It’s time for your class reunion…
What makes a high school reunion so special that classmates scattered across the country and perhaps the globe will make the effort to attend? Most reflect that it is the opportunity to bring together friends and recapture old memories with those who shared this unique and unforgettable time in their lives . . . to be able to stay connected with classmates physically and emotionally.
Whether this is your class’ first reunion or the first of many, Catholic High would like to offer these suggestions as you embark on the planning of your reunion to remember!
Steps to planning a successful high school reunion:
- Form a reunion committee. Good places to begin: your CHS Class Rep, your class officers, and classmates who live in the Pensacola area
- Schedule a committee meeting. Brainstorm and create an initial plan. You might want to invite someone from the class before you who was involved in their recent reunion planning—why invent the wheel if you don’t have to!
- Contact the Catholic High Advancement Office. Secure a printout of CHS’s most current graduate information and don’t be surprised that there are classmates whose address is the same as when they were in high school even though they haven’t lived there in years!
- Select a date. Whether your reunion is a one day or weekend event, classmates appreciate being able to ‘save the date’ as far ahead as possible. Dates often are selected around a community event (Blue Angels Show) or Catholic High happening (football game, spring Mass/Fish Fry)
- Determine reunion events. This is definitely personal to each class. A reunion might include:
- A low/no cost casual Friday night mixer/social
- A Saturday family gathering/picnic
- A tour of the CHS campus
- Golf, tennis anyone?
- A more formal Saturday night dinner/buffet/dance
- Sunday morning brunch
- Sunday morning Mass at a local church or the CHS Chapel
- Research locations. Things to consider: cost, size, food service
- Establish a detailed budget. Factor in venue costs (food, room rental, wait staff, etc.), invitations/mailings, entertainment, decorations, name tags (using graduation pictures is fun!), keepsakes for classmate and/or spouse.
- Publicize ALL of the above! How? E-mails, Social Media, CHS website, CHS alumni newsletters, class web site, Pensacola News Journal reunion column—all of these generate excitement and increased participation
- Reunion committee assignments. Depending on the size of your committee, members may have one or more areas for which to be responsible. Areas that may not have been addressed above include:
- Assigning a committee member to update the class master list as name/address information is gathered.
- Making a list of ‘missing’ classmates and beginning a more extensive search to locate these (internet search—truepeoplesearch.com, reunion.com, classmates.com, switchboard.com; include these names on the CHS website and in the CHS alumni publications; canvas other classmates).
- Setting up a bank account. Often the committee members will supply the seed money by paying their money upfront
- Securing a block of rooms at a hotel at a special reunion price
- Encouraging all attendees to bring memorabilia to be displayed at the reunion. Anything gathered early can be used to decorate.
- Contact the CHS Advancement Office to see if there is appropriate and available alumni memorabilia there that can be used
- Gathering personal information about classmates including those who are unable to attend and compiling this in a booklet or on a website.
- Having an official photographer — professional or a designated classmate
- After the Reunion.
- Share the photos from the reunion with others! Members of the class who were unable to attend (and those who forgot their cameras) will be able to share in the events! E-mail your photos to CHS to be posted on the website.
- Provide the CHS Advancement Office with updated contact information for all members of your class. This will assist everyone in the planning of the next class reunion!
If you have any questions or need any assistance from CHS, please contact Rita Lay (850-436-6400 , ext. 103 or rlay@pensacolachs.org)