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SPRING INTO FAMILY REUNION PLANNING
National Family Reunion Institute
Virtual Family Reunion Planners Workshop
was sponsored by:
FAIRFAX COUNTY
HOTEL NEGOTIATIONS
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
April is said to symbolize hope, potential and joy. We liken it to the blossoming of a flower. A seed is planted, it buds, blossoms, blooms and provides a visually refreshing framework for thought and hope. For family reunion planners it’s like taking the hope of a family reunion, assembling family members and a great to-do-list, executing tasks, and eventually welcoming—and enjoying—family from the first to the very last hour or day of the reunion event.
April is a time of refreshing. Coats, hats, boots, gloves, shovels and snowblowers are replaced with jackets, lawnmowers, grills and porch furniture. April is when we finalize details for upcoming family reunions, and make plans for proms, graduations, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, sun and fun. Let’s make fun out of starting a garden and tackling this year’s reunion “To-Do” list. Let’s get ready to spring into Spring full steam ahead. Let’s find time to share laughs and make memories that are sure to last.
Here’s hoping that April delivers an abundance of brighter days ahead. Let’s energize our reunion planning—and family members. Let’s motivate our children, encourage our elders, and inspire everyone in-between. Let’s take the time to enjoy happy moments every day and keep in touch.
Stay well, be safe and keep planning.
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NEW NOW...
- Family Time
- Reunion Tip of The Month
- Worth Repeating
- Did You Know?
LATER THIS MONTH…
- Sticky Reunion Situation
- Practical Family Reunion Planning
April is Celebrate Diversity Month. It was initiated in 2004 to recognize and honor the diversity surrounding all of us be it gender, race, ethnicity, faith and other factors—while honoring the common essence of humanity.
By celebrating differences and similarities during this month, the hope is that people will gain a deeper understanding of each other and begin treating one another better.
Our families are full of diversity. That’s one of the things that challenges our reunion planning. For instance how do you plan fun activities for all generations without leaving someone out? How do you plan food for vegans, vegetarians, and differing ethnic populations within the family? How do you plan events for drinkers and non-drinkers, party people and church goers, and the mix of religious denominations within your family?
One reunion family turned their Saturday dinner banquet into a “Saints & Sinners” event. The first two hours was non-alcoholic and calm enough musically for everyone to enjoy. The last two hours was turned-up for the party people. And everyone liked it so much it became an annual event for their reunion.
Use this month to think about the diversity within your family, and creatively plan reunion events where everyone feels recognized, respected, wanted and loved.
April Showers bring May flowers and 80+ hand-picked observances to get you celebrating, exploring and enjoying great family time this Spring including Couple Appreciation Month, National Humor Month, Ellis Island Family History Day, Siblings Day, Husband Appreciation Day, Kiss Your Mate Day, National Reconciliation Day, Money Smart Week, National Public Health Week, National Volunteer Week, Arbor Day (when we’re encouraged to plant more trees), Earth Day (which raises awareness about protecting the environment), Encourage a Young Writer Day and Hairstyle Appreciation Day.
Want to know how to turn these observances into great Family Time? Have a discussion, do some research, discover something new. Make a game of it, make a meal of it, create an activity around it, get the whole family involved, and don’t forget to make it fun.
Planning a family reunion? Click below for tips on:
NEED HELP with a Sticky Reunion Situation?
- Check the SRS Archives (CLICK HERE) -OR-
- Contact us (CLICK HERE).
…about Spring
“Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’”
- Robin Williams
“Spring is the time of plans and projects.”
- Leo Tolstoy
“The spring wakes us, nurtures us and revitalizes us.”
- Gary Zukav
"I glanced out the window at the signs of spring. The sky was almost blue, the trees were almost budding, the sun was almost bright."
- Millard Kaufman
"My favorite weather is birdchirping weather."
- Terri Guillemets
...National Minority Health Month began with
Booker T. Washington?
April is National Minority Health Month. The foundation for the observance was African-American educator, author, orator, advisor and civil rights leader Booker T. Washington, who, in 1915, established National Negro Health Week (NNHW) to bring awareness to the health disparities affecting African Americans caused by poor working and living conditions. NNHW was recognized until 1951 and formed the basis for many of the health-focused observances we celebrate today.
In 2000, Health and Human Services launched Healthy People 2010, the third iteration of the Healthy People framework, with the explicit goal of eliminating health disparities for racial and ethnic minority communities. In 2002, as part of a response to a call for action, the U.S. Congress resolved that “a National Minority Health and Health Disparities Month should be established to promote educational efforts on the health problems currently facing minorities and other health disparity populations.”
THE SITUATION : MAINTAINING MOMENTUM
Our family is having a hard time maintaining momentum for the reunion after the loss of several significant family members/leaders. How do we regain the enthusiasm that we once had when so many family members are feeling grief over the loss of others?
PATIENCE PAYS...
Tondra Talley, Vice-President of the Mitchell Family reunion, was worried. A whole lot of planning had gone into the reunion, but not many reservations were being made. “I’m thinking OMG, nobody’s going to show up,” Talley remembers.
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