Reunions Magazine Volume 17, Number 5. April/May 2007 (SOLD OUT)

Kidsstuff Food Games & Activities

VOL 17 NO 5 APRIL/MAY 2007 $3/USA

Display until May 31, 2007.

in this issue DEPARTMENTS FRONT WORDS – 4

April/May 2007 Volume 17 • Number 5 PUBLISHER

ALUM & I – 6

Jeffrey P. Wallman

70 years and counting by Velma Southerland Multi year reunions, 60 year reunion, new reality reunion show

EDITOR IN CHIEF

SCRAPBOOK – 8 Reunion registration time A potpourri of reunions: reunion school, skaters in Motown, Dream on … a new reality show, Santas in Branson, resources for toasts and speeches at your reunion and travel ideas for reunions

Edith Wagner TRAVEL EDITOR

Jacky Runice ART DIRECTOR

Jennifer Rueth

BRANCH OFFICE – 12

SALES

Listening to the past by Maureen Taylor Family website vs family blog by Shamele C. Jordan StoryCorps, personal historians

Marion Liston Senior Account Manager Beth Gay Account Manager

MASTERPLAN – 16 Who’s the Spark behind your family reunion? by Georgia Burnette My favorite reunion memory by Veronica Romano Small town, large family by Wendy Erlien Cooper Women Retreat by Suzan Huney Skeleton crew by Barbara Magdlen Frederickson Family Reunion by Elsie Frederickson Hutton Annual Poulter trek by Marilyn Creason-Gobble Peterson’s Perfectly Pleasant Potluck Patio Party by Connie Peterson Grand 75th birthday in Grand County by Virginia Augue

KIDSSTUFF – 26 Kid-friendly reunion planning by Edith Wagner Celebrating family resources by Pamela King-Williams Thinking inside the box by Shandi Stevenson Miles of Smiles, Disney, Black Hills, Hunting for your heritage

REUNION VENUES & PLACES – 38 Reunions in Big Sky Country – Flathead, Montana by Beth Gay There’s a porch swing in Tupelo… by Beth Gay

GAMES AND ACTIVITIES – 46 What to do when you get there?

And ideas from these families – Darga, Van Valkenburg, Awaya, Toomer, Rabb-Herron, Seideman, Douglass-Blount, Swensson/Mattsson and Davis County, Iowa’s old soldiers and settlers

FOOD – 51 Consider catering Century-old ice cream maker joins celebrations by Jo Beck Remembering a different reunion by Beverly B. Nichols Menus, sushi making tradition, reunions enjoy eating, pizza stars at pre reunion party

MILITARY REUNION NEWS – 56 USS Cavalier (APA-37), Coast Guard Cutters, 89th Division, Canadian war brides

REUNION RESOURCES – 57 A directory of reunion-friendly places, services, vendors and products ON THE COVER

Cooper Women Retreat enjoy a luau. See page 20.

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Karla Lavin ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Jean Salzer Andrew Bordeaux Scott Sprague CONTRIBUTORS

Virginia Augue • Jo Beck Georgia Burnette • Marilyn Creason-Gobble Sue Dannahower • Wendy Erlien Beth Gay • Ralph Hall • Suzan Huney Elsie Frederickson Hutton Carol Idalski • J. Lynne Wilson Jenkins Shamele C. Jordon • Pamela King-Williams Carol Kubik • DeVaughn Lee Barbara Magdlen • Marianne Mersereau Maria Moore • Laura Morgan Beverly B. Nichols • Connie Peterson Sarah Okuno • Claudia Meinzer Rentrop Veronica Romano • Shandi Stevenson Velma Southerland • Maureen Taylor REUNIONS MAGAZINE, INC. (ISSN #1046-5s235), is published bi-monthly. 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: reunions@execpc.com or fax 414-263-6331.

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 reunions@execpc.com; www.reunionsmag.com. © 2007 REUNIONS MAGAZINE, INC.

APRIL / MAY 2007 ❖ R E U N I O N S

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FRONT WORDS

Be in touch! his issue will be in the conference packets for the National Family Reunion Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and if this is where you’re meeting us for the first time, welcome to our world of finding answers to the question: how do you plan a reunion, anyway? If you’re an old friend, welcome too and thank you for continuing to join in this fascinating project called reunions!

T

Mail to REUNIONS MAGAZINE PO Box 11727 Milwaukee WI 53211-0727 For charge orders call 800-373-7933 or visit www.reunionsmag.com or fax it to 414-263-6331.

Or best of all, e-mail reunions@execpc.com.

APOLOGIA We owe Janis Soucie a huge apology for an error in our Dec/Jan issue when we referred to the recipe title for her “Favorite Morton Family Recipe” instead of “Favorite Monroe Family Recipe.” We have many people proofreading and amazingly few such egregious errors get through but this one did, for which we are deeply sorry.

TIS THE SEASON TO BE THINKING ABOUT THE DETAILS OF YOUR REUNION.

If your reunion is this summer, you should be setting up registration procedures right now and something many of your members would like added is to being able to charge their reunion fees. If your members have access to the internet, there is little reason for you to print registration forms and pay for postage.

Online registration is convenient for your members.

You customize your own online registration page, specifying pertinent information and reunion details.

Your members can sign up, securely submit their payment and receive immediate confirmation, which can serve as the reunion ticket. You can even broadcast email updates or request follow up information. Contact Alex Romagnolo, toll free 888543-7223 ext 3998 or email reunions@active.com, and tell him you found him in Reunions magazine … then, tell us about using online registration!

COUNT DOWN TO SUMMER REUNIONS

If you don’t already have a copy, order your Reunions Workbook now. The workbook is an exhaustive list of all the potential details you might want to consider in planning your reunion. Order workbooks ($10 or included with subscriptions at $9.99) to help recruit helpers, committee members and maybe even your successor to plan the next reunion.

When you’re finished, pass the gavel and the workbook to your successor. You can order online at www.reunionsmag.com or call 800-373-7933, ext 4.

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DOES THE WORLD KNOW ABOUT YOUR REUNION? DO YOU WANT IT TO?

First register your next reunion to be listed in upcoming reunions at www.reunionsmag.com. Include the name, date and place of the reunion and who and how to contact the person in charge. After your reunion, the contact info is archived so you can be found even after your reunion.

As you read this, and every issue of this magazine, you’ll “meet” reunions reporting about what they did, how they did it and ideas that will help you stage your own successful reunion.

As you experience those joyous aha moments where you realize you’ve done something wonderful for or at your reunion, write it down and share it with others. And as you take pictures at your reunion, think cover! Think smiling, happy cousins, aunts, uncles, classmates or buddies! But, most importantly, think about using pictures to illustrate your report. If you’re not the photographer, ask people taking pictures to share them with you.

This is also the beginning of the season when we are asked by national and local TV, radio and newspapers for referrals to reunions. We cannot make a referral if we don’t know about your reunion. If the idea of your reunion being featured in the media intrigues you and you KNOW it would interest everyone else at your reunion, make sure we know about it so when we are asked, we can include your reunion in those we recommend or refer. If your reunion is coming up, share the details and we may call you.

Requests are usually made last minute so there is no way of knowing ahead what we’ll need and we must rely on information we have at hand.

HERE’S WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE

This is a fun issue all the way around. I had fun making it and I’m convinced you’ll have fun reading it. You’ll meet lots more reunions and learn about the great ideas they’ll be flattered, if you chose to use them! I’m referring particularly to the sections called kidsstuff, food and games and activities. The latter two you know well, the former answers an almost constant plea for help with ideas for things kids can do at reunions. In addition to these pages, there are many more ideas for you online at www.reunionsmag.com where you’ll also find a podcast that highlights some of these ideas and a forum at http://forums.reunionsmag.com.

NOT GETTING ENOUGH REUNION INFORMATION?

Sign up for our free monthly email newsletter (for which an email address is essential). Send your email address and address to which this magazine is sent, to reunions@execpc.com. If you have spam protection, please give permission to receive email from reunions@execpc.com.

And if you have any comments or questions our forum at http://forums.reunionsmag.com is a place your can go to 24/7 to ask or add your reunion ideas. See you there. EW

ALUM & I

Greeneville High Class of 1936 celebrates 70th

by Velma Southerland

S

eventy years ago, 70 seniors were enrolled at Greeneville High School in Northeast Tennessee.

On June 24, 2006, eight of them met in celebration of the 70th anniversary of their graduation.

They gathered at the General Morgan Inn on Main Street (in Greeneville, Tennessee), two-and-a-half blocks from where their school was located.

The reunion committee of Louise Robinson Orr, Elizabeth “Brit” Britton Reaves and Charlotte Gass Thomas found 18 of their original number.

Some were easy. They’ve been in town for years or still have family in the area.

Marjorie Mullen Leming Strong has returned after living in Australia for years.

Mary Florence Luster Young, though, was elusive. The last address the group had for her was in Johnson City, Tennessee, just 30 miles away. By 2006, she was gone.

Reaves wrote a letter to the editor of The Johnson City Press. In response, she received calls all day telling her that Mary Florence now lives in Warrensville, South Carolina.

She and her granddaughter, Ange Street of Johnson City, attended the reunion.

The other out-of-towner was Gwen Mathes Marsh of Elba, Alabama, who had called her brother, W.T., as soon as the date was decided and informed him she’d bought her plane ticket. He accompanied her to the luncheon reunion.

After the group settled around the table, James “Pete” Linebarger, class vice president, asked the blessing. He was accompanied by his wife, Dot.

PO BOX 59713 • RENTON WA 98058-2713 800-654-2776 • http://reunions.com narm@reunions.com 6

R E U N I O N S ❖ APRIL / MAY 2007

Eight members of the 1936 class of Greeneville, Tennessee, High School met at the 70th anniversary of their graduation.

Shown are, from left, seated: Mary Florence Luster Young, Marjorie Mullen Leming Strong, Elizabeth “Brit” Britton Reaves, Charlotte Gass Thomas, Gwen Mathes Marsh and Louise Robinson Orr; standing: James “Pete” Linebarger and Leonard Coffman. Photo by Velma Southerland.

Orr distributed copies of the senior play program and of the commencement program from May 28, 1936. Penciled on it was “Baccalaureate at The Capitol, May 24, 1936.”

The programs were thanks to Thomas, who “keeps everything,” Orr said.

Reaves handed out actual programs from the class’s 50th anniversary reunion. A photograph of the 35 people at the 50th also circled the table.

Orr conveyed greetings from the class president, Jack Armitage, in Charlottesville, Virginia, who “would have loved to have been here.”

He had requested they sing the class song and they gamely complied.

Conversations turned to their school day memories.

With a population of about 5,000, Greeneville was a safe community.

“It was a whole other world,” Reaves said.

Late at night, teenagers could stroll to Gus’s café for pie and ice cream, then over to the depot to watch the train

before returning to the slumber party’s host home.

One skinny-dipping escapade was revealed, and was an adventure they remembered all their lives.

Despite graduating in the Great Depression and not having a yearbook because of the cost, Charlotte Thomas can say, “It was the best time in the world and the best place in the world to grow up.”

Their football backfield of “Coffman, Bible and Barnes” had only one representative at the reunion.

As conversations died down, Coffman thanked “the girls” for getting the reunion together and told them to start planning another for next year. He got the quip, “next one’s up to you and Pete.”

However, before they went their separate ways, they were in agreement: “Same time next year.”

Reprinted with permission from author Velma Southerland, Living (Lifestyles) Editor of the Greeneville, Tennessee, Sun.

Multiple years high school reunion

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e found this exchange at our forum. We know many schools have multi-year reunions. Tell us about yours and join the discussion on the forum: http://forums.reunions mag.com.

“Has anyone ever heard of a multiple year high school reunion? Our school will be celebrating its 45th anniversary and they would like to plan a reunion for all the years. It’s a small school and they don’t have resources to take on this task, so the school asked if we would organize the reunion for them. We decided that we need help and a reunion planner seemed the perfect place to start, but we’ve been told by more than one planner that they only do one class year at a time. Any suggestions or any directions to lead me to?”

ONE REPLY

“The school I attended in California has multi-year reunions on occasion for so many years in a row. Also, my mom’s graduating class in Ohio is looking at doing a multiyear next summer for the whole school because their classes weren’t large, either. Someone from her class is working on that. They have individuals from each year who all work together so invites and emails can be sent. That’s a good idea! Hope this helps some.”

New TV reality show

Class of ‘45 today

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oe Ben and Carolyn Qualls hosted a 60-year reunion of the 1945 Class of Benjamin (Texas) High School at their farm in Cleburne, Texas.

Six out of eight graduates attended. One died many years ago, and the group visited Margaret “Blackie” Bell Robertson at the Stephenville Nursing Home in Stephenville, Texas.

There was a lot of laughing, “remembering back when” and catching up with the events of those 60 years. We are looking forward to another reunion soon.

Reported by Claudia Meinzer Rentrop, San Augustine, Texas.

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new reality show, TV Land’s High School Reunion, did a nationwide search and narrowed the field to schools in California and Texas. The show will reunite a group of classmates for the first time in 20 years, then send them to an exotic location for an extended two-week reunion.

What happens when they get together is what the show is all about. Producers will pose questions like, “What would you do if you had the chance to go back and do high school all over again?”

Valerie Ramirez, casting associate producer, asks, “Would you pursue the person you’ve been dreaming about for 20 years? Would you get revenge on the bully who made high school hell? Would you go to show off your new look and success? Or would you simply reconnect with long-lost friends and make new bonds with friends you missed out on 20 years ago?”

From the Ventura County Star, Ventura County, California.

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SCRAPBOOK

It’s time to roll in Motown!

GWINNETT COUNTY, GEORGIA

ABCs of Planning a Family Reunion 2007 WORKSHOPS:

April 13, July 13, October 12 10 AM to 1 PM Complimentary lunch, Family Reunion Planning Guide.

Reservations only (no walk-ins) Contact Linda Busby, GCTS, Gwinnett CVB Education Specialist, 770-814-6056; lbusby@gcvb.org.

DEKALB COUNTY, GEORGIA

Bring Your Family Home to DeKalb!

April 21, 2007 Comfort Suites May 5, 2007 Hilton Garden Inn Perimeter Center June 16, 2007 Holiday Inn Express Lithonia SUMMER SERIES:

July 14, July 28, August 11 Dekalb Convention & Visitors Bureau August 25 Holiday Inn Atlanta Central September 15 Motel 6 Panola October 20 Holiday Inn Decatur November 10 Hilton Garden Stonecrest Contact DeKalb County CVB at 800-999-6055 or 770-492-5000 PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

16th National Family Reunion Conference March 15-18, 2007 With a pre-conference workshop on March 15th See program at www.reunionsmag.com.

Contact Dr. Ione Vargus, 215-204-8703; ivargus@temple.edu

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etroit Connection hosted their first major skating party in October 1994.

From this event, a national roller skating network was born which has grown to approximately 15 clubs/organizations in major cities from coast to coast.

Detroit Connection sponsored a number of highly successful roller skating events, playing host to hundreds of enthusiasts from around the country. A recent event was described as “like a family reunion”: a lot of hugging, fellowship, food and fun!

There were skaters from Chicago, Canada, Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Missouri, Maryland, Tennessee, Virginia and DC. The 13th Annual Skating Party will be in October 2007.

For more information on the DCN (Detroit Connection Now), and to see pictures from this year’s skating events, visit DCN’s website: www.detroit connectionnow.org Reported by Francia D. Malone, Flint, Michigan.

Free KOA camping

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ampgrounds of America (KOA), will host “Come Camp and Care With Us Weekend” a free Saturday of camping for those who stay as paid guests at participating campgrounds on Friday, May 11th. The event is intended to expose more people to the joys of camping. The event also serves as a fundraiser for KOA Care Camps where children with cancer and their siblings can experience summer camp while continuing with their medically supervised treatments. Visit www.koa.com or koacarecamps.com.

New Hampton heritage sites guide

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ampton, Virginia’s African American history dates to August 1619, when the first Africans arrived at Point Comfort. It was in Hampton on May 23, 1861, that Major General Benjamin Butler declared slaves contraband of war.

And beneath the limbs of Emancipation Oak, now on the Hampton University campus, African Americans heard the content of Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

This history – and where to go in Hampton to retrace it – is captured in Family Tree: A guide to African American heritage sites in Hampton, Virginia. For a copy contact 800-800-2202 or hct@hamptoncvb.com.

Dream On, America

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rom the Producers of The Bachelor: Rome, comes Dream On, America, a new wish fulfillment show. Can you sell your dream story in front of an audience?

Make your dream – whatever it is – a reality. There are many possibilities for dreams. Producers suggest these for reunions.

Do you want to plan a family reunion with all 200 of your relatives? Wanna see your high school friends again? Wanna

wow old classmates, college team buddies? A hopeless romantic dreaming of reuniting with a long-lost love? Do you dream of going to Italy to meet your extended family?

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT! You must be very personable and NOT afraid to talk.

This is your key to winning the prize on this show. Email your story and a photo to AlexShaw13@aol.com.

From TV with MeeVee, Burlingame, California

Charge your reunion online!

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hether this is your first reunion or you’re an experienced planner, you already know the many important tasks involved in planning any event. Sending invitations, tracking RSVPs, collecting and depositing checks and the all-time favorite, entering participant data.

Now you can simplify the process (and your life) by taking advantage of what technology professionals have known about for years. Online registration is not only convenient for your attendees, it is the easiest and most efficient way to manage administrative duties associated with planning your reunion.

If you’re like most reunion planners, your biggest struggle is finding time and resources to plan and manage a successful event. Active.com offers easy-to-use web tools to help you manage your registration and reunion planning process. You customize your online registration page and specify pertinent information and reunion details in an easy to read format. In just minutes, your members can sign up, securely submit their payment and receive immediate confirmation with event details which can serve as the ticket to your reunion.

Think about all the time you’ll save with: – A safe, secure, instantaneous online registration and payment system.

– Tools to broadcast email updates or request follow up information.

– And standard report templates (Current registrant data, payment information and check-in lists).

Whether you’re planning a family reunion for 100, a class reunion for 500 or a military gathering for 5,000 – there are resources that allow you to personalize registration to fit your needs. Offering your members a convenient 24/7 online registration and payment option means less hassle for you at no added cost to your reunion budget. Participants pay a nominal convenience fee typical for many credit card transactions processed via the internet.

ONLINE DONATIONS ADD TO YOUR COFFERS

Your members can donate online to general reunion funds, a special scholarship or collection for any designated cause. By adding an online donation option to your registration page, your members can submit donations at the same time they register.

Each donation is immediately acknowledged by an email confirmation.

TO SET UP YOUR REGISTRATION ONLINE …

Contact Alex Romagnolo, a reunion consultant at The Active Network who can help you set up online reunion registration. Call toll free 888-543-7223 ext 3998 or email reunions@active.com, and tell him you found him in Reunions magazine … then, tell us about using online registration! Is technology wonderful, or what!

Time to list your 2007 (and later) reunions now to appear at www.reunionsmag.com. Include the reunion name, date and place and contact info. Email to reunions@execpc.com.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

June 24, 2007 Sheraton Atlanta Hotel September 30, 2007 Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center Contact Lydia Douglas, Sales Manager, Small Meetings, Atlanta CVB, 233 Peachtree Street, NE, Ste 100, Atlanta, GA 30303; 404521-6640; ldouglas@atlanta.net; www.atlanta.net ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

September 7-9, 2007 YMCA Trout Lodge, Potosi, Missouri Branch of the YMCA of Greater St. Louis, Missouri, offers a Family Reunion Workshop for anyone contemplating this facility for their next reunion. Contact Desirae Ponzer at 314-241-YMCA; www.troutlodge.org.

BLOOMINGTON, MINNESOTA

Details at www.minneapolis.org/reunions WINTER PARK, COLORADO

YMCA of the Rockies, Snow Mountain Ranch Family Reunion University, November 2007 Contact Conference Office at 970-887-2152, x4127 ESTES PARK, COLORADO

YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park Center Family Reunion University, October 2007 Contact Conference Office at 970-586-3341, x1021.

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

17th National Family Reunion Conference, March 2008 Contact Dr. Ione Vargus, 215-2048703; ivargus@temple.edu.

Send your reunion workshop information to reunions@execpc.com.

Listings are free as a service to our readers.

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SCRAPBOOK

Reviews

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amily Celebrations: Prayers, Poems, and Toasts for Every Occasion (June Cotner, 1999 Andrews McMeel Publishing hardcover, 224 pages, $16.95) The prayers, poems and toasts in Family Celebrations can be used by all family members to celebrate any occasion. Selections are spiritually inspiring, uplifting and fitting for any tradition. The entries, written by both contemporary and classic authors, are divided into thematic sections – including one for family reunions.

Order at www.reunionsmag.com, search for Toasts, speeches and dedications.

Branson Santa

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races (June Cotner, 1994, Harper San Francisco, hardcover, 208 pages, $18) Saying grace will bring inspiration to your meals and special gatherings. Seeing the need for such inspiration at her family’s table, June Cotner compiled a notebook of poems, prayers and songs she solicited from friends, strangers, family members and ministers. She turned her family’s well-worn notebook into this elegantly packaged edition. Whether you need a Sanskrit Salutation to the Dawn, Gaelic Blessings or an ancient Chinese Prayer, Graces offers fitting words for every occasion. Multicultural blessings make it easy to share wisdom and insight before meals or at special gatherings.

Bring spiritual focus to your meals by bringing Graces to your table.

Order at www.reunionsmag.com, search for Toasts, speeches and dedications.

et Santa Claus help you plan your next reunion. Last July, Branson, Missouri, hosted 300 Santa(s) for their first-ever Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas (AORBS) convention. That was so cool that the Branson/Lakes Area

PR committee created a video about Santa and Branson.

Let Santa(s) help you at www.explorebranson.com/santa.

Above, Santa Tim Connaghan with members of the New Shanghai Circus. And (left) Santa Tim skimming the water.

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Big year in Tennessee

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everal Tennessee attractions are commemorating significant milestones in 2007 with many festivities that should catch your attention.

Highlights include bicentennial celebrations at Nashville’s Belle Meade Plantation, Warren County and continuation of the 200th anniversary of the incorporation of Nashville.

Chattanooga’s, Rock City (pictured above), one of Tennessee’s tourism icons, honors its 75th anniversary in May (www.seerockcity.com). Preparations for Dollywood’s 20th anniversary of the Dixie Stampede are underway in Pigeon Forge as well (mypigeonforge.com).

Gatlinburg, the gateway city to the Great Smoky Mountains, will observe its Bicentennial (www.gatlinburg-tennessee.com/events/bicentennial.html).

For a complete list of milestones and new attractions around Tennessee, visit www.tnvacation.com.

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BRANCH OFFICE

Listening to the past

by Maureen Taylor ow many times have you sat at a family event and BE PREPARED listened to stories being told by older relatives? If Since you’ve already done a trial run-through with another you’re a genealogist, I bet you wished you knew how person, you’ll know what to do when you’re faced with an actual to preserve that talk. Finally there is a how-to interviewee. You’ll have your questions ready to go and will be publication about interviewing relatives. A new book by Linda relaxed about using media devices. If you don’t know what to Barnickel called Oral History for the Family Historian: A Basic ask, consult Barnickel’s list of suggested topics (Appendix B).

Guide is just what you need. The Part of the interview process is Order Oral History for the Family Historian: author is a genealogist and archivist making your subjects feel at ease. in Nashville, Tennessee, and A Basic Guide, from the Oral History Association, Bring along photos or artifacts to jog currently oversees a project to Dickinson College, PO Box 1773, Carlisle PA 17013; their memories and help them relax. record oral histories from veterans.

In my experience, once people start $15.00 includes shipping.

Her book offers practical guidance talking they tend to forget about the for anyone interested in listening to microphone. It’s the initial few the past. She covers it all, from moments that are the most awkward. questions to ask through what to do TAKE CARE OF THE DETAILS after the interview.

Once you’re finished, offer the Recording family memories is a interviewee a copy of the recording to perfect reunion activity. Everyone is keep with other family history treasgathered and the conversation ures. In addition to the original (an naturally turns to who’s where and archive copy) and a copy for your what they’re up to. There is also a relative, make a copy just for listenfair amount of reminiscing about ing. Store it outside your house – for relatives who’ve died. Those example, in a safety deposit box at the memories re-connect family with bank. Barnickel advises transcribing past generations. Here’s how to turn the interview to preserve it; you’ll your next gathering into a lifetime of have a word-for-word paper version recorded memories by following tips long after the technology has evolved. She includes a sample from Barnickel’s book. transcription in her book.

PICK YOUR MEDIA Sitting quietly while a person talks about his past can be Decide how you want to record your subjects – audio or difficult because you’ll want to participate. Don’t. Pay particular video – then make sure you have the right equipment and that attention to Barnickel’s list of responsibilities to the folks you’ll it is in workable condition. Audiotape is being replaced by interview. These are two basic rules to follow: digital recording devices and video by digital imaging, which 1. As an oral historian, your role is not to comment on the makes choosing a format confusing. Barnickel’s advice: check content of what’s being expressed. It’s about being a good out technology issues on the Oral History Association website listener and offering prompts when talk lags. www.dickinson.edu.

2. If a relative refuses to discuss a topic, respect her silence.

Sometimes there are moments too private to share. Ask those GET PERMISSION questions of another relative to shed light on the family secret.

According to Barnickel, “Every oral history interview, Basically, Barnickel has thought of everything. Read her regardless of how closely related the interviewer and narrator, book to plan your reunion activity, and then bring it along to should have a legal release form signed by all participants.” consult as a guidebook. All you need to get started is to notify She includes a sample release in her book. Verbal permission family members you’re interested in creating a family oral isn’t enough; you need it in writing to cover future uses such as history project at your next event. You supply the relatives and publishing part or all of the interview or donating recordings to Barnickel provides the direction to make an archive. your idea a success. Your oral history archive of family memories is bound to keep people DO A TEST chatting long after the reunion is over.

Her book is full of good tips such as trying out your interview technique and equipment before you sit down with an About the Author actual subject. In other words, ask a friend or another family Maureen Taylor is the Photo Detective. member to act as a trial interviewee. It will help you work She writes about family history and photogthrough any “bugs.” Creating a good recording environment is raphy on her blog at www.photodetective.com. part of the test. You don’t want a barking dog in the background drowning out your uncle’s voice.

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Additional sources: STORYCORPS

toryCorps is the largest oral history project in the nation’s history. Begun in 2004, it collected more than 2,000 stories in its first year. A nationwide tour is sponsored by NPR and CPB, with the Saturn Division of General Motors as national corporate sponsor.

Two StoryCorps MobileBooths visited 23 cities in 16 states and Washington, DC, last year. In Missoula, Montana, people stopped and applauded as the StoryCorps mobile studio rolled into town; in Moscow, Idaho, the trailer became the centerpiece of a street fair. In Morgantown, West Virginia, participation in StoryCorps was an emotional event for people attending the local NAACP annual picnic. In Minneapolis, Minnesota, children from the city’s homeless shelters talked – many for the first time – about their lives, hopes and dreams.

StoryCorps is the creation of award-winning NPR documentary producer and MacArthur Genius Grant recipient David Isay. Recordings will be placed in the permanent collection of the Library of Congress. StoryCorps segments can be heard on NPR’s Morning Edition at NPR.org.

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PERSONAL HISTORIANS DOCUMENT FAMILY’S STORY

The past decade has seen the rise of “personal historians” who’ll interview you and your family, compile an oral history and leave you with an heirloom illustrated book, video, DVD or CD of family photos and records.

Of course, some individuals can easily do the personal historian’s job for their own families: conduct interviews, tape-record family stories and collect mementoes. Not everyone, however, has the time or confidence to write their history. Some prefer to leave the task to a neutral party.

Personal historians don’t compile family trees or do genealogy research. Their focus is on stories, family jokes, Mom’s favorite sayings, legends about how Grandma met Grandpa or how Great-Grandpa came from the old country.

The process lasts a minimum of four hours, but many sessions can be over a period of several days. Or do a group interview at a family reunion. The result from that reunion is a printed transcript the family can keep.

The work often leads to a bound book, with the individual’s life or family history printed with photos as illustrations.

Some personal historians act as ghostwriters for personal memoirs while some compile video histories. Other personal historians compile multimedia histories, with digitized photos, audio and video clips, digitized copies of home movies or even significant family documents.

Producing histories can take as much as a year. The process involves clients’ proofreading drafts and making changes and additions. The price tag can run from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands, depending on the work involved. The non-profit Association of Professional Historians (APH) has grown to more than 660 members in the US, Canada, Europe and Australia.

From a story by Ben Steelman in the Wilmington Morning Star, Wilmington, North Carolina.

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BRANCH OFFICE

FAMILY WEBSITE VS FAMILY BLOG

Which is best for your reunion? o you want to put your family reunion and history on the internet. Unsure how to begin? The first decision may be, should you create a website or a blog? Many would say the method you choose depends on the type of information you have to share. The truth is that it depends on who you are and how you work.

Are you a project-oriented person, the kind who dives in and works until you have something to show for your dedication? Or, are you a little here and a little there kind of person: you have occasional bouts of dedication, but leave unfinished projects in your wake as you shove off to another new exciting project. If you are a project-oriented person I suggest you create a website. If not, you should create a blog.

Regardless of which you choose, adhere to a few basic guidelines: • Protect the living, especially the children. Do not include names and ages of children. Also do not include personal information.

• Provide contact details including a mailing and email address.

• If you don’t own it, don’t post it without permission. Copyright law does apply to the internet.

by Shamele C. Jordon

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CREATING A WEBSITE

The first task is to generate ideas for building your website.

Surf the internet to see how other family web sites are organized.

To view a collection of reunion web sites go to www.reunionsmag .com, click on upoming reunions, http://reunions.afrigeneas.com or http://familysearch.org.

After gathering ideas, create an outline based on your family reunion and history. Reunion information should include contacts, itinerary/agenda, forms, hotels, maps and deadlines.

Reunion attendees can easily print and mail registration forms, t-shirt orders and family updates. Historical information can include biographies, records, memories, and photographs.

Next, collect and add your information to the internet.

Include a purpose statement at the beginning of your web page.

Then group family information to enhance readability. Also include navigation links on each page. People do not always enter your website at its home page. Regardless of how they enter your site, they should always be able to navigate to your home page. Finally, promote your website to your family.

CREATING A BLOG

For the person who is not project-oriented, but has bouts of dedication, create a blog. This way you can take baby steps.

Also, the most wonderful part is that you can jump from subject to subject. Yes, you will be able to do a little here and a little 14

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there. One week you can post a list of reunion activities. Then the next week you can post a narrative about your ancestors.

You can be yourself and still feel a sense of accomplishment.

To begin blogging, sit down and create titles for five posts.

You can create posts relating to genealogy, history and your reunion. Reunion posts can include your agenda, fundraisers, meeting announcements, planning, awards, special events and products for sale. Don’t forget to reminisce about past reunions by adding pictures and stories.

Another reason for creating a blog is interactivity. Family members can leave comments. You can collect family memories on various subjects like precious places, childhood and specific ancestors. We asked family members to comment on how they feel now that they know the results of the African Ancestry DNA test.

provides reunion and history highlights. Often we use the blog to point family members to new pages on the website.

If you start off as a blogger, eventually you will create enough posts to arrange them into a full-fledged website. Your reunion posts can become a reunion web page. All of the family history posts can become family history pages.

Whichever you choose, get started. Get your creative juices flowing. Choose a plan that fits who you are and how you work so you can feel a sense of accomplishment. Start a free blog account with Wordpress, Blogger, LiveJournal or TypePad. Or begin a free website account with JotSpot or Webbiographies. Everything is out there for free, just waiting for you and your family.

To listen to this article in audio go to Genealogy ON DEMAND, a genealogy podcast, at http://genealogyondemand.wordpress.com.

HAVING BOTH A WEBSITE AND A BLOG

About the author

Whether you choose to build a website or a blog, it is possible you will find a use for the other method. My family has both a website and a blog. The ToomerFamily.com website is our main internet presence. It contains information about family history and the family reunion. Our blog, ToomerFamily.blogspot.com,

Shamele Jordon, Lindenwold, New Jersey, is passionate about genealogy and family reunions. She is a researcher, lecturer, writer and podcaster. She is the host of podcast Genealogy ON DEMAND and Advisory Board member of the Family Reunion Institute of Temple University.

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Who’s the Spark behind your family reunion?

MASTERPLAN

F

by Georgia Burnette

amily reunions are wonderfully happy occasions, with favorite memories and the joy of visiting with everyone. It is a time to meet new relatives, cuddle new babies and – most important – reaffirm family values and traditions.

Reunions require much work, whether you have committees or, when the going gets tough, you’re do it alone. It takes an energetic, committed and enthusiastic person to pull off a great gathering. Count your blessings if your family has formed compatible regional groups, a functioning association or designated a reunion coordinator. If not, do you know the spark who keeps it all moving in the right direction? Those bright lights are usually easy to identify, because they’re always in touch with everyone.

THE SPARKS WHO INITIATE

Vera Reed said, “Immediately after seeing Roots, I called relatives all over the country to say, ‘It’s time to get our family together.’” That was 1984. The first reunion in Niagara Falls, New York, had a grand beginning with a Friday evening “meet and greet,” Saturday morning visit to Niagara Falls, Ontario, and an elegant evening banquet. Sunday church services were followed by an afternoon picnic that brought the Vera Reed first memorable affair to a close.

Vera commented proudly, “I never looked back! The family has followed through by volunteering to host our reunion every two years without fail.” However, she admits, “I keep an eye on things, just in case. But so far, I’ve never had to intervene.”

Sisters, Lori Griffa and Andrea Harden of Buffalo, New York, are the sparks that brought the Harston Family together for a first gathering of their maternal relatives. Although there are only a few relatives on that side of the family, the gathering included Friday arrival and Fellowship and a Saturday morning tour of Buffalo. Sunday Church Lori Griffa and Andrea Harden. services were followed by a 16

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visit to the local cemetery and a tasty farewell luncheon.

The sisters accomplished a great deal by gathering family health histories and organizing an informal photo shoot by giving everyone a disposable camera. They asked that cameras be returned so they could start a photographic archive for future generations.

A questionnaire was mailed seeking a host for the next gathering. However, they’ve already agreed that if there is no volunteer, they’ll do it again. That’s commitment!

THE SPARKS WITH FRESH IDEAS

“One way to keep the momentum going is to hold minireunions between scheduled gatherings,” says Susan Van Buren, of Voorhees, New Jersey, who hosted the 2006 Parker Family Reunion. “Our 2001, Buffalo, New York, family gathering was the beginning, continuing each year until 2004, when we failed to plan something.

We realized summer graduations were a great way to celebrate when the North Carolina branch Susan Van Buren scheduled a 2005 mini-reunion to acknowledge three high school graduations. That launched our ‘Cousins Reunion,’ so designated when many aunts and uncles were unable to attend.

“For the 2006 reunion, however, family and friends from near and far were present as our New Jersey family celebrated Parker descendants, plus graduations of my nephew Damon from high school and niece Nicole from Wellesley College in Massachusetts. This was an especially joyous occasion because our Great Aunt Phoebe, age 95, family matriarch and raconteur, was able to attend. Still beautiful and vivacious, she recounts fascinating tales of glamorous times living in Washington, DC, and says, ‘Remembering keeps me young.’”

THE SPARKS WHO PERSEVERE

Those of us in the reunion business know that as time goes by, enthusiasm may wane and hosts for the next gathering become increasingly difficult to recruit. This is where you truly need a spark to keep things moving.

Lillian Hundley of Buffalo, New York, recalls the Harper Family Reunion of Buffalo and Canada that

gather each August in beautiful Port Dalhousie, Canada. Ruth Harper Bell is truly the spark for her family, and for certain there aren’t many like her.

Adrienne Freas of Wheatfield, New York, kept several families in the reunion mode for 15 years by hosting both Christmas and summer bashes. The numbers increase on Father’s Day, when her husband’s family joins the primary group. But she has lots of help. Designated family members bring a dish or assist with other aspects of the gathering. Then there’s fabulous Uncle George, who prepares baked, breaded pork chops and home-smoked sausage for holiday happenings.

Adrienne proudly remarks, “My family always asks, ‘What can I bring, to help you?’”

Be aware of loyal, hardworking family members responsible for the smooth functioning of each reunion. Recognize, cherish and assist them; don’t take them for granted. Failure to acknowledge them can result in burnout and disillusionment.

A gift of love and appreciation is easily demonstrated by acknowledging the efforts of your “Family Sparks,” so essential to the continuance of your reunions.

Plan a recognition ceremony, now, for your next reunion.

It’ll be one of the best decisions you ever make!

Great Aunt Phoebe, matriarch of the Parker Family Reunion.

About the author began 40+ years ago, thanks to the work of 86-year-old Canadian cousin Ruth Harper Bell. An initial gathering of 50 has grown to over 400 relatives strong and counting, all because Ruth not only planned each reunion, but sought descendants in other family lines throughout the US and Canada. Only recently has she relinquished her role as chief planner to niece Shelly Harper Bell. The family continues to

Georgia Burnette writes about travel, health and family reunions. She is happily winding up ten years as editor of the family newsletter, The Burnett(e) Bugle. Georgia is a frequent speaker at the National Family Reunion Conference and contributor to Reunions magazine.

Freas Family Reunion is all smiles.

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MASTERPLAN

My favorite reunion memory

by Veronica Romano

his was our first family reunion in more than 40 years. The theme was the 100th year anniversary of my grandfather, Antonio Romano’s, arrival at Ellis Island.

Planning began more than a year in advance. Uncle Patty (Pasquale Romano) asked me to research my grandfather’s arrival through the Ellis Island records website (www.ellisislandrecords.org). I dove into the project, only to learn that more than 450 Antonio Romanos entered the country from Naples, Italy. After correlating and reviewing, I found my grandfather’s information. He arrived on a ship called the Attivita from Naples, Campania, Italy, on March 28, 1904.

The committee decided to gather in Jersey City, New Jersey, where my grandparents lived for more than 60 years. We met at the Liberty House Restaurant, located in the middle of Liberty State Park, where the view encompasses the Manhattan skyline, Ellis Island and, of course, the Lady herself, the Statue of Liberty.

Once the location was selected, the committee began composing our family

T

Enjoying a Romano get together.

history for a pamphlet. The pamphlet cover featured a picture of our grandparents at the turn of the 20th century. The reunion favor was a framed picture of our grandparents in later years.

The Courtyard by Marriott in Jersey City, overlooking the New York City skyline, is not far from our grandparents’ row house or from Liberty State Park.

The location was a great place for a walking tour down Memory Lane in downtown, Jersey City.

During reunion planning, we set aside a weekend for plowing through old photos,

Visiting the Ellis Island Wall of Honor to see the Romano family name.

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which were placed on three display boards at the restaurant. First-, second- and third-generation family, and a few fourthgeneration members, were included. We put pins on a map representing locations of Romano family members through the US, a nice added touch.

We relied on the sale of hats and t-shirts, 50/50 donations and raffles to help with expenses. Menus, table settings and decorations all reflected the ItalianAmerican motif. The centerpieces were old Fedora hats, cigars and red, white and green balloons.

During planning, we reconnected with relatives on the west coast. Our family has an Albanian influence from centuries ago, when the Albanians settled in Maschita, Italy. Cousin Ronnie from Fresno, a librarian, sent history about the southern Italian region.

Cousin Angie typed the family tree and other family historical information.

Cousin Angie and Bob were in charge of hat and t-shirt design and sales. Cousin Mary Ann was in charge of corsages and flower arrangements. My brother, Colonel Jim Romano, was a fabulous Master of Ceremonies. Cousin Al Romano, the family storyteller, discussed “What it’s like to be a Romano.” Al’s family references to our eating and talking and laughing all

Small town, large family the time was greeted with cheers and laughter. Alison Romano from Missouri was the videographer. The oldest attendee, Uncle Pat Romano, gave an eloquent toast. The Liberty House Restaurant helped with suggestions for cake design and table setting, and provided podium, tables and easels for our presentation.

Whatever planning it takes to make the event run as smoothly as possible is well worth the time and effort. For example, pre-buying ferry tickets to visit Ellis Island was a good idea. The hotel was close to restaurants, which made it so easy. A brunch was just the perfect time, not too late for older people and not too early for young ones. Having a Master of Ceremonies kept the day’s events and speeches flowing smoothly. Following brunch we took a ferry ride to Ellis Island. The trip was planned to view our family name on the Wall of Honor, where we traced our family name on tracing paper for a souvenir. It was the first visit for many. They were impressed with all there is to see and do.

The night ended with a pizza party at the hotel. It gave us informal time together to catch up. Our family story even made it into The Jersey Journal.

The reunion was fantastic. It was the best event and most fun the family had together in a very long time.

About the author After 33 years in education, as a Learning Consultant and Special Educator in New Jersey, Veronica Romano retired to start something new. Her first project was to help plan her family reunion. Now she’s enrolled in Pilates and yoga classes, is planning trips, and is a caregiver to her elderly parents. She addressed this magazine: “Thank you for your ideas on family reunions. Hopefully other families will be encouraged to embark upon the project.”

by Wendy Erlien

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n the humid July heat in the small North Dakota town of Fingal, about 40 members of the family of John and Rosalia Behm gathered to reconnect.

Although my grandparents, John and Rosalia, were no longer with us, their ten children and their families gathered for a family reunion.

The Behm Family Reunion was organized primarily by my aunts, Marlys, Phyllis and Irene. Relatives came from Colorado, Missouri, Minnesota and, of course, North Dakota.

It was the first time the entire Behm family gathered for a reunion, and

Some younger cousins broke out water guns, cooling themselves and a few aunts and uncles along the way. The afternoon led to games of volleyball at the sand court nearby and a leisurely meal of homemade salads, sandwiches, chips and desserts.

As evening approached, many moved outside to enjoy the cooler evening weather (despite battling mosquitoes) for conversation and a multitude of fireworks.

It was a simple, laid back reunion that provided the opportunity to reconnect and learn more about relatives scattered across the country. Although it was a simple gathering, it provided a wealth of

The children of John and Rosalia Behm at their first family reunion. Back row, left to right: Margery Johnson, Irene Behm, Phyllis Behm, Lucille Crouch, Mary Renvall and Marlys Behm. Front row, left to right, Richard, Kenny, Lyle and John Behm.

countless years since I had seen some of my aunts, uncles and cousins. One cousin, whom I had last seen when he was five years old, had grown to well beyond my height. Another, whom I’d only heard about from a birth announcement, was running around with my young son. As for my aunts and uncles, their personalities were just as I remembered from seeing them at random times during my childhood.

Held in the Fingal Townhall, ours was a simple gathering conducive to talking with family members, catching up, and reacquainting.

opportunity to reunite the children of John and Rosalia Behm in the town that they all once called home.

About the author Wendy Erlien is a freelance writer and feature/news reporter for a local weekly.

Her writing can be found in regional and national publications. She lives with her husband, two children and two cats in Maple Grove, Minnesota. When weather permits, she enjoys gardening, walking, making jewelry, reading and volunteering at her children’s school.

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Cooper Women Retreat MASTERPLAN

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by Suzan Huney

ur family reunions used to be ordinary affairs. One relative or another would host a picnic. Just as the women loosened up, telling each other what was really going on in their lives, a husband would suggest it was time to head home before the traffic got bad.

Reluctantly, the women cleaned up, gathered their empty potluck dishes and hugged goodbye.

It was at such a reunion that Mom suggested just the women get together next time. A date was set for the next summer, and cousins Linda and Pat volunteered to find a house by the ocean to rent.

My sisters, Mom, cousin Marlene and I rode together to the Ocean Shores on the Washington coast for our first Cooper Women Retreat

picture of Grandma Cooper’s old North Dakota farm house. Another highlight was a quilt drawing. At a family reunion in 1978, we had decided to make quilt squares to exchange with each other, but the squares had never been stitched together. Eighteen years later, Marion offered to put the blocks together.

At that first retreat we played cards, walked on the beach, shared potluck meals and had a water-balloon fight. On Saturday night we found our beds had been short-sheeted, and on Sunday morning a string of pink, blue, and beige panties, tied hip to hip, hung across the kitchen. We accused Auntie Betty and Mom. No one else I know has their imagination or capacity for jokes.

All the Cooper women.

We ended our first CWR with a short business meeting to set the date for the next year. I volunteered to find accommodations, we assigned meals to family groups and Marion offered to make another quilt if we’d each stitch a block. Linda volunteered to be our secretary and send the where and when.

All other retreats have been held at Natapoc Lodge on the banks of the Wenatchee River near Leavenworth, Washington.

Pine trees surround it, filling the air with a sweet fragrance.

The well-appointed lodge is first class, from comfy beds (enough to accommodate 21) to the well-equipped kitchen.

We continued the quilt tradition and 13 have been made so far. We now make three squares each year. Cousins Pat, Linda and Marion assemble the squares, joining the fabric of our lives together. The quilts speak of our joys and sorrows: graduations, weddings, birthdays and deaths. Our family heritage is honored with poems, humor and always a family tree. A drawing among those who don’t yet have a quilt determines the winner.

Cooper women enjoy a luau.

(CWR). When we pulled up in front of an ugly three-story Aframe, we couldn’t believe it was our home for the weekend. We made our way past piles of construction debris: drain pipes, concrete blocks, and rotten wood shingles. When Linda arrived, she called the rental office, but there were no other houses available. Important advice: check out your lodging before making a reservation.

By six o’clock, 18 women and one baby boy – the descendants and extended family of Cora DeLaittre Cooper – were gathered to celebrate family roots and have fun without anyone telling us to quiet down or that it was time to go home.

We came from Alaska, California and Washington.

Despite the miserable condition of the house, we had a wonderful time, beginning with everyone putting on t-shirts Auntie Betty and Mom designed, with a black and white 20

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CELEBRATIONS AND ACTIVITIES

On Saturday night we celebrate. We’ve had a dress-up dinner, pajama party complete with a visit from Santa Claus, costume party, an 80th birthday gala, wedding shower and talent show. This year we honored 89-year old Auntie Ruth, our matriarch, with a crown and a magic wand. I assembled a fourpart essay, told in the “voice” of Ruth, her two sisters and her eldest niece. I had interviewed Auntie Ruth at our last retreat and during the year I interviewed the others about what they remember of her. The four voices painted a touching portrait of a strong woman: the early years of marriage, the birth of her children, death of her husband, and getting by during World War II. We learned of times in her life about which most of us knew little.

One year a dress-up dinner was a huge success. Ferrell made silk flower corsages for everybody and a gorgeous flower

Quilt winners from 2004.

Sharing is an important part of our Saturday evening celebration. It started at the first retreat when Mom called on each of us to share a story. Everyone had a turn, even the quiet ones. Our sharing bloomed a couple of years later when it was suggested that we each bring an item from our treasure box and tell its story. We laugh and cry, touched by the stories: a letter opener that was used to open love letters, a ring received on a 16th birthday, the cross necklace that Ellen received in the mail from her brother a week after he came home from Vietnam in a casket.

We’ve organized shopping and sightseeing trips to nearby Leavenworth, horseback rides and river-rafting trips for the kids. Some bring materials for craft projects: beaded jewelry, painted rocks. We play cards, soak in the hot tub (sometimes nude) and take walks. We have bingo games with garage-sale quality prizes where everyone is a winner because Auntie Betty and Mom are little cheaters.

Two years ago we added a third night to the retreat. At least half of us manage to squeeze in the extra night. No one wants to miss the fun.

arrangement for the table. Eleven-year old Jasmine created placecards decorated ARRANGEMENTS with flowers, stickers and feathers. With the table set and dinner ready to serve, it Our retreat ends at noon on Sunday was time to dress up, I in a white satin and after a business meeting. We vote on black sequined formal, my sister in an whether we should have a retreat the next elegant pink frothy affair that accentuated year, where and when. We assign meals her bosom and hips. Mom made a grand and make suggestions for activities, entrance draped in a voluminous purple including our special celebration night. dress. The tight bodice was covered with Volunteers offer to bring materials for gaudy rhinestone brooches, and jewels simple craft projects. And, of course, we dripped from her ears, fingers and wrists. discuss the quilt and how many squares She looked like a jeweled eggplant. Jen we want to make. Our secretary Linda and Erin wore complementary 1960s records the minutes so she has all the Matriarchs dressed for the Black Dress and Diamond 10th Anniversary Gala, (l to r) Betty Johnson, Marion Schneider, polyester florid dresses, matching red and details to put in a reminder letter she Alice Huney. pink plastic shoes, and pert hats. Susie sends in early spring. If anyone gets an and Ferrell looked like twins in their matching orange, pink idea for something unusual like the 80th birthday party, Linda and white dresses that were more appropriate for a circus. notifies everyone.

JoAnne outdid herself in a shimmering white dress covered in The cost of lodging is divided so each person pays for the huge orange, yellow and pink flowers. number of nights she is able to stay. I collect payments, pay our After dinner we had a bridal shower for Erin, who had eloped bill, make the reservation and pay the deposit for the next reunion. four months earlier. She met her true love, Tom, right after she We also each pay a share of the materials needed for quilts. returned from a CWR. Erin brought her son Harper, dressed in BENEFITS a pretty pink dress (it is a women-only affair, after all).

Our annual retreats have given us a powerful support group The year we had an 80th birthday party for Auntie Betty was through which we share our joys and sorrows. We now have a my favorite. When I called Linda with the idea, she was sense of our shared family history and feel a strong connection enthusiastic and said she would send out a special to each other. We stay in touch throughout the year with phone announcement for the surprise party. The day of the party we calls, emails, and old-fashioned letters. We all look forward to managed to get Auntie Betty out of the lodge for a couple of the next Cooper Women Retreat. hours so we could decorate with a hundred balloons and streamers, and a huge banner that read: Happy 80th Birthday.

About the author When she saw the banner she blurted, “But I’m not 80! I’m Suzan Huney’s essays and poems have appeared in The only 77 this year!”

Seattle Times, Stories with Grace, the online magazine Writing Everyone brought a birthday present that evoked memories it Real, Fresh Boiled Peanuts and in Exhibition. She grew up on of Betty: a hand-made doll dressed in a bikini and jewels that Bainbridge Island, Washington, and for 22 years she has lived looked amazingly like her, a “Queen of Everything” t-shirt, in her hometown with her husband. She is an administrator at chocolate-covered cotton balls, and a huge piece of chocolate the University of Washington’s Polar Science Center. fudge with a big bite taken out of it.

Later, when Auntie Betty picked up a knife to cut the cake, NATAPOC LODGING she pushed and pushed again, then gave it her all until the 12348 Bretz Road, Leavenworth WA 98826 knife stopped halfway through the cake. Her frosted, decorated 888-628-2762; www.natapoc.com layer cake was made of Styrofoam.

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MASTERPLAN

Skeleton Crew

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y mother hoped her daughters would meet and marry local men and settle nearby in Los Angeles, California. We did marry local men; however, two husbands were Air Force officers and two others may as well have been in the military. Much to our mother’s disappointment, Julie lived in Montana, Eileen in Hawaii, Tricia in Alaska, and I moved to Texas. Our youngest sister, Ann, remained in California.

Though we brought our children to see their grandparents each year until they passed away, all five sisters were together only twice in thirty years. Distance and family responsibilities kept us apart.

Then, one by one, we moved back to California. Finally, all my sisters lived in the same state. It was time for a reunion.

Ann, who owns the J. Patrick House Bed and Breakfast in Cambria, phoned.

“Let’s meet in Santa Barbara,” she said.

Ann became the organizer. She found two days in August workable for everyone.

Julie wanted to drive, Eileen volunteered as photographer, Tricia said that she would be peacemaker, and my sisters nominated me navigator/tour director. What a crew!

Equipped with maps, tour guides and a compass, Julie and I headed north when the big day arrived. Along the way we picked up Eileen and Tricia. Ann

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by Barbara Magdlen

drove south from Cambria to meet us for lunch in Goleta at the Beachside Café.

We dined on the patio enjoying sunshine, ocean breeze and all the latest family news.

I asked Ann, “Was it hard for you, when one by one we moved out of state?”

“I missed you,” Ann said, “but I got to spend a lot more time talking with Mom, which I really enjoyed. After you were married, I loved visiting your homes and seeing your new babies.”

“

We lingered over lunch, because at mealtime we feasted on reunion chatter.

”

Following lunch, we headed south toward Santa Barbara and checked into the West Beach Inn. As we relaxed around the pool I asked Julie, “What do you remember most about your life in Montana?”

“It was quite an adventure,” Julie said. “We got a certificate for surviving the worst winter in Montana’s history.

The temperature dropped to forty degrees below zero for twenty days straight.”

“In Anchorage,” Tricia said, “the winter was so cold that we could ice skate on the streets of our subdivision.”

I asked Tricia, “How could you stand the long hours of darkness near the winter solstice?”

“You won’t believe it: after the first year, I liked winter best. I took advantage of the light hours by going to lunch with friends from work and sitting at a table near the window. In summer, with so many hours of sunlight, I felt that I never got enough rest, even with blackout shades.”

In the morning we drove into the hills to the Mission Santa Barbara and visited the historic grounds. At noon we drove to a bookstore and café called Arts and Letters on Anapamu Street. We lingered over lunch, because at mealtime we feasted on reunion chatter.

Julie said to Eileen, “You lived in the desert at China Lake for seven years. You must have been ecstatic when you moved to Hawaii.”

“I was,” Eileen said. “China Lake was so bare, but Hawaii was lush and green.”

“Was there a downside to living in Hawaii?” I asked.

“You have to pay for all that beauty.

Tourists complained about the cost of food. They thought prices were hiked up on their account, but locals paid those prices all the time.”

Next on our tour was State Street, where we shopped until we collapsed on a bench for a brief rest. Once restored, my sisters and I were off to visit the Museum of Natural History. Eileen photographed us standing beside the skeleton of a 72-foot long blue whale. I paused for a moment thinking of our crew of five. Maybe some day our children’s children will come to see the remains of this same whale and stand where we are standing now.

As I expected, there had been no need for Tricia to act as peacemaker, but she decided to stir up a little fun. When Ann showered for dinner, Tricia put on Ann’s jewelry. Then she waited. To be honest, we all waited. When Ann didn’t find her jewelry on the nightstand where she left it, she searched until she discovered her jewels adorning our “peacemaker.” After sunset we returned to State Street for a Mexican dinner. “Barbara, you haven’t told us about Houston,” Ann said.

“We lived in a pathway for migrating birds.” I said. “My favorites were the wild geese. I could hear them honking in the distance, then see them fly overhead in V-formation.”

On the last night of our reunion, my sisters and I stood on the hotel balcony looking toward the night lights on the hillsides of Santa Barbara. I felt that our time together nourished the close bond we share. “Let’s do this again next year,” I said. They agreed.

About the author Barbara Magdlen is a free lance writer and illustrator. She enjoys creating picture books for young children and now lives with her husband in San Diego, California.

Frederickson

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FAMILY REUNION

by Elsie Frederickson Hutton

am finally retired from the chairmanship (20 years) of our family reunion association and now find time to tell you how much I enjoy the Reunions magazine. Not a reunion has happened without the magazine being a help.

Our reunion originally had the usual structure: potluck dinner, one day get-together. Then we made a radical change to a volunteer family hosting reunions every two years. The first was in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, in the panhandle. Another was at a state park in northeast Indiana, not far from Shipshewana.

We have a secretary-treasurer who keeps records and handles association funds, and a fundraiser chairman. Our fundraisers have been white elephant (new or little used items), family handicrafts and cookbook sales. We also raise funds by making hand-crafted items or useful filled baskets: CDs or DVDs, popcorn, candy, juice or soaps and toiletries, kitchen items, wreaths, crocheted neck scarves, etc. At the 2005 reunion a newspaper article written about my grandpa, who was at North Central College many years, was auctioned, bringing $100 to our coffers. We also print a membership directory. All from hints in Reunions magazine or books suggested. We have published a family cookbook, created a family bicentennial quilt and are working on a heritage album.

About the author Elsie Frederickson Hutton lives and writes in Sandwich, Illinois.

Frederickson Family Reunion bi-centennial quilt. Each family was allowed to put whatever they wanted (within reason, of course) on their five-inch squares in fabric ink, embroidery, felt, etc. Then one member assembled it with a group of her quilting friends. The center top photo square is of the patriarch of the family. The photos clustered below are their nine children and spouses. It is fashioned with hanging loops and goes from reunion to reunion. The quilt is to remember those who were living at the time of America’s 200th anniversary. Those who did not make squares were included on name squares prepared by the quilter.

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Subscribe! Call 1-800-373-7933 The reunion t-shirt says, “The nut never falls far from the tree,” Frederickson Family Reunion.

There is no date, so it can be used again.

APRIL / MAY 2007 ❖ R E U N I O N S

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MASTERPLAN

Petersons’ Perfectly Pleasant Potluck Patio Party

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s hostess for our family reunion, my goal was to get relatives to mingle and be entertained, rather than just having a meal together.

The gathering was to be potluck, held on our patio. Our last name is Peterson, so I decided to have a “P” party. All food, games and prizes began with the letter P. The prize for a pretzel eating contest was Pepsodent. The first person to recite the “Peter Piper” quiz received a puzzle.

The meal was a nutritionist’s nightmare, consisting of popcorn, potato chips, pickles, pepperoni, pineapple and pie. One seven-year-old proved the popularity of the “Ps”: when asked why his little brother was crying, he replied, “He pricked his pinky, papa! Call the paramedics.” It was Phun.

Reported by Connie Peterson, Ogden, Utah.

Annual Poulter trek

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he Poulter Family Reunion has met on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend every year since Grandmother Amanda (Mandy) Poulter passed in the 1970s. Seventyfive attend. They are Amanda and Allen Poulter’s children and spouses through great-great grandchildren, and Allen’s brother Clarence’s family through great-great grandchildren. Most of the extended family, ages newborn to 79, live in Oklahoma.

They gather at the Manford, Oklahoma, Senior Citizen Center for lunch and visiting.

Then most go to the Jennings, Oklahoma, cemetery to decorate. Afterward they go to a cousin’s lake place where they play dominos, cards, cook out and visit until midnight.

They do not gather as a whole family at any other time of year except weddings and funerals. I love to visit with my family, it’s always lots of fun recounting famous family stories.

Reported by Marilyn Creason-Gobble, Sand Springs, Oklahoma.

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he Cader Lee family of Coal Hill, Arkansas, has been having reunions since 1982. The reunion is hosted in a different city and state every two years.

One was in Kansas City, Missouri (the “Show Me” State), hosted by the Reverend George and Mary Reese. More than 100 attended from Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, California, Iowa and Illinois.

The Lee family likes to celebrate holidays and birthdays as a tradition.

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with members. Our theme is “reach out and touch someone.”

Our event schedule for the Kansas City reunion was Thursday registration and “get acquainted barbecue” at the Reeses’ home, dinner and tour of Kansas City, banquet and family talent showcase and a visit to the Botanical Garden Art Galleries. Church is always an important activity for the Cader Lee Family, as are children’s games. To defray reunion costs, adults pay $25 each.

The family published a souvenir book “In memory of family tributes and genealogical research.” The research involved grandparents Cader Lee and Amanda Shannon Lee and David Shannon and Sarah Shannon and parents Charles Lee and Daisy Shannon Lee. The Cader family moved from Coal Hill, Arkansas, to Idabel, Oklahoma, where they were very active in quality of life community issues.

Reported by DeVaughn Lee, Englewood, California.

Grand 75th birthday in Grand County historical presentation. All meals were believe I have found the perfect way to served family-style, which saved us celebrate a 75th birthday: several days from cooking. Meals were very tasty. at Snow Mountain Ranch, the YMCA of The highlight of the week was a the Rockies, near Winter Park, Colorado. birthday party my family planned for My family – total of 20 children, me. We were given a special room grandchildren and two good senior friends where we played games, feasted on – ranging in age from one year to 83, birthday cake and drinks, and opened enjoyed the beautiful mountains, great gifts. To my complete surprise, my weather and many activities at the ranch. family is putting together a quilt with We began our first day with a scavenger individual squares from each family hunt to acquaint everyone (as much as member. In the center is a big heart possible) with the layout of the lodges, with my name on it. To say I was cabins, campsites, activities and eating overwhelmed is to put it mildly. What facilities on the 5,100 acres of land that a grand way to celebrate my 75th comprise the ranch. We organized a puttbirthday. Now, what are we going to do putt golf tournament, which took two days when I’m 100? to complete. Winners were the Reported by Virginia Augue, Putt Putt golf tournament winners (l to r) Heather McCaffery, grandchildren, of course.

Paul McLinden, Brianna Augue.

Denver, Colorado.

Guided hikes were available, but instead we followed well-marked paths to a small waterfall. Some of us attempted a more strenuous hike, starting at 9-Mile Mountain Trailhead, but gave up after a few miles! It was too hot and the biting flies were a nuisance because we forgot to spray ourselves with Deet.

Each child was assigned an adult to interview.

On our last evening, the children reported their conversations, which were delightful and insightful.

The girls enjoyed the craftshop. They painted ceramics (which were then fired), and made jewelry and leather and copper crafts. They also tie-dyed very colorful shirts, swam in the indoor pool and roller-skated.

Two of the more adventurous grandchildren “flew” across a meadow on the Zip-line. The kids were fitted with a harness before they climbed a 35-foot tower, then they stepped off the tower and flew 120 yards in 20 seconds. They said it was great, but I much preferred to watch!

The ranch provided evening entertainment. We square-danced (children and adults together) and Virginia Augue (third from left, center row) surrounded by family celebrating her 75th birthday. Granddaughters in the front row sporting handmade tie-dye t-shirts. attended an interesting Grand County, Colorado,

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KIDSSTUFF

Kid-friendly reunion planning ome reunion planning activities will entice and fascinate kids, but adults often can’t see the woods for the trees. One painfully obvious idea (which rarely even occurs to planners) is to involve kids in planning kids’ activities! Who knows better than kids what kids want to do? Who knows better what interests kids and even where kids want to go? Ask them and take their advice. There’s a reason they’re your future!

Long before the reunion, when the kids learn they’ll be going to a reunion and they protest that they’ll know no one there, ask one kid to start a round-robin letter or email to introduce themselves, and ask others to do their introductions, too. Face it! Some kids don’t know their cousins, and an important purpose of the reunion is to get to know them. Start ahead.

Ask kids to produce a newsletter where they can introduce themselves and begin a dialogue to get to know one another. Or why not a blog? If there is even just one exchange, the kids can no longer say they’ll know no one at the reunion.

Plan lots of age-appropriate activities.

If there are many babies and toddlers at your reunion, organize a nursery and story time. Ask teenagers to help – they can even organize activities for their little cousins. Since the teenagers often earn their spending money babysitting, ask parents whose little ones are being entertained or supervised to reward their cousins. Let the older kids decide whether this is a volunteer or a for-hire event. Some families don’t have teenagers at the moment, so consider a reunion budget item to hire a student to direct kids’ activities, sports, lead songs or hikes, games and contests.

Know your kids and plan accordingly.

Plan ahead for the equipment and supplies you’ll need for planned activities. Bring bikes, skates and scooters. Bring board games, craft supplies, video games, CD players, DVDs, videos, children’s books and lots of snacks.

Plan activities for children and adults together to mix generations and branches of the family. Remember the Fourth of

by Edith Wagner

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The talent show is the highlight and culmination of the Seideman Family Reunion in Newburg, Wisconsin.

July games when you were a kid? Kids love them still: sack races, water balloon- or egg-tossing, three-legged races, relay races or scavenger hunts.

Make up, design or develop personalized games just for your family.

How about family bingo? To answer questions on the card, kids must meet and learn about family members. Or a family trivia game: Who fought in World War II or Iraq? Who has twins? Who flew over the equator? Who was an Olympic rower? Who was born in Green Bay? Who was a Rockette?

How about a talent show? This is a great opportunity for all kids to show off their tap dancing or piano recital piece.

It’s an opportunity for cousins to get together and entertain each other: singing, dancing, playing their instruments. It’s a perfect chance to use that ballet tutu one last time – and an incredible opportunity to take pictures of the kids in action.

Plan your reunion near major attractions, such as amusement parks, aquariums, museums and areas of special interest to kids. Often these places offer group rates and promotional materials you can use to promote your reunion.

Have an awards ceremony just for kids. Celebrate every (and I mean every)

accomplishment since the last reunion: promotions, graduations, awards, honors, accomplishments. Announce them, laud, applaud them, clap and stomp and shout about them. After all, if your own family can’t be proud of you, who can?

Encourage kids with tangible rewards: ribbons, certificates, plaques, medals, maybe even a little money. Many families provide scholarships for students at some or all levels of education. Some are small and some very generous, but all carry the whole family’s pride in its next generation.

And finally – this is a family reunion, after all – add family history in ways that will entertain young and old alike. Reenact family events or historical events that affected the family. Kids can make a family tree or encourage older members to tell family stories. Ask kids to help collect the family’s oral history. Then ask them to be the storytellers of what they’ve collected; through their retelling, they carry on family legend and history, which is one of the great purposes of having a family reunion.

About the author Edith Wagner is editor of Reunions magazine.

Celebrating family resources

Green kids in the old school dance contest.

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hese are two kids’ activities at the Green Family Reunion. You might wish to flatter them by copying.

Pamela King-Williams reported that they had a Youth Career & College Fair.

It was great! During our beach party, we set aside 45 minutes for family members to explain their jobs and tell the youth about their college experiences. We have a vast array of careers in the family: judge, police officers, nurses, flight attendants, computer engineers, real estate appraisers and salespersons, and military personnel, among others. We brought items from our

jobs (pens, mousepads, etc.). Some of us wore our college t-shirts. It was the first time we held this event and we will do it every time.

Then there was an old school dance contest. What a hoot! Old Uncle Cleveland (one of our Patriarchs) was hilarious! The DJ played music from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, and we old-schoolers (40 years and much older) had a great time dancing and showing the steps we danced “way back when.”

Reported by Pamela King-Williams, Accokeek, Maryland.

Return to the Stone Age

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hen it comes to art activities, painting on rocks is both exciting and inexpensive. “Rocks aren’t intimidating the way more traditional art materials can be,” explains Lin Wellford, known as “the mother of modern rock painting.” She says, “I’ve had many people tell me they had no idea they had

any artistic talent until they painted their first rock.”

Rock Painting Fun for Everyone! from ArtStone Press is Wellford’s eighth book.

It contains projects easy enough for anyone to make, even if they’ve never picked up a paint brush before.

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KIDSSTUFF

Thinking inside the box

by Shandi Stevenson

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hen Helen Stevenson, grandmother of ten ages 12 to 27, first suggested a cardboard boat race for a reunion, there was a moment of stunned silence.

Then came skeptical laughter. And then came one of the easiest to plan, and most enjoyable, reunions my family ever had.

“Something for the kids to do” is the constant quest of reunion planners. For my family, a cardboard boat race was an unexpectedly simple answer. Towns, colleges and organizations across the country hold cardboard boat races, but a cardboard boat race at a family reunion?

Absolutely. There is almost no other youth-oriented activity a reunion planner can stage which requires so little preparation, expense and planning, yet yields so many hours of outdoor fun, creativity and teamwork.

Our cardboard boat event was one day. We met at 9AM, picked teams, divided supplies and spent the morning designing and building. We broke for lunch, then spent a couple more hours finishing our boats. Finished boat tests and the race were in the afternoon, and we finished off the day with a celebratory cookout.

Actually, a cardboard boat race is really a cardboard boat building event culminating in a race. The organizer decides what materials and tools will be allowed and the amount of both to be allotted to each team. The organizer also decides (with or without a vote among participants) on rules of the race to test finished boats. After that, it’s up to each team to start from scratch and design, build and race their craft.

Our organizer chose four team captains, then captains took turns picking team members. (Teams also could be chosen by drawing names, or the organizer could assign teams to save time and ensure fairness.) We had three teams of four people, and one team of five, plus two “floaters” who helped wherever a team needed it. The size of the group will dictate whether you have more or fewer teams and team size can vary a little, although three to six seems like the most workable number.

After a little research, our organizer allowed each team to use three materials: cardboard, duct tape and sheet plastic.

Four tools were permitted: a

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Grace Stevenson, Tom Burwinkle and Brian Stevenson (above) work on construction and Tia Stevenson joins them with their finished product.

straightedge, pencils, markers and utility knives. Teams were allowed to print notes about cardboard boat design off the internet and even, in one case, use an engineering textbook (approved in advance). Paddles were supplied to each team for the race.

Each team chose how many team members would paddle the boat during the actual race. Most teams opted for one to minimize weight, while another

gambled on two to increase speed. Our boats all floated beautifully and proved, to everyone’s astonishment, virtually indestructible.

The winner, by a resounding distance, was an elaborate kayak-shaped boat reminiscent of an old Eskimo canoe, its cardboard ribs reinforced with duct tape and a taut skin of plastic. Close competition for second place featured two “boxy” boats that sacrificed speed

for impressive stability. And the elegant design of a catamaran that came in last could have picked up a lot of speed with two rowers instead of one.

The possibilities for designing the race itself are almost endless. After much discussion, my family opted for a simple race, with boats lining up at the dock, racing out to a certain point, turning around and racing back. You might prefer to hold a race with no turns or, for a more adventurous crowd, a slalom course. Instead of a side-by-side race, you could determine winners through time trials; that allows everyone to watch all the boats, and cuts down on splashing, collision damage and other hazards of cutthroat competition.

Besides speed, many additional qualities can be recognized with awards or prizes. Instead of a race, you might prefer a parade of boats and judge on looks and decoration. Or design an ambitious set of tests to single out the most maneuverable boat or a ruthless demolition derby to find the sturdiest. If there’s a “real” boat available for rescues, test which boat can make it farthest.

(Although we discovered that rowers’ arms give out long before their welldesigned cardboard boats!) A combination of events can please everyone.

We held the official race first, then spent hours testing other teams’ boats, trying to fit the whole team of five into each boat without capsizing or sinking, rowing for a nearby island to see how far we would get and practicing techniques for trading boats in the middle of the water or pulling a swimmer aboard.

Throughout the day, teenagers and 20somethings kept exclaiming how surprised they were at the success of this unusual event, and about how much they were enjoying themselves. Working on the boats together provided endless opportunities for creativity and teamwork and catching up on each other’s lives as cardboard boats bobbed across the lake, accompanied by laughter and splashing.

And when we sat around eating hamburgers that evening, it seemed we couldn’t stop talking about the boat race, even as we chatted about weddings, graduations and jobs.

The cardboard boat race was one of the most successful family reunion activities

Shandi Stevenson, Abby Stevenson, Darryl Gibson, Holly Burwinkle and Brian Stevenson up to take off

… and, finally, they’re off!

we’ve ever had, and it was also one of the simplest to plan. So if you’re looking for a youth-oriented event at your reunion that will provide hours of fun and teamwork in exchange for minimal preparation, remember to think inside the box.

About the author Shandi Stevenson is a freelance writer who lives, works and plans family reunions in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. She’s 27, the oldest of ten grandchildren who has been helping with reunions for many years. This is her second article for Reunions magazine.

WHERE TO LEARN MORE www.gcbr.com/tips.html www.blue-room.com/onetruth/archive/000591.html APRIL / MAY 2007 ❖ R E U N I O N S

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KIDSSTUFF

Miles of smiles

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nyone who has ever been trapped in a hot car with bored kids is well aware that the world needs a sure-fire way to ease the tension. Miles of Smiles: 101 Great Car Games & Activities by Carole Terwilliger Meyers fills that need. In fact, according to one enthusiastic user, it just “may be the ultimate solution for back seat squabbling.”

Miles of Smiles is filled with games and activities with travel-related themes.

Ninety-seven require just your minds and mouths to play and four need simple props: a penny, a pencil, and some crayons. A helpful index categorizes each game and activity according to age-appropriateness.

Kids can color humorous illustrations to add to everyone’s enjoyment. Measuring just 8.5"x5.5", the book fits conveniently into the glove compartment.

Meyers is a travel writer and author of Weekend Adventures in San Francisco & Northern California, and editor of Dream Sleeps: Castle & Palace Hotels of Europe.

Miles of Smiles is available at www. reunionsmag.com, click on subscribe and shop.

The 12’ Bevin Rowing Skiff offered for the Build-a-Boat package at Basin Harbor Club, Vergennes, Vermont.

More boat building

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asin Harbor Club in Vergennes, Vermont, offers a new Build-a-Boat package June 5-8, 2007, and July 8-10, 2007. They suggest that family members working as a team can build a seaworthy 12' Bevin Rowing Skiff ready to take out on scenic Lake Champlain.

In conjunction with the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, guests of this three-night, four-day package will build, finish and launch their own boat using a traditionally designed boat kit from the Alexandria Seaport Foundation.

Pennie Beach, owner of Basin Harbor

Piney’s Black Hills Adventure

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apid City, South Dakota’s, Piney’s Black Hills Adventure features a cartoon character of a pinecone who acts as a guide to area attractions. It’s a new game to create excitement for children. A child clicks a destination, then a little car with the pinecone guide takes off to such attractions as Mount Rushmore and Bear Country USA. When the pinecone arrives at the destination, a short video plays, then an “I-Spy” game appears where the child must find a hidden pinecone.

Once the pinecone is located, the player can print coupons from attractions throughout the Black Hills.

Contact Stephanie Serres, at the Rapid City CVB, 444 Mt. Rushmore Road N, Rapid City SD 57701; 800-487-3223; www.rapidcitycvb.com.

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Club, said, “We wanted to offer our guests a learning experience. Building a boat requires teamwork, communication and trust, but most of all it’s fun!”

The Build-a-Boat package rates are based on a family of four and include the three-day boat building workshop, all materials, accommodations, and breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. And best of all, you take the boat home for your next reunion. The package starts at $2,222. Visit basinharbor.com or call 800-622-4000.

Hunting for your Heritage

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ooking for a fun way to introduce children to the world of genealogy and family history? Hunting for your Heritage is a new educational comic book from the National Genealogical Society. It’s a full-color adventure story that teaches children about ancestors, descendants, generations and family trees and includes a blank pedigree chart and family group sheet to copy and use. Add crayons and you have a reunion activity! This is a great prize or goodie bag item for family reunions. Click on www.ngsgenealogy.org/comic.cfm for pricing and ordering instructions; generous discounts for multiple copies or call 800-473-0060, ext.116 to order.

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KIDSSTUFF

Year of a Million Dreams

The Fouch family (l to r Brad, Hannah, Jim and Lisa) of DeWitt, Michigan, made history as the first Walt Disney World guests to win a night's stay inside Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom Park. They became honorary Disney royalty because 16-year-old Brad was sitting in seat eight in the second row of Simulator 4 at Disney-MGM Studios’ Star Tours attraction at 9:30 AM, randomly selected location and time determined by the Disney Dreams Giveaway computer to award the Cinderella Castle stay. Photo credit: Diana Zalucky.

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very year you can expect something new and spectacular from Disney but this year is rich with one million dreams they promise will come true. Disney calls it a “lineup of immersive entertainment that draws guests into the middle of the action.” You’ll see it all around you.

And they’re not limiting dreams to visitors to Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California. You can enter by mail for random, daily drawings for an exciting array of Disney prizes from vacations to cruises, shopping sprees and my favorites! Disney trading pins and mouse ears, bestowed as surprises by Disney characters and cast members: imagine the happy faces.

And as only the imaginative Disney can conjure, the prize I really want is Grand Marshal World Tour of parades at Disney parks: pull for me, Mickey! Sign me up, Cinderella! I’m ready to march in parades around the world!

At Disney World park you could be the one sprinkled with pixie dust (only one each day) to enjoy suite dreams in Cinderella Castle, with rich details befitting the 17th century fairytale. Sorry, you can’t book it, it will be magically given to some lucky person each day … for the night! Or in California, a night in the new Mickey Mouse Penthouse overlooking the Disney domain.

As always, there are many new attractions to choose for returning visitors and to enchant new visitors.

Finding Nemo – The Musical is the first time Disney has transformed a nonmusical animated feature into an original musical production. In Epcot’s new The Seas with Nemo & Friends stars appear to swim amid the marine life of the saltwater environment. Dream Along with Mickey, performed several times daily, finds Mickey and friends (and some not so friendly) in a musical show and dreams-inspired celebration on the forecourt stage of Cinderella Castle. And opening later this year, animated characters from Disney-Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. stage an engaging and interactive attraction of jokes, songs and matching wits with the audience.

During the Year of a Million Dreams, more than one million dreams will be awarded to guests at Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and from drawings of mail in entries. Disney Dreams Giveaway mail-in entries must be received by January 14, 2008 on a 3.5''x5'' postcard with your name, address, daytime phone number, birth date and sent to PO Box 8629, Elmhurst IL 60126. But they’re randomly drawing now, so get your card in early. EW APRIL / MAY 2007 ❖ R E U N I O N S

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When you gather in Kissimmee, the results are always remarkable, affordable, and most importantly, memorable. Learn all the advantages of staying next to Orlando’s famed attractions at FloridaKiss.com or 800.831.1844, ext 484.

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VENUES & PLACES

REUNIONS IN BIG SKY COUNTRY

Flathead is the place!

by Beth Gay

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very once in a while, you learn something about a place that makes you wish to be there. One of these days, I’m going to the Flathead Valley in Big Sky Country of Montana!

If you are planning a reunion and want it to be the most memorable anyone could ever dream of, bring your entire group to the Flathead Valley. Tucked into Montana’s northwest corner, Flathead Valley is the gateway to Glacier National Park, a World Heritage Site, and home to Flathead Lake – the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi.

It is a reunion planner’s paradise. Dori Muelhof of the Flathead Convention and Visitors Bureau (FCVB) says, “FCVB staff is ready to help your reunion planning.

We’ll provide assistance with site inspections, local supplier coordination, spouse tours and activity suggestions. We’re glad to send brochures, maps and promotional materials and to make suggestions.”

Email fcvb@fcbvb or call 406-756-9091.

According to Muelhof, Flathead is home to world class golf and skiing surrounded by national parks, forests and protected lands. Recreation is abundant, with options for every age and ability: golfing, hiking and fishing, skiing, snowballing, dog sledding and more. You’ll find a symphony and incredible plays and musicals in theatre companies throughout the Flathead Valley.

Tim Wells – transplanted from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina – is Ranch Manager at a place called Sweetwater Ranch Lodge in Flathead Valley. It’s only a stone’s throw from Glacier National Park, Kalispell and Bigfork, Montana, and is surrounded by the Flathead and Blackfeet reservations.

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Whitewater rafting is a popular Flathead area activity.

“If you are an outdoor person, there’s always something to do here,” says Wells. “No matter the season, you’ll find something you’ll enjoy.” He mentions whitewater rafting, canoeing and world class skiing at either Black Tail or Big Mountain. Wells says you’ll find a trout stream with great fishing right on the ranch. A three-day fishing license is inexpensive and easy to get, he says.

And the fishing is unbelievable.

“I have bear and deer, elk and small game-like foxes on the ranch,” says Wells. Hunting is not allowed, but hunting expeditions are offered nearby.

“We’ve had reunions from Montana State University several times,” Wells says. “The ranch owner, Rob Quist, is an alum.” Quist, a native Montanan and son of a rancher, is a well known songwriter, composer and main stage performer who has toured extensively throughout the US and Canada and

further afield – like Japan. Recently named to the University of Montana’s Fine Arts Department Hall of Fame, Quist has music listed on Billboard’s National Independent Label Charts.

“We have a herd of Montana Mountain Horses who are safe for riders of every skill level, and Rob and his wife, Bonnie, take parties out on overnight trail rides. Great care is given to match riders’ levels of experience and their mounts,” says Wells.

The Lodge at the ranch can host catered meals or a ball in the upstairs ballroom. Or in nearby Kalispell or Bigfork, gourmet restaurants and shopping can please any taste.

Sweetwater Ranch Lodge is a guest ranch, but for those who wish to visit a true working ranch, Wells says arrangements can be made to visit and even experience the life of a cowboy. At night, Rob will take his guitar and you can sit around the campfire and sing along.

Tim Wells looks forward to helping you make your reunion arrangements. Contact Sweetwater Ranch, 581 Riverside Rd., Kalispell MT 59901; 406-257-8605.

IN FLATHEAD VALLEY

Your group might wish to visit the Museum of the Plains Indian (406-3382230) on US 89 in Browning, or take a Blackfeet Historic Site Tour (800-2152395; www.curlybear.org). There are museums, rodeos, pow-wows and many more activities both in nearby towns and on the reservations.

North American Indian Days in Browning is an annual celebration of the Blackfeet Indians. You will see Native Americans from every region of the US and Canada. North American Indian Days will be held July 12-15, 2007.

Contact 406-338-7276; www.indiannations.visitmt.com.

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

Denny Gignoux, Vice President of Glacier Guides, Inc., and Montana Raft Company, says, “We’re just a mile and a half outside the Glacier Park gates and we can help with Denny Gignoux rafting, hiking, fishing or even with a chalet experience.”

Denny has been hiking and rafting Glacier country for 15 summers. He has traveled in South America and Nepal, and has even guided polar bear viewing trips in Canada, but he always returns to Glacier National Park.

“We have from half-day to three-day rafting trips in and around Glacier,” he says. “We can take groups about 100 miles for the day raft trip on the Smith River in Blackfeet country.”

Glacier National Park offers spectacular views of some of the most exquisite country in the world, as well as backpacking trips (Gignoux says trips of half-day to ten days are offered) and even a day of horseback riding with Mule Shoe

Outfitters, LLC, in the morning and rafting in the afternoon.

Fishing? Yes, there is great fishing in Glacier National Park, and a special fishing adventure is easy to arrange with Glacier Guides. Or how about the ultimate trip of Glacier Park: hiking into the backcountry with just a day pack and your interpretive guide to point out details. You’ll enjoy hearty, home-cooked meals with the best views, and at night enjoy comfortable accommodations miles from any road, and Glacier Guides takes care of everything. On these trips you explore the habitat of mountain goats, big horn sheep, grizzly bears, moose, mountain lions and golden eagles while traversing glacial valleys and spires.

Travelers can hike to and touch Sperry Glacier, one of the largest in the park.

Contact Glacier Guides, Inc, PO Box 330, West Glacier MT 59936; www.glacierguides.com See what I mean? I hope you’re now dreaming of having your own reunion in Flathead Valley in the Big Sky Country of Montana!

About the author For over 16 years Beth Gay was editorin-chief of The Family Tree, a genealogical newspaper published in South Georgia. She has written for genealogy and Scottish publications all over the US and beyond. She is a contributor to Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader books and she has been a free-lance writer and photographer all her adult life. Most recently, she has a story in A Cup of Wedding Comfort. She was a columnist for many years for The Florida TimesUnion in Jacksonville, Florida, and papers in Moultrie, Georgia. Nowadays, she lives in Walhalla, South Carolina, with four cats inside, a multitude outside and two horses, Brendah Sue Louise and Ruby Lou Begonia.

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VENUES & PLACES

“There’s a porch swing inTupelo in the shape of the South…”

by Beth Gay

E

lton John and Bernie Taupin wrote a song called Porch Swing in Tupelo for Peachtree Road that includes, “There’s a porch swing in Tupelo/in the shape of the South.” If your family has southern roots – then, this is the perfect place for your family, class or military get-together.

Yes, Elvis Presley was born in a simple two-room house on January 8, 1935 in the small cotton town of Tupelo, Mississippi.

It is also the site of the War Between the States Battle of Tupelo, notable because it was the last time Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s famed cavalry corps fought Union infantry.

Festival in May paying homage to the famous Dudies Diner and in December, they host the annual antique toy exhibit with play things from the late 1800s until 1969. East side of Ballard Park; 662-841-6438; museum@ci.tupelo.ms.us.

• Plan a scenic drive through Natchez Trace Parkway, the elongated national park that stretches from Natchez, Mississippi, to Nashville, Tennessee, where travelers discover the natural beauty of Northeast Mississippi and the history of the Chickasaw Indians.

TUPELO CVB SET TO HELP REUNION PLANNERS

Most reunions are planned with an eye to history and events that impact their families. Members from Tupelo would have ancestors who fought in the War Between the States … and might have fought with Maj. General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s cavalry corps in Mississippi at the Battle of Brices Cross Roads.

That battle, also known as the Battle of Tupelo, was fought by more than 20,000 troops from the morning of July 14 until the evening of July 15, 1864. Learn more at www.nps.gov/tupe and visit the Tupelo National Battlefield, 2680 Natchez Trace Parkway in Tupelo.

Sharon Mckissick of the Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau (TCVB) reports that they hosted 52 reunions with a total of 4, 428 participants last year. She says she helps reunions with welcome bags, shuttle assistance and tour bags.

Mckissick is proud of the fact that Tupelo has been voted an “All American City” for three years. She says, “We are easy to get around in; there are great restaurants and shopping here as well as entertainment venues.” You will find over 100 quality restaurants with cuisine for every palate and hotels with over 1,600 guest rooms.

Contact Tupelo Convention and Visitors Bureau, PO Drawer 47, Tupelo MS 38802-0047; 800-533-0611; www.tupelo.net.

LOTS TO DO FOR REUNION-GOERS

It makes for a fantastic reunion when there’s lots to do … and there are many things for most every interest in Tupelo.

• Elvis birthplace, Elvis Presley Museum and memorial chapel. The 2007 Elvis Presley Festival is June 1-3. There’s music, food and fun on the streets of downtown Tupelo with live performances all weekend, the Elvis Look-A-Like Pet Parade and the Elvis Recliner Races. Visit www.tupeloelvisfestival.com.

• The Tupelo Automobile Museum has over 100 antique and classic cars displayed to illustrate over a century of automobile design and engineering. Contact 662-842-4242; www.tupeloautomuseum.com.

• Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo offers rides on the Bison Bus. Annual events through- out the year and even a Chickasaw Village. The herd of buffalo is one of the largest you’ll find.

2272 North Coley Rd., Tupelo MS 38803; 662-844-8709; info@tupelobuffalopark.com • The Oren Dunn City Museum housed in a historic dairy barn, ca 1937, glimpses Tupelo history, African American history, a NASA exhibit, Elvis, a 1936 Tornado pictorial history and much, much more. The museum hosts the Dudies Burger 42

R E U N I O N S ❖ APRIL / MAY 2007

BATTLE OF TUPELO REMEMBERED

8TH AIR FORCE SETS REUNIONS FOR 2007

Tupelo will be the site of one 2007 8th Air Force Reunion.

Cobb Gibbs, a nose gunner aboard a B24 during WWII in the European Theater flying from bases in England, says, “The reunion will be in October and anyone who flew or was crew on any type airplane in the 8th Air Force is welcome.”

Cobb said, “Our numbers get thinner every year. We had about 60 at the last reunion. It’s the camaraderie that we all love. I’m glad to say we’re all doing pretty good for the shape we’re in.”

Cobb said it’s simple to plan a reunion in Tupelo since there are plenty of good hotels and restaurants and meeting places plus lots to do. “Of course, we just like to be together when we can,” he said.

There will also be an 8th Air Force Reunion held in April at Lake Tiah-Khata, Mississippi. Contact Cobb Gibbs at 662842-1846.

Besides the lyric from Elton John and Bernie Taupin with which we opened this, you might remember the album and song, Tupelo Honey, from Van Morrison. You might remember Emmylou Harris’ song, The Boy from Tupelo which ends with: Oh but baby it’s too late now/Just ask the boy from Tupelo/He’s the king and he oughta know.”

So, take Emmylou’s advice if you’re planning a reunion and visit the birthplace of the king and so much more.

WEB PAGE: www.reunionsmag.com CALL: 414.263.4567 FAX: 414.263.6331 E-MAIL: reunions@execpc.com WRITE: PO Box 11727 Milwaukee, WI 53211-0727

Subscribe! Call 1-800-373-7933 APRIL / MAY 2007 ❖ R E U N I O N S

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WEB PAGE: www.reunionsmag.com CALL: 414.263.4567 FAX: 414.263.6331 E-MAIL: reunions@execpc.com WRITE: PO Box 11727 Milwaukee, WI 53211-0727

Subscribe! Call 1-800-373-7933 44

R E U N I O N S ❖ APRIL / MAY 2007

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GAMES & ACTIVITIES

What to do when you get there?

P

lanning activities for your reunion is essential. That does not mean something for every minute because visiting and catching up are always as important as structured activities. But as you plan, keep in mind ages, abilities and interests of your members. Be sure to include some activities just for kids and some things that force all ages to mingle and get to know everyone.

When descendants of Rose & Frank Darga meet, games are organized and run by the Benny Darga Game Committee.

The children and adults have fun playing games and whistling with soda crackers, Carol Idalski, Charlotte, Michigan, reports.

Some ideas for clowning around at reunions include tossing ping-pong balls into goldfish bowls, and a knock ’em down competition with stuffed toys as targets. It takes a little planning up front, but these kinds of activities will get everyone laughing.

Marianne Mersereau, Seattle, Washington, reported that during their Portland reunion, members of the Van Valkenburg Family Reunion got to know each other better through an adaptation of Bingo, called Vango. Everyone received a Vango card with the letters V-A-N-G-O at the top and a clue in each square. The object was to collect signatures from persons who matched the clues. For example, one clue was “Purple Heart Veteran,” so you had to find the family member who fit this description and get his signature on the card. Everyone completing a card received a Dutchthemed treat. The family was surprised and frequently amused by many revelations that resulted from the game!

Or establish your own family Olympics. Create contests – sack races, 50-yard dashes, checkers games, card tournaments, a family trivia game – for all ages and abilities. Award medals in a ceremony.

Sarah Okuno, Saratoga, California, shared these ideas from the Awaya Family Reunion.

Awaya family members represent a broad spectrum of talents, hobbies and disciplines, which were called upon to arrange activities and events. The week kicked off with a t-shirt tie-dye party, including a silk-screen station to apply the family coat-of-arms as a reunion memento. With colorful shirts drying in

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Everyone gets in the act of making a paper maché piñata at the Awaya Family Reunion.

the background, the space adopted a week-long festive, party atmosphere, as family members also made colorful paper lanterns (to festoon the anniversary dinner later in the week), beadwork, model airplanes and a papier mache piñata, among other projects. One of the week’s highlights was the “unbirthday party,” during which the whole gathering participated in uproarious games and broke the piñata they’d made.

The Rabb-Herron Biennial Family Reunion Picnic includes a big track meet. The picnic was held at the Lincoln Parish Park in Ruston, Louisiana, known for its mountain bike trails. Laura Morgan, Chicago, Illinois, writes, “We just pick a section of the park that’s isolated and have family members from two to whatever age run against each other. Everyone gathers around to cheer on their family members. The competition can get fierce, especially among the older ones trying to regain their form and finding out that you can’t go back. This year we gave the winners medallions with pictures of our maternal and paternal grandparents.”

J. Lynne Wilson Jenkins, Simpsonville, South Carolina, reports that the Douglass-Blount Family Reunion has a talent show, tours, kid & adult games and family history games.

Breaking of the Awaya Family Reunion piñata.

Everyone introduces themselves and explains how they’re related to the family. They also play icebreaker games that "force" people to mix and mingle. It is traditional to recognize the oldest and youngest family members, the member who traveled farthest, and the family with most immediate members present.

The Seideman Family Reunion always holds a tasty bake-off called a Kuchen Contest.

Airplane building is popluar for all ages at the Awaya Family Reunion.

At random, give each member a number, which becomes the order in which members can pick a white elephant. The first person unwraps and waits for the second person (with whom the first person might exchange … or

not). The exchanging can continue as people open packages, but no item can be swapped or exchanged more than three times, so the person who ends up with a third trade keeps that item and is finished in the game.

And from Gannett News Service, Press & Sun-Bulletin, Binghamton, New York.

• BAKE-OFF. Have relatives bring their best cakes, pies and cobblers from all over the country. A panel of judges selects the best and awards bragging rights to the winner for the next year.

• SPEECH CONTEST. Improve younger family members’ public speaking skills with an oratorical contest and give a savings bond as a prize.

• SHOWERS. What better time than when everyone is together to set aside time for baby and wedding showers?

• TALENT SHOW. Showcase family members who sing, dance or play an instrument well.

• FAMILY TREE. Plant a tree in a spot significant to your family to honor your ancestors. As it grows older, commission a plaque explaining its importance.

WHITE ELEPHANT

Plan ahead and ask everyone, in prereunion correspondence, to bring a gift-wrapped item for a white elephant sale. White elephant items are usually those no one wants, too tacky for words, or simply not the taste of the giver.

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GAMES & ACTIVITIES

Can you match ’em?

Old Soldiers and Settlers Reunion features games

I

f the Davis County (Iowa) Old Soldiers and Settlers Reunion teaches anything, it’s that kids don’t change. Games played during their reunion are sack races, three-legged races, hoop races and other events that would probably have been recognizable to children in 1846, when Drakeville, Iowa, was founded. There was fishing, a makeshift duck pond, and a mad scramble for candy hidden in hay (like the needle in a haystack) for the younger children. An egg race and balloon toss entertained older ones.

The wheelbarrow race – where kids pair up and A holds B’s ankles while B

scrambles on his hands – was for children ages seven and eight.

Kids lined up for the egg race. Each contestant clenched a plastic spoon in his mouth. Organizers gave each an egg, which had to stay in the spoon during the race.

The eggs were hard-boiled.

There was still a frog jump, canoe carnival, mule show and several other events to go. The youngest folks at the reunion were on the main stage in the baby contest.

From an article by Matt Milner in the Ottumwa Courier, Ottumwa, Iowa.

Search for “Hidden Mickeys”

M

aria Moore, Fredericksburg, Virginia, helps plan the Moore, Swensson/Mattsson and Ferro Family Reunions and Hayward Cousins Crusade. For a recent Moore Family Reunion she made a match game. The first card has pictures of family members now and as youngsters. Their matches are on the second card.

O

ur online survey (www.reunionsmag.com) asks where your “dream reunion” would be (money is no object). Theme parks consistently score very high and Walt Disney World (WDW) is at the top of the list.

Scavenger hunts for “Hidden Mickeys” in WDW is a new group activity, with clues, hints and points. Hidden Mickeys are images of Mickey Mouse that Disney’s designers have camouflaged all around WDW – in rides, on walls, even in walkways and fences.

Disney fanatic Steve Barrett, who has visited WDW almost weekly for over a decade, wrote Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World’s Best Kept Secrets. There’s a scavenger hunt for each park, one for the resort hotels and one for everything else in the “World” … almost 500 hidden Mickeys.

To add to the fun, Barrett assigned point values of one to four for each Hidden Mickey you find. The harder to spot, the higher the score. Young children can focus on easy-to-spot one- and two-point Mickeys, while teens and adults will especially enjoy finding the better camouflaged three- and four-pointers.

Hidden Mickeys: A Field Guide to Walt Disney World’s Best Kept Secrets, 2nd edition

by Steve Barrett (2005, 173 pages; $11.95. The Intrepid Traveler, PO Box 531, Branford CT 06405; www.TheOtherOrlando.com).

The King comes to family reunion

D

iane Yamaguchi’s affinity for Elvis began as a young girl. She’d play his records, sing and dance along to the music, pretending she was a star. In seventh or eighth grade, she entered an Elvis impersonation contest and took first place.

She graduated from high school in 1963.

She never considered bringing The King back to life until a family reunion about four years ago. Yamaguchi’s family gathers every year in Avila Beach, California, where they hold a huge family reunion, complete with entertainment.

In 2002, Yamaguchi and her sons

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decided to entertain their family members by performing a song-anddance routine as Dolly Parton, Michael Jackson and Tina Turner impersonators and, of course, Elvis. Yamaguchi lipsyncs a 12-minute CD of prerecorded Elvis songs and moves her hips and pelvis, just as Elvis did in his day.

She’s performed as Elvis at her past four family reunions and her 40th high school reunion in 2003.

From a story by April Charlton in the Santa Maria Times, Santa Maria, California.

After the sun goes down

S

pilsbury’s newest collection is perfect for kids and adults who like to keep playing after the sun goes down! They came up with light-up versions of favorite games families can keep playing after dark. Spilsbury’s Collection includes Light-Up Bocce Ball, Football, Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Horseshoes and Croquet. All light-up games are sturdy enough for years of outdoor nighttime fun.

Click on games at www.reunionsmag.com.

E! True Toomerwood Story

I

n E! True Toomerwood Story at the Toomer Family Reunion, the best family story wins. Each person has up to three minutes to tell a g-rated family story, based on a chosen category. Family members then vote on the best stories.

The top three or five will go on to the finals, taking place on Reunion Saturday.

Each finalist must tell a new story.

Following are sample categories: Family Table, Reunions, School, Trips, Big Aunt Ida, Us Against Them, Blueberry Field, Whippins, Brothers & Sisters, New Baby, Christmas, Family, Gatherings, Church and Holidays.

These are other reunion games the Toomers play.

• Silent Auction – We have had this prize winner for more than a few reunions. There is a table with auction items. In front of each item is a box.

Purchase tickets at $1 each. Place ticket(s) in the box, in front of the item you want to bid on. Winners are drawn from the box and announced during the Saturday program.

• Guess Your African Ancestry was an opportunity to guess results of a DNA test – before results were in – and win a prize.

• Get To Know Your Family. At registration, forms for this game are handed out. They list family questions.

Players had to find family members who match the answers.

Reported by Shamele C. Jordon WHEN YOU’VE FINISHED USING THIS MAGAZINE, PLEASE RECYCLE IT. APRIL / MAY 2007 ❖ R E U N I O N S

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GAMES & ACTIVITIES

Hay rides

Scream and laugh at Six Flags

❖ Dj, band, dance lessons

❖ Skits, talent show

❖ Top 10 list (like David Letterman’s)

❖ Invite a celebrity, politician, sports figure

❖ Exhibits

❖ Displays

❖ History: papers, books, pictures, maps, memorabilia, artifacts, tools, toys, crafts, implements

❖ Demonstrations: whittling, caning, quilting, hand sewing, butter churning, ice cream making, tatting, style shows, skits

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V

isit Six Flags Great America and Hurricane Harbor water park in Lake County, Illinois, Ride 13 thrilling roller coasters. Enjoy entertainment for all ages including two new attractions “Thomas the Tank Engine” and “Wiggles World.”

Hurricane Harbor has dozens of speed,

tube and mat slides, a gigantic wave pool and the world’s largest inter-active water playground for families. All FREE with your admission to Six Flags Great America.

For reunion planning assistance, visit www.lakecounty.org/reunions or call the reunion specialist at 800-Lake-Now.

FOOD

I

n earlier issues we’ve included stories about making – and enjoying – ice cream, an activity we see embraced by many reunions. That prompted two Wilgenbusch Family Reunion sisters to send these memories.

Carol Kubik, St. Mary’s, Iowa, wrote about the Croat Crankoff, a family ice cream contest. “It has a traveling trophy” she wrote, “and we have made ice cream in a boat and in a hotel bathtub, wherever we happen to be when it is time for the Croat Crank-off. (Croat is our family surname).”

Carol’s sister Jo Beck, Eureka, Missouri, wrote more about the contest. “We have great participation in this, with people looking all year for a good recipe. The wives make up the mix and the men’s job is to freeze the stuff. We break the contest down into vanilla, fruit and other types. Everyone is very cagey about their recipes ’til the day of the contest. It's all very official. We have several blindfolded judges and give them tastes of the various entries.”

Century-old ice cream maker joins celebrations

O

ur community, the tiny town of St. Marys, Iowa, has a wonderful oldtimer that has been coming to family reunions for years. This member of the family is an 1895 White Mountain Ice Cream Freezer and it’s no ordinary machine. It stands waist-high to a grown man and makes six gallons of ice cream at a time, enough to feed well over 100 people.

For the ice cream mix, one old recipe calls for two dozen eggs, 15 cups sugar, 7-1/2 quarts heavy cream, 7-1/2 quarts milk, a scant 2/3 cup of vanilla and three teaspoons of salt.

Dale Gavin (left) and Doug Kulik making ice cream.

This 200-pound machine was originally designed to be powered by a power shaft or a flat belt pulley. “It has a hand crank, too,” said Dale Gavin, who owns the freezer now. “I’ve got it hooked up to a gasoline-powered gear reduction motor, and it runs great,” he added.

At the turn of the 20th century, Beatrice Dairy in Des Moines, Iowa, owned many of the machines to promote and market their ice cream. According to longtime St. Marys resident Francis Gehringer, the dairy froze ice cream, packed it tightly with ice, covered it with a quilted pad for insulation and then shipped it all over central Iowa. People ordered ice cream for weddings, dinners and celebrations of all kinds. Freezers were put on the train back to Des Moines. As the ice cream makers grew older, they fell into disuse.

Sometime in the 1920s, my father, Oliver Croat, bought the freezer and planned to fix it up. After Dad died, my uncle Francis “Shorty” Gavin welded together a metal outer bucket to replace the rotted original wooden bucket. It never worked right and used 250 pounds of ice. Nevertheless, the freezer attended many family reunions.

Then, Dale Garvin saw a cooper at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, whose barrel was similar to the bucket on our ice cream freezer. Dale asked the man to make a new bucket for the ice cream freezer. The cooper was happy to,

Tom Croat celebrates winning the traveling trophy, with his sister Jo Croat Beck.

because he’s a collector of antique ice cream freezers and “he’d never seen a six-gallon one like mine,” said Dale.

So now the old White Mountain ice cream freezer, a century old, has a brand new lease on life. With its handsome cedar bucket, it freezes creamy, delicious ice cream in about 45 minutes and it only takes 125 pounds of ice with the wooden bucket.

Mmmmm, we’re all ready, bowls and spoons in hand. Is it done yet?

Reported by Jo Beck, Eureka, Missouri.

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FOOD

Menus eliminate wonder

T

he Dannahower Family Reunion plans meals well ahead of the reunion and

makes a chart for all to see, eliminating any question about what’s to eat.

DANNAHOWER FAMILY REUNION

Breakfast

Host your special reunion at the Holiday Inn Bayside overlooking beautiful San Diego Bay. Our experienced staff will assist you in planning the perfect event.

• Beautiful and spacious guest rooms • Tropical courtyard with heated pool, spa, shuffleboard, billiards • Family style restaurant and cocktail lounge • Non-smoking and disabled rooms • 9-hole putting course, exercise room • Free parking and airport transfers

4875 North Harbor Drive • San Diego, CA 92106 (619) 224-3621 • Fax: (619) 224-3629 (800) 650-6660 www.holinnbayside.com • email: dos@holinnbayside.com

Dinner

Travel – arrive 4 p.m.

Spaghetti & Meatballs Caesar Salad Garlic Bread

Sunday

Breakfast Cakes Cereal Toast

Sausage/Meatball Sandwiches Hotdogs/Buns Salad Bar*

Ribs Baked Beans Corn on Cobb Garlic Bread

Monday

Eggs Sausage Hash Browns

Hotdogs Salad Bar*

Ribeye Steak Baked Potatoes Asparagus Green Salad Biscuits

Tuesday

Breakfast Cakes Cereal Toast

Philly Cheese Sandwiches Salad Bar*

Honey Baked Ham Roasted Turkey Mashed Potatoes and Gravy Green Beans Biscuits

Wednesday

German Pancakes Ham & Turkey Bacon Sandwiches Salad Bar*

Thursday

Breakfast Cakes Croissants Cereal Toast

Ham/Turkey/Cheese Clam Chowder Sandwiches Fried Fish Salad Bar* French Fries Hushpuppies Cole Slaw

Friday

Donuts

Travel – leave 10 a.m.

Special Reunion Features • Complimentary one-night stay for reunion planner with site inspection • Complimentary hospitality suite • Welcome letter and box of chocolates in each room • Senior discounts in our restaurant • Special reunion rates

Lunch

Saturday

Hamburgers Potato Casserole Broccoli Green Salad Rolls

*Salad Bar includes: Fancy Lettuce1, Head Lettuce, Spinach1, Shredded Cheese1, Chopped Ham1, Chopped Turkey1, Hard Boiled Eggs, Bacon Bits1, Garbanzo Beans, Cottage Cheese, Blue Cheese, Salad Shrimp, Olives, Black1, Olives, Green1, Pickles, Dill1, Artichoke Hearts, Baby Corn, Pepperoncini, Baby Carrots, Radish, Tomatoes, Red Onion, Cucumber, Celery, Croutons*, Nuts. Dressing choices: Italian, Blue Cheese, Ranch.

1 all bought in one trip to a warehouse story.

CANYON OF THE EAGLES LODGE & NATURE PARK 940 ACRES OF SCENIC TEXAS HILL COUNTRY ON LAKE BUCHANAN The destination for a family outing or reunion of a lifetime, corporate group meetings and retreats.

64 ROOM LODGE • CAMP AND RV SITES • CONFERENCE CENTER & DINING FACILITIES

Packages include: lodging, fine hill country cuisine (breakfast, lunch and dinner), 14 miles of nature trails, hiking, swimming, fishing, birding, hayride, live music, campfires & s’mores, astronomical observatory. Additional activities include: Vanishing Texas River Cruise, kayaking, canoeing on Lake Buchanan.

“Where the road ends, adventure begins.”

website www.canyonoftheeagles.com; email Annette@canyonoftheeagles.com; 16942 Ranch Road 2341, Burnet TX 78611; 800-977-0081 52

R E U N I O N S ❖ APRIL / MAY 2007

A family affair

S

arah Okuno, Saratoga, California, explains that the Awaya Family Reunion’s breakfasts and lunches were self-serve, while dinners were prepared by volunteers who planned menus before the reunion. The shopping chore involved one

Jonathan Roberts (left) rolls sushi while his cousins watch.

Tamiko Nesley’s grandma, Toshi Sakai, shows her how to roll sushi.

large van trip to a warehouse store in Tucson, Arizona, for the family’s whole week of provisions. Over the years, supper preparation has become its own tradition and provides yet another opportunity for sharing and improving family relationships. For instance, the older generation prepares a meal of traditional Japanese favorites and uses the occasion to teach younger family members how to make various types of sushi.

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FOOD

Pizza stars at pre reunion party

I

have attended Seideman Family Reunions for at least 14 years and always thought of Sunday as the main event, with 300 to 400 relatives and friends. Sunday is, indeed, the peak of the week, but this 73rd reunion was the first time I was invited to pre-Sunday events. And I discovered almost a week of fun, food and togetherness for the widely scattered family who eagerly return to the site of their ancestors’ settlement in Newburg, Wisconsin.

The late Ray Seideman founded and held court through 71 reunions until his death at age 101. This remarkable man drew his family from around the world to his dairy farm once a year.

For years grandchildren were sent from around the globe to help Ray set up the reunion and join their families before returning home. Now those grandchildren, with children and grandchildren of their own, make the trek each July.

Early Saturday morning Seideman kids get to prepare pizza dough from scratch.

So how are they fed as the group grows to dozens preparing the reunion?

Early Saturday morning bakers … well, supervising adults and lots of kids from tiny on up … gather to knead the dough for pizza to be baked in a brick oven on the family farm.

Pizza making and eating are smorgasbord- style.

Reunion organizer Phyillis Naumann says, “We found out that most people like to try several different kinds; however, for nonadventurous types who are locked into one type of pizza, they can make Very creative pizza ingredients make for tasty outcomes. special requests.”

A couple weeks before the pizza lunch, a notice is sent. A response is required to get proper amounts of ingredients. A list of planned ingredients included pepperoni, Italian sausage, cheese, Canadian bacon and sauerkraut, garlic hamburger, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, black olives. Some prefer pizza without tomato sauce, so cousin Kate made Alfredo sauce. The cost is $1.50 per person.

Saturday night before the main event on Sunday, they meet at the farm for an annual cookout; participants were asked to bring salad, veggie or dessert to pass. The main course of chicken and corn on the cob were supplied by the parents of newly married Kate and Raymond who were then honored in the family’s tradition of a chivaree after the meal. EW

Remembering a different reunion

W

hen my friend Juanita’s grandfather died in l939, I went with her to his funeral and then to the repast that gave mourners in the rural Utah village where he had spent his life, a chance to say a final ‘goodbye.’ We drove to this special reunion from Salt Lake City.

Mr. Dyson was a farmer. Juanita and I spent time on his farm in all four seasons, so we knew every inch of the land. Although the farmhouse itself was drab and worn, the property was lovely. A creek ran through it and there were grassy pastures for animals and orchards and produce gardens.

“Wash up, girls,” someone called and obediently we followed others to the old pump by the well and doused our hands and faces, letting them dry in the hot Utah sun.

As we approached the tables, Juanita’s grandma, her face puffy from crying, beckoned. Putting her arms around us, she hugged us as if we were one child.

“He so loved you girls,” she said. Then she rose and, clinging to us, walked toward the tables laden with food, where a chair awaited the grieving widow. A prayer preceded the feast.

On borrowed tables, covered with starched white cloths, dishes waited to be filled with a sumptuous array of food, all contributed by people who knew and loved Mr. Dyson.

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by Beverly B. Nichols

Platters of crisp fried chicken and sliced glazed ham were surrounded by bowls of creamy potato salad and cole slaw and plates of ripe tomatoes and freshly-baked breads. There were saucers of bread-and-butter pickles, sweet pepper relish, casseroles of succulent corn pudding and baked beans. The dessert table held baskets of ripe strawberries and jars of clotted cream, apple and peach pies, chocolate and gold cakes, and rice, snow and tapioca puddings. Glasses of lemonade and fresh milk waited for thirsty guests to take.

On the lawn, blankets provided seating for young diners, while their elders sat on chairs brought from the house or borrowed.

The talk of all the people present made a humming noise much like that of a swarm of bees. Still, as we ate, we would hear someone say, “Remember when ...” Then everyone listened while someone related a story about Mr. Dyson. Each one set some memory of this beloved man into a crystal-like capsule for us to remember and savor all the rest of our lives.

About the author Beverly B. Nichols lives and writes from Fairhope, Alabama. In an earlier article she wrote something that bears repeating: “Suffice it to say: reunions do make a lasting impression on the young.”

Reunions enjoy eating

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riting in the Times and Democrat, Orangeburg, lined up along the driveway as a South Carolina, Laura G. Carlson describes steady stream of people piled their the Gramlings annual reunion in Four Holes, South plates high. On a nearby table sat vats Carolina, where refrigerators are stocked with the of Cherry Kool-Aid and lemonade. essentials. Saturday will find cakes, pies and Periodically, someone refilled empty cookies in the oven, and potato salad and deviled containers of fried fish and spare ribs eggs being prepared. Family cooks will be hard at dripping with the Still family’s special work preparing their specialties to be shared for sauce. Small children with faces red the potluck dinner after the program. from Italian ices jumped in the Folks drift in all morning. A cornucopia of “moonwalk” rented for the day. wonderful food will take over every surface in the The five-day Prentiss Family kitchen. Tempting smells will permeate the gathering.

Reunion for 35 from California, Fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, fresh green Colorado, New York, Virginia and beans and tomatoes, along with pound cake and Maryland was hosted by Betty Ann banana pudding, usually rule the table. There are and Kenneth Daly in Woodbine, so many casseroles and so many desserts that even Maryland. The Sunday picnic menu taking just a smidgen of each is too much for one was fried chicken, potato salad, plate or one person. deviled eggs, baked beans, apple Sarasota, Florida, Mayor Fredd Atkins presided butter with cottage cheese, ice cream over the Campbell Family Reunion, according to and brownies. Monday and Tuesday Mike Saewitz in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. morning country breakfasts were Pete Napper provides fine barbecue at the Napper Atkins’ brother, Luther Cox, the family reunion’s served by a neighbor. A Maryland crab Family Reunion in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. designated cooker, burned wood under a 350feast included barbecue ribs, corn, pound hog brought in from Ocala. Jake Atkins, another of the salad, and another Maryland signature food, Berger cookies. mayor’s brothers, fried about 600 bluegill and catfish he’d The final dinner menu was tomato pie, shrimp, macaroni and caught over the past two months. The Atkins’ mother, Glossie, broccoli salad. The Prentiss family was deliciously described was up all night baking sweet potato pies. in the Western Howard County (Maryland) View by Judy Boman.

It was a lot of food, but nobody expected to have leftovers. A crowd of about 400 descendants of the 16 sons and daughters of Nettie and Jake Campbell of Ocala assemble each year, a 25-year-old tradition. All over the Robert Taylor Community Complex, five generations of relatives glimpsed faces they don’t often see, mingled over grits and eggs, and gathered around the grill to see Cox tend to the cooking hog.

Patrice Stewart in The Decatur Daily, Decatur, Alabama, described the importance of food at the Cater and Catherine Jones Family Reunion. Organizer Catherine Miller, her daughters and others do the cooking. The Friday getacquainted night included hot wings, taco salad, fruit bowls, ham sandwiches, Italian meatballs and vegetable trays. A picnic at Point Mallard Park included hotdogs, hamburgers, coleslaw, baked beans, chips, cookies and watermelon.

Saturday’s restaurant dinner included chicken and dressing, macaroni and cheese, and potato casserole. More chicken, potato salad and green beans followed the Sunday service.

Kasi Addison described the repast at the Still Family Reunion in the Newark Star Ledger, Newark, New Jersey. Trays of collard greens, macaroni and cheese, string beans and corn on the cob were APRIL / MAY 2007 ❖ R E U N I O N S

55

E MILITARY REUNION NEWS

Division society donates funds to Army Museum

St. Thomas memories

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he 89th Division Society of World War II recently voted to dissolve and contribute $8,000 of residual funds to the National Army Museum, to be built at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

For 43 years, members of the 89th have promoted the history of the “Rolling W” division’s service in Europe during World War II. The division participated in Third Army’s assault on the Rhineland in the spring of 1945, crossing the Sauer, Moselle and Rhine rivers, and capturing the towns of Eisenach and Zwickau. The division overran Ohrdruf, a sub-camp of Buchenwald, and the first Nazi death camp liberated by US troops in Germany.

From an article by Jim Tice in ArmyTimes.com, Springfield, Virginia.

There are approximately 3.2 million WWII veterans still alive, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The department estimates that on average, nearly a thousand of those veterans are dying every day.

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his mini-reunion by engineering crew members of the USS Cavalier (APA-37).

Hosting-planner is rotated between members. Past mini-reunions have been in Evansville, Indiana, Texas and Michigan. About 20-25 people attend.

This mini-reunion on St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, was especially pleasant.

The weather was warm to hot, the service of one jitney bus was dedicated to transport this group to restaurants; tours of St. Thomas and St. John Islands; a swimming party;

and a stop at the only ice cream/dairy on the islands of St. Thomas, a submarine ride and a catamaran ride to enjoy a picnic on a nearby island. Sunsets were particularly noteworthy observances.

Independent flights were taken to St. Thomas. A villa was rented for the weeklong visit. It overlooked a watery passage towards the British West Indies Island.

Reported by Ralph Hall, Batavia, Illinois.

Coast Guard Cutters 50th anniversary

Canadian war brides reunion

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he 50th anniversary of the historic voyage by US Coast Guard Cutters STORIS, BRAMBLE and SPAR, circumnavigating the North American continent from west to east for the first time, during the summer of 1957, will be celebrated at a reunion September 4 to 6, 2007, in Reno, Nevada. September 6th is the exact anniversary date of the three vessels passing through Bellot Strait and starting the trip home following their history-making voyage.

This is the long anticipated combination of a reunion with the 50th anniversary of “Cutters Around the Continent.” Plans include a performance by the Coast Guard band and drill team and, hopefully, a visit from Admiral Thad Allen, USCG, Commandant of the Coast Guard. Contact Jim Loback, 10436 Teal Circle, Fountain Valley CA 92708; 714-968-8964; StorisBrambleSpar@msn.com; www.storisbramblespar.org.

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ore than 40,000 war brides and their 21,000 children arrived at Pier 21 between 1942 and 1948, fanning out across the country to join the Canadian soldiers they married overseas.

This past summer, nearly 200 war brides made a reunion train trip from Montreal to Halifax, Canada, to be aboard the Via Rail Ocean. Some traveled with middle-aged children, some with husbands. In the 1940s, the brides’ trips were paid for by the Canadian government; this time, war brides paid half price for themselves and received

a free escort from Montreal to Nova Scotia.

They were greeted in Halifax with an honor guard and marching band at the city that first welcomed them to Canada.

The brides’ train trip to mark the Year of the War Bride was organized by the same Via Rail employees who organized a 2005 trip for veterans from Halifax to Ottawa to mark the Year of the Veteran.

From a story by Rachel Boomer in The Daily News, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

High fives

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ohn J. Walsh, Toms River, New Jersey, president NAVAgator (National Amphibious Veterans Assn., formerly APA Sailors Association), reports that

Dawson T. Hubert, General Manager, and his entire staff at the Silverwood Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colorado, make any military reunion glad they stayed there.

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 & LOCATIONS ARIZONA Best Western DOBSON RANCH INN 1666 S Dobson Road, Mesa AZ 85202. Central location, complimentary full hot breakfast buffet, full service catering, ample indoor/outdoor function space and consistent affordability make the Dobson Ranch Inn an ideal hotel for reunions. Our 213 guest rooms are situated on 10 acres of beautifully landscaped courtyards. Hotel amenities include large heated pool, two spas, exercise room, free high-speed Internet access and Dale Andersons "The Other Place" restaurant.

800 528-1356; 480 831-7000; mmccaffrey@dobsonranchinn .com; www.DobsonRanchInn.com.

EMBASSY SUITES PHOENIX AIRPORT – 44th STREET 1515 N. 44th Street, Phoenix AZ 85008; 602-244-8800; fax 602306-1636; Kimberly Mehalos 602-358-0909; kimberly_mehalos @hilton.com; www.PhoenixAirport44thstreet.embassysuites.com.

ARKANSAS HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK, ARKANSAS America's First Resort. Planning a reunion in Hot Springs offers you one destination with a million possibilities. Enjoy art galleries, museums and architecture, our relaxing spas, theme parks, rivers and lakes, music and magic shows, thoroughbred racing, a botanical garden and more. Come indulge yourself in our hospitality.

800-922-6478. or www.hotsprings.org. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! NORTH LITTLE ROCK VISITORS BUREAU PO Box 5511, North Little Rock AR 72119. www.northlittlerock.org. The North Little Rock Visitors Bureau provides assistance to help organize and coordinate successful reunions and meetings. Our attractions – the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum (featuring the USS Razorback), Arkansas Queen Riverboat, Old Mill, and the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame have something to please all ages.

Call Shannon Harris at 501-758-1424 or 800-643-4690 to hear about the great facilities and special opportunities available to groups. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

CALIFORNIA

house 12 individuals complete with full bathroom and shower facilities. Easy access to Los Angeles (2 hrs), San Diego (2 hrs), and Las Vegas (4 hrs); 909-867-5743; info@palimountain.com; www.palimountain.com.

THE LAUREL MILL LODGE PO Box 368, Los Gatos CA 95031; 408-353-5851; esther@laurelmilllodge.com; www.laurelmilllodge .com.

OAKLAND CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 463 11th Street Oakland CA 94607; 510-839-9000. Oakland is California's best-kept secret. Just minutes to San Francisco by rapid transit, ferry, bus or car. Breathtaking waterfront views. Unique, affordable venues for reunions of all sizes. World-class jazz, restaurants and major-league sports. Call or email today for your FREE Visitors Guide. Oaklandcvb.com; info@Oaklandcvb.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! 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. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! dos@holinnbayside.com; www.holinnbayside.com.

NORTHSTAR-AT-TAHOETM RESORT offers a great place to sleep, eat, play and relax in a beautiful mountain setting with a wide variety of accommodations and activities such as golf, swimming and tennis in the summer and snow sports activities in the winter. It's no wonder Northstar was voted as a top 10 reunion destination by Family Travel Forum. A personal event planner is provided to help plan your unforgettable reunion.

Highway 267 & Northstar Dr., Truckee, CA 96160, 800-9265096, northstar@boothcreek.com, www.NorthstarAtTahoe.com.

THE LAZY Z RESORT located on 40 acres in California's Gold Country. First class Cabins with Clubhouse meeting space, natural designed pool and outdoor hot tub. Our 12 Cabins sleep from two to six people. Perfect for Family Reunions, Business Retreats, Weddings and vacations too! We look forward to having you join us and share with you this very special place! 22732 Middle Camp Rd., Twain Harte, CA 95383, (800) 585-1238, www.LazyZ.com, info@LazyZ.com.

COLORADO PINNACLE PLACE Looking for the perfect place for your family reunion? Come to the Rocky Mountains and enjoy Colorado's year-round playground. Our luxury vacation home is ideal for groups of 14 - 22 and has lots of amenities. For larger groups ask about additional condos. For more information contact Carolyn O'Neill at 1-888-825-3442, www.pinnacleplace.com.

BRECKENRIDGE is a world away from everyday! Vibrant history, natural beauty, and adventures for all ages make for an ideal locale, especially in our mild mountain summers. Our fullservice reservation center also books activities, lift tickets, golf, and transportation. Let our reunion expert help create the Colorado getaway you've always imagined! Breckenridge Lodging & Hospitality P.O. Box 8329, 535 S. Park Avenue, Breckenridge CO 80424; 888-483-6140; fax 970-453-5165; brecklodginggroups@vailresorts.com; www.breckresortsgroups .com.

EASTHOLME IN THE ROCKIES BED & BREAKFAST 4445 Hagerman Avenue, Cascade CO 80809. Elegant 1885 Victorian Inn listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located just minutes from Colorado Springs at the foothill of Pikes Peak.

Lodging accommodations for 26 people. Reunion packages include lodging and full gourmet breakfast. Meal plans for lunch & dinner available. Abundance of local attractions, restaurants & activities for the family. Perfect Colorado destination getaway.

800-672-9901; info@eastholme.com; www.eastholme.com.

BUENA PARK CONVENTION & VISITORS OFFICE 6601 Beach Blvd. Suite 200, Buena Park CA 90621-2904. Come see why we are the ideal spot for reunions and family vacations. We are home to five major tourist attractions including Knott's Berry Farm and only ten minutes away from Disneyland. Accommodations, restaurants and shopping are all within a mile!

Beaches and mountains close by. Call 800-541-3953 for a free Travel Planner, or fax 714-562-3569. tourbp@buenapark.com; www.visitbuenapark.com.

DENVER, THE MILE HIGH CITY Planning a reunion? You're in luck. Because there is something about Denver that brings people together. After all, it's where the mountains meet the city.

We offer free travel planning assistance-from accommodations and special event locations to transportation and dining options.

Come discover how we can help make your reunion a memorable one. www.DENVER.ORG or call 800.880.9095.

PALI MOUNTAIN RETREAT CENTER located in Lake Arrowhead, CA. Friendly staff. Top quality food. Spacious meeting rooms and excellent activity choices. Pali serves reunions of 25-350. Cabins

SOPHIA RETREAT AND CONFERENCE CENTER PO Box 1620 Dolores, CO 81323; 970-882-4920; fax:866-548-7437; ruth@sophiaretreatcenter.org, www.sophiatretreatcenter.org.

BIGHORN MOUNTAIN LODGE 1340 Big Thompson Avenue, Estes Park CO 80517; 800-530-8822; info@BighornMtnLodge .com; www.BighornMtnLodge.com.

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! 80044-ESTES; fax 970-577-1677; groupsales@estes.org; www. estesparkcvb.com/groups.cfm THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN INN WINTER PARK COLORADO The perfect reunion location! Lots of activities, convenient mountain location, plus gorgeous scenery and great weather. In the Rocky Mountains just 1 1/2 hrs from Denver and near Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park. Enjoy world-class golfing, fishing, rafting, hiking, biking and more. A charming Inn with a huge gourmet kitchen and 10 private rooms to indulge your entire group. Friendly staff to assist activity planning, catering, etc. Box 600, Winter Park CO 80442; toll-free: 866-467-8351 or 970-726-8256; groups@the rockymountaininn.com; www.therockymountaininn.com.

COLORADO ROCKIES – BEST WESTERN LAKE DILLON LODGE located 70 miles west of Denver, within 11 miles of Keystone, Copper Mtn, & Breckenridge Resorts. Full-service hotel includes banquet & catering facilities, volleyball and horseshoe pits, indoor pool & Jacuzzi, great family rates, and O'Brien's Restaurant & Bar. Year round recreation for everyone. Visit us at www.lakedillonlodge.com, 800-727-0607, 970-668-5094, sales@ lakedillonlodge.com, 1202 N. Summit Blvd. Frisco, CO 80443.

STONE MOUNTAIN LODGE AND CABINS 18055 N St. Vrain Drive, Lyons CO 80540 (2 miles west of Lyons on Hwy 36).

Mountain setting convenient to both Estes Park & Boulder. Lyons is a picturesque small town without the bustle. Our 45 scenic acres offers Room to Roam or Relax with duck pond, pool, hiking. Outdoor group areas near pool and pond. Affordable lodging includes cabins, rooms and campsites to fit everyone_s needs. Dogs OK. Call for special group discount! 800-282-5612; info@stonemountainlodge.com; www.stonemountainlodge.com.

TEMPLED HILLS CAMP & RETREAT CENTER Free stay for kids 0-12! Come up the mountain for a splendid, exhilarating, inspiring retreat. Explore Rocky Mountain splendor at 8200'.

Families experience mountain views, humming birds, aspens, ropes course, rock climbing, zip line, hiking, playground. Delicious homestyle buffet. 40 min. from CO Springs & Pikes Peak attractions.

Our Promise: "We enable you to experience simple living, comfortable surroundings and personal service allowing time and space to renew your spirit, appreciate nature and make a friend." Ideal for reunions, non-profits, churches, schools, seminars. 1364 County Rd. 75, Woodland Park, CO 80863; 800-229-6955; fax 719-6860796. Retreat@templedhills.org; www.templedhills.org.

LION SQUARE LODGE is located at the base of Vail Mountain next to the Gondola in Lionshead Village. Lodge rooms & 1-3 bedroom condominiums with kitchen, living room, BBQ grill & mountain views. Outdoor pool, hot tubs, mountain-view banquet rooms, riverside party tent, catering & group coordinator. Walk to shops, restaurants & mountain activities. 660 West Lionshead Place, Vail CO 81657; 800-525-5788; fax 970-476-7423; www.lionsquare.com.

VACATIONS INC, WINTER PARK COLORADO! PO Box 3095, Winter Park CO 80482. Rocky Mountain Reunion Specialists!

Just 67 miles from Denver and close to the Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park, Vacations Inc offers affordable downtown Winter Park lodging, onsite amenities and family activity planning. We offer studios, condos, pools and hot-tubs. Play golf and tennis, or go rafting, fishing, hiking, biking, horseback riding and ballooning – all in our back yard! Vacations Inc – Certifiable Family Fun! 800-289-8541; fax 970-726-8004; res@vacationsinc.com; www. vacations nc.com.

CONNECTICUT SUNRISE RESORT PO Box 415, Moodus CT 06469. 400 acre summer resort in rural Moodus, CT. Rates include great food, swimming, tennis, live music, softball, volleyball, mountain bikes, canoes, planned activities, mini-resort and discounts for kids. Mid-way between NYC and Boston – 160 sleeping rms, meeting spaces, planning assistance on request. Call 800-2259033 today! SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! Suntimes@connix.com; www.sunriseresort.com.

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CATALOG OF REUNION RESOURCES DELAWARE SHERATON DOVER HOTEL 1570 North Dupont Hwy, Dover DE 19901. An extensive renovation in 2006 provides a grand setting for your memorable gatherings. Enlarged rooms and extraordinary meeting facilities, enhanced by remodeled lobby and atrium areas, make the Sheraton Dover Hotel the perfect location for every event, from small family get togethers to large military reunions. Call us at 302-678-8500, ext 4293. www. sheratondover.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HYATT REGENCY WASHINGTON ON CAPITOL HILL Located in the heart of Capitol Hill, within walking distance of the U.S. Capitol, Smithsonian Museums, the National Mall and Amtrak's Union Station. Featuring 834 spacious modern guest rooms, including 32 suites, a full-service restaurant, lounge, coffee bar, 41,000 square feet of meeting space, 24-hour Business Center, and Health Club with indoor pool. 400 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington DC 20001. 202-737-1234; fax 202-719-8419; saleswasrw@hyatt.com; www.hyattregencywashington.com.

FLORIDA CENTRAL FLORIDA LAKES DISTRICT is home to affordable accommodations, fun attractions and unique parks for the ideal picnic. We'll assist you with FREE quality reunion planning assistance and provide your group with welcome bags to ensure everyone feels welcome and special. Plan your reunion in the one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world. Central Florida Visitors and Convention Bureau, 800-828-7655, www. visitcentralflorida.org. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! COUNTRY INN & SUITES OF CAPE CANAVERAL 9009 Astronaut Blvd. Cape Canaveral FL 32920. "Closest Hotel to the Port!" 2000 sq. ft. of meeting space. 151 Spacious Guest Rooms, including garden tubs, Children suites & Jacuzzi Suites. Free local calls, free high speed internet, Arcade, Fitness Center, 48,000 gallon salt water/mineral pool, Jacuzzi w/waterfall & Children's pool with large waterfall. FREE Upscale Continental Breakfast! Park & Cruise Package with FREE parking & FREE SHUTTLE!! Come see the difference of staying at the Country Inn & Suites of Cape Canaveral. 321-784-8500; fax 321-784-8500; cx_cafl@countryinns.com; www.Countryinns.com/capecanaveralfl.

SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! RADISSON RESORT AT THE PORT 8701 Astronaut Blvd., Cape Canaveral FL 32920. The Radisson is located just one mile South of Port Canaveral with free parking and Shuttle to the Port.

Choose from a variety of accommodations: Sleep number beds, two-room whirl pool suites and standard rooms available. Enjoy Flamingo's Restaurant and Starbucks Coffee. Also, just minutes to the Port, Kennedy Space Center, Orlando airport, and Orlando attractions. 321-784-0000; 800-333-3333; www.radisson.com/ capecanaveralfl. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! RESIDENCE INN CAPE CANAVERAL COCOA BEACH 8959 Astronaut Blvd. Cape Canaveral FL 32920. Enjoy our warm and friendly home-like atmosphere in spacious suites, with fully equipped kitchens and appliances. Open April 2006 this impressive Key West style hotel offers; Heated Pool, Spa, Lounge, Complimentary Full American Breakfast Buffet, Complimentary Weekday Social Hour ( Mon-Thu)., Complimentary High Speed Internet Access. www.marriott.com/mlbri; 321-323-1100.

SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! BEST WESTERN OCEAN BEACH HOTEL & SUITES As the closest oceanfront hotel to Port Canaveral's casino cruises, restaurants and clubs, Best Western Ocean Beach Hotel & Suites offers a great location for your reunion. Our staff will make local activity arrangements for you, so you can relax. Call (888) 7991631 Linda Ray, Group Sales Manager or visit www.BestWestern CocoaBeach.com to book your reunion now! 5500 Ocean Beach Blvd., Cocoa Beach, Florida 32931 SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! BEST WESTERN COCOA BEACH 5600 N. Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach FL 32931. Anything you want for your ocean retreat: from Standard Courtyard rooms to private balconies.

Enjoy the Durango Steakhouse & Lounge, Poolside Veranda Bar, and just a short walk to Cocoa Beach Pier entertainment. 800962-0028; 321-783-7621; www.bestwesterncocoabeach.com.

SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! COMFORT INN & SUITES RESORT & CONFERENCE CENTER 3901 N. Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach FL 32931. Our five acre tropical beachside resort in the heart of Cocoa Beach is just 300 feet to the beach, near Ron Jon's & restaurants. Choose from Ocean & Courtyard view suites, standard rooms and efficiency rooms. Lush courtyard surrounds heated pool,

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whirlpool, snack bar, outdoor grills & Lagoon Lounge. 321-7832221; 800-247-2221; www.comfortinncocoabeach.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT COCOA BEACH 3435 N. Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach FL 32931. Make this your most memorable stay ever! Sun, Sand, Surf, and Cruise, plus free high speed Internet access, restaurant, lounge, Whirlpool rooms, two-room suites, private balconies, refrigerators, fitness center, heated pool, laundry facilities, and more... 321-784-4800; www.courtyardcocoabeach.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! DOUBLETREE OCEANFRONT HOTEL 2080 North Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach FL 32931. This newly renovated oceanfront hotel is located in beautiful Cocoa Beach. All rooms have private balconies, free high speed Internet, refrigerators and microwaves.

The Double Tree is also equipped with over 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. 321-783-9222; 800-55-Beach; www.cocoabeach doubletree.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! HILTON COCOA BEACH OCEANFRONT 1550 N Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach FL 32931. Take pleasure in the area's largest ocean front pool deck; direct ocean front location on 300 feet of sandy beach. Enjoy the heated pool, Tiki bar, two restaurants, and lounge. This full service hotel has a new large exercise room, high speed Internet, and many more amenities. 800-526-2609; www.hiltoncocoabeach.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! HOLIDAY INN COCOA BEACH HOTEL & RESORT OCEANFRONT 1300 N Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach FL 32931. An oceanfront, full service resort, our hotel has a wide selection of accommodations. From standard guest rooms to suites; or upgrade to two-level lofts and villas, you're sure to enjoy your stay with us. Olympic size heated pool, tennis, volleyball courts, and more...

1-800-20-Oasis; www.hicentralflorida.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

TUCKAWAY SHORES RESORT "Suites on the Beach".

Looking for relaxation and convenience, you are sure to enjoy our Oceanfront boutique hotel. Recipient of prestigious "White Glove Award" by Superior Small Lodgings. Please visit us at www. tuckawayshores.com or call 1-800-820-1441 for more info. See for yourself why we are a Space Coast favorite. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! VACATION POOL HOMES & RESORT CONDOS NEAR DISNEY. The largest selection of vacation rentals in the Orlando area. 2 to 6 bedrooms fully furnished and equipped for less than the cost of a hotel room. Let Advantage Vacation Homes assist with your next Orlando family reunion with all the comfort, privacy, and more open spaces for new memories to cherish for a life time. call 1-866-216-5094 or visit www.AdvantageVacation Homes.com.

KISSIMMEE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 1925 East Irlo Bronson Highway, Kissimmee FL 34744. In Kissimmee reunions are our specialty. We offer planning assistance to reunions of all sizes and budgets. Let us help you make planning your next reunion easy. Call for information regarding Kissimmee's meeting venues and services. 407-944-2484; fax 407-847-4114; meet@floridakiss.com; www.floridakiss.com.

SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! GROSVENOR RESORT 1850 Hotel Plaza Blvd., Lake Buena Vista FL 32830; www.grosvenorresort.com; The Grosvenor Resort is the gateway to your authentic Disney® reunion! As an official Walt Disney Resort®, we are located just steps away from Downtown Disney®, Pleasure Island®, Disney's premier nighttime complex, Planet Hollywood and Disney's West Side. We look forward to pampering you with all of the wonderful things the Grosvenor Resort has to offer you and your reunion! For information call 800-522-3272.

HAMPTON INN COCOA BEACH 3425 N. Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach FL 32931. Guests enjoy direct beach access, breathtaking ocean views, sandy beaches, cruises, historic villages, out of this world space experiences, the World Famous Surf Shop and free high speed Internet. Rooms also include continental breakfast, private balconies, refrigerators, and microwaves; 877-49-Beach; www.hamptoninncocoabeach.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

CROWNE PLAZA MELBOURNE OCEANFRONT WELCOME From the moment you arrive at Brevard's premier oceanfront hotel, you will be amazed. The hotel has 272 brand new rooms including 17 Oceanfront and 28 Full Kitchenette Suites. Coming in spring of 2007 the hotel will offer a kid's program with a full array of children's and adult scheduled activities. The Crowne Plaza Melbourne Oceanfront is truly Brevard's premier family reunion destination. For more information call 321-777-4100 or visit www.crowneplaza.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

EL CARIBE RESORT & CONFERENCE CENTER 2125 S. Atlantic Ave, Daytona Beach FL 32118. Oceanfront rooms, efficiencies and suites overlooking Daytona Beach. Two outdoor pools (one heated) large kiddie pool and plenty of activities for everyone. Facilities include: reception and banquet rooms with on-site catering. Favorite retreat for groups. Reservations 800445-9889 or web site: www.elcaribe.com.

PANAMA CITY BEACH FLORIDA 1000 condos and hotel rooms, 40,000+ square feet of indoor conference space and the areas best collection of outdoor beachfront and bay front pavilions. All units include FREE daily maid service. Book your next reunion with Getaway to the Gulf. 800-224-GULF, www.getawaytothegulf.com.

PERRY'S OCEAN EDGE RESORT 2209 S. Atlantic Avenue, Daytona Beach FL 32118. Located on the quiet side of Daytona Beach, offers spacious ocean front units with two queen beds, sleeper sofa, full kitchens and views of the Atlantic Ocean from your private balcony. Two outdoor pools, indoor heated pool and spa in our atrium. Family oriented activities program.

Reservations 800-447-0002 or web site: www.perrysoceanedge .com.

EMERALD COAST CVB, INC. Destin-Fort Walton BeachOkaloosa Island a reunion planner's paradise with 24 miles of sugar white beaches and emerald green waters, 14,000 first-rate accommodations, 400 events & festivals, water sports, superb dinning, championship golfing, designer shopping, Air Force Armament Museum, Big Kahuna's Water Park, art galleries and the largest fishing fleet in Florida. Emerald Coast Conference offers 35,000 sq. feet of flexible meeting space and gourmet catering. Please contact Sherry Rushing, CTIS at 1-800-3223319; srushing@co.okaloosa.fl.us; www.destin-fwb.com.

THE DOUBLETREE GUEST SUITES hotel features direct oceanfront suites that boast magnificent views from private balconies. Swim in the surf, or admire the ocean from the sundeck surrounding our heated outdoor swimming pool and whirlpool. Quaint shopping and fine restaurants are just minutes away. Very affordable for groups 10-100. Call 800-876-4222 or visit melbournebeachoceanfrontsuites.doubltree.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! The completely rebuilt HILTON MELBOURNE BEACH OCEANFRONT features all oceanfront rooms with private balconies!

Complimentary Hi-Speed Internet, Beautiful Banquet Rooms, Oceanfront Restaurant, Lounge, Tiki Bar, Heated Pool, Jacuzzi & Deck. See us at www.melbournebeach.hilton.com , call toll free at 877-843-8786 or e-mail jim_dexheimer@hilton.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

PENSACOLA CONVENTION & VISITOR BUREAU 1401 East Gregory Street, Pensacola FL 32502. Pensacola, Florida is the perfect location for your group's next reunion. Whether it's a family reunion, a military reunion, or a get-together with friends, Pensacola's mild climate, stunning beaches, and divine coastal cuisine provide the perfect setting for an exciting and memorable reunion. 800-474-1234; fax 850-432-8211; lorvis@visitpensa cola.com; www.visitpensacola.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! FLORIDA'S SPACE COAST Orlando's Closest Beaches, 72 miles of Atlantic Beaches. The Ultimate Florida Vacation!

Attractions, including Kennedy Space Center, shopping, dining, accommodations and recreation on land or sea. All very affordable for groups from 30 to 300. Reunite on the Space Coast and create a memorable experience you'll cherish for a lifetime.

Call 877-57-BEACH or visit www.space-coast.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

GEORGIA Relax and reunite in Awesome Alpharetta, Georgia!

Close to Atlanta ...23 family friendly hotels, special group rates ...interesting reunion sites ...amazing array of...complimentary one-stop planning service for hotel availability, itinerary suggestions, restaurant referrals, and free welcome bags. Lasting memories waiting to be made! Contact Alpharetta CVB at 877202-5961 or www.awesomealpharetta.com.

GEORGIA AQUARIUM 255 Baker Street, Atlanta Georgia 30313.

The Georgia Aquarium is the world's largest with more than 8 million gallons of water and more than 100,000 animals including whale sharks, the world's largest fish species. Host your reunion event in the Ocean's Ballroom, the city's newest and most unique environment for special events with catering provided by Wolfgang Puck Catering. Group ticketing is available for groups of 25 people or more. For more information contact Paul Selby at 404-581-4451 or log on to georgiaaquarium.org. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

CATALOG OF REUNION RESOURCES ATLANTA'S COBB COUNTY CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU Home to Six Flags Over Georgia, Six Flag's White Water and just 10 minutes northwest of downtown Atlanta, and the NEW Georgia Aquarium and World of Coke. Cobb County boasts easy interstate access, free parking, a multitude of restaurants, attractions, shopping, golf and parks. For FREE assistance with planning your reunion, contact the Cobb County CVB at 1-800-451-3480 or visit us at www.cobbcvb.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! 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 25 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 toll-free 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!

IDAHO Great family fun! Boise offers the culture and entertainment of a large urban area in a place that feels a little like everyone's hometown. Festivals, whitewater rafting, golf, riverfront bike trails, downhill and cross country skiing, unique and historic attractions, a vibrant downtown, shopping, fine dining and performing arts will ensure a reunion jam-packed with memorable experiences.

BOISE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU PO Box 2106, Boise ID 83701; Lisa Edens; 800-635-5240; 208-344-7777; fax 208-344-6236; BOISE...Feel It!

ILLINOIS RECONNECT IN LAKE COUNTY Lake County's natural spaces and fun places are the perfect place for your next reunion. Our world-class attractions and more than 50 lodging properties will make your next reunion a resounding success. For free Reunion Planning Assistance call 1-800-Lake-Now or email us with your reunion planning questions to tourism@lakecounty.org; www. lakecounty.org. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

IOWA GREATER DES MOINES CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 400 Locust Street, Ste 265, Des Moines IA 50309; 800-451-2625; fax 515-244-9757; kboisen@desmoinescvb.com; www.SeeDesMoines.com.

KENTUCKY ELIZABETHTOWN/FT. KNOX From military reunions to family reunions, Elizabethtown is the place to share memories & make new memories, too! Freeman Lake Park; the Patton Museum; antique & boutique shopping; the Coca-Cola Museum; historic sites. Intersection of I-65 and the Bluegrass Parkway. Elizabethtown Tourism & Convention Bureau, 800-437-0092; www.Tour Etown.com LOUISVILLE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 401 W. Main Street, Suite 2300, Louisville, KY 40202; 800-626-5646.

Do something original and affordable in a city guaranteed to have people talking about their memories at the next reunion. Order your free Reunion Planning Kit and the Louisville Multicultural Visitor Guide, by calling 888-LOUISVILLE/888-568-4784 or visiting www.gotolouisville.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

MAINE SAMOSET RESORT on 230 oceanside acres, in Rockport, ME, offers AAA four diamond service and quality and features 18-hole championship golf, newly remodeled guestrooms, meeting space, dining, health club, indoor pool and outdoor pools, hot tubs, tennis courts. With the ideal setting and amenities for relaxation, Samoset is the perfect reunion setting for all ages. 220 Warrenton Street, Rockport ME 04856. 877-237-3610; fax 207594-0048; www.samosetresort.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

MARYLAND UNITED STATES NAVAL ACADEMY Armel-Leftwich Visitor Center, 52 King George Street, Annapolis MD 21402. Designed specifically for those who participated in military operations while in US service. Tour focuses on role of Naval Academy in supplying officers and midshipmen in various conflicts. Tour includes audio-visual presentation and walking tour. Tour time: 2 hours. Tour price: $6.50. Call for tour package and dining information; 410-263-6933; fax 410-268-3132; tourinfo@usna .edu; www.navyonline.com.

PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 9200 Basil Court, Suite 101. Largo MD 20774; 888925-8300; 301-925-8300; fax 301-925-2053; visitorinfo@co .pg.md.us; www.visitprincegeorges.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

MASSACHUSSETS THE RED LION INN 30 Main Street, Stockbridge, MA. New England's most famous historic inn. Outstanding cuisine & banquet facilities, award-winning wine list, luxurious rooms & guesthouses, antiques & art, fitness center, nightly entertainment. Central to Berkshire cultural attractions, outdoor recreation & outlet shopping; golf course privileges & spa nearby. sales@redlioninn.com; 413-298-1604; www.redlioninn.com SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

MICHIGAN THE HOMESTEAD Wood Ridge Road, Glen Arbor MI 49636 America's Freshwater Resort. Located on the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan amidst the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore.

Four small hotels, condominiums, vacation homes, restaurants, and shops. On site recreation includes: golf, tennis, kayaking, biking, swimming, sailboats and skiing. 231-334-5000, fax 231334-5246. info@thehomesteadresort.com, www.thehomestead resort.com KALAMAZOO COUNTY CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 346 W. Michigan Avenue, Kalamazoo MI 49007. Discover Hospitality. With a diverse and rich community culture, Kalamazoo is an ideal destination for reunions, offering more than 2,600 affordable hotel rooms, and one of a kind attractions. As well as recreation, dining and shopping for every preference and budget.

A short drive or 30 minute plane ride from either Chicago or Detroit, we invite you to Discover Kalamazoo. Easy to get to.

Hard to leave. 800-530-9192; fax 269-343-0430; smonroe@ kalamazoochamber.com; www.discoverkalamazoo.com.

MISSION POINT RESORT perched on the southwestern shore of historic Mackinac Island, overlooking the Straits of Mackinaw.

243 pleasingly appointed rooms & suites, four distinctive restaurants, banquet & catering facilities. Affordable & activities for the whole family to enjoy make us the ideal setting for family reunions & retreats. 1 Lakeshore Drive, Mackinac Island, MI 49757; 800-833-5583; www.missionpoint.com; SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! KEWADIN CASINOS Plan your next reunion at Kewadin Casinos. Choose from 320 deluxe accommodations on-site in Sault Ste. Marie. Enjoy Vegas-style gaming action, including keno, bingo, blackjack, roulette poker and craps. Join our Northern Rewards Club. Use your card when you play and rack up points for cash, coupons and comps. And after the gaming, visit the incredible local sites, such as Tahquamenon Falls State park or Mackinac Island. For information call 1-800-KEWADIN or book online at www.kewadin.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.

THE GREATER MINNEAPOLIS CONVENTION & VISITORS ASSOCIATION can help plan your reunion in the Minneapolis/ St. Paul area. We'll take a one-stop-shop approach to your family, class or military reunion. Let us secure bids for hotel accommodations, suggest banquet facilities, provide info on city tours and transportation and help secure special discounts at area attractions. Best of all – it's all free! 800-445-7412 ext. 8114; patic@minneapolis.org; www.minneapolis.org/reunions.

MISSISSIPPI TUPELO CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU P.O. Drawer 47, Tupelo MS 38802; 800-533-0611; fax 662-841-6558; kpenny@tupelo.net; www.tupelo.net. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

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 entertainment, lodging, attractions, dining and more. Remember, in Branson, our value is unrivaled, our scenery breathtaking and our time-honored Ozarks hospitality inviting. Call us toll free at 800-636-8573 or visit our website at explorebranson.com and request a 2007 Reunion Planner Sales kit. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! TROUT LODGE is located in Potosi, Missouri, just 90 minutes south of St. Louis, and offers guest rooms, loft suites & cabins, with activities including archery, arts & crafts, kids club, pontoon tours, Cowboy Campfires, climbing towers, hayrides, 18-hole golf course, caving and much more! Rates include lodging, meals & most activities. 573-438-2154; www.troutlodge.org. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! SPRINGFIELD MISSOURI CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 3315 E Battlefield, Springfield MO 65804; 417-8815300; fax 417-881-7201. Springfield Missouri, "Host of Ozarks Adventures". Explore the rolling hills of the Ozarks-enjoy an adventure in Springfield, Missouri. Located in the heart of America and just minutes from Branson. Home to Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World-Missouri's #1 attraction. Springfield offers many unique restaurants and major league shopping including antique shops and flea markets. It's a great place for your next reunion. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! www.springfieldmo.org.

DAYS INN 2781 Veterans Memorial Parkway, St. Charles MO 63303, 636-949-8700, Fax 636-946-8996, www.daysinnstcharles .com. The St. Charles Days Inn offers 114 spacious guest rooms full of amenities complemented by friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere. Within walking distance to shopping & restaurants, 2 miles to Historic District, Ameristar Casino & The St. Charles Convention Center. Onsite bus parking. Enjoy 2 large meeting rooms totaling 1200+ square feet.

SUPER 8 MOTEL 3040 W. Clay, St. Charles MO 63301, 636946-9992, Fax 636-724-9992, www.super8.com. 52 comfortable, clean rooms. Indoor pool. Free Continental Breakfast. Cable TV/HBO. 3 miles to Bass Pro Shop, 8 miles to St. Louis International Airport.

MILLENNIUM HOTEL ST. LOUIS 200 South 4th Street, St Louis MO 63102. Affordable elegance located in the heart of downtown St. Louis overlooking the Gateway Arch. Highlights include a rooftop revolving restaurant, a three-story glass wall in the lobby overlooking the Arch and riverfront and banquet space for up to 2,000 attendees. Military reunion packages from $79 including parking and free hospitality suite. 314-516-8113; fax 314-516-9310; www.millenniumhotels.com/stlouis.

ST. LOUIS CONVENTION & VISITORS COMMISSION 701 Convention Plaza, Suite 300, St. Louis MO 63101; 800-3257962. Explore St. Louis with your reunion group and discover hundreds of great family, sports and cultural attractions, a thousand one-of-a-kind restaurants and an exciting nightlife and music scene. The Gateway City also boasts a central location, a range of plentiful accommodations and numerous free worldclass attractions. Call today for a free Reunion Planner Kit and see why St. Louis is the best reunion destination in the Midwest.

SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! www.ExploreStLouis.com.

MONTANA MONTANA'S FLATHEAD VALLEY is the gateway to Glacier National Park and home to Flathead Lake and Big Mountain Ski Resort with an abundance of recreation and cultural treasures.

Discover picturesque towns, championship golf, museums, galleries, shopping, fine cuisine and true western hospitality.

Flathead CVB, 15 Depot Park, Kalispell, MT 59901; 800-5433105; fax 406-257-2500; fcvb@fcvb.org; www.montanasflat headvalley.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! THE LODGE AT WHITEFISH LAKE offers 65 spacious rooms & suites along with 2- or 3-bedroom condominium units. 8000 square feet of meeting space. Boat Club lakeside dining, fullservice marina, Spa, exercise facility. High-speed Internet in rooms. Wireless in public areas. Minutes from Whitefish & Big Mountain Ski Resort. 1380 Wisconsin Ave., Whitefish, MT 59937. 1-877-887-4026, www.lodgeatwhitefishlake.com.

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CATALOG OF REUNION RESOURCES NEVADA

OHIO

HORIZON CASINO RESORT LAKE TAHOE is located on the beautiful South Shore of Lake Tahoe. Enjoy golf, skiing, or the beach, each located just minutes away. 539 deluxe rooms including luxury suites offer spectacular views of Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Three restaurants allow you to choose from buffet to gourmet. Enjoy 24 hour gaming, cabaret shows, free live music & dancing, arcade, and an 8-plex movie theater. Horizon Casino Resort Lake Tahoe, 50 Highway 50, PO Box C, Lake Tahoe NV 89449; Ruby Turner, Director of Sales, 866.478.8463 or 775.588.6211; fax: 775.588.7761; sales@horizon casino.com; www.horizoncasino.com.

AKRON/SUMMIT CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 77 E. Mill Street, Akron OH 44308; 800-245-4254; 330-374-7560; fax: 330-374-7626; information@visitakron-summit.org; www. visitakron-summit.org; www.akron.travel. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

HAWTHORN SUITES AT DESERT ROSE RESORT 5051 Duke Ellington Way, Las Vegas NV, 89119; Phone 800-8112450, Fax 702-597-3345; Spacious one and two bedroom suites; Each room is beautifully decorated; Property features a hot breakfast each morning and Managers Cocktail Reception Mon.Thurs.; location is just minutes from the famous Las Vegas Strip, McCarran Airport, and just off I-15; Resort consists of 276 suites in addition to newly refurbished pool and Jacuzzi with BBQ facilities and shaded seating; This property makes for a perfect reunion of any kind. Email: sales@desertroseresort.com; www. desertroseresort.com MESQUITE, NEVADA Situated just one hour north of Las Vegas, Mesquite is the perfect alternative for value-minded reunions of all sizes. Mesquite is Nevada's gateway to Utah's national parks. Awesome adventure awaits your group in majestic Mesquite. For assistance with your group of ten or more rooms, contact Gina Mann, Sales Executive at gmann@lvcva.com, or via phone at 702-892-7625; www.VisitMesquite.com.

CIRCUS CIRCUS HOTEL & CASINO – RENO 500 N. Sierra Street, Reno NV 89503; 800-894-3588; www.circusreno.com.

SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

NEW MEXICO HERITAGE HOTELS & RESORTS New Mexico & Southern Arizona. A collection of award-winning destination hotels celebrating the rich, multi-cultural spirit of the Southwest. Casually elegant spaces that blend Spanish, Mexican, Native American and Old West influences into their enchanting edifices and intimate interiors. We offer outstanding accommodations at exceptional value. Plan your next reunion, meeting or special event at any one of our New Mexico or Arizona hotels. Ask about our special event planner incentives. 877-901-ROOM; 505-9985458; epulsifer@hhandr.com; www.HHandR.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

BERTRAM INN & CONFERENCE CENTER 600 North Aurora Road, Aurora OH 44202. Located minutes from Geauga Lake in the historic Western Reserve. Offering 225 deluxe guestrooms & suites, heated outdoor pool, fitness & game room, banquet facilities, casual & fine dining restaurants onsite. Area activities include spa, golf, fly-fishing, shopping, museums, horseback riding, canoeing & amusement parks. Local & airport shuttles.

Virtual tour at www.thebertraminn.com. For reunion packages contact Amy Feller at 330-995-7628.

BARTLESVILLE CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU 201 SW Keeler, Bartlesville OK 74005; 800-364-8708; nhulse@ bartlesville.com; www.bartlesville.com.

PENNSYLVANIA

TENNESSEE

GETTYSBURG CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU For 144 years people from around the world have made Gettysburg, PA their destination to regroup, reconnect, and remember the Nation's history. The scenic views, outdoor activities, affordable accommodations, and friendly small-town people bring guests back each year. Why not let Gettysburg show you an historical good time – come to Gettysburg for your next reunion, where history lives and the fun never ends! PO Box 4117, Gettysburg PA 17325; 717-334-6274; fax: 717-334-1166; sfox@gettysburg .travel; www.gettysburg.travel.

CHATTANOOGA AREA CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 2 Broad Street, Chattanooga TN 37402; 800-964-8600 ext. 3017; fax 423-265-1630; chrisp@chattanoogacvb.com; www.chatta noogameetings.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

OKLAHOMA

THE RESORT AT SPLIT ROCK offers incredible amenities including a 27-hole golf course, pools, whirlpools, tennis, basketball, mini golf, fitness center, fabulous daily activities program, kids camp, bowling, first run movie theatre, two restaurants, night club, and much more. PO Box 567, One Lake Drive, Lake Harmony, PA 18624; 800-255-7625; groupsales@splitrockresort .com; www.splitrockresort.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! PHILADELPHIA MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS CONGRESS 1700 Market Street, Suite 3000, Philadelphia PA 19103; 215636-3300; fax 215-636-3327; www.philadelphiamac.org.

SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

NEW YORK PEEK'N PEAK RESORT & CONFERENCE CENTER A resort for all seasons featuring the finest amenities, recreational activities and group friendly staff you would expect to find at any premier resort in the country. Featuring summertime fun with 36 holes of championship golf, pools, on site dining; winter boasts 27 ski slopes, snow tubing, cross country skiing and more.

Special group rates and catering options available. Convenient free transportation to local events and attractions. 1405 Olde Road, Findley Lake NY 14736; 716-355-4141; 716-355-4553; sales@pknpk.com; www.pknpk.com.

VALLEY FORGE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 600 W. Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting PA 19462. DO WHAT WASHINGTON DID, SET UP CAMP HERE IN VALLEY FORGE FOR YOUR REUNIONS: Quality hotels & unique off-property sites. 30 minutes from downtown Philadelphia and easily accessible to great regional attractions, shopping, fine dining and exciting nightlife. For a free copy of our Valley Forge Meeting Planner's Guide call Courtney at 610-834-7971, e-mail to babcock@valleyforge.org or visit website www.valleyforge.org.

SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

LAKE GEORGE REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE "The Queen of the American Lakes" – 32 miles of crystal clear water ready for fun, relaxation, exploration and building memories.

"Surrounded by picturesque mountains, Lake George is a family destination paradise with Adirondack flare. 4 hrs from NYC and Boston, less than 3 hrs from Montreal via interstates. 1 hr from Albany International Airport. FREE VACATION GUIDE. Luisa Sherman at 518-668-5755 or 1-800-705-0059. reunions@Lake GeorgeChamber.com, www.LakeGeorgeChamber.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

SOUTH CAROLINA

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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!

VisitPittsburgh 425 Sixth Avenue, 30th. Floor, Pittsburgh PA 15219; www.visitpittsburgh.com; 412-281-7711; 800-359-0758; fax 412-644-5512. For Reunion information, contact Barb Hollie, barb.hollie@visitpittsburgh.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD ON THE INSIDE FRONT COVER!

SURFSIDE ON THE LAKE The Surfside Resort offers 144 clean, comfortable, well kept rooms. We are located in the heart of Lake George Village, with a large beach and boardwalk deck pool, a water view dining room and are surrounded with historic sites and exciting activities. A great place for Reunions, Weddings and Tours. We offer many customized packages to suit your every need. 400 Canada St, Lake George, NY 12845; 518-668-4224; fax 518-668-3202; website www.surfsideonthelake.com; e-mail: grant@surfsideonthelake.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!

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 complimentary 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 843-4601440; fax 843-766-8355; mowen@hiriverview.com; www.holiday inn.wm/chs-riverview.com.

COLUMBIA METROPOLITAN CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 1101 Lincoln Street, Columbia SC 29201. 800-2644884; 803-545-0000; fax 803-799-6529; www.columbiacvb .com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! RIPLEY'S AQUARIUM Myrtle Beach SC, staffs experienced special event managers who are fully qualified to tailor extraordinary events for any group. Our catering team will create magnificent menus for any occasion including: Breakfasts, gourmet dinners, themed events, incredible family reunions & receptions. Please contact as at 1-800-724-8888 ext. 269 or at www.ripleysaquarium.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

GAYLORD OPRYLAND RESORT & CONVENTION CENTER NASHVILLE 2800 Opryland Drive, Nashville TN 37214; 615889-1000; www.gaylordhotels.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

TEXAS CANYON OF THE EAGLES LODGE AND NATURE PARK 16942 Ranch Road 2341, Burnet TX 78611; 830-980-4014; fax 830-980-4013; COE 800-977-0081; annette@canyonoftheeagles .com; www.canyonoftheeagles.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! The place for your next reunion...BAYFRONT PLAZA HOTEL, on the bay in sparkling Corpus Christi, Texas. 601 N. Water St., Corpus Christi, TX 78401. Packages include: Complimentary Suite; Full Breakfast Daily; Tenth Floor Hospitality room; Panoramic View of City, Bay, Lexington Museum. Shop downtown and trolley to the beach. Call 1-800-688-0334 to speak to our Reunion Friendly sales staff. Full catering services. Packages starting at $65.00. Visit www.bayfrontplazahotelcc.com.

UTAH ACCLAIMED LODGING (managed by R & R Properties), is located in the beautiful mountain setting of Park City, Utah. Enjoy select properties throughout Park City, Deer Valley and The Canyons resort areas, many providing ideal accommodations for reunions, retreats and weddings. Call 800-348-6759. Let our knowledgeable staff assist you in creating an experience you will never forget. www.parkcitylodging.com.

VIRGINIA NEWPORT NEWS Discover the Ocean, the Ships, the Wars and the History of America minutes from Williamsburg and a short drive to Virginia Beach. Fresh seafood, USS Monitor relics, historic homes and plantations, wildlife, golf and shopping. www.newport-news.org; 1-888-493-7386. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! NORFOLK CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 232 East Main Street, Norfolk VA 23510. The New 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 2,600 committable hotel rooms in various price ranges. Call 800-3683097; dallen@norfolkcvb.com; www.norfolkcvb.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

WEST VIRGINIA CANAAN VALLEY RESORT & CONFERENCE CENTER offers 250 lodge rooms, 23 cabins, and 34 campground sites in the highest mountain valley east of the Rockys. Activities include 18 hole championship golf course, paintball arena, indoor/outdoor swimming pools, mountain biking, and much more. Over 10,000 sq ft. conference space available. HC 70, Box 330 Davis, WV 26260; 800-622-4121; krhodes@canaanresort.com; ww.canaan resort.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! THE WOODS RESORT & CONFERENCE CENTER is located in the Northern Shenandoah Valley & offers lodge rooms, cabins, villas & private rentals. 36 holes of golf, 3 pools, basketball,

CATALOG OF REUNION RESOURCES racquetball, tennis, softball, playground, exercise room, & the Sleepy Creek Spa. Conference & dining facilities. 1694 The Woods Rd., Hedgesville WV 25427; 800-248-2222; fax 304754-8146. Kathy@TheWoodsResort.com; www.TheWoodsResort .com.

WISCONSIN BLACK BEAR MEETING HALL Crivitz, WI: new/upscale for up to 150 – cathedral ceiling, stone fireplace, huge kitchen (cook or cater). Accommodations: 2-bedroom waterfront units, fully furnished, completely equipped kitchens, king beds, A/C, boat slip, gas fireplace, fun themes, year-round activities, affordable prices! www.peshtigoriverrentals.com or 800/505-0485.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES BADGES & BUTTONS ReunionBadges.com offers reunion attendees a fun way to recognize old classmates – through a picture of who they used to be. We'll take your old yearbook photos and create professional quality name tags that attendees will cherish for years. Custom neck lanyards and other accessories are also available. Visit www.reunionbadges.com or call us toll free at 800.729.3722.

SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! NAMETAG (PHOTO BUTTON) Using the alumni' photo we create a custom labeled button incorporating your school name, colors, and reunion year. Attachment options and accessories are available. We offer personalized service and quick turnaround. A Special promotion is underway for 2007 40th year reunions. Visit us at www.TheButtonFactory.com/Reunions.htm

BOOKS THE REUNION PLANNER The Step-by-Step Guide to Make Your Reunion a Social and Financial Success! The solution to planning your reunion with a minimum amount of time, effort and cost. For the class, family or military reunion planner, this unique book has everything you need to plan a successful reunion and keep that "personal touch". Order online at www.reunionplanner .com or call 310-820-5554.

GIFT OF HERITAGE The Gift of Heritage product line includes exciting family history resources. They consist of ideas for enhancing a family reunion or gathering, scrapbooking, games to encourage sharing memories with family members, genealogical research resources for most ethnic origins, how to create a family newsletter, design and publish your own family Web site.

Interview extended-family members with suggested questions to ask, preserve the past, shoot family videos, write your life story.

Create a family documentary and computer and Internet guides plus much, much more! Receive free 10 Tips To Preserve Your Family History And Memories. Call 800-224-8511. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD! www.giftofheritage.com.

MEMENTOS

DIGITAL MAGIC 6390 Windharp Way, Columbia MD 21045.

Photos printed on-site. Take your memories home with you the same day. 410-290-9838; email: digitalmagic2@comcast.net.

☛ Streamline your registration and ticket sales ☛ Boost attendee registrations through fast, secure online registration, 24/7 ☛ Fundraise and sell memorabilia Contact Alex Romagnolo at reunions@active.com or call 888543-7223 ext 3998 today! Hints on how to increase Online Registration: www.active.com/myevent/helpfulhints.cfm.

POSTCARDS

REUNION RIBBONS

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 (plus priority mail S&H) or 20 cents for blank cards – you fill in the information and address; or Personalized cards – $45 p/100 postcards (plus priority mail S&H) 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 1-800-373-7933 or order online; www.reunionsmag.com/shopping.

REUNION 2007? Add a colorful custom ribbon to your name badges that make it a 'keepsake' that says "you were there"!

Ribbons embossed with your words (up to 20). Created expressly for class, family and military reunions, birthday and anniversary celebrations. Call for sample ribbon-idea brochure. REUNION MATE 1-800-208-6804 or FAX 419-738-8463; donklock@bright.net

CREATE A KEEPSAKE 1-866-437-1314; jwilliams@special eventgames.com; www.specialeventgames.com.

PRESERVING REUNIONS

REUNION MANAGERS NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REUNION MANAGERS (NARM) PO BOX 59713, Renton WA 98058-2713. 800-6542776; info@reunions.com; www.reunions.com.

REUNION PLANNERS ReunionDatabaseBuilder Spending a lot of time finding missing classmates? We can help. Check out www.reuniondata basebuilder.com.

REUNION REGISTRATION Register and charge reunion fees online at www.active reunions.com ☛ Get your reunion form up and running in minutes, at NO COST TO YOU

REUNION WEBSITE BUILDER 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. Only $9.95 / month. www.myevent.com. Any Questions – 877-769-3836 or info@myevent.com. SEE OUR DISPLAY AD!

SOFTWARE REUNION PLANNER SoftwareTM gives you the power to organize a reunion celebration all from one computer program.

Manage contact information, develop your budgets, print mailing labels and name tags, create to-do lists, designate seating assignments – with Reunion Planner SoftwareTM planning a class, family or military reunion has never been easier! Order online at www.reunionplanner.com or call 310-820-5554.

T-SHIRTS REUNION GEAR America's #1 source for reunion apparel and gifts. See our large collection of full color designs; simply add your name and event info. Choose from t-shirts, apparel, and keepsakes. Reunion Kits start at only $5.00 with a minimum of just 12. Or send us your own art, we provide free art services with orders of 36+. 1-800-451-1611 www.reuniongear.com.

COOKBOOKS PLATE FULL OF MEMORIES...is a coaching guide for family memory cookbooks. Perfect for reunions, family get togethers or designing family keepsakes. It's fun and easy to use. This CD is only $19.95 (plus $2.50 s/h). It puts you in control with no limits on stories, photos or recipes. The PLATEFULL OF MEMORIES CD contains templates and sample materials to put it all together.

Open, customize materials for your family and you are on your way! For information contact us at info@platefullofmemories.com or www.platefullofmemories.com.

CRUISE DISCOVERY CRUISE LINE If you're looking for the ultimate in fun for your reunion, you should consider Discovery Cruise Line sailing daily from Ft. Lauderdale to Grand Bahama Island and offering same day roundtrip cruises and Cruise and Stay vacation packages. The price of the cruise includes three lavish buffet meals, entertainment, a Las Vegas-style casino, and more.

There's special pricing for kids and teens. Call 1-888-213-1454. www.discoverycruiseline.com.

FAMILY TREE CHARTS YOUR FAMILY TREE CHARTED Poster Size for reunions/get togethers. Really Nice! Mrs. Ross; 3700 Sulene Drive, College Park GA 30349; 404-768-5698, ftcreations@bellsouth.net.

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.

APRIL / MAY 2007 ❖ R E U N I O N S

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P.O. Box 11727 ❖ Milwaukee WI 53211-0727