What did you do at your class reunion?

[ms.yt]

Ours is in a couple of weeks. We're planning on keeping it simple, but I'm afraid we don't have enough stuff planned. I'd love to hear what others did at theirs. Keep in mind we are from a very small school. There were 48 graduates in our class.

Here's what we're planning:

Our lunch event with kids will basically just be an opportunity to mingle and catch up while a slideshow of old pictures runs with 80's music.

After that, I'm going to lead those that want to stay in a tour of our high school (I teach there now).

Our evening event with class members and spouses/dates basically so far only has the following plans: an icebreaker activity and handing out awards. Do we need anything else?

 

[Disneyland_emily]

Well I won't be going to mine next month (as they announced everything this week and I can't scrap everything together enough to fly back)

and their event for the evening is skit and talent night.. No-one seemed to have talent 10 years ago why would it change?

 

[gymboqueenkaylee]

I didn't go to my class reunion which was 2 yrs ago, but, They pretty much just ate some dinner and drank a ton which totally isn't what I'm into.

 

[SC Minnie]

For ours they had finger type foods and a DJ. They gave out some awards for longest married, etc. There was a display set up with stuff from high school. I was really disappointed in the whole thing. We had almost 500 in our graduating class and less than 50 people showed up for the 20th reunion. Besides putting an ad in the local paper they didn't really do much to try to find people.

The class before us had a family picnic and as well as an evening thing. I wish our class would have done something like that but the people putting it together didn't want help even though it was offered.

 

[Disney Doll]

We had a food, a DJ for dancing, and mingling. No other activities.

 

[happygirl]

OP, that is about what we did at our 10

 

[Angelhalo]

I got an invite to a 6 year reunion. I know...weird. It was just a BBQ at a park. I didn't go. it cost too much, I don't like BBQ, and I couldn't think of anyone that I cared enough to see again.

 

[kelleigh1]

Wow! Our reunions were never elaborate. We just had our 20th back in November and it was just dinner at the town country club (which isn't really a big sprawling country club, but more like a small family farm that was upgraded to include a golf course and a quaint restaurant.) The room had it's own bar and a jukebox for music. That was about it. Small! Our class was 102 people and only about 25 came to the 20th reunion.

I remember our 10th was at a local restaurant (the fanciest place in town) and we did have a band then, but it was a local band, led by a guy who graduated the year before us and knew everyone in our class, so I'm sure we got some deal on the price.

No big events for our small town reunions.

 

[meandmytwogirls]

I went to my 10th and it was bascially show up and get drunk. We stayed about 30 minutes, spoke to the people I wanted too, and then left and went out for a nice meal! Same drunks in high school were the same drunks 10 years later only with bigger guts and less hair!

 

[binny]

well I'm on the committee for our 20th. this year

Ours is a huge to-do. We have 2 days of stuff planned. Friday night is our banquet. Its an "evening casual" event at a hotel. Saturday afternoon is the get together at a park, Saturday night is a no host event at a bar.
For the main event on Friday, we arent doing awards. We do have an MC (one of our classmates) doing a nice talk, we are doing a slideshow of current and past pictures, a memorial for those we've lost and a few other things. We have a couple of memory tables to set up with lots of memoribilia from back in the day (thanks to my pack rat self LOL)


We have people coming in from all over the world so we really felt like we needed to make it worth everyones time.

We are really looking forward to going!

 

[Rence]

One of the main reasons folks go to a reunion is to get a chance to catch up with everyone they haven't seen in years. If the event is overplanned - there is no chance to do that.

Our 15 year reunion was a dinner and social time - it was great - got a chance to talk to lots of folks I hadn't seen in years and some of the best times were talking with those that I did not hang out with in high school.

25 year was a bust - they went all out and hired a live band - folks wanted to talk, not listen to a live band - the music prevented conversation - so everyone left early.

Have some things planned but give folks lots of time to mingle.

 

[raysnkaysmom]

Wow..48 is small.

Well, first during the day...we just had everyone and their families meet at a local park for a grill out. That might be good for such a small class.

That night, we met at a brewery for a nice dinner, had raffles and danced.

After, those who wanted, got together and went out to the local bars...

 

[MichelleinMaine]

I planned my tenth (from a similarly small school as yours). We had the added challenge that we graduated overseas, so no "home town" to return to.

We had a family picnic Friday night. (No activities planned other than eat and talk.) Saturday we actually went to Busch Gardens (had our reunion in Williamsburg because, well, the two of us planning it wanted to go there . I got group tickets and people just hung out in their usual cliques. NO big dinner/dance event as everyone had come from various parts of the country,with kids, and there was no one to babysit. Sunday morning, we had a banquet room at a restaurant for a brunch before everyone left.



I agree with others who have said, people come to meet/talk/catch up, not to do activities. The big thing is name tags for when you don't recognize the beau hunk former prom king now that he weighs 400 pounds and is bald.

 

[ozarkmom]

Friday night byob and cookout at a couple's home I graduated with. Saturday was a dinner w drinking and dancing. Then Sunday was a bring your family picnic at the park. Somewhere in there was a tour (if you wanted) of the new highschool.

 

[Plantlady]

Oy. The reunion.

I went to my 10 year reunion.

It was a BBQ at a lake. Nice. Then, someone passed around a voting thing.. "who has the most kids? Who has changed the most? Who is the prettiest?"

Really? Who is the prettiest?

I think that will be my last one.

 

[MushyMushy]

I'd say keep it simple. I was on the planning committee for our 20th, and am again for our 25th coming up. We have an informal gathering at a local bar the night before (where we actually had more fun because it was so relaxed!), and then the night of the reunion, we had a buffet dinner and a DJ who played 80s music. We had a Chinese auction to help raise money for this year's, and we did a few of the who drove farthest, who had most kids, who became grandparent earliest.... we tried not to do anything too obnoxious like another op mentioned (prettiest???? give me a BREAK! that's ridiculous!). Everyone basically had fun mingling and talking to everyone else.

We thought about doing an all-family picnic the next day but people just didn't seem all that interested. I think this next reunion we'll play that by ear.