Love them or hate them, summer is prime time for family reunions. My extended clan gets together for a huge gathering every year. And by huge I mean an entire weekend full of family-friendly events, including picnics, sit down dinners, brunch buffets, scavenger hunts, golf outings, fishing derbies, bowling contests, and group picture-taking sessions that can take almost the entire afternoon.
Both of my parents come from large families. My father is one of 10 children whose siblings each have at least four children each. Those kids went on to reproduce more than 50 additional children, and counting. Needless to say, reunions are on my dad’s side of the family typically last three to four days during the height of summer when kids are out of school.
My mom’s side of the family usually plans their reunions for the summer as well. However, since her large extended family is spread out around the world the get-togethers typically take place every other year. This allows family members to plan accordingly both logistically and financially. Since the reunions take place in Hawaii, the trip can be quite costly for family members who have to fly in from Japan or New York with a ton of kids in tow.
Planning a family reunion for hundreds of people is no easy task, which is why most gatherings require a group effort. Of course, if your family is like mine, the work traditionally falls on the shoulders of specific clan members who are incredibly organized. A few of my aunts fall into this Type A category. Without their hard work there is no way our family reunions would be as successful as they are.
You need a network of family members who are willing to join forces to pull off a three-day long event. Regardless of your talent, you will likely be called on to help out in some fashion. For example, my accountant uncle and cousin are in charge of collecting money from family members to cover the cost of meals and other events, while my craft queen aunts are usually tapped to design activities for the kids, and come up with prizes for group games.
How are family reunions run in your clan?
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