A Family Affair: How to Plan and
Direct the Best Family Reunion Ever
(National Genealogical Society
Guides) (National Genealogical
Society Guides) by The National
Genealogical Society
Great Book For Reunion Planners!
Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Rutledge Hill Press (June 25, 2003)
Language: English ISBN: 1401600204 Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 7.5 x 9.2
inches Whether planning a small annual get-together or a once-in-a-
lifetime gathering of hundreds
Personal Review: A Family Affair: How to Plan and Direct the
Best Family Reunion Ever (National Genealogical Society

Guides) (National Genealogical Society Guides) by The National
Genealogical Society
Family reunions are not, for many of us, as basic a part of family research
as they might be, and books on the subject usually reflect that. If most of
your relatives still live within a day's drive, you probably see them regularly
and an annual picnic is almost a routine event, dedicated to introducing
new offspring and remembering the recently deceased. If your family is
scattered all over the country, as is true of probably a majority of the
American population these days, a reunion becomes a special event with a
significant outlay in time and money for both planners and attendees, but
the activities are still largely the same. But Sandy Clunies, a Certified
Genealogist and frequent speaker at the national level, is a very
experienced family researcher and past winner of the NGS Family History
Writing Contest, so her interest here is primarily in the role of genealogy at
the family reunion. How could any attentive researcher pass up the chance
to graze among all those memories and experiences brought together for a
few days in one place?
Putting on a reunion can be an overwhelming task, but (to quote the
author's grandmother) you can eat an elephant if you cut it into bite-sized
pieces. "What kind of show should it be?" she asks. Do you need a theme?
Is there to be a central event, like a milestone anniversary or the
dedication of a DAR grave marker? Will it be potluck at a state park? A
gathering at the ancestral family farm? Or a Caribbean cruise? The most
important rule, though is Plan Ahead. At least a year - preferably two if it's
to be a big event. The second rule is Take a Businesslike Approach. This
includes record keeping, not only to properly account for finances but to
provide information for future reunions. (Detailed attendance records from
family gatherings held a century ago have become valuable resources in
their own right.) The Internet, naturally, is a great help in locating those
whom you want to invite, especially if you've been out of touch for a few
years, and the author gives detailed advice (plus encouraging anecdotes)
on the use of search engines and message boards for this purpose. You
will also want to advertise your reunion online in order to alert those
individuals you weren't able to locate. Many suggestions of an historical
and genealogical nature are provided for activities (house and cemetery
tours, living history demonstrations), and for showcasing the family's
history (enlargements of photos collected in advance, displays of inherited
artifacts). And, of course, a series of oral history sessions is an opportunity
not to be missed, with memories triggered by old photos and conversations
with other descendants. To preserve all you've been able to learn, a post-
reunion book (with sales solicited during the event) will not only provide a
permanent record, it will help establish a tradition of future reunions and
encourage wider attendance. A family website can present new
information acquired, woven into what was already known, and can also
encourage further research -- and advance planning for the next get-
together. Even though I'm not a big reunion-attender, this is by far the best
book I've seen on the subject.

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A Family Affair: How to Plan and Direct the Best Family Reunion Ever (National
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