We need your talents and skills! Is there a committee you would like to participate on or can oversee? Here are some of the committees that are needed to help make our reunion a reality.
Program/Activities Committee – (1 Chairperson and 4 Volunteers)
The Program/Activities Committee is responsible for planning, organizing and scheduling all of the reunion activities. The Program/Activities Committee will work with the Finance Committee to ensure that planned events are within the reunion budget and that funds are appropriately managed. The Program/Activities Committee will:
- Prepare the reunion itinerary.
- Research, organize, and orchestrate activities during the reunion weekend.
- Plan games and other leisure activities.
- Organize photo opportunities.
- Find volunteers to assist in running the games and directing activities on the day of the picnic.
The Finance Committee – (1 Chairperson and 2 Volunteers)
The Finance Committee Chairperson is responsible for putting together the budget, managing the finances, and overseeing the disposition of funds; keeps an eye on ‘the bottom line’ to ensure that other committees are not planning to spend more than what has been budgeted. This committee is responsible for the following:
- Keeping track of family members who have registered and their fee payments; maintain a record of financial contributions and other fundraising income.
- Setting-up a checking account to receive income from fundraising and registration fees and for paying all reunion-related expenses.
- Preparing monthly financial reports for all financial activities related to the family reunion.
Fundraising Subcommittee – (2-3 Volunteers)
The Fundraising Subcommittee will work within the Finance Committee. The subcommittee will be responsible for creating fundraising opportunities that will generate income from within and outside of the reunion group.
Hospitality Committee – (1 Chairperson and 4 Volunteers)
The Hospitality Committee is responsible for welcoming the guests to the reunion. They will produce name badges and will handle registration at the hotel, the Friday night mixer and the reunion picnic. This committee will be responsible for:
- Locate hotel lodging for out of town guest – negotiate favorable rates.
- Ensure everyone has a place to stay.
- Set up registration area – Set up a couple of tables with chairs, water, registration packets, name tags, pen/pencils, clipboard, any handouts, agenda, and directions to any activities. Also, put up any decorations like balloons, streamers, etc. to create a festive mood.
- Prepare a packet to be distributed to registered family members (Maps to stores, emergency facilities and local attractions, securing all reunion products/souvenirs, including those that may be obtained for free and those that will be purchased. Contacting the convention and visitor’s bureau, as well as appropriate vendors to obtain donations and other fillers for the reunion souvenir bags; obtaining costs for those items that must be purchased for giveaway or sale).
Setup and Cleanup Committee – (1 Chairperson and 10+ Volunteers)
The family reunion setup/clean up committee has to be organized when it comes to the details. They are the ones that take care of the decorations, table settings, and finally the clean up.
Here is a list of responsibilities for the setup/clean up committee.
Signs – Directional signage should be prepared ahead of time and placed in locations that make it easier for family members to get to the registration desk (Typically in the lobby or one of the hospitality suites). Also have directional and reunion welcome signs posted around the picnic area to alert family members as they area to the picnic.
Banquet – Get decorations done for the banquet, talk to catering manager at hotel to make sure the room is set up properly. If there are any themes to the reunion then that will require additional set up of tables (E.g. Family history table, Family tree board).
Picnic – If it is a picnic, the Setup and Cleanup committee is in charge of setting up chairs, tables, and other items for the reunion. If items like barbecue grills, picnic tables are going to be needed, they are responsible for obtaining them as well.
At the end of the reunion, this committee is responsible for taking down the chairs and tables that were set up. They also clean up the general area. The committee doesn’t have to do all the work themselves, they can ask family members to help out as well.
Games/Activities – Depending on the types of games or activities being planned by the family reunion activities committee, they may require special set up and breakdown.