Anyone else stupid enough to plan their class reunion?

[josephmama]

I really hate to complain about stuff like this since there really are a lot worse problems to have in life. But maybe some of you have pearls of wisdom. If not, at least it will feel good to vent!!!! My 10 year high school class reunion is this year. I was not a class officer so it's not my job to plan this thing. But our officers really are lazy and so two of us stepped up to plan it. In all my spare time- what was I thinking? It was one of those grand ideas while still on maternity leave. Well fast forward a few months and people not holding up their end of their responsibilities we divided up. Now we have to send out the invites NOW and we have contact info on HALF the class (70 out of 140). Is this 50% something we should actually be proud of? Keep in mind our class was and is still known as the loser class. We came in last for everything. Lost the homecoming float competition all 4 years (last place all 4 years), awful sports teams, no unity, people are in jail now, no one keeps in touch with anyone... sounds like a GREAT reunion, right? So now 3 people (our class president, valedictorian and treasurer (who I think was fired senior year) haven't done any tracking down of MIA's so I need to take on 20 more! And let me tell you, people's parents are MEAN!

Why do people suck, why are people lazy, and why do only a few of us seems to actually care that we might make people feel left out when we can't find them? Anyone have great reunion planning advice? (and don't say classmates.com. Our valedictorian can't figure out the darn site so we gave up on that front). We've got logistics down- it's just the finding people that's hard- oh, and motivating people. You know, it's high school. I could really care anymore!

Anyway, just needed to vent!

[C99]

Camiel,

It's as you said: It's high school, I could really care anymore. That's probably why you can't find anyone. I tried very hard to stay off the contact list for my 10-year H.S. reunion (and was sucessful w/ this, but I still knew where everything was from my best friend), so my guess is really that if people can't be found, they don't want to be. I'd send out the invitations to the 70 people you do have addresses for and be happy with that. :)

[starrynight]

classmates.com isn't hard but to be able to actually contact (not just see a list in a database) you have to pay, same thing goes for reunion.com

Otherwise I'm no help sorry!

[Mommie2MadLyn]

I don't have any advice, but I wanted to let you know that I have just found myself in the SAME situation! Same issues, our class was known for not getting anything done, we were definitely not unified when it came to organizing things either. Well, I was not a class officer either, but I made the mistake of telling one of them that I would help contact people. Suddenly, I am being called to come to meetings and given responsibilities that quite frankly I don't want to have! Not to mention I am moving out of state in 2 weeks, so I don't know how they expect me to get any planning done. When I said I would help, I meant that I would spread the word to people that I DO keep in contact with! That was all I intended to do, and now I feel obligated to help out more because I was obviously misunderstood! It sucks, but I guess I'll just suck it up and do what I can.I totally hear you though...

[ivparker]

I just got my invitation in the mail for my 10 year high school reunion. The thing that my school does is hires a company to plant it all. The President and Vice President oversee it but the outside source tries to find everyone. The kicker is, they have to charge the fee to all of us so tickets are $88 a person! Really expensive. I'm still not sure if I want to go, especially because of the price

[August Mom]

Just wondering. Is there some unwritten rule that the senior class officers have to be in charge of the class forever? If so, no one ever told me about it. Actually, I think that's rather unfair that the class president should have to plan every class reunion until there are no more. I guess I say that as a senior class president. However, I have little interest in organizing reunion after reunion after reunion. It's not that I'm lazy -- overextended maybe, but certainly not lazy. But, no one ever explained that it was my job, I live away from the area now and other classmates are more into getting together so why not let them plan it? We took volunteers for a planning committee at our last reunion and I think that makes sense. As far as finding people, if the school doesn't have current addresses, I think about all you can do is use the Internet and contact parents or friends of the people you can't find. Then, at the actual reunion, make sure you pass an info list around to collect e-mail addresses and other information.

Good luck with the event.

[josephmama]

I think it's one of those accepted "customs". But I remember when the officers were elected that it was one of the responsibilities- maybe it was just my backwards high school and not all schools. Then at the 10 year reunion you pick who will plan the next one. Like we'll have another one!

Ah well, back to my fun of tracking people down. It's hard since it was a rural area and a lot of people don't have email and a lot of families moved to the south. But probably if people don't want to be found, then they probably won't come anyway. So I guess we'll stop worrying about having people feel left out! Sigh....

Thanks for the advice ladies! Wish we could hire a company to do this but no one would pay that much for it.

[josephmama]

Sorry you're in the same boat! Ah well. I live 4 states away, too, so this makes it even more fun. Did you by any chance go to my high school? :)

[MartiesMom2B]

That was the understanding and part of the schpiel that our senior officers made when they wanted to be elected was being in charge of our reunions. Of course who can predict what your life will be like in 10 years after graduating. Needless to say, I've heard nothing about a class reunion. Oh well.

Sonia
Proud Mommy to Martie 4/6/03

[momma_boo]

Hmm. Sorry you are having such trouble with planning the reunion.

About the general discussion - I was a senior class officer (can't remember exactly which position. Definitely not president, though.) No one ever told us we were responsible for the reunion. It's funny, though. Whenever I run into people from high school (I'm actually living in the same town), we all wonder who is in charge of planning the reunion since our 10 years is coming up next year. I think our class president joined the military and is attending medical school in Virginia and the grapevine says she has no clue about the reunion either.

[tinkerbell1217]

Luckily, I had a very small graduating class, only 16!! I went to a small Christian school so that explains it. We all started getting in touch with each other through classmates.com and then once enough of us, including classes from other years around the same time as us, we got enough people, we started planning a reunion. Almost everyone came. I helped ALOT with the planning since I am the only one still living in my original town/neighborhood area. I scouted a place to have the dinner and local area hotels for everyone and sent them all the info. The Class Pres did the invitations and money handling. The Class Vice Pres contacted MIA's. I determined all the decorations and bought the stuff. Class Vic Pres thought of games and awards to give people (married the longest, most children, etc..). It actually all worked out great. But, we were ALL interested in getting together too. It was definitely a group effort!! We had classes from 1986-1990 in one place.

I think having half your class come is a great number! I enjoyed my reunion, but I don't think I would go to another one. We all keep in touch via email now so its nice that way. If anyone comes back to visit, we get together for lunch or shopping.

Lots of luck!! DELEGATE!!!! Whether they like it or not!!

Kelly