The Family Reunion Sourcebook

Rating:
Summary: Probably the best thing available in its subject
Review: Family reunions have a close connection with genealogy. For many, that's where they were first bitten by the bug, and for others, organizing a reunion is an offshoot of years of identifying previously unknown cousins. Wagner, founder and editor of REUNIONS magazine, does a very good job here of posing and answering all the questions facing anyone who contemplates planning a reunion. Why have a reunion? One family meets annually at the state monument that commemorates an 1838 Indian massacre, where one of its pioneer branches was wiped out. Another pools its resources to bring distant relatives from Ireland. A family reunion can -- perhaps -- heal breaches, end feuds, solve childhood mysteries, and provide context for kids growing up away from the extended family. The descendants of Revolutionary War General "Mad" Anthony Wayne meet to celebrate their ancestor's colorful history. How do you decide who's "family"? How do you locate them? When do you meet, and where? Who's in charge? And who's going to manage the expenses? How do you keep all the small children occupied? Should you put out a newsletter between reunions? You'll find here considerable collected wisdom offered by experienced reunion organizers, ranging from visiting sites that were of importance to your forebears or hiring a bus to follow an ancestor's pioneer trek, to gathering relics and documents for a local museum or publishing a volume of the family's history. The venue might be a campground or a Caribbean cruise. The food can range from a hot dog picnic or chili cookout to a memorial spread of ethnic or frontier cooking. If you're even beginning to think about a family reunion, you should read this book -- and take notes.