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Our Motto
"family reunions are more than just a picnic"
We believe reunions have the power to nourish and strengthen families of all races and ethnicities. Reunions can encourage healthy extended family relationships, provide a sense of belonging, restore family pride, nurture and respect all generations, and impart wisdom, knowledge and a shared purpose. Our goal is to strengthen, inspire and support family reunion planning; share useful information and resources; and advocate for the teaching of family and reunion history, values and experiences.
- Dr. Ione Vargus
FAMILY REUNION PLANNING TIPS
Planning a family reunion? Click below for tips on:
- PLANNING A FAMILY REUNION on GENEALOGY QUICK START TV (video)
- ASSEMBLING A PLANNING TEAM (worksheet)
- WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, HOW
- GET ORGANIZED
- COUNTDOWN / TIMELINE
- REUNION ACTIVITIES
- SUZANNE & DOUG'S FIX FOR 1ST TIME PLANNERS
- SWEET TIPS FOR FAMILY REUNION PLANNERS
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ALSO check out our FAMILY FEATURES, interviews of families discussing their journey towards a successful reunion. Click the links below to meet the families and read their stories.
- https://nationalfamilyreunioninstitute.net/meet-the-hancock-family
- https://nationalfamilyreunioninstitute.net/meet-the-mitchell-family
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NEED HELP with a Sticky Reunion Situation?
- Check the SRS Archives (CLICK HERE) -OR-
- Contact us (CLICK HERE).
REUNION TIP OF THE MONTH
Family History Month is observed this month providing a perfect opportunity to reflect on and appreciate our family lineage and learn more about family members we may have never known, heard about, rarely see and/or interact with. I recently took a close look at the 1950 Census. It was interesting reviewing the Census questions and seeing the responses made by my kinfolk and their neighbors. There were the usual questions regarding age and marital status. And then there were the queries related to work: What was this person doing most of last week; Did this person do any work at all last week; Was this person looking for work; Even though he didn’t work last week, does he have a job or business; How many hours did he work last week; and What kind of work was he doing?
Looking at my mother’s info I discovered that she was working as a typist for a real estate establishment, her sister was a trimmer for a knitting mill, and her sister’s husband was a cab driver. All three were working 40 hours a week. When I read that my aunt was born in New York I realized I have some more digging to do because I thought my mom and her siblings were all born in Philadelphia, PA.
The Census is only one vehicle to use to research and gain knowledge about your family members. Genealogy Quick Start (GQS) is another place to go to begin researching your ancestry that includes online research, DNA, and much more. With GQS you can find new techniques to break through brick walls, and discover the fun and creativity involved in uncovering your past.
There’s also familysearch.org, ancestry.com, local libraries and much, much more. Tell us your favorite place to go to research your family history by CLICKING HERE.
Take some time this month to dig deeper into your family’s genealogy. And don’t forget to share what you learn with your family members at the next reunion (or before). After all, some news is just too good to hold on to.
FAMILY TIME
WORTH REPEATING...
WORTH REPEATING...
Looking for something to do with the family this month? October boasts Family History Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Positive Attitude Month, and Photographer Appreciation Month, along with Evaluate Your Life Day, Smart is Cool Day, Do Something Nice Day, You Matter to Me Day, Make a Difference Day, Get Smart About Credit Day, Kids Music Day, Train Your Brain Day, Halloween, and so much more.
Family Days to celebrate this month include: Filipino American Heritage Month, Hispanic Heritage Month (began 9/15 ends 10/15), Italian-American Heritage Month, Polish-American Heritage Month, German-American Day, Mother-in Law Day, Child Health Day, Take Your Parents to Lunch Day, and Eat Better, Eat Together Month. And don’t forget your family members birthdays, anniversaries, and other familial special occasions.
WORTH REPEATING...
WORTH REPEATING...
WORTH REPEATING...
"In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep, to know our heritage - to know who we are and where we came from. Without this enriching knowledge, there is a hollow yearning." - Alex Haley, Roots
"There are so many stories that are buried on family trees.” – Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
“My goal is to get everybody in American to do their family tree.” - Henry Louis Gates, Jr.
“To forget one’s ancestors is to be a brook without a source, a tree without a root.“ - Chinese Proverb
“The thing that interests me most about family history is the gap between the things we think we know about our families and the realities." - Jeremy Hardy
"We are links between the ages, containing past and present expectations, sacred memories and future promise." - Edward Sellner
STICKY REUNION SITUATION
The one reunion issue that came up over and over again this summer was getting young people involved in the planning. In this month's Sticky Reunion Situation we revisit this issue with words of wisdom from Dr. Vargus.
The Situation: WHO WILL LEAD OUR FUTURE REUNIONS
We'd love to see our family reunion continue well into the future. Our problem is not being able to get younger family members interested in the planning. They like coming to the reunion, but when it comes to taking any kind of lead with the planning, they're nowhere to be found. What can we do to turn this around?
PRACTICAL FAMILY REUNION PLANNING
REUNION FEEDBACK
Have you ever planned events and activities for your family reunion that did not turn out as well as you thought they would, and the planning team is having a hard time understanding why? The best way to find out what happened is to ask your family members. You can provide a survey that can be completed online (and anonymously if needed). Or you can call and speak with family members directly. Whichever way you go, ask straightforward questions in a caring way so that you get the direct answers you need to make the next event or activity successful.
If reunion attendance was low ask those who did not attend if the absence was due to any of the following: Day, Date or Time; Location; Cost of Reunion; Number of Days; Activities Planned; Travel Expenses; Family Emergency or Illness; or something else.
If an event was not well attended ask those who did not attend what about the event did not appeal to them. Ask if there is an alternative event that they would like to see the family have.
Don’t be afraid to approach family members about reunion-related events and activities. Doing so is the only way to plan something good, great and wonderful that most (if not all) of the family will enjoy.
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