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Some people are just plain social and these people like reunions and end up organizing them.

Walt Whitman High School alumnus Rick Neuman (class of 1970) has been organizing some very successful reunions and he kindly gave me permission to share his tips here. For the record, my own 20-year WWHS reunion last year was not that fun – and in retrospect I think Rick’s ideas would have improved the night a lot. I think that good attendance is the most critical aspect to a successful reunion.

SOME WHITMAN REUNION SUGGESTIONS:

WE IN THE CLASS OF 1970 HAVE HAD SIX REUNIONS. THE LAST THREE WERE BY FAR OUR MOST POPULAR AND BEST ATTENDED. HERE ARE SOME ASPECTS THAT HAVE MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE FOR US.

1). CASUAL ATTIRE IS A MUST. 90% OF US DON’T WANT TO “DRESS UP” FOR THESE DEALS. WE WANT TO BE LAID BACK AND JUST HANG OUT.

2). WE AVOID THE TYPICAL “HOLIDAY INN/BIG HOTEL” TYPE OF FACILITY. IT’S EXPENSIVE, BORING, AND THE FOOD IS LOUSY. WE DON’T WANT A SIT DOWN DINNER. WE WANT TO MOVE AROUND A LOT, HUDDLE IN CORNERS WITH OLD FRIENDS, RELIVE EVENTS, LIE, SHARE PICTURES OF FAMILIES, MOURN DECEASED PARENTS, AND BADMOUTH CLASSMATES WHO ARE NOT THERE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES!

**WE THINK THAT THE CLARA BARTON CENTER ON MACARTHUR BLVD IS THE PERFECT FACILITY FOR VIKING REUNIONS. WHITMANITES KNOW EXACTLY WHERE IT IS . THERE IS PLENTY OF PARKING, A HUGE, CLEAN DANCE HALL, BIG KITCHEN, PLENTY OF TABLES.**

3). WE NO LONGER HIRE REUNION COMPANIES TO DO OUR WORK . I PERSONALLY MADE THIS MISTAKE TWICE, FOR THE 2OTH AND 25TH, AND BOTH EVENTS WERE LACKLUSTER AND BORING. A SMALL CLASSMATE COMMITTEE CAN EASILY DO WHAT THEY DO, AND DO IT BETTER. ALMOST EVERY CLASSMATE CAN BE FOUND THESE DAYS, WITH THE INTERNET DATA BASES AVAILABLE.

4. WE DON’T HIRE A LIVE BAND. A GREAT SOUND SYSTEM WITH A CD PLAYER CAN EASILY BE SET UP, AND THE MUSIC CAN BE EASILY PROGRAMMED WITH ALL OUR MUSIC FROM OUR SELECTIONS. A CLASSMATE OR DJ CAN PLAY EXACTLY WHAT IS CHOSEN, AND AT THE RIGHT TIME.

5). NO SPOUSES OR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS, UNLESS THEY ALSO WENT TO WHITMAN. NO KIDS. THIS IS BY FAR THE MOST POPULAR COMPONENT OF OUR LAST 3 REUNIONS, AND HAS HAD A HUGE IMPACT ON OUR BIG INCREASE IN ATTENDANCE.

6). LITTLE EXPENSE! A BUCK IS STILL A BUCK. PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO SHOW UP, AND CERTAINLY TO TRAVEL, IF THEY DON’T HAVE TO SHELL OUT AIRFARE AND $100 OR MORE TO A STIFF, SEMI-FORMAL BORING DEAL. WE CHARGED $20 AT OUR 35TH, AND STILL RAISED $2000 FOR THE SUSAN B. KOMEN FOUNDATION FOR BREAST CANCER RESEARCH.

7). FOOD AND DRINK: WE HAVE A B.Y.O.B FORMAT THAT WORKS WELL. A BUNCH OF US PROVIDE HEAVY APPETIZERS, WHICH IS ALL WE NEED.. I STILL MADE THE MISTAKE OF PREPARING TOO MUCH FOOD THIS LAST TIME. JUST HAVE ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE TO GRAZE ON FOR 6 HOURS. NO MAIN COURSES. BEER. WINE, SOFT DRINKS, AND BOTTLED WATER IS ALL THAT IS NEEDED!

ANY QUESTIONS? PLEASE EMAIL ME. TIDALCOM@AOL.COM

RICK NEUMANN
CLASS OF 70 CHAIRMAN

PS IT WAS FUN FOR US TO HAVE A “CLASS OF 1970 AT 50” PARTY IN 2002…..WE HAD ONE OF OUR BEST TURNOUTS…NO REASON WHY IT WOULDN’T WORK FOR 30, 40, OR 60!.

My brother is in the throes of helping to organize his 20-year reunion. Since mine was just last year (and Sue’s will be next year – hey, is this how I got in the habit of sharing information – by sharing info with my younger sibs?), Songbae has been passing along reunion info and getting feedback. He sent this quick article from the Washington Post (Oct 2006), which I think has great tips.

A Class Reunion Primer
Before you head off to your reunion, check out these tips for making the best of it:
DO
Get the DJ on your side. The Montgomery Blair reunion led off with Tony Bennett — hardly the stuff to lure 1986 alumni onto the dance floor. Marnie Rode quickly requested funk music. “I know our class — our poms and our cheerleaders did stuff to funk songs — and if it’s funky,w e’ll get out and dance.” Also, slow songs are reunion buzz kills. It’s best to keep the music upbeat.

Make sure your reunion committee is diverse. Rode co-chaired the reunion with Rebecca Lertora. The two were friendly in high school, but “she hung out with completely different people than I did,” Lertora says. “I think that’s why we’re so successful” at drawing a diverse crowd.

Look your best. People. Will. Check. You. Out.
Make a weekend of it. Lertora, who lives in Loudoun County, got a hotel room at the Hyatt, the site of the reunion, with three of her closest high school girlfriends. Though only one was visiting from out of town, the gathering in their room was a mini-reunion all its own. And nothing says high school like a slumber party.

Sign up in advance. As with any party, reunion planners need to know how many people they will have to entertain and feed.

DON’T
Bring your significant other. This was the resounding consensus among Montgomery Blair reunion-goers. “If your spouse went to high school with you or knows people, then fine,” says Rachel James, who left her husband at their Tysons Corner home. “But if they didn’t, they have a lousyt ime. This way I can have fun and not feel guilty.”

Worry about remembering names. Most reunion organizers have name tags on hand for everyone in the class, regardless of registration. “Hopefully the names are big enough that you can do the quick scan down,” says Shelly Modes of Capital Reunions. Name tags typically include a classmate’s yearbook photo, too.

Think every reunion is the same. Different people turn out for different reunions, and each one has a different vibe. At a 10-year reunion, people typically come with a little more to prove. There, “if people are successful, they obviously want to let people know they are successful,” says Great Reunions’ Sandy Gosper. “After 20 years, it’s just trying to rekindle the past. At the 30- and 40- and 50-year reunions, they really don’t care — they just want to go and have a good time.”