Now it is time to hold your first meeting to make basic decisions. We found that having a meeting in a Restaurant/Bar during dinner time gave us our best turnout. This will people a chance to catch up while they eat before the meeting.

First Meeting, plan on covering the following:
• Assign who will serve on each committee. A list of committees along with responsibilities is provided below.
• Select date(s) that would be acceptable
• Get suggested locations for the activities, the Facilities and Catering committee will need to check on those places discussed as possibilities: their availability, the price, and what it includes, for example open bar vs cash bar, choices of food, cash advance, and deadlines. The preliminaries can be done over the phone.
• Set a date on when people who were assigned tasks will need to report to all reunion committee people. This will keep everyone involved and up to date of what is going on, and what step is next.

• At your next meeting decide what place(s) you will use, the exact date(s), and what price you will need to charge. Keep in mind your expenses for several mailings; printing a reunion program with list of classmates; decorations; cost of invited guest(s), such as your class advisor; music; etc. Plan to have money for a follow-up newsletter after the reunion. Send out your first email as your "early warning" to alert your classmates so they can make plans. If you do not have a specific date, at least give an idea such as "Fall (year)." Tell your classmates to visit the Panther Den for updates on your reunion plans as well as asking for their updates. You should also post this letter on the Panther Den along with the date for your next reunion committee meeting, hopefully more people will be able to join.

Now it is time to hold your second meeting to make basic decisions. This meeting can be held by email, but if you continue to have the meeting in a Restaurant/Bar it can help with keeping people interested and it can be a lot of fun.

• Go over findings from the first meeting As a committee you need to decide if you would like to continue to do your own reunion or hire a commercial Reunion service. If you decided to hire a commercial Reunion service, you will need to do the following:
  
• Decide on the per person cost to attend the reunion.
• Assign 3 - 5 people contact different companies and to determine what type of reunion you can get for that cost.
• Set a date on when people who were assigned the task will need to report to all reunion committee people. This will keep everyone involved and up to date of what is going on, and what step is next.
• After you receive the feedback from everyone with cost and what you can get for that dollar amount. You will need to ask the committee to vote.
• After vote/decision is made you will need to send out your second email with specific information. By now you should know the exact date and cost, have suggestions on lodging, and you may want at this time to include a questionnaire or even ask for up-front money for the reunion. If you ask people to pay in advance be sure that you tell them a cut-off date by which time they can get a refund if they find that they cannot attend. If you want a response to questions or money solicitation be sure to include a self-addressed envelope. You will have a very low response if you do not enclose an envelope. The number of mailings will vary according to need and time available. The final mailing should include specific directions to the various activities, and may be to all classmates or only those indicating their attendance.

Reunion Committees
You will need to share the responsibilities with several classmates. Do not have one person try to do too many tasks. You will need to address the following:

• Class Secretary - is responsible for maintenance of classmate roster and administrative correspondence and keeps records of committee meetings. The information will be used in your class reunion booklet.
• Treasurer - is responsible for collecting and disbursing funds. You should set up separate checking account for your class; many banks will do this for free. You may want to use two-signature checks to help keep track of the money (Yes, there can be a security problem, don't take chances. Besides, this helps insure that someone else is aware of what has been paid for and the amounts involved.)
• Classmate Research - This will be an ongoing project, but the most important. Set your goal to find everyone from your class.
• Assign one person to coordinate this project, although you may have many people working on it. This person will need to become a member of Classmates
• From your yearbook, graduation programs, etc. make a full list of all your classmates using Microsoft excel, including those who were in your class but may have not graduated. Most people have excel so you will be able to share this data more easily.
• From the Panther Den get the addresses available for your class.
• Begin contacting people to find your missing classmates. It is much more efficient and inexpensive to make this contact by phone/email. A short phone/email will quickly determine whether the contact can provide the address you want. You can make many short phone calls for the price of one postage stamp, and you get an immediate answer. From our experience, most people do not respond to inquiries by mail!!! When making your calls be sure to start by identifying yourself as calling for the Parkview High School Class reunion committee, and say why you're calling.
• Be sure to inform the Panther Den of all addresses you find so we can keep our database up-to-date for you. This is important. Send all changes, including phone numbers and email addresses to the Panther Den.
• Promotion and Advertising - You'll need someone that likes to work with the media, newspaper, radio, bulletin boards, etc. Establish a calendar of promotion activities. Use local newspaper, radio and TV. You may have to form a telephone committee to search for missing classmates.
• Facilities and Catering - The person responsible for this will have to research costs and availability of local establishments including type and cost of meals. Be sure to consider special access and diet requirements. You will probably have to sign a contract and make a sizable cash deposit to reserve your event. Many places book events over one year in advance. Start early so you are not disappointed. Not all places will serve alcohol. Some churches will offer their auxiliary kitchen staff at low costs. Inquire if other events are planned in addition to yours that day, will there be interference? Decorations - The person responsible for decorations will have to create a theme for the event and accentuate this theme throughout the facilities. You can use balloons, posters, crepe paper, objects suspended from ceiling, table center pieces, chair coverings, banners (inside and outside the building) other table decorations, special effects (be careful with fireworks displays. This is a serious safety issue and lawsuits can be aimed at individuals, the organizing committee and the entire class.)
• Special Events - Additional events are a nice way to stretch out the reunion. The most common complaint you will get about your reunion is "We didn't have enough time to visit with everyone I wanted to". Provide special events to enhance the experience. The local classmates and those arriving in town early might like a (simple) hospitality reception on Friday evening (assuming your big event is on Saturday evening). Try to select a "neutral site". Using someone's large house with swimming pool may actually intimidate or offend some classmates. (In fact, one reason some classmates do not attend reunions is that they do not want to be compared to the successes of other classmates. Avoid the embarrassment, choose a simple setting that is conducive to conversation.) On Saturday, you could arrange to tour the high school and then have an afternoon potluck picnic that allows classmates to bring their children. Local classmates can bring the food, others can bring the drinks and chips. Be sure to reserve space early to get shelter and cooking grills etc. Try to provide activities for the younger children. Saturday evening could begin with hospitality (cocktail hour) during an extended check-in time. Have an official greeter to help with introductions of guests get people into the spirit early. Provide nametags at all events.
• Program Chairman - The program chairman has a very large responsibility. You must plan the evening’s events and then provide a printed program with the events and class roster. (The program should also include committee contact information. This provides classmates a chance to update your class roster if they should move to a new address or re-marry). The following events are typical:
  Invocation Someone skilled in public speaking, or a clergyman, should perform this task. However, you need to be careful not to offend anyone. Be generic, express appreciation for those attending and for those who labored to host the event and offer a moment of silence in remembrance of deceased classmates. Introduction Offer a welcome to everyone and then praise for the committee(s) (lavish praise - they have worked hard and they burn out easily) Special awards (be careful not to offend anyone)
  Married: longest/most often
  Children: most/oldest/youngest
  Traveled furthest

  I hope you enjoy your reunion experience,
  Bruce Downs
  PHS Class of 82