While no one likes to badger others for money, high school reunions present a unique circumstance. In most cases, the budget for a reunion is formed by the investments of former classmates and teachers. Once a reunion committee or group has been established, those individuals canvass for funds by charging each person to attend the function. Of course, in order to make plans for the reunion, the money has to arrive early – preferably, several months prior to the actual event.

What throws a fork in early requests is the planning time that each attendee requires. Some former classmates may not have their vacation time approved until one month prior to the reunion, leading them to hesitate before purchasing tickets. Others may have to discuss the event with their spouses or partners before making final plans, especially if travel is involved. It’s easy to procrastinate when it comes to a reunion because there is often a great deal of preparation required.

Unfortunately, if too many attendees fail to buy tickets or pay a required fee, it can affect the entire experience for everyone else. Without a budget to follow, committee members may be forced to downsize the overall event, change venues, or ultimately cancel the reunion altogether. This can be very disappointing for individuals who have been waiting for the day they would be reunited with past friends and teachers. Oddly enough, to bring uncooperative attendees out of the woodwork, talk of a cancellation may be just the ticket.

If you are working with a planning committee, you have no doubt formed an e-mail list or online social networking group to keep in touch with school alumni. If you’re having trouble getting firm responses, there is no harm in starting a sneaky rumor that the reunion is on its way to being called off. After all, if you can’t develop a plan and form a budget, there is little chance that the reunion can go ahead anyway. Don’t be afraid to start a fire underneath their feet to get them moving.

You can also use online networking groups to keep potential attendees up-to-date on the event’s progress. If you receive $1,000 towards your budget in the first few months and that number seems to stand still, perhaps someone will take notice. It’s also important to inform others about the amount of planning involved. Unless they’ve tackled a similar project, they may not understand that there is more to creating a great reunion than booking a venue.

The key to acquiring a sufficient amount of funds is to set a due date. Tell former classmates that their money must be submitted by a certain date in order for the plans to begin. In order to give those last-minute attendees some extra time, choose a fake due date approximately two weeks’ prior to the actual due date. Then, as the makeshift date approaches, start e-mailing or messaging your past schoolmates and provide them with a countdown. Try contacting them two weeks, one week, and finally, three days prior to the date set.

Once the fake date has passed, add up the numbers to see where the reunion budget stands. If the funds are still lacking, send out a final e-mail or message, stating that the date has been extended by another week. Be sure to note that there will be no further extensions granted and that if you don’t receive a response by at least x-number of people, the reunion will run the risk of being cancelled. You may be surprised by the amount of classmates who will succumb to the pressure of a deadline, even if their ability to attend remains unclear.

Although you may be feeling burdened by the responsibility of creating a large-scale event, the pride that you will feel at the end of the journey will make it all worthwhile. Seeing the faces of former classmates as they enter the event, hearing compliments about the food, or listening to attendees rave about the decorations, venue, or music will be immensely satisfying. As you hassle old acquaintances for money, it is important to keep the final goal in sight: an unforgettable night filled with great friends, great food, and great memories.

Thanks to those that have sent in their comments on the reunion. If you have any ideas or suggestions for the next event please email us so that we can get those in the planner.

Stay tuned for updates and videos on what happened. The Video Memory Book is going to be AWESOME based on some of the clips that I have seen so far. You can tell when the drinking kicked in for some of the “confessionals” I mean video clips.

Friday: 4:30 PM Tour of Kamiakin (Meet at the front office)

7:00 PM until ???? Meet and greet at the PUB

Saturday: 10 AM Golf Tourny kicks off ( We are all sold out and team pairing will be sent soon)

Updated 12:00 PM- 3:00 PM Family Picnic at Columbia Point Park just off George Washington Way. Bring a sack lunch or snack and drinks and get to visit with your classmates and their kids.

6:00 PM Anthonys Banquet Center in Richland at Columbia Point (Not the restaurant) REALLY BIG EVENT.

Address for Anthony’s

Richland, WA 99352-4373

We have gotten Tony Messinger to graciously volunteer his services to help DJ our event. He will be dusting off the old albums and spinning some of the great classic tunes from the 1980’s. Todays generation can only relate to MP3 players where everything is digital and would probably not know what a record is if they saw one.

REGISTER NOW

Time to register and let us know that you are coming. We need those that are planning to attend to register ASAP which can be done by clicking on the “Register” button on the right hand side or send your checks to:

Hello Kamiakin Class of 1988,The date is set for July 11-12 for our class reunion.

Saturday evening: 6 PM Banquet dinner at Anthony’s Banquet Center. The meal planned is your choice of steak,salmon, or a vegetarian with a Chocolate Fountain for dessert. (And no swimming in the fountain). Plus depending on how many people register early enough we can plan on other fun event. We do have games, trivia, and pictures to share.

Columbia Room
Views of the Columbia River, the marina and the promenade greet your guests as they enter the largest of the private dining rooms. The two-tier room provides view seating for all and opens to a large outdoor deck, facing the river.

Or send your checks to :

Jeff Rogers

17316 E Galactica Ct

Greenacres, WA 99016

This part of the blog will allow you to share photos, make comments, and even rate the pics. Find those pics of your friends in high school with those goofy eyeglasses so that others can comment and even rate the picture. Besides you just don’t see Vaurnet sunglasses much anymore and now is the time to bring them back into style. So let’s play nice.

Click Here:

Also on Saturday Shawna Morris (McGetrick) has offered to coordinate an afternoon picnic for those that do not wish to take part in the golf tournament. And Kristen Lurch has presented the idea of our class working on a habitat for humanity housing project. So there are some things that all of us can do and be a part of.

There is also the chance that we will be taking a tour of Kamiakin either Friday or Saturday for those that are interested to walk down memory lane and for some of you to actually go onto campus without fear of being called to the principles office. So comment back or shoot us an email at wsugrad92 at comcast dot net. ( Sorry had to do this to prevent a bunch of spam, and no Jake, not the stuff you eat)