How to Plan a Class Reunion

Steps for a Successful Party

Perhaps ten years have flown by or maybe it's only five; but it's time to start planning a high school class reunion. A good party may take a year to organize; but to start planning longer than that is not recommended. Here's a few steps to take to help keep that planning machine running smoothly.

First thing first, is to contact the school from which the graduation class came from. Find out if there is a reunion committee already designated, if there is a class reunion secretary, and if there is any funds available. Most graduating classes have accounts made for them to be used for prom, graduation activities and party; many times the money left over after the class leaves is put into a special reunion account.

If these are prepared, great! If not, then a committee must be formed. Try to find class officers if you can and contact fellow alumni in the area. A reunion secretary must be appointed if there isn't one. A bank account (savings & checking) must be established with the secretary's name and one or two others on the account. The person who accepts the position of secretary will remain in that position for a very, very long time therefore must be willing to make such a commitment.

Duties of a Reunion Secretary
1. This "chosen one" will be in charge of monitoring the money for the reunion, kind of like a treasurer. Some banks have special accounts just for reunions; otherwise a small non-profit business account works as well.

2. The greater responsibility is that of overseeing and maintaining a list of all graduates. This job continues on long after the party ends. It is recommended a database computer program be designed for this purpose. The secretary should be accessible to all graduates anytime via email, phone, and snail-mail to report address changes. A newsletter is a great way of keeping classmates in touch, but only if funding is available. There are websites like Classmates.com and classreunion.com that have an up to date data base and are great for making reunion announcements.