Family Reunion Booklet - June 3, 2013

Family Reunion Booklet

Length – try and keep the book manageable and most importantly readable. Normally the booklet should be between 25 -100 pages.

Front Cover – Group photo taken at the last reunion.  At every reunion we take a photo of all who are present to use in the next reunion booklet. If you are having a 5, 10, 25 year anniversary family reunion, I recommend using a new group photo for the front and an old group photo from the early reunions for the back cover. If this is your first family reunion, create a collage of new and old photos of family members. Other suggestions include a drawing of the family tree, a single photo of an ancestor or your ancestral home.

Table of Contents

A Poem – One of my family members is a poet and volunteered to create a poem for the event.

Acknowledgements

·         Introduction

·         Letter from the local or state government

·         Listing of Reunion Committee members

·         Agenda for the reunion

·         Family Crest

·         Family Prayer

·         Lyrics to family song – several family members created a song years ago and we have someone sing it each reunion

·         Lyrics to “Lift Every Voice And Sing” – Everyone sings the spiritual

·         List of all who completed college and graduate school

·         List of all who served in the military (from civil war and up or just by branch of military and years served)

·         List of all who were born since the last reunion

·         List of all who died since the last reunion

·         Special tributes, achievements or milestones of any family member living or deceased

History of the Family

·         Diagram of the Main tree

o   History of the areas your family is from and/or a migration pattern map

o   US History timeline

o   History of slavery, emancipation, reconstruction, Jim Crow, civil rights and modern times

·         History of the main branch

o   Write a story – Don’t just give a list of who’s who, birth dates and death dates. Create an accurate portrayal of how your family came together. Keep it short but interesting.

o   Do not go into full detail, protect your research in case someone tries to take credit for your work.

o   Respect living members privacy and do not post birthdays of grandparents, parents, children and grandchildren in case of identity thieves.

·         History of the sub branches

o   Same as above

·         Photos of people, places and records spread throughout the booklet.

o   We posted the oldest census record found, old military record and old marriage certificate.

o   We posted old photos of ancestral homes and churches

o   Photos of graves

o   Photos of ancestors

o   Recent photos of family

·         Ads or requests for donations

Back Cover – See recommendations for the front cover