masterplan
Elmore Family Reunion
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he Elmore Family Reunion, celebrated annually was very helpful as was the reunion planning seminar since 1987, was held at the Griggs Boathouse in hosted by Experience Columbus. Columbus, Ohio. Family travelled from North and South Icebreakers were the usual bingo game and identifyCarolina, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio, and Georgia. ing family members by traits and experiences. We placed Our Meet and Greet was Friday. We served hors conversation starters on the tables to help everyone be d’oeuvres and gave out name tags, t-shirts and welcome more conversant. We asked everyone to sit with someone bags. Welcome bags included items donated from local they didn’t know well until dinner time to try and get banks, our insurance company and credit union (hand better acquainted. sanitizer, bag clips with magnets, pens, pencils, grocery One of our young people read our Family Covenant. bags and grocery lists with magnet backs). We made We want to get them involved so they will want to carry on wrappers for candy bars and tea bag covers for Mango the tradition. We also keep the kids active so they have a Face painted Angel Chamomile tea with our reunion logo on them. We included Hill (7) from Florida. great time and make lots of special memories. family reunion survival kits, refrigerator magnets to place We gave out awards for travelling farthest, most a group photo and Buckeye candy in an Ohio “love box.” children, oldest, youngest, etc. We also gave out humorous awards. Experience Columbus, our local Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, The Kool and the Gang Award for the one who’s always hangin’ out donated items for our welcome bags. Sarah Doodan at the CVB was Icebreakers candy. Bob Marley Award for the one who’s always jammin’ was rock candy suckers. Needs a Break Award was a Kit Kat. Sunshine Award for the one who’s always e paid tribute to the ones who have smiling was a Snickers candy bar. Peacock Award for gone “Home” before us. Gennifer Biggest Show-Off was a Nutrageous candy bar. Davis made a vase with a little tree in it. We had games for the kids. We played the “LeftWe hung butterfly bookmarks, personalRight Game” and used a story with names of our ized with a poem, off the limbs. The seed ancestors driving to their family reunion. We also hired butterfly bookmarks are eco-friendly and a company to do face painting and balloon twisting for bloom beautiful wildflowers and forgetthe young ones. I was told a six-year-old wouldn’t me-nots when the seed paper butterflies allow anyone to wash his face for three days after. are planted. The memorial bookmarks I researched our family name and Coat of Arms and grow into a blooming memento of loved Crest. I made a copy of the information for everyone to one’s life. take home with them. This was separate from our Once you remove the butterfly, you Memory Book. are left with a bookmark with the poem We have a group picture of everyone at the reunion on it. Each family took a bookmark to that was printed for us. The pics are 4x6 and we’re plant in the yard so whenever the flowers attaching them to a magnet to display on our fridge. grow they will be reminded of our family Every time we look at the picture, it will remind us of members who have passed. family and what a great time we had. We know this will keep us excited about the next reunion.
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Elmore Family Reunion 30 REUNIONS v reunionsmag.com