A Family Affair: How to Plan and Direct the Best Family Reunion Ever (National Genealogical Society Guides) (Paperback)

~ Sandra MacLean Clunies; The National Genealogical Society (Author) "IT USED TO BE EASY TO FIND YOUR RELATIVES..." (more)
Key Phrases: reunion team, reunion site, mutual ancestors, New Hampshire, Joseph Wood, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Rutledge Hill Press (June 25, 2003) Language: English ISBN: 1401600204 Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 7.5 x 9.2 inches Whether planning a small annual get-together or a once-in-a-lifetime gathering of hundreds"

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Rutledge Hill Press (June 25, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401600204
• ISBN-13: 978-1401600204
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #508,152 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Look no farther -- this is the book you need!, October 15, 2004

By	Michael K. Smith (Gonzales, Louisiana) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Family reunions are not, for many of us, as basic a part of family research as they might be, and books on the subject usually reflect that. If most of your relatives still live within a day's drive, you probably see them regularly and an annual picnic is almost a routine event, dedicated to introducing new offspring and remembering the recently deceased. If your family is scattered all over the country, as is true of probably a majority of the American population these days, a reunion becomes a special event with a significant outlay in time and money for both planners and attendees, but the activities are still largely the same. But Sandy Clunies, a Certified Genealogist and frequent speaker at the national level, is a very experienced family researcher and past winner of the NGS Family History Writing Contest, so her interest here is primarily in the role of genealogy at the family reunion. How could any attentive researcher pass up the chance to graze among all those memories and experiences brought together for a few days in one place?

Putting on a reunion can be an overwhelming task, but (to quote the author's grandmother) you can eat an elephant if you cut it into bite-sized pieces. "What kind of show should it be?" she asks. Do you need a theme? Is there to be a central event, like a milestone anniversary or the dedication of a DAR grave marker? Will it be potluck at a state park? A gathering at the ancestral family farm? Or a Caribbean cruise? The most important rule, though is Plan Ahead. At least a year - preferably two if it's to be a big event. The second rule is Take a Businesslike Approach. This includes record keeping, not only to properly account for finances but to provide information for future reunions. (Detailed attendance records from family gatherings held a century ago have become valuable resources in their own right.) The Internet, naturally, is a great help in locating those whom you want to invite, especially if you've been out of touch for a few years, and the author gives detailed advice (plus encouraging anecdotes) on the use of search engines and message boards for this purpose. You will also want to advertise your reunion online in order to alert those individuals you weren't able to locate. Many suggestions of an historical and genealogical nature are provided for activities (house and cemetery tours, living history demonstrations), and for showcasing the family's history (enlargements of photos collected in advance, displays of inherited artifacts). And, of course, a series of oral history sessions is an opportunity not to be missed, with memories triggered by old photos and conversations with other descendants. To preserve all you've been able to learn, a post-reunion book (with sales solicited during the event) will not only provide a permanent record, it will help establish a tradition of future reunions and encourage wider attendance. A family website can present new information acquired, woven into what was already known, and can also encourage further research -- and advance planning for the next get-together. Even though I'm not a big reunion-attender, this is by far the best book I've seen on the subject.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gift of New Memories for Your Family, July 29, 2003

By	Brenda M. DeLalla (Turkey Point Island, USA) - See all my reviews

What a great book this is!!! Many families would love to have a reunion, but are quickly daunted by what appears to be the enormity of such a project.
This author not only has organized her own large family reunions, but has beautifully and personally given us a simple to follow road map.
With this book you can begin building the strengths and joys a reunion will bring to every family member - and you will be giving the very best present of all - the gift of new memories.
Your family deserves the best - and you can give it to them!!!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great guide for planning family gatherings, July 20, 2003

By	laura Van Syckle (Edgewater, Maryland) - See all my reviews

This book has a wealth of guidance for anyone planning any large family gatherings. It covers all the details necessary for any type of event and all that is needed in planning that event. The book is so comprehensive-it is to a family reunion what a wedding planner is to a wedding! I highly recommend it.