Something occurred to me after I watched that Joan Jett video for the 37th time. My 20th high school reunion is next year, and I, along with one of my best friends from high school, am in charge of putting it together.
So for the last week I have been trolling facebook like a recently separated guy on Match.com. I can’t find my yearbook, so I’ve been searching the dark recesses of my mind trying to remember my graduating class. When I hit upon a name, off to facebook, classmates.com, or google I go. One part stalker and two parts loser, I send unsolicited emails hoping beyond hope this is the same Chris W. I sat behind in Trigonometry, the same Karen who’s red hair I always admired, and the same Potter who was always very nice but I rudely ignored. {Sorry about that, by the way, Potter.}
So the topic today is high school reunions. Who has attended them? What did you do? Any tips for yours truly to make this reunion fantastic? I heard many classes have reunion weekends. Was that the case for you?
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I found that one guy from World History on Twitter and I need to scare the crap out of him with a random direct message from the past.
As always, your post made me laugh. I’ve wimped out of attending my high school reunions so far. But I’d suggest alcohol. Great amounts of alcohol.
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I wish you luck. Neither my husband or myself attended ours. Mostly because neither of us were willing to pay the ridiculous charge to see people we will never talk to again. Our curiosity wasn’t that great and we KNEW the food wouldn’t be that good either.
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Our class had a 10 year reunion that I skipped. The events went something like this; Class Mass at the church, breakfast at local greasy spoon, kegger, kegger, kegger, kegger……..you get the idea.
My husband and I both have our first one this summer (on the same weekend, our 10 years) so I can’t offer much. We haven’t decided if we are going. They are in different cities so we can only do one I think. They are both all day Saturday things though.
I’ve never been to my class reunion. I’m one of the ones they consider “Lost.” And I’m not on Facebook or Twitter. I have, however, been to a class reunion with my husband. He does a much better job of staying in touch with his friends from HS, even with many miles between them. His reunion was a blast, with a bit of crazy thrown in.
Good luck planning yours. You’ll have fun with it, and we’ll enjoy hearing the updates along the way!
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I don’t like the idea of all day events… Come on ladies, who wants to have to get done up twice in one day? As someone who moved out of state and has to travel back for numerous events, I am a huge fan of the big event on Saturday night… It gives you all day Saturday to travel in and get ready, and then have a brunch or picnic on Sunday. Maybe something where families are invited? Or no families. Plus… You can find out about all the debauchery that happened the night before! Win win situation! Yes please!
I’ve been catching up with old K-12 pals for the first time in 20 in the last few weeks and I am not sure if I find it exciting or kind of scary. I want to like it and be friendly, but there’s this scary old feeling in the pit of my stomach that they’ll think me the same old geek I was then, and that no one would be fooled. So maybe Facebook is the safest way! NO reunions!
Jules-I was living out of state when it came time for my 10 year reunion. But I wouldn’t have gone anyway. Our class song (mind you this was in 1994-not the 80s) was “We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister. Really? There were soooooo many good songs in 1994, why that one? And our graduation announcements/invites were black. Seriously. Not all things are elegant in black. (I went and ordered my own ivory ones) Annnnnd, for the finale? Our class VALEDICTORIAN worked as a male dancer in college! Oh my gosh. Does that tell you why I wouldn’t want to “go back”? But I think that one night is enough-not a whole weekend. Unless your class was small and really close. IMHO…
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Sorry, no advice – my 10 year isn’t for another 2 years, and we missed my Husband’s (his was 2 years ago). I’m pretty sure I won’t be going. The only people from high school that I care to know, I am still in contact with on a regular basis. I went to such a large high school. The people I don’t see on a regular basis I see on Facebook, Myspace and the like, and that is enough for me :)
You are funny! I went to my 10 year which was a BIG mistake. I was one of those weird girls in high school who knew a lot of people but wasn’t exactly “friends” with them. So I went with the one friend I did have and everyone else was almost exactly the same. Still the same immature cliques then as in high school. The food was terrible, the music was worse and there was not nearly enough booze to make those things not matter. I’ve heard that people have changed for the better by the 20 year though so perhaps that one will be different. Either way, as the organizer, I wish you lots of luck!
Our class is so lazy, we didn’t even have a 10 year reunion. The class after ours took pity and invited us to theirs. I didn’t go, because at the time I felt I was too fat and didn’t want people to see me in less than perfect shape. Ten years changes a person, because I’m as fat as I was then, and now I’m helping put the damn thing together!
I hear 10 year reunions are no good, but that the 20 year ones are fun, most likely because by that time most everyone has pulled their heads from their asses and are just old enough to feel nostalgic.
Because my class was cheep we had a picnic in the park during the day and then went to the bars at night. It was a rather awkward group of people. Mainly the popular jocky type girls and guys and a little from the nomad group and then me. The people with whom I really cared about didn’t really show up.
I think my husband’s will be much more fun. We hang out with his high school friends more and they are a great group of people. I might just skip the next few reunions and go to the one that matters!
But I would suggest some type of day picnic activity where familys and kids can be involved and then something at night…optional like dinner. Wouldn’t it be funny if you had a slide show of old photos! Haha! Glory Days for sure!
I just attended my 10-year reunion a few weeks ago, and it was a blast! My class didn’t have the typical social groups, though. We were all mostly nerd and band geeks. :) Hey, but we all got along!
Anyway, the consensus by the end of the night was that the next reunion should be in a much more casual setting. I like Kate’s idea about having a park day with the option of dinner/bars that night. :)
I don’t envy you at all, though! That’s a big responsibility to plan an event like that! Good luck! :)
I was about 50 months pregnant when my 10-year rolled around and couldn’t fit through the doors. Never looked back… I do love all these comments about a day and evening event. I might have gone if it was a casual picnic.
O.k., no.
Not only did I attend my 10 year reunion, but somehow I got drafted into the planning committee almost 10 years ago � and it was quite interesting (to say the least!). So, having gone through all of that I can honestly offer these small pieces of advice: 1) Don’t use the lame Great Reunions company (they don’t know what they’re doing and charges an arm & leg); 2) If there is more than 2 people in the planning party, expect 1 person to go AWOL half-way through the process only to emerge at the event night claiming that she did most of the work; 3) If doing a weekend reunion, break it up in small events. Not everyone can make it to every event. We had a meet & greet night before the event, the actual reunion itself, and then a picnic day after for those with kids who want to make it a family event (the last event worked out way better than expected); and lastly 4) Don’t do photographers with posed portrait shots a-la arkward senior prom portraits. Treat it like a wedding with candid shots (much more fun when the librations are flowing and people start to get loose!).
And those are my tips from my own experience. I don’t know if I will have a 20th year coming up, but all I know is that I am not helping to plan it and I’ll probably won’t be going. Good luck, Jules! :-)
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Don’t worry, I won’t go AWOL…I don’t think.
Yup I went to my ten year one. It was a blast. Since I live so far away and hadn’t seen my friends in years I set up events and lunch dates which made the weekend more enjoyable. I think if we had just gone for the one night it might have felt a little short. I suggest staying with friends too if any good ones are still in town. It made me feel at home again.
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I went to both my 10 and 20 year reunions and I had a BLAST. They were weekend events starting with the casual Friday night at a bar (only for members of the class), then Saturday night (much more formal with spouses) and Sunday (picnic with families).
Can I be honest? Friday night at the bar was by far the best part!! Keeping in mind that my husband is Mr. Social (seriously he is practically running for Mayor of our street) I know that he was bored out of his mind standing there at the Saturday night event listening to all of us reminisce about our school days. He didn’t really know anyone and I had to constantly worry that he was bored and wanted to go home…which he eventually did. Tip #1 — take 2 cars. It was my suggestion and I was glad that he could leave and I could stay until the wee hours of the morning when the party moved to a local bar. Because seriously, after 4-5 drinks don’t we all think that we could still walk down the hall of the school and shove our stuff in a locker? But I digress…
Friday is so fun because you never have to worry about the spouse in the first place. It is a great way to reconnect with people and laugh your ass off…I graduated in 1984 at the height of bad fashion. So Tip #2 — definately plan a classmate only event…at a CASUAL location.
Tip #3 — try to locate some yearbooks for that Friday night event because it is very helpful to look people up while your are there so you don’t keep giving them that dear in the headlights look of “who the hell are you again?”
Tip #4 – Agree about skipping formal pictures, but at my husbands reunion they asked people to send in a family photo and information about what they are doing these days ie: work, where they live, kids, contact info etc. The information was bound into a little book and people got them Saturday night. That was fun to look over. Did I mention that I went to his “Saturday night” reunion?….really wish that I had that 2nd car…thus our plan when I had mine 3 years later.