears its ugly head. Keep things in perspective. If you spot your ex across the room, don’t try to hide – regardless of the sweaty palms or nausea that fight to consume you, the ball is in your court. Your reunion will be whatever you make of it, and it could turn out to be a very pleasant experience.

Remember, high school reunions are about catching up with old friends and - given the time frame - it’s normal to be nervous. However, don’t let an ex ruin the event for you. There’s a good chance that whatever trepidation you feel when it comes to sharing your own victories, your ex feels the same. The trick is to put a spin on the situation so you are presented in a new light, one that makes you feel exceptionally good about yourself.

How to Break the Ice at Your 20-Year Reunion

How to Break the Ice at Your 20-Year Reunion

Despite the fact that you might be dreading your 20-year high school reunion, there are a few things to look forward to… really. Sure, it can be an overwhelming experience to meet up with people you haven’t seen in years, but there is something to be said for reflecting on your life and finding out how far others have come. On the other hand, there is only one of two ways to look at it: Either you consider yourself to be successful and can’t wait to share your story with your former classmates, or you realized when you opened the reunion invitation that you’re still stuck in 1989.

The funny thing about high school reunions is that many people spend weeks or months dreading the thought of revisiting their teenage years, yet manage to have a good time at the actual event. At one point or another, we’ve all wondered what became of someone from our past - and while you may pick a voluntary root canal over confronting the school bully who used to stuff you in your locker, the episode could prove to produce some much-needed closure. Chances are, that intimidating adolescent is now a happy-go-lucky family man. Stranger things have happened.

As you find yourself approaching the door to your former life, you may be engulfed by a string of thoughts. Why am I here? Is it possible to find my ex-lab partner without being recognized by anyone else? If I leave now, will anyone notice? However, overcoming those initial fears is the first step to a potentially wonderful evening. So, where to start?

It doesn’t matter if you recognize anyone – how could you after twenty years? Scan the room for someone standing alone and approach them with confidence. Remember, most of your former classmates are not who they used to be and what you discover may pleasantly surprise you. Begin with a hello and ask how they are enjoying the event. Push yourself to make small talk, even if it’s not usually one of your strong points. Believe it or not, breaking the ice at a reunion is much easier than in other settings because there are so many questions to ask. No matter who you speak to (with the exception of current friends, of course), you have two decades’ worth of information to touch on.

Gain some insight into the lives of former friends, teammates, and even ex-partners by quizzing them about their jobs and families. Before you know it, the ball will start rolling on its own. Unfortunately, most of the apprehension that stems from attending a reunion is the result of our own expectations. It’s true, we can be our own worst enemies, making it extra important to dive right in and conquer our fears. Truth be told, none of us can break the ice without a little bit of poise and a lot of courage, or vice-versa.

The only way to fire up a conversation is by speaking first. There’s just no way around it, and why should there be? Reunions give us a chance to revive old friendships, make new acquaintances, and see where life has taken an entire group of individuals. It even provides an opportunity to right a few wrongs by apologizing to those we hurt so long ago, whether it was a stood-up prom date or overweight teen who was constantly teased.

Not everyone embraces change, so if you find yourself trying to strike up a discussion with someone who appears to be less than interested, there are only three options. You can continue to try to coax them into a dialogue, you can abandon the mission completely, or you can try talking about yourself. It doesn’t take long to get a feel for someone else’s personality, and pushing the issue may backfire in your face. On the other hand, once you’ve found a likely candidate, talking should come fairly easy. Mention the city you live in, the current weather, your spouse or children or neither, and your career. Even if you live in a town you despise or toil away at a job you hate, your comments can all act as icebreakers.

If you’re still feeling apprehensive about launching a conversation with somewhat of a stranger, a teacher makes a great first target. Best of all, teachers are often much easier to recognize than old classmates and often have no trouble maintaining a flowing discussion. Most of them will truly appreciate the details of your journey, from the last day of high school to the present. Once you’ve practice on a few teachers, approaching that former high school sweetheart may seem just a little less intimidating.

High School reunion planning toolkit

We will be introducing a great way for Class reunion organizers to find all the information that they will need to put on their class reunion. We have done the research for you so that you will not spend hours trying to find the right place to market your class reunion, find the right High School Reunion games, and know what to expect. Stay tuned as we put it all together and be ready to be amazed.

Planning your high school reunion

Planning the Perfect Class Reunion

The following is meant to serve as a guide in planning your reunion. No two reunions are alike but every reunion requires upfront planning to be successful.

How do we form a reunion committee?
Every reunion begins with the formation of a reunion committee. Start by forming a core local team of dedicated and enthusiastic individuals who are willing to go the extra mile to ensure a successful reunion. Appoint a reunion chair who will arrange and drive meeting agendas. Appoint a treasurer to oversee finances. Beyond these two key individuals, solicit classmate volunteers who can actively participate and be assigned to work on various reunion tasks. Don’t underestimate the work involved. Share the work amongst as many who are willing to offer their help. There are many details and arrangements that have to be taken care of. Successful reunions are the result of successful committees. Committees that are active and well organized will be positioned for success. Organizing a successful reunion can be a truly enriching and rewarding experience where old friendships are reestablished and new friendships formed.

When do we start?
Some reunion committees begin forming and start planning up to two years in advance of their reunion. The amount of lead time you need really depends on how elaborate of an event you are planning but generally speaking the more time you give yourselves the better! Whether you are planning a simple family picnic or a formal event you will minimally want to start planning at least 12 to 16 months in advance. Don’t expect to pull off a successful reunion if you start planning just 6 months before the event as many of your classmates will need significant lead time in order to participate especially those living far away. Another consideration is that prime locations and other services you need for your reunion may require 1-2 year advance booking.

How often should we meet?
Your reunion committee should plan to meet once a month either in person or via conference call. You may even consider augmenting some of your meetings by using an online chat room or message boards. This can be a convenient inexpensive way of discussing some of the finer details of the reunion and may make it easy for non-local classmates to participate and contribute.

What work items does the reunion committee need to consider?
Consider dividing the work activities of your reunion committee into subcommittees or work groups.

Here is a listing of some of the tasks you will need to consider:

• date selection
• determine event venue and format
• event program (speakers, tributes, etc)
• event location / lodging selection
• financing
• classmate contact listing
  • postal addresses, email addresses, phone numbers
  • search for missing classmates
• web site development / maintenance
• decorations
• entertainment
• photographer
• registration & name tags
• momentos
  • reunion / memories booklet
  • novelties
  • prizes / awards
• marketing & communications
  • mailers, emailings
  • newspaper and internet advertising
• deceased classmates tribute
• additional reunion activities
  • school tours, pre & post reunion events
• class gift to your school

What are some of the upfront expenses we might incur?
Here is a listing of some expenses you might incur along the way. One thing to consider to avoid these expenses is to use a professional reunion planning service. Many of these services will handle all your upfront costs for you.

Reunion event Planning checklist

• Decide on the scale of your event—from a casual dinner to a weekend
  packed with happenings.
• Work out a budget and decide on a ticket price.
• Ask for help and delegate responsibilities. Hire a professional planner,
  if you want one.
• Decide on an event site.
• Create the event on Classmates.com.
• Check your affiliation’s missing member list, and ask your invitees to
  spread the word to people who are missing or aren’t registered.
• RSVP for your event.

• Plan the menu. Ask your invitees for menu preferences and
  suggestions.
• Decide on entertainment—another great time to poll your invitees.
  DJ? Live band? Jugglers and magicians?
• Interview and hire professionals: band, DJ, photographer, caterer.
• Reserve a block of rooms at a hotel near your event site.
• Reserve any rentals you’ll need, such as tables and chairs.
• Start producing any souvenirs—videos, CDs, books, etc. If you need
  people to contribute pieces from their personal collections, be sure to
  ask for them now. Consult with your manufacturer to set a deadline on
  contributions.

• Remind your invitees about the event. Let them know what’s been
  decided, and encourage them to help you find missing guests.
• Post an event announcement to let people know how things are
  coming along.
• Start a discussion or two on your event message board. If other
  people are already having conversations, be sure to participate and keep
  them going.

• Another reminder would be a good idea.
• Post event announcements with more details to keep the excitement
  building.
• Remind invitees to RSVP. Ask people who are attending to contact
  people who haven’t responded to make sure word is spreading.
• Check in with your major vendors. Make sure they’ve got the date
  reserved and that they don’t need any further info from you.

• Finalize your headcount for your vendors. Let your caterer know
  about any special meal requests.
• Get nametags printed.
• Be sure your souvenir vendor will deliver on time.

• Decorate your venue, if you’re doing it yourself.

• Catch up with old friends and make some new memories. Have a
  great time—and take lots of pictures!

• The party’s over, but the fun doesn’t have to end. Post your photos
  for everyone to see, including those who couldn’t make it. Ask your
  invitees to post theirs, too. Use the message board to get feedback
  on how the event went, and ask for suggestions for the next one you
  plan.