Reunions Magazine Volume 20, Number 4. May/June/July 2010 (SOLD OUT) by Reunions Magazine

Class reunion ideas Feeding your reunion Family history primer

VOL 20 NO 4 MAY/JUNE/JULY 2010 Display until July 31, 2010.

$3/USA

M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 1

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in this issue DEPARTMENTS FRONT WORDS – 4

May/June/July 2010 Volume 20 • Number 4

ALUM & I – 6

PUBLISHER / EDITOR IN CHIEF

A 30th class reunion rekindles fun and fellowship spark by Denise Bates Enos The Forest Park High School Four-Class-Fair of 2009 by Lanse Norris A classmate’s generosity heats up reunion by Gerry Geischer Countdown … On Your Mark, Get Set, Go to Your Reunion Warren High School team successful, charitable reunions and more

Edith Wagner

BRANCH OFFICE – 10

TRAVEL EDITOR

Jacky Runice ART DIRECTOR

Jennifer Rueth

Family History 101 Part One by Anne Chlovechok Rutherfords return to the Bruce by Carey Rutherford Also more family history

Marion Liston Senior Account Manager

SCRAPBOOK – 14

Karla Lavin

Reunion School ... workshops, conferences and seminars for reunion planners Hail the pre-con meeting! by Dean Miller July 17’er reunions by Eleanor Chamberlain One Tree Hill fan reunion, Civil War 150th Commemoration, Cornering the market on comedy and much more

MASTERPLAN – 20 Memorial Day reunions It’s the Dandy-Chattman reunion by Dawn Dandy Reunion in Wautoma celebrates perseverance by Matthew Ellis Wilson Wards meet annually by Trudy Ward Guetler Taylors tour Texas by Mary Taylor Harmelinks honor military members by Vernon Harmelink Uncle Adolf’s Farm by Kevin Heaton Johnsons stay close by Bruce Johnson Fanning Family Reunion!! by LuElla Brown Summer reunion scrapbook by Kelley Tatman Destination Breckenridge by Robert McCray Summer reunion rituals by Meg Cox How to act at family reunions by Robert Walsh It pays to plan by Sam Webber Bryant Family Reunion experience by Devonia Wilson Using the internet to plan a family reunion by Flora McMullen

FEATURES – 32 FOOD Feeding reunions Saving $$ in hard times Family reunion a great time to review eating choices A jaunt to Aunt Josie’s by Mary Ralph Bradley with Lanita B. Boyd And lots and lots of reunions

MILITARY REUNION NEWS – 36 Mission benefits Vietnamese US Army Women’s Foundation Black military women to hold reunion Infantry Museum remembers past Gold Star children celebrate Father's Day Military Reunion Planners enjoy Newport News, Virginia

REUNION RESOURCES – 38 A directory of reunion-friendly places, services, vendors and products. ON THE COVER Johnson Family Reunion in Merton, Wisconsin. Photo credit Bruce Johnson

SALES OPERATIONS MANAGER ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Andrew Russell Bordeaux Nicole Dettmering Ksioszk EDITORIAL INTERN

Matthew Ellis Wilson CONTRIBUTORS

Lanita B. Boyd • Mary Ralph Bradley LuElla Brown • Eleanor Chamberlain Anne Chlovechok • Meg Cox Dawn Dandy • Dee Dudgeon Denise Bates Enos • Gerry Geischer Trudy Ward Guetler Vernon Harmelink • Kevin Heaton Bruce Johnson • Kathleen Mahaffy Robert McCray • Flora McMullen Dean Miller • Lanse Norris Tracy A. Reichdan • Carey Rutherford Becky Ryan • Monserrate Santiago Larry Stewart • Kelley Tatman Mary Taylor • Robert Walsh Sam Webber • Devonia Wilson REUNIONS MAGAZINE, INC. (ISSN #1046-5s235), is published 4 times per year. Send correspondence, queries, submissions, subscriptions, advertising to REUNIONS MAGAZINE, PO Box 11727, Milwaukee WI 53211-0727. Written permission from the publisher is required for reproduction of any part of this book except pages which encourage sharing. Please explain your intended use when requesting permission to reprint. Email: editor@reunionsmag.com or fax 414263-6331. Tear sheets of reviews and reprints required. REUNIONS MAGAZINE, INC., will not be liable for information presented as facts contained in any of our advertising, byline stories or materials. We reserve the right to edit and/or refuse any material submitted for publication. We solicit participation and take responsibility for submitted materials. Unless accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE), submissions and photos will not be returned. All materials sent for purposes of publication become property of REUNIONS MAGAZINE, INC. Subscriptions: US and Canada $9.99/yr, $17.99/2 yrs. Foreign orders add $36 for subscriptions. All foreign payment in US funds or drawn on a US bank. Back issues available for $3 each plus postage. Payment must accompany requests for subscriptions, back issues or other items for sale. Advertising rate information available from REUNIONS MAGAZINE, INC., PO Box 11727, Milwaukee WI 53211-0727; 414-263-4567; fax 414-2636331; e-mail editor@reunionsmag.com; reunionsmag.com. © 2010 REUNIONS MAGAZINE, INC. M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 3

FRONT WORDS

IT'S REUNION SEASON 2010!

it unless you do. And if writing is not your thing, ask t’s hard to believe how little time there seems to be reunion members, particularly students who can use a between reunion seasons each year. And as this season publication credit, to do it for you. And remember to send begins, we know you are eager to plan your best-ever photos (well-focused, 300 dpi or higher or prints) to reunion and enjoy the satisfaction that comes from a job illustrate your points. The best way to send reports and well done. We are with you in spirit all the way! pictures is by email to editor@reunionsmag.com. Throughout the countdown to your special day or weekend SUPPORT OUR PARTNERS or week, we urge you to think www.reunionsmag.com when Please support the advertisers in this magazine and at you encounter a question or dilemma along the way. www.reunionsmag.com. They are responsible for bringing Countless reunions before yours have contributed generously you all the reunion information you see to our vast collection of reunion wisdom, here and online, and they really want to just waiting to be tapped. During reunion hear from you and help you. Shop them. season, we see greatly increased traffic in Mail to Buy their products and services. Tell them sections like activities, games, R EUNIONS MAGAZINE you “met” them in Reunions magazine or icebreakers, food and ideas for kids. You PO Box 11727 online, and please thank them for helping can read extensively about all of those and Milwaukee WI 53211-0727 support us. They strengthen the magazine more, or listen to them as podcasts. It’s all For charge orders and, more important, help build the just waiting for you. We add material call 800-373-7933 or reunion community. regularly, so if you don’t find exactly what visit www.reunionsmag.com you’re looking for, come back often or ATTEND PLANNING WORKSHOPS or fax it to 414-263-6331. email your questions to me at Many convention and visitors bureaus Or best of all, e-mail (editor@reunionsmag.com). Occasionally (CVB) offer reunion planning workshops editor@reunionsmag.com. even I am stumped, but I’ll do my best to that we urge you to take advantage of. find an answer for you. Most are free or at very small cost and well worth the time you invest to learn about reunion planning IN THIS ISSUE and most importantly about the CVB and what services the Several interesting class reunions are featured in this area offers reunions. The list of upcoming workshops issue, including one where a very generous classmate invites appears in this issue on pages 14 and 15 and is updated his compadres half way across the country – and this is not online as soon as we learn of new ones. Most require the first time he’s done it! advance registration and space is often limited. If you are If you’re new to genealogy or trying to get someone else planning a reunion in the Chicago area, you’ll want to interested, you’ll want to read the first part of Anne consider Lake County and their three day workshop in Chlovechok’s primer and another family’s rediscovery of September. I will be there and eager to me you! their past.

Be in touch!

As always, you’ll learn from many families who share their special reunion events. Dean Miller outlines details of your pre-reunion meeting with hotel staff. We feature many money saving ideas for feeding your reunions this year and news from military reunions as well. We know some of what you find will help you, as it did Debbie Keith of Bristol, Virginia, who posted this on our Facebook page: “Reunions magazine has helped our dying family reunion go from about 50 in attendance to 225 in attendance.” We hope you’ll find inspiration in this issue that will increase your reunion attendance by over 400%, as did Debbie for her Stanley Family Reunion! AND WHEN IT’S ALL OVER

If you wonder how your reunion can be featured in a future issue of Reunions magazine, you’ll have to let us know about it. We always look for new ideas and new ways of doing old things better. We look for examples to help others as they plan their reunions. Send a report, because we can’t consider

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SAD NEWS

When we started this magazine over 20 years ago, Marsha Hoffman Rising, CG, FASG, Springfield, Missouri, wrote our Branch Office column to encourage others to pursue their family history. Marsha was very passionate about her research and overjoyed with each new discovery. She distinguished herself in the genealogy world as a scholar, writer, speaker and president of several national genealogy organizations. Last year we included a story about Marsha’s family reunion, where she passed family treasures on to her cousins. We did not include, but already knew, she was doing it because it was her last chance. Marsha was also a long-time friend, so her passing way too young, saddens me greatly. Rather than dwell on a sad note, I encourage you all to use the lesson Marsha taught about taking advantage of every opportunity to have, to relish and to enjoy your reunion. EW

M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 5

ALUM & I

A 30th class reunion rekindles fun and fellowship by Denise Bates Enos

he jock. The band geek. The drama queen. The bookworm. At Choctawhatchee High School in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, in 1979, none of those labels mattered. What mattered was the label that we were all the Choctawhatchee Indians and proud of it. After 30 years, the label still holds true. So when the Choctaw Class of 1979 gathered for our class reunion, the same unifying school spirit helped bring together a diverse and farflung group of alumni. Five classmates still living in Fort Walton Beach started meeting a year in advance to plan the reunion. The committee pooled talents, contacts and sweat equity to put together the event. Cyndi Carlson and Sandy Roberts Sharpe took the lead: pricing venues, compiling costs and planning event details. Becky Brewer McDonald, a teacher at our alma mater, and Tam Huggins Snaith, whose husband is dean at the high school, provided invaluable “insider” assistance. Joe Nacchia pitched in wherever needed, offering advice, running errands and tracking down classmates. Microsoft Excel spreadsheets were used to keep track of classmates, payments and other details.

summer, just like the 10th and 20th reunions, so they could bring their families and spend beach time together. But a summertime event simply wasn’t possible. The solution? Set the reunion date for homecoming weekend in October. The Panhandle’s autumn weather can be a bit cool to fully enjoy the famous sugar-white sand and emerald waters (although several hardy classmates surfed the waves that weekend). The tie-in to homecoming was ingenious. Class of 1979 alumni were honored at Friday morning’s raucous pep rally and had a special bleacher section for the game. The 1979 boys’ baseball team in their greenand-white varsity jackets were grand marshals for the parade. The committee had a special reunion float for the homecoming parade; committee and alums involved in reunion planning rode the float, tossing “Class of 1979” lip balms, football necklaces and miniature baseballs. The choice to move the reunion to homecoming weekend was not universally popular at first but it turned out to be a brilliant move. It was the first gathering that truly connected classmates to the place that originally brought them all together.

IMMEDIATE CHALLENGES

MAKING HIGH-TECH CONNECTIONS

The first challenge was finding a venue. Fort Walton Beach is a resort town in the Florida Panhandle, so the group had to compete for space with tourist gatherings, destination weddings and other out-of-town events. During peak summer season, many venues are booked far in advance, severely limiting our choices. Many entertainment spaces had highseason room reservation requirements and minimum stay requirements the committee wasn’t willing to agree to, which put planners in a bind. Many wanted the reunion in the

The internet was the planners’ best friend. Carlson set up a class page on classmates.com; Frank McClain, Charlotte, North Carolina, established a google Class of 1979 page; and I created a page on facebook. Of the three, the google page was the most successful, attracting more than 200 of the 600-plus alums. We used the sites to communicate important information, to answer frequently asked questions and remind classmates about deadlines. We plan to maintain the google and facebook sites indefinitely, which will make contacting alumni for the next reunion far easier. We’ll send periodic communications to keep alums engaged and interested, and to encourage others to join one or both sites. We’ll post photographs taken at the reunion to generate more signups. We may also establish an interactive blog for the class – an idea sparked by the Class of 1981’s excellent online blog. THE BIG EVENT

One table was dedicated to the class’s “lost Indians” who had died. A photo of each was displayed with a votive candle and laminated obituaries on the table. It was a solemn and heartfelt acknowledgement of classmates we had lost, and was one of the most-visited areas in the room.

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A casual, pay-your-own way gathering was arranged at a local watering hole Friday evening after the game. The formal reunion party was Saturday night at a hotel ballroom on Okaloosa Island. Out-of-towners stayed on the beach, where “partying” continued into the wee hours. Some things never change! Mindful of the challenging economy, Sharpe and Carlson worked overtime to cut costs. One big cost-saver was borrowing themed decorations from the venue. The hotel had an abundance of luau-themed items, so that became our theme. The decorations were put up and taken down by hotel staff at no charge, and the committee supplemented them with green leis for classmates.

Displays encouraged everyone to circulate and take a closer look. One table held a book of short biographies and family photographs from classmates. Before the reunion, alums were asked to send favorite photos from their high school years. Sharpe created a DVD of the images, and a copy was included in each goody bag provided to attendees. The DVD was projected onto one wall in a continuous loop throughout the party. A professional photographer was on hand to take formal portraits and candid shots, including ones of the just-for-fun awards that were given out for such achievements as “Farthest Traveled” and “Most Grandchildren.” Hands-down, the committee’s favorite decision was to ask friends and family to work the registration table so committee members could relax and enjoy the reunion. There was no shortage of volunteers and check-in went smoothly.

The 1979 State Baseball Championship still looms proudly.

PLANNING FOR THE NEXT ONE

Putting together a weekend full of events to mark a milestone reunion is no easy feat, and it’s not one anyone is eager to tackle again before another decade passes. But this reunion was so successful that before the DJ even stopped playing disco tunes Saturday night, classmates began clamoring for another get-together sooner than 2019. The solution? In five years, the committee will plan a casual summertime “destination reunion” – perhaps a cruise or an outof-town gathering. The choice may be based on classmate suggestions gathered online. Beyond establishing a location and date, the planning will be up to individual classmates – who will make their own arrangements. Then, the 2019 reunion will be during Choctawhatchee High School’s homecoming weekend. The 2009 reunion weekend was filled with laughter and nostalgia, as every reunion should be. It took a year of planning and plenty of behind-the-scenes toil to make it all happen, but the result was an event that recaptured the closeness and pride we all felt during our school days as members of the Choctaw Class of 1979.

About the author Denise Bates Enos is a freelance writer and editor based in Orlando, Florida. She regularly contributes lifestyle-oriented articles to a variety of local, regional and national publications. M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 7

ALUM & I

The Forest Park High School Four-Class-Fair of 2009 by Lanse Norris

he prospect of an upcoming high school reunion can invoke both excitement and trepidation; the reunion night cliché seems to be that mixed drinks induce mixed feelings. We anticipated that our “preunion” committee of maneuverers and shakers would manage a delightful gathering of classes 1972-1975. The tactics the committee employed to achieve this were discussed by Kay Bauer in the last edition of Reunions magazine, including using classmates’ services and talents; arranging a school tour; using school colors, memorabilia and motifs to decorate; using equipment and services available at the banquet facility; and using a website to recruit, inform, and take payment. “Anticipation” was a great song, a great ketchup commercial and a great theme for our lives and our reunion: anticipating what we knew would be a great reunion thanks to the committee’s careful preplanning of each portion of the sprawling pageant. The legend of the Forest Park (Georgia) Four-Class Fair was born in October. A successful class of ’74 women’s dinner in spring guaranteed interest in a Forest Park class of 1974 reunion. The four-class reunion (19721975) was settled on because more than 50 spouses and siblings graduated from Forest Park between those years. The 1996 Olympic volleyball venue at Clayton County International Park could host several hundred guests comfortably. All portions of the program went as planned … except that the lone, singleline catering truck could not serve over 500 guests in under an hour and a half as promised. It took three hours. And the music emphasized too much from the late 70s disco era. The portable heaters never worked and, though fall weather contingencies had been anticipated, the absentee subcontractor’s equipment failed, without contingency plans. The overwhelming response, however, on Facebook was that the reunion was an acclaimed “event.” To open, our classmate, recording artist Lauren Attaway Veach (’74), performed a spirited America. Then, our own Air Force Lieutenant General Phillip Breedlove,’73, escorted by a Forest Park High ROTC color guard, offered reassuring words for a generation

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that has experienced peace, war and gripping uncertainty. Later, our now “fallen Panthers” were honored as goldand wine-colored balloons were released. A remarkable display of old annuals, letterman jackets, band uniforms and banners adorned one side of the venue. Many lingered at the display, lost in the profound, nostalgic longing of a world gone away. Sim Banks (’81), produced a Power Point of rollicking music and yearbook images that inspired an exhilarant chorus like a pep rally for our generation. The classes demonstrated great kindness in funding a classmate’s car repairs encountered on his way to the reunion. A few weeks later, members from each class contributed toward a reunion budget deficit borne by the committee chair and co-chair because they had fronted funds to vendors which were not

fully covered by registration receipts. Indeed, I had NOT anticipated the degree to which we would fulfill the lyrics of a generational anthem, to “always do for others, and let others do for you,” to “build a ladder to the stars, and climb on every rung, and stay forever, forever young.” In a very special time and place, the Forest Park graduating classes of 1972 through 1975 came together as they were certain to: passionately, graciously and, for a moment, forever young.

About the author Lanse Norris, an environmental scientist and writer, lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife Patsy. He attended Emory University and the University of Georgia. He has recently beome interested in reunions, about which his cousin Allison Conners wrote in Chicken Soup for the Scrapbooker’s Soul.

The following is an example of a letter that makes a very firm point to raise money for deposits. The reunion is the Class of 1990 from William H. Maxwell Vocational High School in Brooklyn, New York.

Countdown … On Your Mark, Get Set, Go to Your Reunion Once again, we are enthusiastically planning our reunion. We have had a great response with 60 alumni attending, plus their guests. As most of you know, we have many costs, including printing and postage, name tags, programs, decorations, prizes, catering, hall, food, drinks, and music. Those of you who have planned events such as Sweet Sixteens, weddings or other formal events know that most of these items must be paid in advance. Le Cordon Bleu must have their last payment by June 25th with other deposits between now and then. Your help with this is greatly needed. If each of you sends in an installment deposit of $20 now, we will be able to pay the next deposit to Cordon Bleu, which is due 2/15/10. Of course, a full payment of $85 per ticket is always greatly appreciated and much more helpful!! To all those who have paid their ticket in full … Thank you so much for paying in advance!! Your contribution has helped us to pay our initial deposit to Le Cordon Bleu. We are in the process of interviewing photographers and DJs for the reunion, as well as coordinating other events to take place during the weekend before the final reunion on the 4th of July. We will keep you posted as we finalize our plans. Keeping in mind that the school is in the process of closing, let’s keep the memory of Maxwell alive through our reunion. Please send payments along with your name and # of guests to… Shared by reunion chairperson, Monserrate Santiago, Franklin, Tennessee.

A classmate’s generosity heats up reunion by Gerry Geischer

On Saturday, golfers teed-off; sun essmer High School, Milwaukee, seekers cooled off under a waterfall or at Wisconsin, Class of 1949, celebrated not a swim-up bar in the five-pool area. one but two 60-year reunions. The first was Tucson minibus tours were popular. in September in Tucson, Arizona. The Loungers on their patios enjoyed the second, in October, was a luncheon at the antics of bobbing quail and scurrying North Hills Country Club in Menomonee green geckos. Falls, Wisconsin. George also provided our Saturday Classmate George Beaudet made the celebration, starting with cocktails. Tucson reunion possible. His planning and Floral table decorations and corsages generosity provided a two-night stay at the 5were Messmer white and blue colors. At star Westin La Paloma Resort. (He was also tables of eight, we relished a gourmet our benefactor at the 55th reunion for a dinner with wine and a decadent similar weekend celebration on the Queen dessert. Jerry Comito’s ’50s band played Mary in Long Beach, California.) dinner music and then heated-up to “our Seventy-three attended the lavish Tucson kind of danceable rhythms” for the rest 60th reunion. But there’s more! Author Gerry Geischer (front) and Paul Strain. of the night. The hotel complex, on 78 acres in the high Nostalgia hit at band breaks. Jack O’Neill, Master of Sonoran Desert, is surrounded by giant Sequoias and manifold Ceremonies, announced, “It’s your chance to shine. Your 15 cacti. It is adjacent to the Jack Nicklaus signature golf course. seconds of fame! Tell us what happened to you at Messmer, Guests are driven around the huge facility in golf carts. both the good stuff AND the bad stuff! Stand up! Don’t be shy! George and his wife, Bridget, hosted a get-together cocktail Remember – what happens in Tucson, stays in Tucson!” Soon, party. On an open balcony overlooking the sinking sun, those old school secrets sprung alive and were shared. What Messmer memories surfaced. White-haired classmates of 1949 fun we had reminiscing! began recognizing each other. Name tags helped. The polished The evening ended applauding George for an unforgettable 78-year-olds soon shifted into spirited hilarity. Tucson reunion. Perhaps his toughest task was providing shuttle rides, over 20 miles between the resort and the Tucson airport, for various flight schedules. Then, in October, 59 members of the Class of 1949 gathered for the second Messmer reunion. Old school photos ignited memories, as did recent photos taken in Tucson. George Beaudet flew in for the second reunion, on his birthday! Soon, we swung into party mood and singing Messmer’s Alma Mater. Thanks to the committee, who made our two 60th reunions a success!

About the author

Generous Tuscon hosts the Beaudet Family.

Gerry Geischer is retired from Milwaukee Area Technical College, where she taught Graphic Arts for 36 years. Gerry drew the cartoons in the Messmer 1949 yearbook, The Capitol. Today, she creates fine art and is an active participant in her “Writing for Publication” class.

Warren High School team successful

athleen Mahaffy, Warren, Pennsylvania, reported about her Warren Area High School Class of 1964 reunion. The two-day event included a Friday night chili party get-together, and Saturday included canoeing, all sorts of meet and greet activities, golf and dinner with a program and memorial. An instrumental version of On Eagles’ Wings played while deceased classmates’ high school pictures were shown. Artworks of Thomas Kincade were used as the opener. The class stays connected with correspondence throughout the five-year “rest” period. Then they promote their reunion in newspapers, newsletter, radio and local cable advertising, personal invitations and word-of-mouth. Mahaffy says, “We work as a team, but we have co-captains who live here locally who bring us together.”

PO BOX 335428 NORTH LAS VEGAS NV 89033 800-654-2776 • reunions.com narm@reunions.com

WHEN YOU’VE FINISHED USING THIS MAGAZINE, PLEASE RECYCLE IT. M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 9

BRANCH OFFICE PART ONE

Family History 101 by Anne Chlovechok enealogy is fun and inexpensive as family names in our lines,” long as you do the footwork she said, “And trying to chase yourself. “It’s like detective work,” them all down at once can be said Debbie Blackstone, president, overwhelming.” librarian and archivist of the Guernsey If you need to research County Genealogical Society in ancestors who lived Cambridge, Ohio. “When you want to do somewhere unfamiliar, a family tree, start with yourself and Blackstone recommends work backwards.” She cautions that each researching the area where “twig” on the tree they are from. “The must be carefully internet is good for researched and that,” she said. documented. “But be careful of “Don’t include internet genealogy anyone until you resources. They can prove he is an may contain ancestor,” she unsubstantiated said. “The best information which proof is birth and could lead you down false death records.” paths and cause you to waste a You can get both lot of time researching from the county someone else’s family line.” public health After you have gathered department where everything you can find on the person was every known relative, born or died. It is Blackstone recommends also possible to putting it all on charts. “Never obtain these write a name on a family chart Visit cemeteries where relatives are buried. records from the until you can prove the Gather information from headstones and department of vital relationship,” she cautioned. take photos. statistics in many “Document all your sources to states, by either mailing a request with a go back to them if you need to, and prove fee, or just walking in. everything you do. And the more answers “Visit cemeteries where relatives are you find, the more relatives you buried. Gather information from document, the more questions you headstones and take photos. You never create. It’s addictive!” know when those stones may be There are many different types of destroyed, and they may be your only genealogy charts available. Some charts concrete proof of a connection with someone.” But where to start? Most people have many surnames in their ancestral lines. Do you begin with Smith, Jones or Brown? Or should you track down all of them at once? Kimberly Powell, at about.com, recommends choosing one surname and sticking with it as far as you can before pursuing another. Grave stones may be concrete proof of your connection to someone. “We each have a number of

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look like a tree with generations moving up the trunk into the leaves; others are formatted like fans or bow ties and are visually simple and a good first chart for children. Photo charts are great if you have six generations of family photos. The more common sixgeneration pedigree chart has spaces for birth and death dates and places. Software charts have fields that allow you to link from one chart to another, making it easy to follow different “branches” of your family tree. Charts are usually available from local genealogical societies or libraries, which are also excellent sources of information and experienced help in tracking down difficult family connections. Charts are also available online, many for free. See sources for free charts at reunionsmag.com/free stuff. When you’ve done as much as you can and everything is recorded on charts, send a copy to each of the relatives who helped along the way. Also donate copies to your local genealogical society and library. You may help a future aspiring genealogist. Part two will continue in the next issue.

About the author Anne Chlovechok is a feature writer and reporter at the Daily & Sunday Jeffersonian in Cambridge, Ohio. She also writes regularly for Spectrum Publications, including Now & Then Magazine. Chlovechok lives in Cambridge with her children, dogs, cats, fish and a snake who wandered in during Hurricane Ike. Photo thanks to KnappNapp Family Reunion.

“We’ve held our family reunion here for 25 years! This property offers everything!” TOM MARTINO Pittsburgh, PA

Rutherfords return to the Bruce by Carey Rutherford

these relations hired a genealogist in England to dig up some facts about the distant Adam for this reunion. The details of when and how Adam and Jane and their numerous children made their way to Ontario and took up farming in the Caledon area are still unclear. Kevin has since visited the one homestead where a Rutherford still lives, a great-great grandson of the seminal Adam. No pun intended. When I was looking with Kevin at the names on the Enumeration District document, I couldn’t have imagined this spot deep in the Ontario countryside, or the lives it connected to me. Nearly 200 people came out to Owen Sound to compare heritages and hairstyles, memories and mementoes, looking each other over with the knowing eye of “Not strangers, in fact, but relatives: Family!!” It’s a change in perspective. A connection. In this era of collective amnesia, when art is disconnected from science, when nature is detached from humanity, and the future is unlinked from the past, our families have reconstructed a network to span thousands of miles and nearly a century of separation. Commonalities exist everywhere. Ruled lines with hand-written names represent nothing so much as what we’re aware of, what we make ourselves aware of when we remember, and our awareness is turbo-charged by experience. Photo credit Doug Braun

y brother, Kevin, the ancestral enthusiast, had ordered the 1850s census information for the township of Caledon, Ontario, on the Bruce Peninsula to trace the first movements of our family in Canada. So far, our mythology had Adam Rutherford battling Napoleon at Waterloo, and gathering up his wife and children, and a “war-injured leg,” to take advantage of land granted to soldiers

Rutherford Reunion

by a grateful British monarchy. Kevin was as pleased as a little kid as he places documents on a table. “I ordered microfilms of the Ontario census [enumerated] around the time that Adam and his family were supposed to have settled into the Peel County area,” said he, assuming I had a clue where that was. He laid out printouts of the microfilm images, with neatly ruled rows and columns and hand-written details referenced by family names down the left-hand side. I had only the faintest idea who these people were, but he had me. Hand-written census documents! And relatives of mine listed in detail. Two years later, we stood on the site of the house Adam’s grandson built, surrounded by about 200 people, only half of whom I’d even heard of on that day when Kevin showed me his census finds. But all these people are related to me, and come from eastern and western Canada, and the US. One of

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BRANCH OFFICE

DNA kits unlock family mysteries

he widespread availability of DNA technology is solving a lot of mysteries. Kits sold online for $135 to $400 trace ancestry, reveal paternity and even check one’s propensity for serious diseases. DNA tests are simple to do. A person swabs the inside of her cheek and sends it to a company for analysis. One test examines the Y chromosome, which passes nearly unchanged from a man to his son; another test looks at mitochondrial DNA, which is passed from a woman to all her children. DNA tests are accurate up to 99.9 percent. A half-million Americans have taken DNA tests for genealogy purposes in the past few years. However, some doctors and genetics counselors are alarmed by what some products claim results can reveal about one’s predisposition to cancer, diabetes and other diseases. Genetics can identify only a small number of diseases and professionals must interpret findings. From an article by Francis X. Donnelle in The Detroit News, Detroit, Michigan.

Family history and facebook

uliana Smith on Ancestry.com suggests there are so many ways to connect family and history on Facebook. Social networking sites encourage family historians to reconnect with family, and network with other family historians, sharing ideas, tips and information. These are some of the opportunities, Smith suggests, that social networking sites offer. RECONNECTING WITH FAMILY

You can create a “Group Page” for your ancestral groups on facebook. You can add a biographical tribute to your ancestors, a memorial page for family members who have passed away, or perhaps a family photo page, where family members share photographs and identify photos in your collection. GEOGRAPHY GROUPS

Search facebook for ancestral towns. There are pages about places and photographs created by people who live or lived there. Check the page for familiar surnames. You may be able to establish contact with a relative in the area. Social networking is great for connecting with other family historians, and for family history organizations. Common interest pages are great forums for exchanging research tips and information.

Pursuit of history leads to reunion

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heila Ruiz Harrell became interested in her ancestry at age 13, after her grandmother died and the family was sifting through Grandma’s possessions. She had written down the names of her siblings, parents and grandparents. Sheila learned that her ancestry predated California statehood by 81 years. She traced her ancestors’ migration to California in 1769, to one of the Spanish explorers who discovered San Francisco Bay. Sheila was drawn to her great-great-grandmother, Juana Bojorques, who was born in 1832 and bore 18 children. In pre-internet days, when it took much legwork to confirm information, Sheila joined a genealogy group that specializes in California’s early Spanish settlers. At family reunions, relatives shared and compared notes, expanded their knowledge, information, history and DNA. From a story by Jeff Jardine in the Modesto Bee, Modesto, California.

M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 13

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Workshop, conference and seminar sponsorship Most of these events are sponsored and presented by convention and visitors bureaus and take place on Saturdays unless noted. All prefer or require advance reservations and are free or at nominal cost. For more information and new events added, visit reunionsmag.com, and click on workshops, conferences and seminars. ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA

Call Alpharetta CVB, toll-free 877-202-5961, Carol Gryson, carol@awesomealpharetta.com ATHENS, GEORGIA

Contact Amy Clark, 706-357-4433; aclark@visitathensga.com.

istings are presented as a planning resource for your reunion. Many people mistakenly think these are Reunions magazine workshops. Most are offered by local convention and visitors bureaus and much as we’d like to take credit for them, we can’t. We do co-sponsor some when asked and our editor, Edith Wagner, is sometimes a guest speaker but these are not our workshops. We urge you to attend any in areas where you are thinking about having your reunion. You’ll learn about reunion planning and offerings in the area to help you plan and learn what is available for the reunion. If you know of any workshops that are not posted here, please send us the information. Workshops are posted free of charge in each issue and online, where you’ll also find current updates between issues.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

September 2010 Contact Angelique Alvarez, Atlanta CVB, 404-521-6572; http://www.atlantareunions.com/events.asp BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA

CVB Reunion Planner Workshop. Call 1-800-458-8085 BRANSON, MISSOURI

August 16-19, 2010 Military Reunion Planners Conference hosted by the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB. Contact Branson/Lakes Area CVB, PO Box 1897, Branson MO 65615; 800-214-3661; reunions@bransoncvb.com; www.EploreBranson.com/MilitaryReunion CHICAGO SOUTHLAND, ILLINOIS

Contact Elizabeth Baun, 888-895-8233; Elizabeth@visitchicagosouthland.com; www.visitchicagosouthland.com

Reunions magazine editor, Edith Wagner, lower right, speaking at the Family Reunion Workshop sponsored by the Fairfax County, Virginia, Convention and Visitors Bureau, Visit Fairfax.

COBB COUNTY, GEORGIA

September 2010 Family reunion planning guide, tradeshow (hotels, attractions, etc.) complimentary lunch. Free to anyone planning a family reunion in Cobb County; seating limited to two guests per reunion. Contact Kathy Buske, Cobb County CVB, 678-303-2624 or kbuske@cobbcvb.com DEKALB COUNTY, GEORGIA

May 15, June 12, July 10 & 24, August 14 & 28, September 11 & 25, October 9 & 23, November 13, 2010. Contact Carol Murray, DeKalb County CVB, 800-999-6055 DETROIT, MICHIGAN

September 18, 2010 Planning a Successful Reunion in the “D” and Hotels 101. Free planning kit and chance to win prizes. Registration required. Contact Detroit Metro CVB, 313-202-1972; reunions@visitdetroit.com; visitdetroit.com. ESTES PARK, COLORADO

November 12-14, 2010 Family Reunion University YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park Center Contact Conference Office at 800-777-9622 14 R E U N I O N S reunionsmag.com

60th anniversary Boy Scout Troop reunion

oy Scouts, Scouters, alumni and friends celebrated the 60th anniversary of Troop 3 in Hatboro, Pennsylvania, sponsored by The Hatboro Baptist Church since its birth in 1949. Local, state and national representatives congratulated the Troop and the Church for providing youth with fun, adventure, leadership and service. Flags that flew over the State Capitol and the US Capitol in honor of the troop were presented. McDonalds gave each Scout a coupon for a free sandwich. A memorabilia display and photos of Troop 3’s 60 years of Scouting included a copy of every Boy Scout Handbook from 1912 to the present. The current Scoutmaster, Bob John, joined Troop 3 as a boy in 1958. He became an Eagle Scout in 1962 and Scoutmaster in 1972. Under his leadership 122 boys have achieved Eagle Scout, the highest rank in Scouting. Visit www.hatborotroop3.org. From a story by Steve Smith on phillyBurbs.com.

Civil War 150th Commemoration

ewport News, Virginia, has many Civil War-themed opportunities, especially during the Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War (2011-2015). The historic clash between USS Monitor and CSS Virginia took place off the shores of Newport News on March 8, 1862. You can learn about the “Battle of the Ironclads” at The Mariners’ Museum’s USS Monitor Center. This is a unique opportunity for reunions to meet where history was made. To learn more, contact Cheryl Morales at 888-493-7386; cmorales@nngov.com.

FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA

Contact Dean Miller at Visit Fairfax, 703-752-9509 or dmiller@fxva.com. FLINT, MICHIGAN

Contact Renee Cobb, Flint CVB, 888-230-2586; rcobb@flint.travel. GREENWOOD, SOUTH CAROLINA

Contact Lindsay Burns, 864-953-2464; Lindsay.burns@cityofgreenwoodsc.com. GWINNETT COUNTY, GEORGIA

New/old Washington objects

special new exhibition, Bringing Them Home: 150 Years of Restoring the Washington Collection (through January 8, 2012) honors the sesquicentennial of the opening of Mount Vernon to the public in 1860. It celebrates the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association’s remarkable 150-year pursuit of original Washington artifacts widely dispersed after George and Martha Washington’s deaths. Many of the 150 objects have not been at Mount Vernon since the Washingtons lived there. Bringing Them Home tells the incredible tale of how objects have returned – and continue to return – to Mount Vernon, Virginia. See visit.mountvernon.org. [Editor’s note: I have seen this exhibit and highly recommend it. EW]

Cornering the market on comedy

econd City, the Chicago-based comedy factory, turned 50 recently. Second City has produced some of the country’s most memorable comedians. Try to imagine comedy in America over the last half century without Second City alumni. Second City is boot camp to impressionable kids who go for indoctrination to mold them into a lean, mean thought-provoking humor machine. It’s rigorous and well-scripted and calls on recruits to operate as a team. Relationships last a lifetime. It’s grueling but builds star quality. About 600 alumni performed in a reunion of revelry. Kelly Leonard, Second City’s vice president, called putting that many funny people in one place at one time a “comedy supernova.” From stories in MarketWatch by Jennifer Waters and on CBS2 by Vince Gerasole.

subscribe to free monthly email updates Email your request to editor@reunionsmag.com and look for “news for your reunion.”

Friday, July 9, 2010 Friday, October 8, 2010 ABCs of Planning a Family Reunion Complimentary lunch, Family Reunion Planning Guide. Drawing for a digital camera. Reservations only, no walk-ins. Contact Linda Murphy, GCTS, Gwinnett CVB Education Specialist, 888-494-6638; lmurphy@gcvb.org. KISSIMMEE, FLORIDA

Contact Sara Melendez-Davis at 800-831-1844, ext 42446; smelendez@floridakiss.com LAKE COUNTY, ILLINOIS

September 23-25, 2010 Host hotel Keylime Cove Indoor Waterpark Resort, Gurnee, Illinois. Workshop experience includes educational sessions, exhibition from local hotels and venues, tours and idea sharing. Meet Reunions magazine editor, Edith Wagner. Contact Kimberly Ghys, Lake County CVB, 800-Lake-Now; www.lakecountyreunions.com. LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

Contact Keri Willard, Louisville CVB, 502-560-1487; kwillard@gotolouisville.com. MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

Contact Sheila Nickelson, Meet Minneapolis, 800-445-7412; www.minneapolis.org/reunions NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA

Annual Military Reunion Planner Familiarization (FAM) Tour includes overview of the city's history, amenities, services and attractions to enhance your military reunion. Complimentary accommodations. Contact Cheryl Morales, 888-493-7386; cmorales@nngov.com. SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY, LOUISIANA

Contact Kevin Flowers, Shreveport-Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau, 800-551-8682; kflowers@sbctb.org. WINTER PARK, COLORADO

October 22-24, 2010 Family Reunion University YMCA of the Rockies, Snow Mountain Ranch Contact Conference Office, 800-777-9622 YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN

Contact Mary Zurcchero, Ypsilanti CVB, 734-483-4444; mzucchero@ypsilanti.org. M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 15

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Hail the pre-con meeting!

gain in this issue, we are fortunate to share the expertise of Dean Miller, National Sales Manager at Visit Fairfax. Dean’s particular hotel experience harkens back to when he was a sales representative for several popular hotels in the Fairfax County/Washington, DC, area. I have been working with the hotel salesperson for months, but still feel we should meet just before the reunion to go over details. What do you suggest?

Does your reunion have a banner and/or signs? Discuss where these will be displayed.

Review rooms the hotel has assigned for your hospitality room, meeting room, children’s room, and (most important) your formal dinner. Are they still appropriate for your functions?

Will the hotel keep any of their facilities (i.e., swimming pool, restaurant, lounge, etc.) open extra hours for your group? Be sure everyone is on the same page with changes.

Your instincts here are dead on – the planner (or committee) should most definitely schedule a “Preconvention meeting” with the hotel salesperson handling the reunion.

Review menus for your formal dinner and any other meals you have scheduled. Are menus correct? Is a special item to be served? Are there favors, programs, centerpieces, or other special items that must placed on tables?

This is known as a “pre-con” in hotel lingo, and ideally should take place approximately three to four days before the first day of the family’s reunion. Any further in advance, and much of the information will be lost; any closer to the start of the reunion, and there may not be adequate time for the hotel to address issues. Ideally, a pre-con meeting should be held on a Monday or Tuesday afternoon for a reunion beginning on Thursday or Friday. In addition to the planner/committee and your hotel salesperson, the following hotel staff should be at the meeting: representatives from the front desk, housekeeping department, kitchen/culinary team, banquet department, restaurant(s) and the General Manager, if at all possible. The salesperson will assemble everyone for you; you don’t have to contact them yourself! At the pre-con, you’ll want to run through your entire reunion program, as it affects the hotel and their staff members. For example:

Are you dancing at your formal dinner? Will you need a dance floor or stage for a band or disc jockey? How big must it be?

Will you need a microphone and/or projection equipment to show photos/movies/videos?

Do you plan to display scrapbooks, photos, or other memorabilia? Can the display area be locked when not in use to ensure family keepsakes do not “disappear”?

If family members will be dining in the hotel’s restaurant(s), what time do they want to be served? If 150 people descend on the hotel’s restaurant at 8:30 on Saturday morning, expecting to eat a full breakfast in 30 minutes prior to departing to go sightseeing, the restaurant may not be able to accommodate that many people at once. Discuss mutually agreeable seating times. Likewise, if folks will want to dine together at larger tables (six or more people), let the restaurant know in advance, so they can be set up and ready.

Will you have meals (i.e., a picnic) out of the hotel? If so, let the hotel know to not to expect your group for lunch!

Does anyone in your group have a special medical condition the hotel needs to be aware of (heart problem, epilepsy or mobility issues)?

Are members bringing pets? Review the hotel’s pet policies and procedures.

And, if you haven’t done so already, obtain the names/ addresses/phone numbers for nearby service providers that your group may require (i.e., nearest grocery store, 24-hour night pharmacy, house of worship, shopping center, emergency care center, party supply store, etc.).

Q? A!

Are you still expecting as many people as when you last spoke with your hotel representative? More? Fewer? The hotel must know this! Provide the housekeeping department with names of those who will require special items in their rooms: rollaway beds, cribs, or refrigerators for medicine. Hotel staff will attend to these requests prior to your arrival. Let the front desk know if a member needs a handicapped-accessible room, or one near the elevators, on a low floor, or some other special request. These “special” rooms can be reserved specifically over your reunion dates. This also applies if a family “VIP” is to be upgraded to a suite or other special accommodation. If you’ve chartered a motor coach to take your group sightseeing, to your picnic, etc., inform the hotel about this so arrangements can be made for loading and unloading at an appropriate spot outside the hotel. If you are providing “welcome bags” or other gift items for attendees at check-in, will you need a registration table(s) or will welcome bags be handed out by front desk staff? Review these details.

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Obviously, you will have discussed many of the points noted above with the hotel salesperson months before, prior to signing your contract. Nonetheless, you’ll want to review everything again, to ensure that hotel staff knows what to expect, how much and how many to expect, and when to expect it. With good communication and foresight, any surprises at your reunion should be happy ones!

July 17er reunions by Eleanor Chamberlain

ur members were all born in July 1917. At one time, there were over 400 from all over the US, Australia and Nova Scotia. I joined in the 1970s. Once a year we have a reunion somewhere in the US. I attended a reunion in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; another in Lincoln, Nebraska; and two in Tucson, Arizona. We held our three-day meetings in hotels with conference rooms and finished with a goodbye program (banquet). Our group got smaller and smaller due to deaths or just plain old age. In the late 1980s I was the hostess with the help of my daughters. I was going to give it my all. Sure I thought I was a spring chicken. I even forgot how many planning trips it would take. But it was worth it. I chose Toledo, Ohio, a 60-mile drive, because it could be reached easily by air, bus or railroad. I planned ahead step by step! I would show what “country folks” could do! A friend met the planes at the airport holding a “July 17er” sign. Sixty-five attended, almost as many as other reunions. The meeting was carried on in a humorous way, so no one got bored. A few husbands reluctantly came along because they got bored. We fixed that.

My daughter grouped the men together, and asked each man to tell if they were retired and what work they did. They weren’t strangers very long. I had an interesting speaker, who was born in 1917. They loved his talk. One day, my daughter – who is a Tour Bus Escort – made plans for those who were interested to see the sights around Toledo. How they enjoyed it. We kept them entertained in some way all the time, which everyone seemed to enjoy. As usual a couple old gals complained they didn’t have any time to play cards. I volunteered to help with the next meeting in Tucson. My daughter and I flew out and met the hostess, who was a go-getter and had everything planned well. The mayor of Tucson was to give the speech. Wonderful! But I “decided” to have a heart attack and was taken by the EMS to the hospital. That was Thursday and we wouldn’t go home until Sunday. I pleaded well so I could go back to the motel but had to stay bedfast. I heard they had a real lively meeting. My daughter planned a bus tour. The group was excited, tired, slept well and they forgot about their cards. Business meetings last about ten

minutes. No one seems to remember who the officers are. Many canes and a couple walkers give their assistance. Each member was asked to bring a wrapped Bingo gift. Bingo is played each forenoon, afternoon, and evening. Bingo is strenuous and I don’t believe they miss playing cards now. You know it takes time to visit about our aches and pains, pills, doctor visits, and sleepless nights. You feel a little better when you see other gals on their last legs, the same place as you. The members are being called by death at a very fast rate and now the membership is small. Of course, this year we will all be 93 years old. But reunions are still being held annually. I haven’t been able to attend but I hear from those who are there. Nearly every member has her daughter along. Times have changed as time marches on. The membership that was over 475 has dwindled down to less than 100. But God has been good to his July 17ers. We kicked up our heels while we could.

About the author Eleanor Chamberlain lives and writes in Montpelier, Ohio.

‘Murder’ for a good cause

Friday Casual

he Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka, California, staged an interactive mystery, Murder at the Class Reunion, with proceeds benefiting the Alzheimer’s Day Care Center and the Senior Information and Assistance Program. The best and brightest of “Southwest Eureka High” walked down Memory Lane at their all-class reunion. Hunky jocks and wild boys, smart girls and prom queens danced and dished. Perky cheerleaders and onceGoth princes sipped and savored. Beatle-maned birds boogied with class clowns as techno geeks checked their Blackberries and looked for the girls who got away. And all preened and planned and plotted. A mystery unfolded with memories and malice, as revenge and retribution, hurt pride and seething passion drove a murder story, old-school style. The event featured secrets revealed, music, dancing and appetizers that reminded guests of their high-school years. Specially-constructed cocktails: First Kiss, Touchdown, Science Project, Second Base and Detention were served. The mystery was created and presented by Ooh-La-La Girls under the direction of Edward Olsen. From the Times-Standard, Eureka, California.

n tough economic times, tuxedoes look out of place. Scale down the formality of a posh event, and the savings will add up. Guests in formal attire expect finer cuisine than those in work clothes, says Greg Jenkins, partner of Bravo Productions, based in Long Beach, California. Also, he notes, if you can get by with a lunch event instead of dinner, the food costs less, and guests drink less. A Frugal Planner’s Tip of the Week from Meetings & Conventions magazine

Country’s Family Reunion produces a new series

ountry’s Family Reunion entertainment franchise is producing a new “reunion” series called CFR’s Songwriters’ Reunion. The series focuses on some of country music’s biggest songwriters telling their stories, inspirations and background. The Songwriters’ Reunion show will be released in early summer 2010. Over 23 music writing legends are featured. Season 11 of Country’s Family Reunion will feature Vince Gill, Lorrie Morgan, Brad Paisley, BJ Thomas, George Jones, Ray Benson, Charlie Pride and Billy Grammer. M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 17

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One Tree Hill fan reunion

ne Tree Hill fans held a reunion in Wilmington, North Carolina, where The CW Television Network series is filmed. It was organized and planned by Christy-Anne Arancibia, a fan of the show, and 30 fans came from across the US, Canada, France and the United Kingdom. Fans met at a welcome orientation and group dinner on Sunday. Their itinerary included a private tour of EUE/Screen Gems Studios, a motorcoach tour of locations used during the show’s seven seasons, and dinner at Hell’s

Reunion a big draw in West Medford

hree longtime residents of a closeknit neighborhood in West Medford, Massachusetts (near Boston), hold a neighborhood reunion every third year on Memorial Day weekend. The reunion started as a one-time thing in 1996 to celebrate 50th birthdays. Now it’s a fivetime thing and counting. An email list, fundraiser and neighborhood blog keep friends in the loop. The event draws more than 200, many traveling from out of state. “It’s a very friendly area where we grew up, so people always come back,” a planner said. Each reunion has a theme. In 2009 it was “We Are Family.” The festivities included breakfast at the Community Center, a tent party with music at Dugger Park, and a black-tie dinner at Montvale Plaza in Stoneham. From a story by Travis Anderson in the Boston Globe, Boston, Massachussetts.

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Kitchen – a location for One Tree Hill (The CW, 2003-present) and Dawson’s Creek (The WB, 1998-2003). When asked what one surprise would make the top of their wish list, Arancibia responded, “We would love to run into the cast and crew that give us this amazing show week after week.” Wilmington & North Carolina’s Cape Fear Coast has “starred” in hundreds of film and television projects. Visitors can experience “Hollywood East” with weekend tours of EUE/Screen Gems Studios (www.screengemsstudios.com) and the Hollywood Location Walk, a guided tour of Downtown TV/movie locations (www.hollywoodnc.com). For more info, visit www.gocapefearcoast.com. Arancibia, from Miami, Florida, advertised her idea on “One Tree Hill” fan sites, chat rooms and blogs. She set up a “One Tree Hill Fan Reunion” website (onetreehillreunion.blogspot.com/), where fans learned about the trip, and her Twitter account offered trip detail updates. From stories by Amy Hotz on StarNewsOnline.com.

Do planners get respect?

hanks to northstartravelmedia.com for ideas we’ve adapted here to answer the question: Do planners get respect? Does your reunion group understand and respect what you do? Do your members understand the importance of what you do? Yes, completely To some extent No

Do your members understand the intricacies of the reunion planning process? Yes, completely To some extent No Do you get constructive feedback from your members after reunions? Yes, always Sometimes No Do you experience a feeling of post-reunion depression after your reunion is over? Yes, often Sometimes No Or do you experience an adrenalin high after your reunion is over? Yes, often Sometimes No When a reunion goes really well, how are you rewarded? (select all that apply) I pat myself on the back. My group congratulates me. We celebrate within my immediate family. My group gives me a gift or recognition. Nobody rewards or congratulates me. To what extent do you enjoy reunion planning? I love it and feel fortunate to be able to do it. It’s a love/hate situation. I dislike it and would welcome a change.

Harmelinks honor military members

he 107th (2009) and 108th (2010) Harmelink Family Reunions focus on veterans and military personnel currently serving with the US Armed Forces. Reunion themes are patriotic, with the emphasis on current family service men and women and the many veterans in the family. During our lifetimes, we have seen our country engaged in WWI, WWII, Korean Conflict, Vietnam, Afghan and Iraq Wars, plus many police actions. Harmelinks have served in all of these and deserve to be recognized for their contributions and bravery. The Harmelink database includes nearly 100 service men and women descended from four siblings: John Harmelink Sr. (64), Annie Wissink (20), Minnie De Vries (8) and, through son “River Gerrit,” Henry J. Harmelink (2). Reported by Vernon Harmelink, Phoenix, Arizona, whom we would agree is the “Longtime, Serious Family Record Keeper.”

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M E M O R I A L DAY W E E K E N D S TO R I E S

It’s the Dandy-Chattman reunion

he weekend long Dandy-Chattman Family Reunion ends with a family meeting where members vote on the location for the next reunion. Their last was in Woonsocket, Rhode Island; the next biannual reunion will be in the Washington, DC, area on Memorial Day 2011. The family elects officers during the family meeting at each reunion. They have a president, vice president, secretary, corresponding secretary and treasurer. The Rhode Island family members have monthly meetings where they discuss budget and planning. No one organizer plans Dandy-Chattman reunions. When reunions are in Rhode Island, organizing requires several committees, with members from several generations on each committee. Family members in Rhode Island have fundraisers to help offset some of the cost. Last year, they sold sweet potato pies to pay for the chartered bus to transport them to Washington, DC. Also, each adult member over 18 who is not in college is responsible for a $100 registration fee; college students pay $25. The registration fee includes a “goody bag,” weekend activities, cookout and banquet. Before any money is released from the family bank account, it must be voted on at the monthly meeting. Once voted on, the treasurer dispenses checks. The requesting individual must provide receipts for bookkeeping. Very few family members live outside Rhode Island, but they are informed of issues addressed at meetings so they can vote. Teens are encouraged to participate in family meetings and vote on issues. And they, of course, have responsibilities during the reunion. Teens work at the registration table with an adult, and teens and children are included in the banquet program. The family always has a “hospitality suite” where members meet and spend time outside of planned activities. The family honors and pays tribute to the eldest living

Dandy Chattman Family Reunion

female (Matriach) and male (Patriach) in the family. It is a family tradition to formally crown (with tiara and crown) the current elders when their predecessors pass away. Deceased family members are always acknowledged during the banquet. The reunion is promoted by word of mouth, a family website and a newsletter. During recent reunions, they had a party where members dressed in ’70s fashions. They always include activities and games that appeal to teens and younger children. They pay tribute to family members, past and present, who serve in the military. The theme for the 2009 reunion was “Get in the Groove: Celebrate Our Family from the Past and Present.” This family is big on donating to charities and scholarship funds; they are considering incorporation so they can create more community service events. Reported by Dawn Dandy-Jones, Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Memories flow at cemeteries

Family reunion marks 70th year at Goddard State Park

enry W. Smith, Civil War veteran and pioneer, was father of 20 children with two wives. In 1937 Smith was buried in his final resting place in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Wendell Cook, 85, Smith’s grandson, comes each Memorial Day weekend to honor his ancestors. Memorial Day, once known as “Decoration Day,” began after the Civil War, when Union survivors decorated the graves of fallen comrades. The Cooks were among a steady stream of visitors at Mount Pleasant as people set aside some of their holiday weekend to remember loved ones. At the Cook Family Reunion they tell stories about their predecessors buried at Mount Pleasant. From a story by Jonathan Ellis in the Sioux Falls Argus Leader, Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

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hode Island’s Goddard Memorial State Park has been the Memorial Day destination for the Laurie, Darigan, Cullen, Butler and Hopkins families since 1939. About a dozen people gathered for the first reunion; the annual event now attracts about 150. For the group’s 70th anniversary, the state Department of Environmental Management – marking the 100th anniversary of Rhode Island’s state park system – honored the family. State officials joined the reunion for a special tree planting at picnic site 70. The family donated the Okame flowering cherry tree – believed to be the only one of its kind among the 81 species already in the nearly 500-acre public park. Rosemary Cullen, 89, was the oldest family member in attendance, joined by three-week-old Liam Michael Merenda, whose mother thought he was too young to make the trip but succumbed to intense family pressure. Cullen’s daughter said the reunion reminded her of the importance of family, even in a family with too many cousins to count. From a story by Steve Peoples in the Providence Journal, Providence, Rhode Island.

Reunion in Wautoma celebrates perseverance by Matthew Ellis Wilson my sister’s freelance singing group, he last Saturday in June was the later that afternoon and she agreed. day of the Bauer Family Reunion Turns out the woman’s brother went to at Bird Creek Park, just west of high school with my uncle. Wautoma, Wisconsin. Bauer is my Our family reunion is a yearly event paternal grandmother’s maiden name. celebrated by four generations of Punctuality has never been a trait Wilsons and Bauers. But this reunion on the Wilson side of the family – was a special milestone, celebrating passed down through generations – not only the family, but also the 50th considering I was three hours late, anniversary of three marriages. Ted unable to locate Highway 41 North. I and Judy Bauer, Bob and Caroline guess you could say that “just wing it” Andler, and Karen and Phil Pettit were is a fitting family motto. all married in 1959. My sister and her My Aunt June Wilson thought it Tri-Tonez were propositioned to help would be neat for our family to go commemorate the occasion by singing Hawaiian. She decorated our pavilion Till There Was You from The Music with luau-themed streamers, pink Man, and I Will Be Here by Stephen flamingoes and inflatable palm trees. Curtis Chapman. We also helped ourselves to colorful The assembly of 55 assorted leis and tiny umbrellas for our drinks. Wilsons and Bauers celebrated My dad, Lawrence – one of the heritage and the endurance of family most dedicated members of our family bonds. Bauer heritage has made its reunion cause, arrived with my mark in western Wisconsin. The mother, Susan, about a half-hour childhood home of Ester Weigner, before noon to help set up the mother of my grandmother Claire pavilion. Someone was unloading Bauer Wilson, still stands just west of crock-pots and supplies from her van, The Tri-Tonez entertain Bauer Family Reunion. Milwaukee near Whitewater and is a (l to r) Stephanie Osgood, Katherine Wilson and Trevor Dominiczak. so he gave her a hand. My dad had a registered National Historic place. The couple of tablecloths laid out and Wilsons and Bauers continue to celebrate their heritage warmers plugged in when the woman returned with a second through loyalty to the preservation of our bonds, which has load of eateries. She looked around, then told my dad she been a priority second only to the drive to preserve our future. didn’t recognize anyone. Turns out she was a member of the Klusmeyer family and had simply assumed she was at the right About the author pavilion. She noticed my sister, Kait, and her friends setting up Matthew Ellis Wilson is a graduating senior at the University a keyboard and oboe, and said she taught music at a school in of Wisconsin-Milwaukee who interned with Reunions magazine. Wautoma. My dad invited her back to listen to the Tri-Tonez,

Taylors tour Texas

escendants of Joseph and Nettie Taylor of Washington County, Texas, will next celebrate their 22nd family reunion. Each year the Taylor Family Reunion gets better and better. I will stay up all night getting things together and making sure we have everything we need: pens, pencils, paper, scissors, paper clips, tape, push pins, good food, music, and games for kids and adults alike. Location is based on the number of family members who live in the area: Dallas over 200, Fort Worth over 400, Washington, Texas, over 200. The majority rules, which means most

family reunions are in Fort Worth because the committee lives in Fort Worth. They go to Washington every five years. Dues are $35 per year. They try to keep the budget at $2000 per year. The next reunion is always announced and promoted during the present family reunion. Activities included a candlelight ceremony, program and church service on Sunday. Cousin Lucy prepared a word puzzle (seek and find) containing family members’ names. Reported by Mary Taylor, Fort Worth, Texas. M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 21

MASTERPLAN

Wards meet annually

was just 12 when we had our first reunion and I’ve missed only one (for my honeymoon). My children and now my grandchildren have attended since birth. There isn’t one person in the family who wants to miss it. Everyone has a sense of the importance of keeping this tradition going. The family of Charles Austin Ward has two reunion funds. One was started by a grandfather to be used by the organizer for planning, and the other is specifically for planning the 50th anniversary reunion. The reunion lasts one week, starting with an orientation meeting and get-together. Expenses for the week in July are divided evenly among attendees and money is then returned to the fund. There is no strict budget, but organizers keep costs

Ward Family Reunion

22 R E U N I O N S reunionsmag.com

to a minimum. All expenses are put into one big bucket for the week. The formula is figuring out the cost per person per day multiplied by the number of days. We also have families from all socio-economic levels and keeping cost to a minimum is of primary importance to keep attendance up. Special activities are usually chosen by the chairperson based on the This quilt was made using quilting squares embroidered site and location. The by Trudy Ward Guetler’s Ward Family Reunion grandmother. No one knows tries to go someplace when she started the quilt, but it was never finished. The different each year. squares were found in a They’ve been to 26 trunk when an aunt died. When the family was looking states. The location is for ways to raise money for chosen by the elected the 50th reunion, they put chairperson. squares together into a wall hanging and raffled it off. The most difficult piece is finding just the right accommodation for the group, which ranges in size from 40 to 50. Since we like to do our own cooking, a large kitchen with space to dine or play together is important. Kids are invited to attend the annual business meeting and encouraged to help in planning. They may also be assigned duties during the week. Reported by Trudy Ward Guetler, Cockeysville, Maryland.

TIPS FOR LIVING:

How to act at family reunions by Robert Walsh

f it’s June, it must be the beginning of family reunion season. And you’re thanking your lucky stars that it wasn’t your turn to plan it this time around. But just because you didn’t have to plan it doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. Somebody – or even a committee – went to the trouble of deciding the program. It may be an elaborate reunion in an exotic location or a picnic in the park. Wherever it is, what are your obligations?

• Let your children know before the reunion what kind of behavior you expect from them. Once there, watch to make sure they haven’t forgotten what you talked about. • Talk to others, not just your immediate family. Introduce yourself to people you don’t recognize. But in the conversations, it’s best to avoid some topics, such as politics and religion.

• Reunions aren’t free, so pay your fair share promptly. Many families divide the costs and let you know how much your bill is.

• Be gracious. If you find yourself getting stressed about what’s going on or you disagree with how some of the activities are going, just chill. It may not be the way you would have done it, but just go with the flow and enjoy the moment.

• If it’s a potluck event, make sure you get your dish there on time. If it’s supposed to be cold, keep it cold. If it’s supposed to be hot, insulate the dish while it’s being transported.

• Body language is important. Try to look like you’re enjoying your time together – not like you’d rather be anywhere else.

• Speaking of food, control yourself when you’re filling your plate and remember that others will want to eat, too. If your 10-year-old grabs nine brownies, that’s probably at least seven too many.

• Thank organizers for their planning and work. A follow-up note would be appreciated. Reprinted with permission from Mormon Times and the author.

• Be sure to RSVP. The organizers need to know how many people will be there, so don’t make them guess about you.

Burtons turning 40

uly 2010 will be the 40th year for the Burton Reunion. It started in July 1970 and has continued without missing a year. They always have it the Saturday closest to the 4th of July at the Greenburg (Indiana) Park. Knowing the date and place saves on postage. They get together to catch up on family news and remember those who have passed on. Activities include Bingo, euchre and horseshoe tournaments, door prizes and tossing water balls. Trophies are given for winners of card and horseshoe tournaments. A white elephant auction is held to raise funds to pay for the shelter, doors prizes and trophies. Every family brings something wrapped in newspaper to be auctioned after a pitch-in dinner. There is a special memory of one year when a young couple joined for the day. Everyone just assumed they were part of the family. Turns out they had the same name as one family member, but their reunion was up and around the bend. They had such a good time, they asked if they could come back the next year. Anyone related to Carvel or Malinda Burton is welcome to join the next reunion. Reported by Dee Dudgeon, Batesville, Indiana.

M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 23

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Find reunion requirements at Lake of the Ozarks

Uncle Adolf’s Farm by Kevin Heaton

very year, Central Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks is home to hundreds of reunions. The Lake area offers everything a successful reunion requires: lodging, dining, activities and attractions for any group and budget. Its central location makes it easily accessible by car. In fact, the Lake of the Ozarks is within a day’s drive for millions of people. And the Lake area’s natural beauty makes it a perfect setting for any gathering. Several properties have designated staff who work closely with reunion groups, like Michele Burrows, director of sales at The Resort at Port Arrowhead in Lake Ozark (resortatportarrowhead.com). “Our resort is family-friendly, with a lot of fun and affordability built in. So it’s really a natural for family reunions,” she says. The resort hosts more than 50 reunions each year. The big thing here is the pool area. The summertime activities director arranges lots of fun events for kids, and families love our poolside Dive-In Movies. All groups who stay at The Resort at Port Arrowhead receive a designated welcome area, name badges and packets with area information. Resort staff help reunion groups plan special events, complete with a meeting room, DJ and photographer. Kids age 19 and under stay for free, and those 12 and under dine for free at the resort (when accompanied by an adult). The Barnard family of Missouri can vouch for reuniting at The Resort at Port Arrowhead. This group of 20-plus adults and kids, now representing four generations, has held family reunions at The Resort for seven years. “It’s been great. The resort is so kidfriendly. The grandkids love to play in the pool and enjoy the contests like biggest splash,” says Patriarch Gary Barnard. “The restaurant is excellent and the staff are all fun and friendly.” Barnard says the group mostly stays at the resort. “We love it that we don’t have to leave the premises to have a good time. Everybody does what they want to do. Some of the kids rent a boat and go water skiing and some rent jet skis. The adults hang out at the pool and the little ones enjoy the free mini-golf,” he says. “But we do venture out to the Osage Beach Premium Outlets and the Bagnell Dam Strip. The Resort is conveniently located to all of these activities.”

24 R E U N I O N S reunionsmag.com

Family singing on Uncle Adolf’s back porch.

In the spring of every year the family came from far and near, to the ripe and fertile fields, to Uncle Adolf’s farm. To have some fun and fellowship, sing some songs and laugh a bit, faith and love were everywhere a place with rural charm.

Watermelon, raisin pie, homemade bread and beans, ham and chicken, cherry crisp and other luscious things. Ernie said the blessing, Aunt Eva gave the call, silos ready for the wheat the stalks are full tall.

Prairie dogs and rattlesnakes, horseshoes, pasture ball, lookout for that fresh cowpie Rhode Island rooster calls. Kids eat in the basement, it’s time to load your plate, don’t tease the bull, don’t wear red and shut the pasture gate.

Most of them in heaven now, round His golden throne, praising Him whom they all served in their eternal home. Where crops can never fail, and life won’t pass away, cloudless lands, eternal light, the final holiday. In the spring of every year the family came from far and near, to the ripe and fertile fields, to Uncle Adolf’s farm.

About the poet Kevin Heaton lives and writes in Aiken, South Carolina. He has had poetry published in the Kansas Poetry Archive.

Postcards that make your reunion point! Send

save save the the date date when you’ve set it!

Send TIME IS RUNNING OUT when it is!

Custom Printing – $45 p/hundred; 50¢ each Fill-in cards $15 p/hundred; 20¢ each plus s/h: 100-200 cards – $5, over 200 – $10 Send message, check & request to: REUNION POSTCARDS PO Box 11727 Milwaukee WI 53211-0727. To charge, call 800-373-7933.

Johnsons stay close Photo credit Bruce Johnson

by Bruce Johnson

y father’s brother Gus, a blacksmith, was the only one of six brothers who initiated anything resembling a clan. If he could have dropped in on the family reunion last summer, he would have marveled at the gathering on grandson Brad’s spread of three acres in Merton, Wisconsin. Gus’s gathering descendents number well over a hundred. Of Gus and his wife, Anna’s, six children, five lived to maturity and raised families, and their children are raising families, so it’s easy to get into three digits. Only one of Gus’s six children is still living. Harvey, whose son hosted this reunion, lives in Donna, Texas. Harvey and I are two of the three survivors of that second generation. The Gus family has always been cohesive. After Uncle Gus died in 1972, the children fell into a pattern of annual gatherings. There is a summer outing of camping, fishing, swimming and picnicking, and a Thanksgiving dinner. Thirty-seven years after Gus’s passing, the cohesion is still holding. I can offer no reasons for such familial longevity and camaraderie, but it is obvious that regeneration must restart the fire, and it is no easy matter generating interest among the young. My wife, daughter Denise and I are the only cousins outside the immediate family who attend these gatherings. We’ve done this for a long time, and the perspective on family and the generations is illuminating. This family has the ability and will to energize itself, and most important, the generation following. Getting children into the mix is important. I saw young adults taking more

Johnson Family Reunion

than a passing interest in family affairs, the same adults who a few short years ago were children who seemed to have little interest. There is some sort of generational juice flowing in Uncle Gus’s lineage. I got to thinking about this long Norwegian-American saga. There is week-old Darien, his father Shannon, his father Steve, his mother Aldeen, her father Gus, and his father Gunerius, who came from Norway exactly 140 years ago. On a trip to Norway last summer we added two more names to that list. Johannes, Gunerius’s father (1807-1873) and Ole, Johannes’s father (d. 1837). From Ole to Darien: eight generations.

Makes you think there may be cosmic continuity in clans after all. I ran across some words by American novelist Peter de Vries that may provide a clue to what’s at work in this family, and probably many others: “Who of us is mature enough for offspring before the offspring themselves arrive? The value of marriage is not that adults produce children but that children produce adults.”

About the author Bruce Johnson, also active with the Knapp-Napp Family Reunion, lives and writes in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

Fanning Family Reunion!!

uElla D. Brown is vice president of the Fanning Family Reunion, Greater Cleveland Chapter. They’ve had reunions in Cleveland with just the Cleveland families, but they were put to a test last summer when they hosted the big family reunion. Eighty people attended, including cousins ages one to 92 from Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Massachusetts and California. Brown chose the Kalahari Resort & Water Park in Sandusky, Ohio, which, she says, had everything and no one had to leave the resort. It was perfect, she concluded. And sales manager Mike Thatcher was made an honorary cousin because he had been “more than helpful to us.” Reported by LuElla Brown, Cleveland, Ohio. M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 25

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Bryant Family Reunion experience

ixty-five descendants of Sam and Maria Bryant assembled for the

BRYANT REUNION SPONSORS

yearly topic at holiday gatherings, but

amily members and friends donated items for prizes. We composed a donation request letter and sent it to local businesses. We encouraged them to provide brochures, business cards or promotional items (pens, key rings, etc.) to place in our welcome bags for each attendee. In exchange for their kindness, we announced their names at reunion events and listed them in our souvenir booklet. After the reunion, I had thank you cards printed (very inexpensively by VistaPrint.com) featuring a color photo of the group on the front and a message inside thanking them for making our reunion a success.

the baby boomers, who had planned it

SPONSOR DONATIONS

earlier, told us Generation Xers that the

Items were used as prizes and included the following. Pens, tote bags, cups, iPod speakers and other promotional items – Bank of America Five magazine subscriptions – Reunions magazine Autographed novels – author Victoria Christopher Murray Autographed novel – author Kendra Norman-Bellamy Gift cards from restaurants – Coastal Ale House, Bistro 90 and Fresh Catch Seafood Free haircut – Wilson’s Salon Avon products – Avon representative Michelle Soles Two tickets – Ripley’s Aquarium

Bryant Family Reunion 14 years after the last one. We decided to host the event in our origin city, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Restarting the reunion had been a

torch was passed: If we wanted a reunion we would have to do the work. We finally stopped talking and got to work. Our first meeting was one year before the reunion. The greatest challenge was gathering addresses because many had moved. We sent surveys to determine interest and get feedback about date and location. I was elected president but because I’d never planned a family reunion before, I attended a couple of planning workshops

harder to make this reunion a success. My

received from sponsors. At our Saturday

family proved her theory incorrect. A

evening dinner banquet, we honored the

little faith goes a long way!

five living grandchildren of Sam and

The reunion was a fun-filled weekend.

Maria Bryant and presented them with

in Atlanta. One of the speakers said that

On Friday night, we had a fish fry at a

plaques; their biographies were featured

once a reunion dies down, it’s virtually

local park where activities included

in our souvenir booklets; two of them

impossible to get it restarted again. I used

softball, bingo, hula hoop contests and

were present to accept their awards in

the comment to motivate me to work

dancing. We offered prizes we had

person. We also awarded prizes to the couple married the longest/shortest, youngest and oldest members and the person who traveled farthest. Another highlight of the weekend was the 50/50 raffle, from which one member walked away with $70. On Sunday, we worshipped at a local church, where the service ended with a special prayer for our family. Planning this reunion was a lot of hard work but the smiles on everyone’s faces and the laughter made it all worthwhile. I can’t wait until our family cruise in 2011! Reported by Devonia Wilson, Daraville, Georgia, Bryant Family

After the reunion, I had thank you cards printed (very inexpensively by VistaPrint.com) featuring a color photo of the group on the front and a message inside thanking them for making our reunion a success.

26 R E U N I O N S reunionsmag.com

Reunion President.

Destination Breckenridge by Robert McCray

ometimes the perfect, pre-planned backyard reunion – brats, watermelon and beer, fun-and-games – doesn’t fit. As the family’s interests and abilities expand, the extended family becomes a new universe. Old reunion formulas don’t apply. Sometimes you have to start all over. One alternative for a new beginning is to pick an exciting destination. If you pick the right place, chances are that exploring and adventure will overcome family stereotypes. A new location can help three generations grow closer through a suitable combination of lodging, dining and activities. Breckenridge, Colorado (www.townofbreckenridge.com), is just such a destination. In winter, it’s a magnet for downhill and cross country skiers but, come summer, we found it the perfect spot for a family reunion. Colorado is the roof of the Rockies. Studies show the happiest people are the religious and those who live in the mountains. My guess is the magic of the mountains, also accounts for happy family reunions. The high country is a great launch pad for hiking, biking, birding, boating, wildflowerviewing and magnificent vistas.

The base of the Mt. Royal hiking trail, just off the recreation trail from Frisco to Breckenridge, is a good spot for a water break and checking sunscreen.

RIDE THE HIGH COUNTRY

If the kids are into theme parks, the Peak 8 Fun Park blends the “wild ride” mystique with high country ambience. The alpine slide, reminiscent of a bobsled with wheels (and brakes), is a popular attraction. Meanwhile, hikers can take the Peak 8 Ski Chairlift up the mountain and hike mountain top trails. The nine-mile bike trail from Breckenridge takes off downhill to Frisco, with trails to Copper Mountain, Vail, and Keystone. Bike rentals are easily available. We biked the trail along the shoreline of Lake Dillon through the White River National Forest, through wetlands, woods and wildflowers (alpine lupen, astors and others), with rest stop telescopes for viewing osprey and eagles. THE ARMY TRAVELS ON ITS STOMACH

When there’s no cooking or clean up, more’s the opportunity for good times. And culinary The shores of the Blue River in downtown Breckenridge offer a peaceful respite from shopping, allowing adventure is another way to build memories. onlookers to enjoy the antics of kids and dogs wading in the riffles. Breckenridge has over 50 restaurants. Lodgepodge: From the range of lodging options we picked ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH The Lodge at Breckenridge (www.thelodgeatbreck.com). It is The major push, of course, is getting up into the mountains, among our top three all-time favorite places to stay, because of and the quickest way is a trek up one of the over 40 hiking the breathtaking view of Ten Peaks and the ski runs. The view trails in Summit County. Trails come in beginner, intermediate from the lodge restaurant, accompanied by classical music and and advanced levels. Our Denver-resident daughter scouted a marvelous continental breakfast, is inspirational. multi-generation, age-compatible trails. She took us to Mt. We’ll be going back soon to “Climb the mountains and get Royal, an intermediate trail near Frisco, Colorado. It was a their good tidings,” as John Muir said. In fact, from reports steep trail, and when our four-year-old granddaughter started back, Breckenridge may turn out to be the new “backyard” for crying, we thought, “Oh, oh, too hard.” But it turned out she our annual family reunions. Contact the Breckenridge Welcome just didn’t want to be back with grandma and grandpa, but up Center (888-251-2417). front with the kids. Nature’s hiking poles (aka fallen branches) were abundant and grandma picked a handy walking stick to About the author investigate off-trail wildflowers. About halfway up Mt. Royal Bob McCray is a community college journalism teacher, and we found the remains of Masontown, a ghost town, and tailings writer, who lives with his wife in Evanston, Illinois. from abandoned mines.

M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 27

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Summer reunion scrapbook by Kelley Tatman

he family reunion is where hungry hearts get a lovin’ spoonful of family time! A fusion of the photo album with the reunion can spawn a scrapbook to document the event, proving that your reunions are never inane or unpredictable! Scrapbooks get loved ones involved in a project that results in a family treasure.

POINT AND SHOOT

Assuming your members come armed with cameras, be prepared to hand out preaddressed, oversized envelopes they can use for mailing duplicate prints to you. Recruit the matriarch or patriarch to write a reflection of the day’s events as a personal, newsy touch. Keep an invitation as a memento and reminder of dates and places. Encourage kids to provide colorful drawings. Record fun facts for “Written Memories.” What games or sports were played? Who won? Who grew the most (in height, not girth)? Who traveled farthest or fastest? Who’s the biggest ham? Gather everyone for a group photo for the scrapbook centerpiece (and a readymade Christmas card portrait). Take the group picture as soon as the last person arrives – before little ones play in the sand or wear spillage from picnic eats. Our family lines up each generation: seniors at the top, their 28 R E U N I O N S reunionsmag.com

offspring next and so on. If you don’t want to take chances, hire a professional photographer with the right equipment, especially if light is unpredictable. The group photo ought to be 8x10 or a panoramic shot. My grandmother took two 8x10s to create a group portrait so every one is included – without appearing too small. An uncle added the caption: “The Family That Eats Together Gets Indigestion.” Yes, really! I’m chuckling still. Tip: If there are closed eyes or unusual expressions, make the most of it by adding humorous captions, or paste cartoon eyes over closed eyelids; these methods work only in families who get belly laughs from such frippery! MEMORIES PRESERVED

I recommend the standard size (12x12) album to accommodate numerous photos on each page with room for captions and titles. Arranging photos may involve laying them at various angles, with some overlap to add a casual feel; this also packs more onto a page. Randomness avoids the monotony of columns of photos. At an event like this, photos tend to have similar backgrounds or contain undesirable things like a cluttered table, refuse bag or people’s backs. Cropping captures only what you want.

THE WHOLE STORY … PAGE BY PAGE

Page design can include mats, which visually separate the pictures and add interest. To “standardize” the dimensions of a photo that’s been cropped into an irregular shape, attach it to a backing shaped like a big postage stamp. Identify children in photos with captions like, “Anna at 3 ½.” Add their nicknames. (The backs of photos can’t be used for labels as they will be glued down or taped. If you do write on a photo back, use a soft marker to avoid indenting the photo paper from the pressure of an ink pen.) Add an expandable pocket to store folded pages and large documents. CHOOSE A THEME

The theme begins on the outside cover and repeats on pages throughout the book. A color theme could incorporate the colors of the house you grew up in, or red/white/blue for a 4th of July picnic. If swimming at the beach was a highlight, use the colors of water, sand and sun, with beach toys and beachwear doodads. My scrapbook featured patterns of red-checked tablecloth and wicker and clipart of watermelons, apples, barbecue ribs and lemonade. I saved and dried flowers from our table to embellish selected pages and created a theme titled, “A Perennial Favorite.” One very savvy family suggested colors to wear so pictures would have a unified look. ALL-DRESSED-UP ALBUM

Embellish to your heart’s content to customize your creation. Photo corners or anchorettes achieve a classic look. To add dimension use 3D adhesive foam to raise photos slightly from the surface. Decorative eyelets are set in holes. There are ribbons with adhesive on one side. If you want precise glue placement use fine tipped glue dispensers, so glue blotches don’t show through. My favorite products to add a pretty, yet informal, look are wireforms which bend to make cursive letterforms. They nicely match handwritten labeling. And finally, the scrapbook cover itself – a postbound leather album with a cut-out window in the front cover to insert a photo or title. Get an archival safe album that takes refill pages. Display the title on your album cover in die-cut, stenciled or stick-on lettering. A fashionable book clip can be attached to the spine to label it. Top-loading sheet protectors work well if the album will be handled a lot. Some titles to launch your scrapbook theme: “Close Knit Clan,” “Our Family Circle,” “It’s All in the Family,” “The Ties That Bind” and “Midsummer Memories.” I’ll leave the reminiscing to you and yours.

About the author Kelley Tatman, Littleton, Colorado, is a graphic design graduate who knows page layout. She enjoys scrapping as a creative outlet, and writing articles for a shopping portal website as another.

Summer reunion rituals

just got back from two weeks at a rented beach house on the Jersey shore with my family. One of the odder aspects of our wonderfully low-key getaway was the spectacle of watching a beach house being torn down. Although this opened up a view of the ocean for us, it made me feel sad. I learned from a woman from Vermont that this house had belonged to her aunt, and was a family meeting place for more than 50 years. The aunt died and her children who live on the opposite coast decided to sell this family haven. This episode reminded me how transient these trips and connections can be. When we return to the same spot year after year, it feels permanent. But it’s not, which is why it’s so important to celebrate these family vacations, wherever we go, wholeheartedly and with creative energy. Wherever you go, whatever you do this summer, consider it a special milestone and act accordingly. Create little rituals like “toasts” or a special song for arrivals and departures. Why not create little transient memorials to your visit? For your last night at the beach, use shells and driftwood to spell out your family name high up on the beach. Stick a few lighted candles in the sand nearby and take photos. If you’re in the woods or near a creek, leave a little “tower” of stones or twigs and photograph that as well. While creating this earthy masterpiece together, you’re weaving memories which will likely outlast all the purchased souvenirs you may find along the way. Used with permission. Editor’s Note: We found this in a newsletter from Meg Cox, a scholar and expert on family rituals. For more, see Cox’s The Book of New Family Traditions: How to Create Rituals for Holidays and Everyday.

M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 29

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It pays to plan

ally Webber led the annual Lindauer-Brasington Family Reunion after taking the reins from her mother in 1997. At the 2007 gathering, Sally mentioned she would like to see the reunion held in Utah instead of its Northern California home. David Morgan, who lives in Utah, volunteered his sister-in-law Marge Morgan to be in charge of a Utah reunion. “I was excited. I thought it would be really neat to have it in Utah.” Marge said. She wanted those who hadn’t attended a California reunion to be able to go. “Actually we have about as many people in Utah as there are in Marge and George Morgan, California. It is our turn. Sally reunion hosts. has had it for years and I thought she should be able to kick back and enjoy it for a change. She always worked so hard and I felt bad because by the time we had breakfast on Sunday she just looked ... tired. It was our turn.” A reunion in a new location is still a new reunion even if the name is the same. It takes a leader, someone to see the entire event from the large view but not forget there is a timeline. Writing a plan is one thing, implementing it is something else. Marge relied on David to help setting up the event. They discussed how to keep participants active so they’d not get bored. They discussed food, where everyone would stay. Marge enlisted the help of her children and siblings. One volunteered to create the invitation on her computer. They decided on a welcome dinner Friday, Saturday lunch

and supper, and Sunday morning breakfast. They were planning activities before they had set a date. David volunteered to take a group to the Timpanogos Caves, and swimming is always good for the younger kids. The town of Mona had fireworks scheduled and it would be fun to witness a small town fireworks show. With everything under control, Marge was able to take a trip with her husband. She wasn’t concerned about leaving so close to the event since she had finalized the plans and other folks were doing their part. Unfortunately, Marge returned to find very few RSVPs, so she didn’t know how many people to order food for. With help from her mother-in-law and Sally, Marge determined about 80 people would be coming. After creating a menu, Marge called her son who works for a food distributor. They figured out what they needed and he placed the order. So how did the reunion in Utah turn out? “We had a wonderful time. Everything worked itself out. It gave me a whole new appreciation for what Sally’s gone through all these years,” Marge said. Asked if she would do it again, Marge said, “Yeah I would. Not a problem. Would I do it again next year? Uh, give me two years and then I will do it again.” The key to your reunion is to make sure it is effectively planned first. It takes a lot to get it organized: Will the food be purchased, prepared or pot luck? How many will attend? What type of activities will keep participants interested? A good plan will come together, but you have to work at it. “Follow through. If you have everything prepared and know how it is going to go, then you will have time to enjoy it all. Otherwise, you are going to be going in circles.” Reported by Sam Webber, Sacramento, California.

Lindauer-Brasington Family Reunion. Photo credit: Marian Morgan-Hunt.

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Using the internet to plan a family reunion

ur reunion photos and video on YouTube.com! A family member made a video, with music, to document the Perry Family Reunion, and put it on YouTube.com. It was a perfect way to remember our get-together and a fitting culmination to all the email, faxes, website and other internet services we used in planning our family reunion. My husband suggested a reunion with my two remaining brothers and sister, none of whom live close. The only time we got together were occasions like weddings, graduations and funerals, without much chance to just sit and visit.

search for restaurants, check menus and arrange for a quiet dinner place. Then our little reunion suddenly grew. I was chatting with one of our daughters and she suggested including the cousins. Many cousins hadn’t seen each other since “Grandma’s house” when they were children. I collected addresses and emails, and it soon became clear that many cousins were interested in attending. Current emails and addresses were quickly obtained using the internet, and I found cousins scattered all over the US. We made a “sub-website” on our personal website, for reunion information

Each family got a copy of this picture as a reunion memento.

My younger brother in Illinois and sister in Iowa were interested and we tentatively decided we would meet in Dubuque, Iowa, where our mother lived for several years and some of us had gone to college. It is also where my oldest brother lives and it is difficult for him to travel. My sister travelled 90 miles, my younger brother 150, and I about 500 miles. I volunteered to make the arrangements and searched the internet for places to hold a reunion. It was easy to locate motels on the internet. I arranged for rooms at a suite motel and booked a meeting room where we could get together in case of rain or extremely hot weather. It was also easy to

(access only to family) so everyone could be updated about developing plans. It included names, addresses, current email information and tentative plans, plus a list of those who would or might attend. Cousins who had had no contact since childhood began emailing to catch up. I waited until after the holidays to send a formal invitation so it wouldn’t get lost in the holiday rush. In January an invitation was sent by “snail mail” and a duplicate via email. Responses were mostly by email. Only three people had no internet access. By changing our plans from a very small reunion to a larger gathering, it was necessary to make new

arrangements. Searching the internet again, a dinner in a motel/restaurant was arranged in a private dining room for the larger group. The banquet hostess faxed a suggested menu from which we picked five entrees and she assured me with 30 plus reservations, we could use a private dining room. A nephew and his wife, in Dubuque, invited us to use their country home for an afternoon of informal chat, snacks and fun for the children. We informed everyone by email and changes were posted on the website, along with directions and a map. It was easy to update everyone. When reunion day arrived we met at my nephew’s home, where we enjoyed chatting, took photos, and browsed old photo albums brought to share. Younger family members especially enjoyed the older photos. They had not seen pictures of their aunts, uncles and cousins from earlier years. Of special interest was the genealogy information, family tree, and restored ancestor photos. For several years my husband has been using digital imaging techniques to restore very faded and damaged photos of ancestors going back to the beginning of photography in the 1800s. Several cousins asked for CDs of their own, which we were happy to share. After dinner there was a short informal presentation about our parents’ 90th wedding anniversary that year. In addition, we found an old photo of my parents in their first car – an Overland – which my husband made prints of and presented to each family as a reunion memento. Now that we have had this reunion, some of the cousins have already volunteered to help if we hold another in a few years. From my point of view, I would do it again – it was so enjoyable to get together, and thank-you notes and emails expressed what a good time everyone had. I can say, without a doubt, that using the internet did play a very large part in making this a wonderful event – especially with the YouTube video, which people are still viewing. Reported by Flora McMullen, State College, Pennsylvania. M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 31

FOOD

Feeding reunions

ancy Lester wrote, in the San Angelo (Texas) Standard, that after talking about reunions for an article, “I decided there were a few common denominators to making a reunion successful. These would

include food, family and friends, food, a good location, fun activities and games, food and tradition!” Food is one of the best parts of family reunions, so put a lot of time into planning this aspect!

Saving $$ in hard times

veryone is looking for ways to save money. Food can be a major cost of your reunion, so these suggestions may help lower some of those costs. Some of these ideas are from discussions at our online forum http://forums.reunionsmag.com.

POTLUCK

One of the first ways to save money that comes to mind is potluck, which can be simple or elegant. Find a hall space (church, school, community center, park building) with kitchen and get your local members fired up to make their very best dishes. Or perhaps pay for meat and have other parts of the meal catered or make the rest of the meal potluck. Your costs are reduced to the cost of space and whatever else you decide to include. This also eliminates the cost of gratuities and taxes. Do exactly the same for your picnic. Assign entrees, sides, desserts or appetizers so you don’t have a table full of cookies and coleslaw. Keep track of who is bringing what. Stock enough dishes, flatware and cups so when people go back to the table they can grab a new plate or cup each time. Stock up on cleanup supplies and garbage bags as well. Most important, say experts, keep in mind that preparations take longer than you expect, so allow more time than you think you’ll need to pull everything together. Be realistic about what you can and can’t do and line up lots of folks to help. You don’t want to spend all your time in the kitchen and miss all the fun. POTLUCK PREPARATION

If you are planning a potluck event, consider these ideas. · Keep it simple. · For a large group, you may not require a sign-up sheet to get a variety of foods; however, small groups should divide food into categories and members should designate what they intend to bring. · Encourage recipe swapping, including the story of the recipe’s origin. · Consider a potluck contest offering a travelling “trophy” (could be a wooden spoon) for the best theme or dish. · Use crockpots to keep entrées warm. · Encourage people to bring fresh fruits and vegetables. This is a good assignment for people who don’t cook. · Provide the entrée or something special and plates, forks, napkins, and coffee. · Keep beverages simple; ask attendees to bring their own drinks, or add soda, ice and cups to the sign-up sheet. GREASE THE SKIDS

Make a big deal about food that’s contributed. Salute Grandma Angie’s peach cobbler and make a big deal about Uncle Dave’s barbecue. Ask makers of favorites to bring back what they made last year. Then, when you’re promoting the reunion, you can also promote the fact that Auntie Trudy’s 32 R E U N I O N S reunionsmag.com

Death by Chocolate cake will be making an encore and the first to register will have slices reserved just for them. To ensure out of towners can come, consider their travel cost as their contribution. They’ll likely want to contribute in other ways, too, but if they fly or drive, their transportation will still cost more than local members’ potluck items. BUFFET RESTAURANTS

Rather than a standard banquet facility, some buffet restaurants have meeting space. Everyone pays for their own meal or you charge a flat rate for a meal that does not have the standard gratuity requirements. Of course, you’ll want to tip the staff who hover and help but, again, not the same gratuity incurred at a banquet – and you still have space and privacy for your meeting. HOTEL MEALS

If you are having meal events at a hotel, consider these ideas. · Serve coffee and light pastries early, then a hearty brunch at 11-11:30 AM and no lunch. Or start later and do not offer breakfast at all; everyone is on their own. · Order less expensive items. · Order less food per person. · Use less bottled water, set out pitchers · Whole fruit instead of cut up can sit around all day without spoiling. · Use a lunch dessert service as an afternoon snack or just serve cookies. · Have a cash bar. Order house brands. Use drink tickets to control costs and reduce the length of the cocktail hour. · Serve hearty snacks or hors d’oeuvres or grab-and-go tapas, and eliminate dinner. · Plan a meal highlighting local suppliers, farmers, bakers, etc. Have a list of names and addresses, maybe even a map, so members can visit the source of their food. · For table décor, use candles instead of flowers. Colored or pretty napkins might be all you need. DESSERT DILEMMA

For many people a forkful or two of something sweet after a meal is adequate, but they rarely finish their desserts. Instead of serving plated sweets, set up a small dessert table with bonbons, small slices and other one-bite delights. Sweettoothed guests can pop more, while the rest will be happy with one or two tastes. Less food will be wasted. Or try a tempting trio. Cater to everyone’s picky eating at dessert by giving each attendee a sampler of bite-size sweets. Those who like one and not another will be more likely to share than if each person just got one dessert. WORKING WITH A CATERER

If you are having meals catered, ask whether passed hors d’oeuvres will be less costly than buffet style appetizers. Work with the chef to create a menu that utilizes local foods and vegetables that are in season – and less expensive.

A jaunt to Aunt Josie’s

he Leith family will celebrate their 75th family reunion in 2010 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where the family reunion started. This picture is of the first family reunion. Some members who will be there this year were at the first family reunion. Submitted by Becky Ryan, Janesville, Wisconsin.

Family reunion a great time to review eating choices “

ood’s important, especially to the Smith family,” says Eula Smith, who coordinated her family’s reunion in St. Petersburg. Smith knows the wrong amount of some foods can advance the risk of diseases such as diabetes and stroke. Her family used the family reunion – an intergenerational gathering of 160 relatives – to talk about preventing chronic and sometimes deadly illnesses. Just before a hearty noontime barbecue, members spent a half-hour hearing a pitch from the American Stroke Association, one of several groups targeting reunions as a prime health education opportunity for African-Americans. The Power to End Stroke presentation doesn’t admonish relatives for enjoying ribs and chicken and sweets at the reunion. It talks about sharing health histories with blood relatives and making smarter and healthier day-to-day food and health choices. From an article by Mary Shedden in the Tampa Tribune, Tampa, Florida.

y mother, Mary Ralph Bradley, was the fourth of nine children, born in the house her father built in 1919 on a hilly Tennessee farm named “Vertical Plains.” Her mom and dad wanted their youngsters to experience life beyond their “holler,” where you could only see the sun by looking straight up. One Sunday each summer, all eleven of them piled into their father’s old 1929 Pontiac (with its oval rear window) for a round trip of 120 miles. The crowd wasn’t complete, however, until they picked up Grandmammy Martin, because they were going to see her sister, Aunt Josie. The rough miles passed slowly – Murfreesboro, Woodbury, McMinnville, and on to Viola. After about four hours, they arrived at Aunt Josie’s long, rambling farmhouse with its welcoming front porch. Soon dinner was announced with the clanging of the dinner bell that summoned the children from play. The youngsters came running and knew it was time to put on their Sunday manners. Everyone remembered his or her “Yes, ma’am” and “No, ma’am” and “Yes, please,” and “No, thank you,” to keep from embarrassing Mama and Daddy. Aunt Josie’s big family was grown and gone so her bountiful table was long enough for everyone. Large slices of country ham from Uncle Rube’s smokehouse, golden brown fried chicken that only yesterday had been scratching in the dirt of the barnyard, green beans, fried corn, fried okra, and fried apples, squash (which most didn’t eat), sliced tomatoes, mashed potatoes, turnip greens, turnips, sweet potatoes, fluffy white biscuits, and tall glasses of spring-cooled milk from their own cows – all was spread before them. This once-a-year treat was almost more than their eyes – or stomachs – could stand. No one could compete with Aunt Josie. Then came the desserts – chocolate pie, chocolate cake, and cherry pie. Aunt Josie even urged them to have a second pieces. Daddy asked for some of Uncle Rube’s sorghum molasses that was always on hand from the sorghum mill nearby. Daddy poured the thick brown molasses on his plate, then scooped it up with his knife on to the biscuit. Later Uncle Rube gave Daddy a bucket full of the dark, rich delicacy to take home. Before long, Daddy stood up and before he even spoke, the children knew the fun was over. He said, “All right, children! It’s time to go!” They knew better than to argue, since they had to get home before dark where their cows, hogs, and chickens were waiting for attention. Through the years, Mary Ralph Bradley had many enjoyable trips visiting relatives but nothing could surpass or dim the memory of the annual jaunts to see Aunt Josie and Uncle Rube. Written by Mary Ralph Bradley (1923-2009) with her daughter, Lanita B. Boyd, Fort Thomas, Kentucky. M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 33

FOOD

What’s cooking at many reunions

arlyn Monette, who writes about food for the Shreveport Times in Shreveport, Louisiana, declares that, “Food is an integral part of family reunions.” Second cousins, second helpings! Hams, roast beef and lots of chickens cooked into pies, fried and baked. Bowls and platters of field peas, corn, okra, butter beans and homegrown tomatoes. Fluffy coconut cakes, rich chocolate cakes, pound cakes, pies with meringues sweating tiny sugary droplets, blackberry cobblers. ... Do I have your attention? In Newsday (Long Island, New York), Rosemary Olander wrote that Rosalie Joseph served 100 people at her family reunion. Everybody made their specialty: cubanelle peppers stuffed with ricotta, pizza rustica, bow-tie pasta lasagna, ziti with eggplant, pizza di grana, artichoke pie, penne alla vodka, homemade wine and Italian pastries. In the Record Courier in Minden, Nevada, Marie Johnson wrote about the Neddenriep Family Reunion near Bergen, Germany. The afternoon of the reunion – which has occurred every three years since 1929 – began when jagdhorns (hunting horns) announced the beginning of the program. A buffet was set with racks of hanging sausages and hot dishes steaming with at least four types of potatoes, platters of hams, bratwurst, pig shanks and cured pork. Boards were laden with cheeses from creamy soft whites to hard yellow, herbed and plain, pickled herring, hard rolls and, of course, pretzels. Tables of mixed fruit tarts, German chocolate cakes, Black Forest cake and berry pies lined a whole wall inside a few hundred-yearold, half-timbered, outbuilding where the reunion was held. Larry Stewart, Katy, Texas, wrote that his Davis Family Reunion of about 200 people meets every first Sunday in July,

in Madisonville, Texas and has for the past 71 years. The family cooks a “wild stew,” a tradition of all 71 years. The stew consists of everything the cousins have hunted and killed, and is served Saturday night before the reunion. For those family members who don’t eat wild stew, fried fish, fried chicken, nachos, popcorn, hot dogs and hamburgers are also available. The Simmons, Holston, Allen and Smith families enjoy an out of the ordinary picnic. There was enough food to feed an army: two pigs, ribs, burgers, hot dogs, watermelons, sno-cones and every side dish imaginable. The children were treated to inflatables while the adults enjoyed music and conversation. Tracy A. Reichdan, Littleton, Colorado, wrote that a preliminary duty when planning reunion food is to collect an extensive list of requests, desires and food allergies. Meals are divided, giving each family the responsibility for at least one. Each family created its menu and sent a shopping list to the host family. All expenses were sent to one family and later divided to write just one check. After our first reunion experience, writes Reichdan, we still divided the food detail. Each family shared their favorite camping fare. They enjoyed trying to outdo one another, allowing everyone to eat like royalty at a campsite. For those who could not eat the meal, sandwiches and chips were available. On the final day there was a traditional family breakfast of honey lemon rolls. Finally, I overheard a story about someone’s brother who, with a friend, was going to San Angelo, Texas, and noticed a reunion taking place at the park in Christoval. They could smell the good food and it looked like fun so they just stopped and acted like family members for a couple of hours!

Not this kind of a(u)nt

nts, wasps, and flies are notorious for ruining outdoor events whenever food is involved. Terminex offers these tips to keep backyard bugs at bay. · Keep food, especially fruits, covered at all times. Fragrances attract pests. · Serve juices in pitchers with sealed lids and pour beverages into cups. Stinging pests are known to crawl into open soda cans. · Use small fans to create a light breeze. Flies and mosquitoes avoid wind currents. · Locate trash receptacles as far from you as possible. · Flying insects are attracted to light. Light eating, cooking and social areas from a distance.

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he Seideman Family Reunion in Newburg, Wisconsin, is on Sunday so Saturday is a workday for adults setting up for Sunday. To free up parents to work, kids gather early Saturday morning to prepare dough for pizza which will be made in an old stone oven for pizza picnic lunch for the set up workers. Editors note: I have been there and the over 20 pizzas come in countless iterations and are all amazingly good.

att Carmel is creator of “Cooking for Large Groups” (available at www.reunionsmag.com). It is a computer program of more than 1,400 recipes, including entrees, salads and desserts. The program ($49.95) adjusts ingredient amounts up or down, based on the desired number of servings. It features equipment and ingredient guidelines, conversion tables and other information, such as how much shrimp you’ll need for a party of 150 (answer: 18 pounds). “It takes the guesswork out of big-batch cooking, which can save a lot of headaches and lots of waste and lets you get a

better handle on what you need and what your costs will be,” Carmel says. Cooking times also need to be adjusted, not simply multiplied. Some dishes may take less than double the time, while others may take even more than twice as long to cook. Other things to keep in mind include the equipment, cooking utensils and serving pieces you’ll need. While one large batch is often easier and faster to prepare than multiple small batches, home cooks must take into account sizes of pots and pans on hand. If you overfill a large pan, the contents won’t have enough room to heat.

USS Stark County LST 1134 reunion cake Photo credit John J. Lesjack, Santa Rosa, California

Good Morning America visited the Troutman Family Reunion at Knoebels Amusement Park & Resort in Elysburg, Pennsylvania, where the family was interviewed for a story about reunions. Photo credit Edith Wagner

Cheese pairings

atching a Wisconsin cheese with wine, beer or other foods and beverages can provide complementary, contrasting or new flavor combinations. Experiment. Be creative. There are no hard and fast rules to pairing cheeses with other foods and beverages, only guidelines. If you find something you like, go for it! Check suggestions at www.Wisdairy.com. Cooking for Groups: A Volunteer’s Guide to Food Safety (Item 621R, free). Keep guests at your reunion safe from food-borne illnesses with this extensive guide. Visit www.pueblo.gsa.gov/newcat.htm to order or send your name and address to Catalog, Pueblo, Colorado 81009; 888-878-3256.

Malone Family Reunion enjoys a scrumptious buffet. M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 35

MILITARY REUNION NEWS

Military Reunion Planners enjoy Newport News, Virginia

ilitary reunion planners representing the US Army and Navy and eight states enjoyed a familiarization (FAM) tour of Newport News, Virginia, during which the city’s rich military heritage and history were showcased. The 13 military reunion planners and their guests participating in the FAM tour were hosted by the Newport News Marriott at City Center. Attendees were welcomed with an icebreaker reception, and were serenaded by the Norfolk Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society, The Commodores. They explored the city’s array of military history, with excursions to the US Army Transportation Museum at Ft. Eustis, the Virginia War Museum, The Mariners’ Museum, and the Victory Arch and Newport News shipyard. On the final day, attendees participated in a seminar, “Finding New Members; Organizing, Incorporating and Becoming a Tax Exempt Nonprofit;

Newsletters and Alcohol in the Hospitality Room,” conducted by Skip Sander of the Alliance of Military Reunions. The FAM was rated a true success, with USS Nantahala AO-60 signing a contract for their next military reunion and three other proposals under consideration. John Rupertus with USS Atule said “This is the best Military Reunion FAM I have ever been to.” Cheryl Morales, marketing manager for the Newport News Tourism Development Office, pointed out that “starting in 2011 and continuing into 2012, Newport News will be commemorating the Sesquicentennial (150 years) of America’s Civil War with exciting special events and re-enactments that can be added to touring itineraries.” Contact Cheryl Morales at 757-926-1428, toll-free at 888493-7386, or by e-mail at cmorales@nngov.com.

Holocaust survivors together with liberator

Black military women to hold reunion

early 65 years ago a group of American soldiers advancing through Germany encountered a train loaded with 2,500 starving Jewish prisoners. The 30th Infantry Division organized a convoy to take the people to freedom. It was just another day in the war. Several years ago, some of the Holocaust survivors, children at the time, contacted their liberators through the internet. The 30th Infantry Division’s annual reunion got a new focus when survivors joined the veterans at their reunion in Nashville, Tennessee. “It was really beyond our imagination that any sector of the human race could do to these people what had happened,” said one of the Americans. Survivors never would have met their liberators if it hadn’t been for a high school history project. Hudson Falls, New York, High School history teacher Matthew Rozell asked his students to collect oral histories from local World War II veterans. Stories and pictures were posted on the internet; about 100 survivors who were on the train near Magdeburg, and now live all over the world, have contacted him. From a story by Travis Roller in The Tennessean, Nashville, Tennessee.

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he National Association of Black Military Women (NABMW) is planning their 17th Biennial Reunion in Savannah, Georgia, in August. The theme for the gathering is “Yes We Have! Yes We Can! Yes We Will!!” According to organizers, the mission of the NABMW is “to seek out, record, maintain and tell the history and heritage of African American military women who served and are serving in the US Armed Forces.” Visit www.nabmw.com. From an announcement in Frost Illustrated.

he US Army Women’s Foundation, Fort Lee, Virginia, is the national network for today’s Army women, and for telling the history of Army women. Through its programs, research and scholarships, the Foundation honors the service of Army women and supports the US Army Women’s Museum. The Foundation’s 2010 Hall of Fame inductees are The Honorable L. Tammy Duckworth, Assistant Secretary of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs, US Department of Veteran Affairs; and, Brigadier General Wilma Vaught, USAF (Ret), President of Board of Directors of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Foundation, Inc. Visit www.awfdn.org.

Mission benefits Vietnamese

Gold Star children celebrate Father’s Day

General Barry H. McCaffrey (second right) cutting the ribbon.

en. Barry R. McCaffrey, USA (Ret.), recently returned to Vietnam as part of an educational and humanitarian delegation organized by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF). McCaffrey, former Clinton drug czar and currently a terrorism and security analyst for NBC News, was joined by VVMF founder and president Jan C. Scruggs and a delegation that included 12 American veterans, their family members and others. They started in Hanoi, where VVMF announced a $1 million grant to support a mine-clearance and public-safety program in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam. The two days in Hanoi featured meetings with Vietnamese and US officials and Vietnamese veterans and a special

reception hosted by US Ambassador Michael Michalak. The highlight was a daylong stop in Quang Tri Province to learn firsthand about Vietnam’s ongoing problem with explosive remnants of war (ERW) and VVMF’s efforts to reduce their risks as well as to help victims and their families. The delegation also dedicated the newly renovated Tuong Van Primary School in Trieu An Commune. American veterans and members of previous VVMF delegations underwrote renovations. The delegation also visited historical and cultural sites throughout Vietnam. The next VVMF delegation to Vietnam is tentatively scheduled for August 2011. To learn more visit www.vvmf.org.

ons and Daughters In Touch (SDIT) is the organization of children whose fathers were killed during or are missing from their service in the Vietnam War. Nearly 1,000 SDIT members, family members and military comrades of fallen Vietnam service members are expected in Washington, DC, June 18-20. The highlight will be the Father’s Day ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that will conclude with laying 2,000 red, yellow and white roses in honor of their fathers at the base of The Wall. Founded in 1990, SDIT supports sons and daughters whose fathers made the ultimate sacrifice during the Vietnam War. Visit www.sdit.org.

LIST YOUR REUNION FREE! Email (editor@reunionsmag.com) Contact name, address, phone, reunion name, date, and place. Check us out at www.reunionsmag.com

Delegation traveling with General McCaffrey (second right). M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 37

CATALOG OF REUNION RESOURCES

Welcome to Reunion Resources! How to use REUNION RESOURCES Reunion resources is divided into sections. Reunion friendly places include destinations (convention, visitor and tourism bureaus) and locations (hotels, resorts, ranches, condominiums, bed & breakfasts, inns, dormitories, camps). They are listed alphabetically by state and city. The sections which follow list books and publishing, cruises, fundraising and mementos, invitations, photography, preserving reunions, postcards, and other products and services. Many resources include e-mail and web page addresses. Start on our web page www.reunions mag.com and in just one click, go directly to other resource pages – a wonderful way to visit, get more details and in some cases even place orders. We encourage you to tell the listings you contact that you learned about them from REUNIONS MAGAZINE. And if at any time you find any info that is inaccurate or e-mail or web links do not work, notify us immediately at reunions@execpc.com; PO Box 11727, Milwaukee WI 53211-0727. And by all means, feel free to comment and/or suggest changes and additions you’d like to see in this section. REUNIONS MAGAZINE will not be held liable for information presented as facts in these ads. We reserve the right to edit and/or refuse any material submitted for publication.

DESTINATIONS AND LOCATIONS ARIZONA LEGACY GOLF RESORT 6808 South 32nd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85042 Phone 602-305-6312, Fax 602-305-6301. We are a perfect fit for any Reunion! Family reunions, class get-togethers, girls weekend, guys golf and military retreats. Don't worry, we've got plenty of activities for everyone; golf, spa services, sand volleyball, shuffleboard, or just relaxing poolside. Our Studio suites and one bedroom condos have plenty of space for family lodging and socializing; With either a kitchenette or full kitchen, our suites will make you and your guests feel at home and make any reunion a success. Email: Michelle Mombleau, mmombleau@ shellvacations llc.com; www.legacygolfresort.com.

CALIFORNIA HOLIDAY INN SAN DIEGO BAYSIDE 4875 N Harbor Drive, San Diego CA 92106; 619-224-3621; 800-650-6660; fax 619224-1787. Host your reunion at the beautiful Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside across from San Diego Bay. Our experienced staff will assist you in creating a very special event. Complimentary hosp suite and special reunion rates. Beautiful guest rooms, heated pool, spa, shuffleboard, ping-pong and billiards, exercise room, family restaurant and cocktail lounge, free pkg, in-room movies, coffee makers, refrigerators, hair dryers; dos@holinnbayside.com; www. holinnbayside.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! NORTHSTAR-AT-TAHOE™ RESORT Nestled in the mountains and minutes to Lake Tahoe, families can enjoy a multitude of activities including golf, biking, hiking, and skating as well as events, dining and shopping in the Village at Northstar. The resort offers a vast selection of lodging accommodations to make stay-ing and playing at Northstar convenient for the whole family. All- inclusive family reunion packages are available making planning an easy, hassle-free process; rates start at $249 per person, per night and include lodging, food, and activities. Halfway (6 miles) between North Lake Tahoe & Truckee. 800-926-5096, reunions@northstarat tahoe.com, www.NorthstarAtTahoe.com.

COLORADO ESTES PARK CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU PO Box 1200, Estes Park CO 80517. Estes Park may be the perfect setting for your reunion! Nestled in a valley surrounded by Rocky Mountain National Park, fabulous scenery and recreation await you. Enjoy shopping, trout fishing, horseback riding, river rafting, golf, go karts, barbecues, hayrides, miniature golf, tram rides, scenic drives and hiking. Let our group specialist help you find lodging, meals and fun things for the whole family to enjoy! 800-44-ESTES; fax 970-577-1677; groupsales@estes.org; www.estesparkcvb.com/ groups.cfm. SNOWMASS TOURISM Looking to plan the perfect reunion? Snowmass Tourism makes it easy. From a personalized package on our website to customized evites to your event, to one-stop booking for lodging, meals, and activities, our experts have the answers to all your questions. Best of all, our services are absolutely free. Give us a call today, and we’ll help you plan the perfect affordable getaway. Contact Karla Baker P.O. Box 5566, Snowmass Village, Colorado 81615: 970-923-2000; 800-598-2009; fax 970-9235466; www.snowmassgroups.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! 38 R E U N I O N S reunionsmag.com

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA THE EMBASSY SUITES WASHINGTON DC CONVENTION CENTER 900 10th Street NW Washington DC 20001 hotel is conveniently located in downtown Washington DC between the White House, National Mall and the US Capitol. Just 1.5 blocks from the new Washington DC Convention Center and 3 blocks away from Metro Subway System. Enjoy hotel services amenities such as complimentary full cooked to order breakfast, evening manager’s reception and concierge services. Our friendly staff will assist you with all details. (202) 739-2001; (202) 719-1438 F; www.washington conventioncenter.embassysuites.com

FLORIDA EMERALD COAST CVB, INC. DESTIN-FT. WALTON BEACH FL Emerald Coast CVB, Inc. Destin-Fort Walton Beach – Okaloosa Island a reunion planner’s paradise with 24 miles of sugar white beaches and emerald green waters, 16,000 first-rate accom-modations, 400 events & festivals, water sports, superb coastal cuisine, championship golfing, Air Force Armament Museum, Big Kahuna’s Water Park, art galleries, nature trails and the largest fishing fleet in Florida. Emerald Coast Conference Center offers 35,000 sq. ft. of flexible meeting space and gourmet catering. Let us make your reunion planning easy! Contact Sherry Rushing, CTIS, srushing@co. okaloosa.fl.us, 1-800-322-3319; www.destin-fwb.com. FRIENDS DON'T LET FRIENDS…Stay In Hotels! There's only one choice to host your family reunion and that's to stay in a Florida Leisure Vacation Home. Hotels can be expensive particularly when you need multiple rooms to house everyone. Florida Leisure has an expansive range of 3 to 7 bedroom vacation homes available and many of them are located close together so housing large parties is no problem. Our homes all have a full kitchen, living area, laundry, multiple TV's, private swimming pool and best of all our homes are really close to Walt Disney World and the other area attractions. Call 1-866-678-6088 or email Reservations@Florida Leisure.com or visit www. FloridaLeisure.com STAR ISLAND RESORT & CLUB 5000 Avenue of the Stars, Kissimmee FL 34746. Located just 4 miles to Disney, our Mediterranean styled Resort & Spa offers spacious mini suites, 1,2 & 3 bedroom Villas with kitchenette, full kitchens with all the comforts of home. Enjoy tennis, basketball, pools & putting green, Jet Ski & paddleboat rentals, children’s activities, BBQ grills, group meals & more. Group rates for 5 or more units. When making reservations use the code RM1. Call 800-513-2820, or reservations@star-island.com, www.star-island.com QUORUM HOTEL TAMPA 700 N. Westshore Blvd. Tampa, FL 33609. Summer 09' Weekend Group rates starting from $69 with breakfast! Perfect location for Busch Gardens and pristine beaches. Restaurants and shopping within walking distance. You'll love our free massage, and complimentary drink. Ask about our reunion planning gift. Call Becca Zarcone 813-288-3611 or bzarcone@quorumtampa.com. Visit our website at www.Quorum Tampa.com.

GEORGIA CROWNE PLAZA ATLANTA PERIMETER at RAVINIA 4355 Ashford Dunwoody Rd, Atlanta, GA 30346. Located in Central Perimeter area nestled on a 45 acre park, with waterfalls, terraced gardens, facilities for gatherings of 10 to 1,000. 495 guestrooms, 33 spacious suites. Featuring a three story greenhouse atrium lobby, fitness center, indoor pool with sundeck. Across from the Perimeter Mall. Free shuttle to area restaurants, parks and MARTA station for downtown attractions. Visit www.cpravinia.com or call 770-3957700. Mention this listing for 10 % off reunion banquet pricing. EMBASSY SUITES ATLANTA PERIMETER CENTER 1030 Crown Pointe Pkwy, Atlanta GA 30338. 770-394-5454. All suite, upscale, renovated hotel located in beautiful Dunwoody, just steps away from Perimeter Mall, Perimeter Shoppes and more than 30 area restaurants/dining facilities. Hotel features complimentary amenities such as: cooked-to-order breakfast, Manager's Reception, area shuttle, parking deck, indoor pool/sun deck, Precor fitness center and business center. Hotel offers an onsite restaurant with Starbucks café, meeting space and wireless internet throughout. Flat screen TV's in all suites. Easy access to downtown via MARTA. Hilton Family Hotels. Book us at www.atlantaperimetercenter.embassysuites.com ATLANTA MARRIOTT PERIMETER CENTER 246 Perimeter Center Parkway NE, Atlanta, GA 30346 The Hotel is located adjacent to Perimeter Mall and the Dunwoody MARTA station offering easy access to all city attractions. Amenities include onsite restaurant and lounge, room service, indoor/outdoor swimming pool, meeting and banquet space for up to 350 people and complimentary hotel shuttle within a 2 mile radius. Ask about our special reunions packages. Call 770 394-6500 or visit www.atlantamarriott perimeter.com STAYBRIDGE SUITES PERIMETER CENTER EAST 4601 Ridgeview Road, Atlanta-Dunwoody GA 30338. Staybridge Suites is an All-Suite Hotel and offers a premier location in the Dunwoody

– Perimeter Area within walking distance to some of the best Restaurants and Shops Atlanta has to offer. Minutes away from attractions like Stone Mountain, Six Flags, Zoo Atlanta, Hartsfield Airport and the Georgia Dome. Fantastic amenities like Free Full Breakfast, Free Shuttle within a 3-Mile Radius, Free Internet, Free On-Site Fitness Center and Guest Laundry! 678-320-0111; Fax: 678-320-0250; Reservations: dos.atlpr@wm.staybridge.com; Website: www.staybridge.com/atlanta-pr

W ATLANTA PERIMETER 111 Perimeter Center West, Atlanta GA 30346. Find sanctuary in 121 deluxe guest rooms and 154 fantastic suites complete with the W Signature Bed, Bliss&trade; Sinkside Six amenities and balconies in all rooms. Suites feature a full kitchen. Free shuttle service within a 3-mile radius, which includes Perimeter Mall and MARTA stations. Banquet spaces with full catering available. For reservations, call 770-396-6800; fax 770-3944805; GMWAtlantaPerimeter@whotels.com; www.whotels.com/atlanta perimeter. CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU OF DUNWOODY, GA Just 10 minutes outside Atlanta in DeKalb County, Dunwoody is the best location for your next reunion. Minutes away from Stone Mountain Park, Georgia Aquarium, the MLK Center and more! Home to five excellent hotels with tons of meeting space and all within walking distance to Perimeter Mall and shuttle services to MARTA! Call today to plan your reunion – 678-244-9800 or visit www.discoverdunwoody.com! SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! DOUGLASVILLE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU With a great location near Atlanta and over 1,800 hotel rooms why not choose Douglasville, Georgia! For details on complimentary services, including welcome bags and name badges, contact the Douglasville CVB today and let us help plan your next reunion. For more information call us at 1-800-661-0013 or email us at milesr@ci. douglasville.ga.us. www.visitdouglasville.com GWINNETT CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU (ATLANTA) Minutes from Atlanta, the GCVB provides a FREE Reunion Planner, group welcome bags with gift; and free lodging assistance! Gwinnett has 97 group-friendly hotels with 33 of Atlanta's best parks, and easy I-85 access to Six Flags, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Home, the new Aquarium and Stone Mountain Park! Call Cricket Elliott tollfree at 1-888-494-6638, ext 6049; direct at 770-814-6049 or by email at celliott@gcvb.org to plan your next Atlanta-based reunion today! www.gcvb.org. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! BEST WESTERN ATLANTA EAST 301 North Central Avenue, Hapeville, GA 30354 Specializing in reunions from military to family at most affordable rates. Minutes away from shopping, theatres & most attractions in Atlanta-CNN Ctr, The Georgia Aquarium, Martin Luther King Historic Site & many more! We have a Bar & Restaurant on property, outdoor pool, Banquet Hall, remodeled guest rooms that are clean, comfortable & loaded with amenities. Tel: 800 733 0298 Fax: 404 761 1171, E-mail: info@bwatlairport.com. Website: www.bwatlantaairport.com. BRASSTOWN VALLEY RESORT & SPA, YOUNG HARRIS, GA Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North GA, the Resort is a two hour drive from Atlanta and other major SE cities. It features 134 lodge and lodge-cabin rooms. Meeting space & outdoor venues that can accommodate up to 300. Golf, Spa, horseback riding, hiking, indoor/outdoor pool & on site catering & gourmet dining. Call: 800-201-3205 or www.BrasstownValley.com.

ILLINOIS RECONNECT IN LAKE COUNTY halfway between Chicago and Milwaukee. Lake County's natural spaces and fun places are the perfect place for your next reunion. Our world-class attractions and more than 60 lodging properties, including three resorts, will make your next reunion a resounding success. For free Reunion Planning Assistance call or email us with your reunion planning questions to tourism@lakecounty.org; www.lakecounty.org. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! CHICAGO SOUTHLAND CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU Discover the unexpected in Chicago Southland, the ideal location for your next family reunion! The Chicago Southland offers an array of family-friendly accommodations, attractions and outdoor recreation venues. Parking is FREE. We offer FREE convention services including bags, coupon books, maps and more! Visit our website www.VisitChicagoSouthland.com or call 888-895-3211. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! REUNITE IN REAL, ORIGINAL ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS. Located just 60 miles west of Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, the Rockford Region offers the perfect mix of big-city variety and small-town value. You’ll be sure to find something everyone will enjoy! Contact Jaki Berggren, Meeting Sales Manager, at the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, for assistance planning your next reunion. Call 800.521.0849 or email Jaki at jberggren@go rockford.com. RACVB, 102 N. Main St., Rockford, IL 61101; www.go rockford.com.

CATALOG OF REUNION RESOURCES MARYLAND HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS WASHINGTON DC EAST – ANDREWS AFB 5001 Mercedes Blvd. Camp Springs, MD 20746. This Newly Renovated Hotel is perfect for Military and Family reunions. We are located just 8 miles from Downtown Washington DC, 1.5 miles from Andrews AFB, and minutes from Bolling AFB & Washington Navy Yard. Experience our Free Hot Breakfast Buffet, Free Shuttle Service to all area Bases, Microwave & Refrigerators in all rooms, and much more. Mention this Ad to receive 1 complimentary night for the Military & Family Reunion Planner. Contact Chanelle Cannady at 301-423-2323 or by email at chanelle.cannady@hershahotels.com. www.hiexpress.com/dc andrewsafb SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! RADISSON HOTEL LARGO/ WASHINGTON DC 184 Spacious Rooms with Sleep Number Bed®, Indoor Swimming Pool, Business Center and Fitness Center, 1875 sq. ft of Private Banquet Space with Inclusive Reunion Meal Packages, Full Service Restaurant & Bar, Ample Free Parking and Shuttle Service to the Metro Station, Retail Shopping & Dining Outlets. Conveniently Accessible to Six Flags Amusement Park & Washington DC Monuments/ Museums. 9100 Basil Court. Largo, MD 20774; 301-773-0700; 301-6237161: www.radisson.com/largomd. meleka.dunn@radisson.com

MICHIGAN DETROIT METRO CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU Thinking of meeting in Detroit? We offer great services such as tracing your family history, securing permits for area parks, searching for hotel accommodations and much more. Detroit is home to great family fun attractions including The Henry Ford, America’s greatest history attraction, the Detroit Zoo, fine museums and numerous festivals and events. For More information contact the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau at reunions@ visitdetroit.com or call 1-313-202-1985, www.visitdetroit.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

MINNESOTA WORRY-FREE REUNIONS AT CRAGUN’S RESORT 11000 Craguns Dr, Brainerd MN 56401: 800-CRAGUNS (272-4867). Since 1940 Cragun’s has taken pride in creating memorable reunions … here’s why: 1) trained coordinator will help plan it all, 2) arrival “Welcome” and registration areas with planned activity agendas, 3) activities including golf outings, lake cruises, picnics, fishing contests, horse drawn trolley rides and more, 4) indoor facilities to ensure you a “weather-proof” reunion, 5) private gathering areas, 6) special celebration meals, 7) professional group photos, 8) and best of all, enjoy a safe, secure friendly environment. Come to Cragun’s for your reunion. Named “One of MN’s ideal locations to hold a Reunion.” by AAA. Call for FREE Reunion Planning Packet or visit: www.craguns.com/157.

MISSISSIPPI THE B.B. KING MUSEUM & DELTA INTERPRETIVE CENTER 400 2nd St., Indianola MS 38751 662-887-9539. www.bbking museum.org The Museum’s restored 1920’s cotton gin is perfect for reunions & includes a projection screen ideal for meetings. The allViking kitchen makes catering easy! Exhibits include rare artifacts, award-winning films, interactives, & a story that is unforgettable. Group rates available.

MISSOURI THE BRANSON/LAKES AREA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU Located in America's heartland, Branson, Missouri is the perfect destination for your next reunion because we offer so many choices of live music shows and family entertainment, lodging, attractions, dining and more. Remember, in Branson, our value is unrivaled, our scenery breathtaking and our authentic Ozarks hospitality inviting. Call us toll-free at 800-214-3661; 417-2432117 or visit our website at ExploreBranson.com and request a Reunion Planner Sales kit. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! PULASKI COUNTY TOURISM BUREAU 137 St. Robert Blvd. St. Robert MO 65584. Centrally located between Branson and St. Louis, Missouri on I-44. Enjoy the Museums at Fort Leonard Wood or family activities on the Gasconade and Big Piney Rivers. Trail of Tears, Historic Route 66, Fairs, Festivals, Antiques, and more. Over 1,500 sleeping rooms and 70 restaurants including the Cave Restaurant, dining in a real cave. Call toll-free 1-877-858-8687 or visit www.VisitPulaskiCounty.org for additional information. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

NEVADA THE PLATINUM HOTEL 211 East Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89169 (877) 211-9211. At The Platinum Hotel, see what life is like on the quieter side of Las Vegas. Escape to a welcoming hideaway where each of the 255 one and two bedroom Las Vegas hotel suites ensure unmatched personal attention, gourmet kitchens, exquisite whirlpool tubs and balconies with beautiful views. This non-gaming, smoke free hotel offers the best of both worlds. Select from an assortment of great Las Vegas hotel deals, combining special rates and unique services for getaways. The Strip is there when you need it, just a block away. www.the platinumhotel.com

ATLANTIS CASINO RESORT SPA RENO 3800 S Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89502. Voted Reno's "Best Hotel" our recent $100 million dollar expansion takes northern Nevada to a whole new level. From our all-new Spa Atlantis to our eight award-winning restaurants – Atlantis has it all! Winner of the Hospy Award for "Best Ballroom & Convention Space Design," Atlantis boasts 50,000 SF of flexible new high-tech meeting space catering to reunions from 1,500 to 15. Let our experienced team plan your next event! 800994-5900; fax 775-825-1170, www. AtlantisCasino.com. CIRCUS CIRCUS HOTEL & CASINO RENO 500 N. Sierra St. Reno NV 89503 Whether business or pleasure brings you to us, Circus Circus Reno offers over 1,500 rooms, six sensational restaurants, a unique Midway of Fun, an expansive casino floor with all the latest gaming action, and state-of-the-art convention facilities. Free airport shuttle and parking available. Call 800-894-3588 or visit circusreno.com for more information. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

NEW JERSEY GRAND HOTEL 1045 Beach Ave., Cape May NJ 08204. Largest facility south of Atlantic City, 165 rooms and suites, oceanfront resort with indoor and outdoor pools, whirlpool, sun decks, restaurant, night club, ballrooms, hospitality & conference rooms. Golf, tennis, fishing watersports & more nearby. Reunion Packages Available! 800-257-8550 ext. 516. groupsales@grandhotelcape may.com; www.grandhotelcapemay.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

NEW YORK HOTELSCOUTER.COM Get Great Reunion Rates for Less... Instead of calling dozens of hotels, fill out one simple form on our website and we will have Group Friendly hotels in your desired city respond instantly with their best rates. No more wasted time playing phone tag. Group coordinators can get Free Rooms. Let us make your reunion planning simple! Get Started Now! Info: 443416-3800; groups@HotelScouter.com; www.hotelscouter.com ALBANY CLARION HOTEL 3 Watervliet Ave Extension, Albany NY 12206. In the heart of New York’s Capital City stands the Clarion Hotel Albany, where comfort and convenience are paramount and the value can’t be beat. We offer a Full American Breakfast, an indoor pool, on-site restaurant, free WIFI and complimentary shuttle service. Reunions are offered special rates and compli-mentary hospitality suites. 518-438-8431; sales@ClarionHotel Albany.com; www.ClarionHotelAlbany.com BEST WESTERN ALBANY AIRPORT INN 200 Wolf Road, Albany NY 12205. Looking for a place to hold your reunion? Well, look no further! We can accommodate your reunion from family to military with very affordable prices. Our property has 153 rooms with an indoor heated pool, an onsite restaurant and lounge and 6000 sq ft of meeting space. We also have a complimentary full hot breakfast available every morning. 518-458-1000; sales@BWalbany Airport.com; www.BWalbanyairport.com THE BEST WESTERN SOVEREIGN HOTEL is one of the top hosts of reunions in the Capital Region. Restaurant on-site, along with indoor pool and sauna. Shopping malls, golf and theaters near hotel. We also provide complimentary shuttle to area attractions. We have 192 newly renovated guest rooms, over 8,000 square feet of meeting space and much more! 518-489-2981; reunions@ SovereignHotels.com; www.SovereignHotels.com

NORTH CAROLINA THE HILTON NEW BERN/RIVERFRONT located on the waterfront in historic New Bern, NC is the perfect place for your next event! Offering 171 newly appointed guestrooms & over 15,000 sq.ft. of meeting space. Our amenities include an outdoor pool, fitness center, restaurant & lounge w/live entertainment, complimentary internet & parking! Walking distance to unique shops and restaurants in the downtown historic district! Golf, trolley tours, horse & carriage, Tryon Palace, and nearby beaches. Call/email for information: (252) 638-3585 dlaboy@newbernhilton.com. www.NewBernRiverfront .Hilton.com.

OHIO EXPERIENCE COLUMBUS 800-354-2657, www.Experience Columbus.com/reunions. Columbus is ranked one of the top value destinations in the country. With four downtown entertainment districts, annual festivals, the #1 rated Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, and an array of outdoor parks to choose from, you won't want to have your family reunion anywhere else. Planning a reunion in Columbus is easy. And we're here to help. Plus, all of our services are free. We will assist you with finding hotels, local attractions and more. And when the time comes, we'll provide you with Visitors Guides, Visitor Maps, plastic bags and pens.

PENNSYLVANIA COMFORT SUITES CARLISLE 10 South Hanover Street, Carlisle, PA 17013. Downtown location conveniently located between Gettysburg, Harrisburg & Hershey. One mile to US Army War College, Army Heritage & Education Center and walking distance to

Dickinson College & PSU Dickinson School of Law. Banquet facilities for up to 325. Offering special rates / packages for family, class, military and other reunion groups. Visit our web-site at www. comfortsuitescarlisle.com or call our Sales Department at 1-800704-1188. The perfect Days for your reunion DAYS INN DONEGAL, in the heart of the beautiful Laurel Highlands, conveniently located just off the PA Turnpike at exit 91. 51 lovely guestrooms, elegant outdoor pavilion seats 125, new banquet room seats 80, catering services, snack bar, arcade, outdoor pool and patio, volleyball and shuffleboard courts. Route 31 East, PO Box 184, Donegal PA 15628 Call Rose: 724-593-7536; daysinndonegal@yahoo.com; www.daysinn donegal.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

VALLEY FORGE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU 1000 First Avenue, Suite 101, King of Prussia PA 19406. DO WHAT WASHINGTON DID. SET UP CAMP IN HISTORIC VALLEY FORGE FOR YOUR NEXT REUNION! Quality hotels, unique off-property meeting sites, world class shopping and fine dining. Thirty minutes from Philadelphia. Surrounded by great regional attractions. Get a free Valley Forge Meeting Planners Guide. Contact Courtney Pozo: 610-834-7971,or pozo@valleyforge.org or visit www.valleyforge.org.

RHODE ISLAND THE BEST WESTERN THE MAINSTAY INN 151 Admiral Kalbfus Road, Newport RI 02840; 401-849-9880. Located 1/2 mi. from Newport Navy Base, Minutes from Historic Harbor, Newport Mansions and across from Newport Grand Casino. Full Service hotel with 200 guest rms, full service Restaurant, Lounge, Banquet and Meeting facilities. Comp. Hospitality Rm and Group Leader Room. themainstayinn@aol.com

SOUTH CAROLINA At 14 stories the HOLIDAY INN RIVERVIEW stands tall. This unique Charleston landmark offers guests 180 nicely appointed guest rooms and a full service restaurant with panoramic views of Historic Charleston and the Ashley River as well as compli-mentary shuttle service to the heart of the city for shopping and tours. Enjoy easy planning with our experienced staff. Ask about special incentives for event planners. 301 Savannah Hwy, Charleston SC 29407. Contact Megan O’Hara Owen at 843-460-1440; fax 843-766-8355; mowen@hiriverview.com; http://www.hiriverview.com/

SEA MIST OCEANFRONT RESORT – MYRTLE BEACH SC 1200 South Ocean Blvd., 29577. REUNIONS MADE EASY! Specializing in reunions from military to family at the most affordable rates in Myrtle Beach. Sea Mist's premier oceanfront location is near shopping, theaters and golf courses. Over 600 of our 800 units have been completely remodeled, restaurants, miniature golf, 10 pools, Jacuzzis, fitness room, 17,000-sq.ft. of versatile meeting space and much more! 800-200-8687; groupsales@seamist.com; www.seamist.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

SOUTH DAKOTA RAPID CITY CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU Nestled at the base of the legendary Black Hills, Rapid City lies at the heart of the American experience, just minutes from the highest concentration of public parks, monuments and memorials in the world. Explore the South Dakota Air and Space Museum and Ellsworth Air Force Base, then cap it all off with exciting tours and fine dining before winding down in luxurious and affordable accommodations. Visit www.visitrapidcity.com or call 800.487.3223. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

TENNESSEE CHATTANOOGA AREA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU We are ready to host your next family or military reunion. Our Staff works closely with the hotels, attractions, tour companies and you to provide exactly what you need to have a great reunion. Contact Christina Petro at 800-964-8600 ext. 3017 or by e-mail at chrisp@ chattanoogacvb.com for free help planning your next reunion! www. chattanoogafun.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! PIGEON FORGE, TENNESSEE We’re a gold mine for reunions. Need attractions? Try Dollywood, Titanic Pigeon Forge, Zorb and the action-packed Parkway. Want nature? Great Smoky Mountains National Park is next-door. Want entertainment? More than a dozen theaters await you. Hungry? We’ll feed you well. Details: 1-800285-7557 or visit pigeonforgereunion.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

TEXAS LEWISVILLE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 606 W. Main Street, Lewisville TX 75057; 800-657-9571; fax 972-219-3719; pcox@cityoflewisville.com; www.visitlewisville.com Bring your reunion to Lewisville TX, a small town within an urban metropolis. Groups choose Lewisville because of our location, hotel variety, mall shopping, restaurants, golf & Lewisville Lake. Enjoy bass fishing, bird watching, catamaran sailing, water parks & historic Old Town, all conveniently located 10 minutes from DFW International Airport. M AY / J U N E / J U LY 2010 R E U N I O N S 39

CATALOG OF REUNION RESOURCES BLUEBONNET EVENT CENTER Adjacent to Lake Conroe KOA. 35 fully furnished 1& 2 bedroom cottages. Great Family Reunion Package – free hospitality room with kitchen if family rents 10 or more cottages for 2 night minimum. Campfires, indoor pool/hot tub, 6 acre fishing lake, playground, tennis court, shuffleboard, horse shoes, paddle boats for rent – 1-1/2 miles from Lake Conroe. 19785 Hwy. 105 West, Montgomery TX 77356; 936-582-5100; fax 936-582-1218; bluebonnetevents@consolidated.net; www.blue bonneteventcenter.com.

VERMONT SMUGGLERS' NOTCH RESORT At America's Reunion Resort, you'll experience Mountain Resort Living, award-winning children's programs (6wks.-17yrs.), family activities and entertainment, swimming, skiing, hiking, dining, shopping & more. Smugglers' Notch Resort – the only resort in North America to guarantee Family Fun – Summer, Winter & Fall. For more information, call 1-800-521-0536. or visit www.smuggs.com/reunions. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! KILLINGTON RESORT The perfect place for your reunion with an 18-hole championship Geoffrey Cornish designed golf course, a Kona “Groove Approved” Mountain Bike Park, featuring more than 45 miles of trails, plus hiking, swimming and scenic gondola rides. The Pico Mountain Adventure Center entertains all ages with Alpine Slides, climbing walls, horseback riding and mini golf. Call 800432-0100, or visit www.killington.com. 4763 Killington Rd., Killington VT 05751. mdavis@killington.com.

VIRGINIA VISIT FAIRFAX / FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA Enjoy everything that Northern Virginia has to offer. From the monuments and memorials of nearby Washington, DC to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center to George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens, Fairfax County is an ideal location for your military or family reunion. Call us at 703790-0643 or visit our website today at www.fxva .com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! NORFOLK CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 232 East Main Street, Norfolk VA 23510. Norfolk's beautifully revitalized waterfront, rich military heritage, walkable downtown and central Mid Atlantic location make it the ideal destination for your next reunion. Home to such attractions as the Battleship Wisconsin, MacArthur Memorial, Hampton Roads Naval Museum and the world's largest naval base. See why American Heritage named Norfolk "A Great American Place." Offering over 2,000 committable hotel rooms in various price ranges. Call 800-368-3097; dallen@ norfolkcvb.com; www.norfolkcvb.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

WEST VIRGINIA CANAAN VALLEY RESORT Davis, West Virginia. Four season resort featuring 250 comfortable lodge rooms, 23 secluded cabins/ cottages and 34 campground sites. Seasonal activities include indoor/outdoor pools, golf, skiing, summer/winter tubing, hiking/ biking trails, and more. Meeting rooms and banquet services available for your reunion needs. Karen Rhodes 304-866-4121 x2681 or rhodesk@canaanresort.com www.canaanresort.com THE WOODS RESORT AND CONFERENCE CENTER PO Box 5 Mountain Lake Road, Hedgesville WV 25427; 304-754-7977 or 800-248-2222; fax 304-754-8146: Kathy@thewoods.com; www.TheWoods.com

WISCONSIN GRAND GENEVA RESORT & SPA 7036 Grand Geneva Way, Lake Geneva WI 53147; (800) 558-3417. At Grand Geneva, find yourself surrounded by beauty. Two golf courses, newly renovated guest rooms, spa, 62,000 square feet of meeting space and indoor/ outdoor waterpark located an hour from Milwaukee and 90 minutes from Chicago. Meeting planners: “Pick your free” when you book a room for $99 between November 1 and March 14, 2010 and choose from a FREE reception, FREE ski lift tickets or FREE continental breakfast. www.grandgeneva.com/specials/wintermeetings.asp

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ATTRACTIONS

All of the following can be purchased at www.reunionsmag.com/ shopping or by calling 1-800-373-7933, ext.4.

THE B.B. KING MUSEUM & DELTA INTERPRETIVE CENTER 400 2nd St., Indianola MS 38751 662-887-9539. www.bbking museum.org The Museum’s restored 1920’s cotton gin is perfect for reunions & includes a projection screen ideal for meetings. The allViking kitchen makes catering easy! Exhibits include rare artifacts, award-winning films, interactives, & a story that is unforgettable. Group rates available.

BOOKS Family Reunion, by Mary Quattlebaum, Illustrated by Andrea Shine. Thoughtful and fun, this book gives glimpses of family togetherness and tradition through various poetic forms, including free verse, a sonnet, haiku, a ballad and more. $16 + s/h. THE FAMILY REUNION SURVIVAL GUIDE: How to Avoid Problems With Your Family Without Avoiding Your Family by Laurence A. Basirico. (2003, Identity Publishing, $11.95). A book about relationships at family reunions and how to enjoy them. Based on original research. 2106 Coy St., Burlington, NC. (336) 584-1442. Secrets of Successful Family Reunions, by Robert W. Wolfe a.k.a. Uncle Bob A how-to-book for successful family reunions. Whether simple or elaborate it helps those who wish to pass their values to the next generation. 2008. $16.99 + s/h. Treasure and Scavenger Hunts (3rd ed.) How to Plan, Create, and Give Them, by Gordon Burgett Communications Unlimited, 2007, 134 pp. $15.95 + s/h or $12.95 digital. Your Living Family Tree: Keeping your family together forever through print, photos, sound and video, by Gordon Burgett Communications Unlimited, 2008, 174 pp. $17.95 + s/h or $15.95 digital. The Pick A Party book set, by Patty Sachs, party-planning expert Book #1: Pick a Party, The Big Book of Party Themes and Occasion, 100 theme party plans for holidays, milestone occasions and special events. Book #2 Pick-A-Party Cookbook, Includes menus, recipes and table decoration ideas for the 100 theme parties in Book #1. Regularly $20 for the set, only $16.00 + $2 s/h) for Reunions magazine readers. The Miles of Smiles: 101 Great Car Games & Activities, by travel writer Carole Terwilliger Meyers. "May be the ultimate solution for back seat squabbling" on the way to your reunion. Keep kids entertained all the way there. $8.95 + s/h.

FOOD PREPARATION COOKING FOR LARGE GROUPS (CD) Over 1400 recipes. System requirements: Windows 98/NT 4.0/XP, Intel Pentium Processor or better, 32 MB RAM, 20 MB free hard disk space, CD-ROM drive, SVGA monitor, keyboard, web browser, Adobe Reader, Window-compatible pointing device. $49.95 plus $1.29 s/h. Purchase at www.reunionsmag.com/shopping or call 1-800-373-7933, ext. 4.

MAGAZINE Subscribe to Reunions magazine Ensure a full year of reunion planning advice plus workbook. Subscribe now. Send $9.99/yr or $17.99/2 yrs to Reunions Magazine, Inc., PO Box 11727, Milwaukee WI 53211-0727. To charge to credit card call 800-373-7933 or visit our website www.reunionsmag.com.

MUSIC THE MALONE FAMILY CHOIR: A FAMILY REUNION is an original gospel CD opening with a song you'll want to play to say Welcome to Our Family Reunion! at your family reunion. CD $15 or tape $10 + s/h.

POSTCARD ANNOUNCEMENTS Notify your reunion members to SAVE THE DATE (bright red, they'll not miss it!) and when you need reminders, send postcards that say TIME IS RUNNING OUT Fill-in cards - $15 p/100 postcards or 20¢ each – you fill in the date and reunion name; or Custom printed cards - $45 p/100 postcards or 50¢ each. Send info to be printed: for SAVE THE DATE! (name, date, & place of reunion, contact info). For TIME IS RUNNING OUT (name & date of reunion & RSVP date) + fax number or email address to get your approval before we print. Send to Reunions magazine, PO Box 11727, Milwaukee WI 53211-0727; credit card charges call 1-800-3737933 ext. 4, or order online; www.reunionsmag.com/shopping.

AIRPORT PARKING PARK RIDE FLY USA is the fastest growing seller of offsite airport parking on the Web. All pre-paid parking reservations include complimentary shuttle service, luggage assistance, and $100,000 of Automatic Flight Insurance provided at no additional cost. Visit www.reunionsmag.com and click on Park Ride Fly for discount airport parking at more than 50 U.S. airports and start saving today!

BOOKS & SOFTWARE THE REUNION PLANNER 11661 San Vicente Blvd., Suite 306, Los Angeles CA 90049; 310-820-5554; fax 310-820-8341; lindah@reunionplanner.com; www.reunionplanner.com.

MEMENTOS & SOUVENIRS CUSTOM COOKBOOKS FOR FAMILIES Family cookbooks keep memories alive! Your entire cookbook order can be completed online: simply enter your recipes, invite others to enter their recipes, design your book and submit the order! Or, we’ll type your recipes for you. A great keepsake and fundraiser! G&R Publishing • Waverly, Iowa • www.gandrpublishing.com • 1-800-383-1679.

PLANNERS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REUNION MANAGERS (NARM) PO Box 335428; North Las Vegas NV 89033 narm@reunions.com; www.reunions.com.

REUNION RIBBONS REUNION 2010? Colorful, embossed custom ribbons (in your words) add a “touch of class” to your event & name badges. Ideal bookmark-keepsake that says “you were there”. Created expressly for class, family and military reunions. Class Ribbons available in school colors. For sample ribbon and idea brochure: REUNION MATE 800-208-6804 or www.ribbons4reunions.com.

REUNION WEBSITE MYEVENT.COM Create your own reunion website with no skills. It's fast and easy to use. Your reunion website has great features and planning tools. It will make planning much easier and everyone will love it! Features: Online registration, rsvp, ticket payment, message boards, family tree, guest book, quiz, poll, stories, photo albums, no ads, travel information, more. 7 day free trial. No credit card required for the free trial! Only $9.95 / month. http://reunions. createswebsites.com. Any Questions – 877-769-3836 or info@my event.com.

T-SHIRTS FAMILY REUNION T-SHIRTS 2025 Peachtree Rd. Suite D Atlanta GA 30309; 678-978-5104. FREE ART, FREE SHIPPING; tracy@atlantafamilyreunions.com,www.atlantafamily reunions.com. AD-fordable Imprints … your ONLY source for PERSONALIZIED Imprinted reunion T-shirts/apparel. Custom 1 color imprint priced as low as $3.59 ea. FREE Screen, FREE set-up, FREE artwork charges. SAVE THE DATE MAGNETS personalized, full color imprint, Priced as LOW as.79¢ each, KOOZIE drink holders Priced as LOW as 49¢ ea. Also tote bags, mugs and many memento favors. QUALITY work, great friendly customer service. FREE SAMPLES CALL or email us today for your FREE sample kit AD-fordable Imprints Toll Free 1-888-602-9450, doug@ ad-fordableimprints.com, www.ad-fordableimprints.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! MAKE THE BEST REUNION T-SHIRTS! Design reunion shirts online – it's fun and easy! Create your own design or have us create a design for you. From infant sizes to adult 6XL, you’ll find the perfect shirts for your reunion. FREE shipping, AFFORDABLE shirts, FREE expert-design help, and GUARANTEED delivery dates! Visit www.customink.com/reunionwbk or call 1-877-803-5885 today! Use voucher code RW210 to save $10 on your order of 6 or more shirts. AMERICA’S #1 SOURCE FOR REUNION APPAREL AND GIFTS T-shirts, Totes, Keepsakes & Gifts Easy-To-Order. Fun-To-Wear. Fast-Turn-Around. Beautiful and colorful reunion designs as featured on Good Morning America, personalized for your event! Browse our huge selection of quality apparel and exciting new products. Shop our Reunion Kits for great package pricing and low minimums! REUNION GEAR 1-800-451-1611 www.reuniongear.com

TRAVEL DIRECTORY COLORADO VACATION DIRECTORY Make your search for the perfect family reunion destination easier! FREE FAMILY REUNION DESTINATION LOCATION SERVICE: www.TheCVD.com/groups and click on "EMAIL US your Request for Group Accommodations." We will then send your requirements to Cabins, Vacation Homes, Lodges, Motels, Condo's, B&B's, and Campgrounds that can accommodate your desires; each one will email you directly with additional information. OR download our free Colorado Vacation Directory to compare reunion locations, which includes Places to Stay & Fun Things to Do. www.TheCVD.com/OrderForm.html

P.O. Box 11727 Milwaukee WI 53211-0727