More Reunion themes

Can’t get to a ranch?
If you’re not able to go to a ranch or your reunion would probably not fit, try a Wild West Party Theme. The ideas we found at www.partyplansplus.com are meant to inspire and guide your planning.

Invitation ideas
Make 8 1/2” x 11” “You're Wanted” posters featuring family faces on Kraft paper inviting members to celebrate your reunion and mail in a manila envelope.

Atmosphere

• Encourage ranch hands to come dressed in ranch wear.
• Cover tables in old quilts, gingham prints or cow-patterned fabric.
• Use bandannas as place mats and napkins.
• Toy sheriff’s badge pinned to a ponytail holder makes a mighty fine napkin ring. Or write names on the badge and use as name tags.
• Display cowboy hats, toy six-shooters or rifles, a spittoon, Indian headdresses, cowboy boots, toy rifles, horseshoes and ropes.
• Soak labels off beer bottles to use as candle holders. Create your own brewery label bearing the family name.

Activities

• Get everyone up for line dances or arrange for a square dance caller.
• Put hay in the back of an open pickup truck and take everyone for a hayride.
• Host a western tune sing-along around a campfire, fireplace or barbecue.
• Set up a rousing game of horseshoes. For an indoor version, have guests try to toss pretzels on a wooden dowel.

Refreshments

• Line cowboy hats with a gingham napkin or bandanna to serve corn, taco, or potato chips. Hats also work well for peanuts in shells, popcorn, trail mix, pretzels and/or other dry snacks.
• A large galvanized wash tub serves as a drink cooler.
• If you’re cooking wieners over a grill or in a fireplace, spear them on dead tree branches and have everyone roast their own.
• Serve sarsaparilla, root beer, lemonade and regular beers in plastic or glass mugs or mason jars bearing each guest's name

Party Prizes/Favors

• A toy sheriff's star, with a self-adhesive magnetic strip attached to the back, makes a decorative and useful hoe-down memento.
• Say "thank you for coming" with a small live or artificial cactus plant in a clay pot.
• Send your party posse into the sunset with a mason jar filled with trail mix, trimmed with a licorice string.

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Themes tie reunion programs together
   Many reunions choose themes to indicate how parties will be decorated while others design activities and programs around their themes. Georgia Burnette reports the Burnett(e) Family Reunion chooses a theme, then selects activities to reinforce the theme. Activities are always “family focused” and relate to the theme. The Burnett(e) reunion bylaws mandate a theme and program development. The 1997 theme was “Finding Renewal in Family.” The activity was educational seminars discussing hereditary health and financial planning issues. The 1999 theme was “Back to Our Roots” featuring family oral history collection. The 2001 theme was “Gathering While We May,” focusing on the family archivist’s “Burnette Trunk.” The trunk is the repository of historical or genealogical artifacts, photos, writings, and poetry of family members.
   Burnette By-laws: “Purpose is to conduct activities facilitating family members interest and participation. This may include recreational, economic, historical, genealogical, health or educational activities designed to enhance the family members well being.”

ALLAFFAs celebrate patriotism
   The ALAFFFA (acronym of the first letter of the last name in each branch) Family Reunion has had a theme every year and 2002 was no exception. In a show of patriotism, the ALAFFA’S decided America’s red, white and blue would be the theme of their July reunion. Their reunion site and family members (ages a few months and up) were smothered in red, white and blue.
   Patti Breen Homan reports that her Breen Family Reunion themes cover diverse ideas. Theme parties are their “feature event.” They’ve had a Las Vegas theme, mystery murder night, a Halloween party and 50s prom. She says themes are “always fun and, of course, always build a few more memories.”
   Phyllis Rowland, Wichita, Kansas, reported that the Rowland/Geist/Wilson Family Reunion celebrated a “40-Something” theme, dressed in 1940s clothes. Some male members wore vintage Army khakis and bell-bottom sailor suits, even a 40s wedding dress was found to wear. The musical family enjoyed singing 40s songs and had a men’s quartet expand on the theme. Those old enough to do so told stories of how they remembered the 40s, when life was “simpler.”

A wedding/anniversary theme
   The Knapp/Napp Family Reunion commemorated their immigrant ancestors’ 180th wedding anniversary at a reunion. Descendants of Conrad and Maria Napp, who left Germany in 1846, with nine children and a son-in-law, gathered for three days.
   The wedding/anniversary theme was carried out in many ways. Signs included a 180th anniversary sign for Conrad and Maria and a congratulations sign for a family member unable attend because she was getting married that day.
  Wedding bells were put on nametags for Diane and Jim Foster, whose wedding anniversary was on reunion day. An anniversary cake created by Ma’s Bakery, Bloomington, Wisconsin, acknowledged the 180th commemoration.
 Reported by Mary Thiele Fobian

James Marek, Altamonte Springs, Florida, reported that his Holloway Family Reunion in New Berlin, Wisconsin, included a gala “Night at the Oscars” for their awards ceremony. A disc jockey played hits from 1955 to 2000.

Things to consider for an Oscar party theme
   Your Academy Awards theme will take an Oscar if you use planning advice from Phyllis Cambria and Patty Sachs, celebrations experts, owners of PartyPlansPlus.com and authors of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Throwing a Great Party (Alpha Books, $16.95).

   Here are a few of their suggestions to assure that when the “Best Party Producer” envelope is opened you will win a “Lifetime Achievement Award.”

• Make an “admission ticket” invitation with clip art and print on cardstock. Enlist teenagers, dress them as movie ushers to greet guests, tear tickets and direct them to your “theater.”
• Get kids, teens and other members to act as “paparazzi” or “autograph seekers” to rush your guests when they walk the “red carpet.”
• Suspend a shimmer curtain or drawstring drapes from a rod between two PVC stands placed near the entryway to your party. As your guests arrive, have an MC announce them to the other guests and “fans.”
• Make 8.5 x 11” color copies of photos taken at previous costume parties. Frame and affix the "glossies" to posters promoting film titles spoofing the "starring" photo subjects.
• Decorate tables themed to award-winning movies. For instance, decorate a table in western style, serve chili, and/or barbecue dishes and name it “High Noon.” Use clapboards to label tables and food items.
• Play movie trivia.
• Present each of your gussied-up guests with souvenirs like framed Polaroid photos designed as a clapboard or decorated with stars and glitter …

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Surfing the net for more theme ideas
   Surfing family-reunion.com (where they don’t use full names), we found these theme ideas.
Jan F. wrote “One of our best themes was the 60s. Everyone wore tie-died shirts and some wore long wigs. Tie a kerchief around your head and look ‘cool.’ Someone made flower power blooms out of a foam-spongy material and everyone wore one. We played great 60s music on our boom boxes all day.”
  Linda in Virginia planned her first family reunion expecting many members from England. They chose a “Christmas in July” theme with traditional Christmas dinner and decorated house. The Christmas tree was decorated with wood cutout ornaments. Each green and red ornament had a family member’s name on it and silver stars were for members who have passed away. Ornaments were taken as reunion souvenirs and brought back for each following reunion.
  And from Dollar Stretcher web site www.stretcher.com (where they don’t use names).
“Our reunions usually have a theme in which all the families participate. We have had an Olympics with each family forming a team, Christmas in July, 50s and Knights of the Round Table. These themes encourage everyone to participate and games focus on the theme.” KCW

Looking for more party ideas?
While reunions are not among the parties they mention, authors Phyllis Cambria and Patty Sachs offer countless ideas that can easily be translated into reunion parties. Their Complete Idiot’s Guide to Throwing a Great Party starts with fundamentals and goes through details in a substantial 296 pages. In their chapter about themes, they make suggestions that take little additional imagination to weave into a reunion theme. As the range of theme ideas in this article demonstrates, there are theme ideas everywhere. Those and ways to ferret out good themes for your reunion and lots of other party ideas in this iteration of yet another Idiot’s Guide (2000, 296 pages, paperback, $16.95; Alphabooks, Macmillan, 201 W 103th St, Indianapolis IN). Visit www.partyplansplus.com.

Think seasonally
 Having an autumn reunion? If it’s outdoors and you need something to engage all ages, how about an autumn scavenger hunt? Choose items available only now. Look for red and yellow maple leaves, oak leaves, pine cones, forked sticks, acorns, pebbles, thorns, moss and dried flowers.
  Consider bobbing for apples and pumpkin carving, an autumn activity everyone loves getting their hands into.

Ethnic
An ethnic theme is fun and an important source of education and pride. Ask your group historian for suggestions and information. Include costumes, music, dancing, food and re-enactments. If your group originated from many ethnicities, celebrate the diversity, celebrate all of them.

American history relived
Revolutionary era; Old West, cowboys — have a party around the campfire, read cowboy poetry, square dance, sing. Stage re-enactments or have someone teach Western dancing.

Eras
Gay (18!)90s; Roaring 20s — dress like flappers, teach the Charleston; Big Band 40s — stage a canteen dance; Rockabilly 50s; 60s Hippies and Flower Children, 70s Disco.

Celebrate events
Kentucky Derby, Oscars/Emmys — fashion your awards ceremony like the really lavish affairs; World Series, Olympics — make your tournament a group Olympics; Super Bowl, Space Odyssey — ask everyone who remembers to tell about when they saw the first person walk on the moon.

Crazy costumes
Outrageous ties, crazy sweaters, silly socks, denim and diamonds, vintage from the different eras.

Miscellaneous
Hawaiian luau — encourage costumes, hand out paper leis, build palm trees, spread a little sand, sing Hawaiian songs;
French bistro, Mardi Gras, regatta, pirates, tropical paradise, Cajun, Caribbean, beach, casino night, and any other theme you can think of from movies or TV (Sesame Street, Star Trek, This is Your Life).

Surprises
Christmas in July; beach in December

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Does anyone have a bush jacket?
by Carol C. Michels
 The first Donahue Family Reunion I remember was in a park north of New York City. I was about seven and an only child. I was thrilled to be related to all those people, particularly the kids. There was a long table with wonderful food piled high and grills fired up for hamburgers.
  My strongest recollection was a major juggling contest among the men. It started with one fellow tossing an orange to another and became a hilarious exhibition of round the circle throw and catch, show-off spinning, pitching from behind backs and under knees. Aunt Louise filmed the shenanigans by following oranges instead of athletes. The on-screen result resembled an Olympic Marmalade Marathon but has entertained us for years. And we are still entertaining one another.

  Our clan originated in the late 19th century in New York City with the five children of Patrick and Sydney Josephine Johnstone Donahue. All were accomplished artists, musically and otherwise. Robert, one of the country's pioneer cinematographers, recorded Admiral Byrd's discovery of the North Pole. Everyone else played piano and sang. Vivid memories of my mother's generation, were about songs and stories on Sunday afternoons in Grandma's parlor.
  When we get together magic happens. One year we hired a little Dixieland band and danced and sang ourselves silly. Five years ago we decided to revisit our ancestors' Sunday afternoon musical revue theme and announced a vaudeville show. An unusual collection of talent came out of the woodwork as the highlight of a three-day Cape Cod weekend that also celebrated the 80th birthdays of two favorite aunts. A tent was erected, tables, chairs and a small PA system rented and food assignments divided.

  Five guys who never played together appeared with musical instruments and within minutes were strumming and singing terrific stuff. Three seniors from Florida recreated the Andrew Sisters' version of Rum and Coca-Cola. Maxine, played by 6'1" Uncle Roy, was a show-stopper. Six men ages 16 to 82 sang great Barbershop harmonies. A young mother and her two daughters tap danced to Tea for Two. Another put some of the gents through a very funny version of Simon Says. Five siblings lip-synched to modern classics; two cousins sang Honey Bun from South Pacific; two semi-mature, conservative cousins charmed the crowd by spoofing a Madonna song about bananas. A fifteen-year old cousin wrote a play in which some of the kids lip-synched songs from The Sound of Music. Three teenage boys used a curtain, the head of one, arms of a second and legs of the third to perform a memorable Evening with Mrs. Smedley. Even the Master of Ceremonies amazed us with his hidden talent as a pretty decent magician.
  In all, 22 acts demonstrated various levels of talent. Everyone, regardless of age, got into the act as performer or observer, camera operator, cook or artist. While many were practicing or finding costumes, cousin Cindy created clever billboard signs for each act. Four videotapes were edited to one terrific tape by a talented "outlaw" cousin and distributed to all families.
  Following the fun of that reunion was a formidable challenge. The result was a Murder Mystery held in conjunction with a 50th anniversary celebration. Seventy-five descendants came to New England from all over the country.

  A mystery play was conceived from an Agatha Christie novel. Fifteen actors were cast with attention to personalities willing to make fools of themselves. Again we rented a tent. Cindy masterminded remarkable backdrops painted by willing hands. Everyone came dressed as someone famous.

  Among the good sports were a captain in a Florida sheriff's department who shaved his mustache of 26 years to be Desiree Flambeau, an aging actress with an unseemly past who meets an untimely end. A grandmother needed three costume changes to play her role as an international dress designer. Uncle Bunch finally found a bush jacket to go with his borrowed pith helmet as Major Barry, a veddy British retired officer.

  We may not recall the name of the production or the characters, but the warm memory of doing something so fun together will always be clear. Our lives are in places across the country and our only commonalty is a shared set of great-grandparents. But we are genuinely affected by getting to know each other. Letting your hair down and being silly is a great way to do it. Something very special happens when kin connect.

About the author
  Carol C. Michels who clearly enjoys her family reunions is a freelance writer and associate producer for TV documentaries. She is a regular contributor and staff editor for a monthly newsletter, Focus on Women. She lives with her husband and family in Wilmington, Delaware.

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Looking for more party ideas?
While reunions are not among the parties they mention, authors Phyllis Cambria and Patty Sachs offer countless ideas that can easily be translated into reunion parties. Their Complete Idiot’s Guide to Throwing a Great Party starts with fundamentals and goes through details in a substantial 296 pages. In their chapter about themes, they make suggestions that take little additional imagination to weave into a reunion theme. As the range of theme ideas in this article demonstrates, there are theme ideas everywhere. Those and ways to ferret out good themes for your reunion and lots of other party ideas in this iteration of yet another Idiot’s Guide (2000, 296 pages, paperback, $16.95; Alphabooks, Macmillan, 201 W 103th St, Indianapolis IN). This book is now out of print but may be available through half.com or amazon.com used books.

Book review

Pick a Party by Patty Sachs. (1997, 197 pages, paperback. Meadowbrook Press, 5451 Smetana Dr, Minnetonka MN 55343; $9.00)   This book incorporates trends, tips and twists for both family and class reunions. There is an emphasis on themes, cleverly cross-referenced in a magnum opus called a "theme grid." On the grid reunions are matched with theme ideas that are developed elsewhere in the book. For example, class reunion themes include decades and eras, hobbies and pastimes and event themes. Family reunion themes include sports, hobbies, regional and ethnic themes. Each theme idea is also developed in the book. Sachs includes an extensive resource section for all kinds of parties. Check out the SPECIAL OFFERS!

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In the spirit of Thanksgiving
by Christine Crytzer
The Frederick family has had three successful Thanksgiving reunions. All were at the Fox Chapel Racquet Club in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and without the assistance of a professional caterer.

Here's what we learned after three Thanksgiving reunions:

• Tour the facility, especially the kitchen, several days in advance to learn what is missing (serving silverware, dishes or pot holders and plastic gloves) and what equipment might not be functioning (ovens, microwaves or sinks).
  
• Encouraged family members to bring guests and friends.
  
• Don't charge a fee. Instead ask everyone to bring something based on their talents and ability to pay. Everyone contributed to the success of the reunion from beverages to desserts, favors (see sidebar), floral arrangements and hors d'oeuvres to fully-cooked, stuffed turkeys.
  
• Be specific about what members should bring. Being open-ended might reap too many side dishes or desserts, although leftovers are popular with the Frederick clan. Assign items alphabetically. For example, A-E were responsible for side dishes, F-N desserts, etc.
  
• Involve the kids. They wrote the letters of "Happy Thanksgiving" on large sheets of paper, then stood up and shouted "Happy Thanksgiving!" to start the meal. Near the end of the day there was story-telling for kids and adults.
  
• Divide large tasks. For example, assign more than one person to be responsible for kitchen duties. Delegate every single important task, even ordering linens and taking pictures, watching children and clean up.
  
• Assign someone to call each family to the buffet table and help control the hungry crowd.
  
• Assign someone to refill beverages, side dishes, breads, and desserts. This way you won't discover after the reunion you really didn't run out of something that was in demand.
  
• Clean up spills immediately to prevent falls. It's also a good idea to have emergency phone numbers handy.
  
• Decorate a Thanksgiving Day tree. Everyone was asked to write what they were thankful for on the back of their name tags and then hang them on a large potted tree.
  
• Designate a place of honor. We had comfortable chairs in front of the fireplace so head of the family, 86-year-old Betty Frederick, from Arizona, could talk with her 10 children, 33 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren,
  and 2 great-great-grandchildren.
  
• Chose not to have a disc jockey so family members could talk without having to compete with loud music.
  
• Some people still want to be entertained. Include a survey with the invitation for ideas and suggestions. Something as simple as door prizes are popular with kids and adults. At one reunion, we had a slide show of pictures submitted by everyone. We also used computer enhancement to combine pictures of people to see what their future children might look like. Attendees liked the software creations; technical assistance was provided.
  
• Set up a tripod and camera so families can have their pictures taken. Many tuck the photos in their Christmas cards.
  
• Encourage parents of young children to give little ones a snack or a light meal in case dinner is late.
  
• Be flexible and patient. For instance, if someone insists on doing something a certain way and is willing to be responsible, then let the person do it. If it doesn't turn out quite right, remember not to do it that way next time.
  
• Keep a file of what worked and what didn't work. The next reunion organizers will appreciate it.
  
• Pray about the function before, during (including grace) and after. One final piece of advice: Be thankful no matter what happens, whether dinner is late or food burns. Having a plan is important, but being flexible is critical.

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Holiday Reunions

  Last Thanksgiving weekend 204 members assembled at the original 1927 family home still owned by a descendant where the seven Lambert children were raised on Bayou Latanache in Innis, Louisiana.

  The Lamberts were made to feel like real celebrities by Innis stores and shops with window signs that read "Congratulations on your Lambert Family Reunion!"
  The reunion program was centered around the theme: "The Lambert Tribe: Pilgrims and Indians Reunion" to celebrate their early American and Cherokee Indian heritage. The theme was carried out in decorations and directory design. Computer generated awards included Long Time No-See Um, Pow-Wow Chief and Tribal Generations awards. A letter from President Clinton recognizing the reunion was shared.

  Lambert children enjoy the funny stories told by elders who have heard them many times before. Games planned for the kids gave parents more time to visit. At their last reunion there was a scavenger hunt, someone taught the Macarena and the kids did a dance performance. Cousins knew one another well by the end of the day.

  Visiting was facilitated by arranging a head table where elders sat comfortably while family members visited them. Members sitting at the head table are introduced and each gives a brief welcome. A catered buffet lunch was arranged by family living locally.

  The Lamberts have a generations old family tree modernized using Family TreeMaker software. The tree was once a 4' x 6' poster board. Now the tree is updated on the computer when members submit changes.

  One cousin is in charge of old family photos. She's copied everyone's old photos and returned originals. Order forms are available to buy reprints. Lamberts like to decorate their homes with old family photos. New photos of the whole group are taken at each reunion and of each of the seven family branches. Photos were used in the local newspaper.

  Lamberts also produce a family directory to facilitate communication, add to unity and assist future correspondence.

  Lamberts love to give thanks on Thanksgiving.
reported by Pauline Bizette Brandy, a Lambert descendant

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The stockings were placed by the agave with care
  It wasn't a typical white Christmas. Seventeen members and three generations of the Wood Family Reunion had hung their homemade stockings on a giant agave (desert plant) at Grapevine Canyon Ranch, Pearce, Arizona. They were celebrating their semi-annual reunion by taking over the entire ranch (kids must be 12) – an intimate working cattle ranch with riding, roping, soaking up history and relaxing.

  The Wood reunion began when T.R. (Dick), the patriarch decided that he wanted family gatherings to be less centered around dishes and bed making and more quality family togetherness. His solution was adventurous reunions distant from any one family's home.
  The retired Corning Glass ceramics engineer decided to organize the reunions, "threw in" hosting and gave his family a reunion every-other-year. Between reunions everyone explores their own area – Seattle, Calgary, New York and Texas – looking for ideal reunion locations. A popular evening activity is showing slides from these independent forays. The process seems to work. They've stayed on a smaller dude ranch in Montana and rafted the Rougue River in Oregon, some sleeping under the stars. They look for places with interesting nearby attractions. Grapevine Canyon Ranch is close to Tombstone, "the town too tough to die," Bisbee a quaint mining-town-turned-artists'-colony and historic trails that criss cross the 10,000 ranch. Friendly ranch hands point out sites where Chief Cochise, Geronimo and the US Cavalry once clashed.
  Dick Wood found a dude ranch a good choice for pleasing three generations with horses for experienced and novice riders along with excellent accommodations.

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