Family Reunion Planning Kit for Dummies E-Book

Cheryl Fall

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Ratgeber
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 348

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2001

Beschreibung

This is the most complete reference to planning a familyreunion! The accompanying CD features planning tools, genealogysoftware, and more! Don't be without this step-by-step guide that walks you througheverything you need to know about planning a successful familyreunion. You'll find out all about tracking down lost" familymembers, deciding what type of event to have, coordinatingentertainment,food, lodging, and more! The CD-ROM includesgenealogy shareware designed specifically to assist you in doing athorough search for all your relatives, plus templates for trackingexpenses, menus, RSVP's, addresses, lodging assignments, familydata, and more. Plus, this kit includes dozens of checklists toensure that you've thought of every detail! Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials arenot included as part of eBook file.

Leseprobe

Family Reunion Planning Kit For Dummies®

by Cheryl Fall

Family Reunion Planning Kit For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2002 Hungry Minds, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book, including interior design, cover design, and icons, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Betty Crocker recipes and design courtesy of General Mills, Inc., © 2002 All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2001093373

ISBN: 0-7645-5399-2

Printed in the United States of America

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LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR HAVE USED THEIR BEST EFFORTS IN PREPARING THIS BOOK. THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS BOOK AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES WHICH EXTEND BEYOND THE DESCRIPTIONS CONTAINED IN THIS PARAGRAPH. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES REPRESENTATIVES OR WRITTEN SALES MATERIALS. THE ACCURACY AND COMPLETENESS OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED HEREIN AND THE OPINIONS STATED HEREIN ARE NOT GUARANTEED OR WARRANTED TO PRODUCE ANY PARTICULAR RESULTS, AND THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY INDIVIDUAL. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFIT OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR OTHER DAMAGES.

Trademarks: Hungry Minds, the Hungry Minds logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Fun and Easy Way, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, Hungry Minds a la Carte and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of Hungry Minds, Inc. in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. Betty Crocker is a trademark or registered trademark of General Mills, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Hungry Minds, Inc. is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book.

About the Author

Cheryl Fall is the author of nine books and more than 1,500 magazine articles for publication. These include publications such as Woman’s Day, Family Circle, Country Living, Traditional Quilter, Quilt World, Sew Perfect, and Woman’s World, to name just a few. She is also the author of Quilting For Dummies and Needlecrafts For Dummies. Adept in Adobe Illustrator, Cheryl creates the electronic illustrations for her books and Web site. She enjoys illustrating and designing using colored pencil, oils, soft pastels and acrylics. Cheryl also enjoys gardening, crafts, needlework, and home decor, and has been seen by the locals slinking around antique shops on a regular basis.

She lives with her husband Tony, daughters Rebecca and Ashley, and Buster, their nutty cocker spaniel, in the southwest area of Washington state (Vancouver, Washington/Portland, Oregon area).

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my husband, children, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Without these wonderful people, a book like this would be impossible to write.

Author’s Acknowledgments

This book would not have been possible without the help of some very special people — members of my family, both here and passed. Without them, I would not have been inspired to write this book. To my husband and children, thanks for all the terrific grilled cheese sandwiches that you brought me when I pulled an all-nighter. The caffeinated beverages were helpful, too. My sincerest thanks to all of you.

I also want to thank the following folks at Hungry Minds, Inc. — Acquisitions Editor Tracy Boggier for the opportunity to work on such a fun title. Allyson Grove, Project Editor extraordinaire! Where would I have been without your wonderful advice and assistance? Copy Editor Mary Fales for her invaluable assistance. And Assistant Editor Natasha Graf for helping to keep things running smoothly.

Also, I give special thanks to Brad Peru of Farmers Insurance, Vancouver, Washington, for all the great advice regarding insurance and liability issues for family-reunion planners. And last but not least, to Betty Crocker for providing the wonderful crowd-sized recipes featured in this book.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Online Registration Form located at www.hungryminds.com.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Allyson Grove

Acquisitions Editor: Tracy Boggier

Copy Editor: Mary Fales

Technical Editor: Joell Smith-Borne

Senior Permissions Editor: Carmen Krikorian

Media Development Specialist: Marisa E. Pearman

Editorial Manager: Jennifer Ehrlich

Cover Photos: © Scott Barrow/ International Stock

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Contents

Title

Introduction

About This Kit

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I : Gathering the In-laws and the Outlaws

Chapter 1: It’s All Relative

Deciding Why to Hold a Reunion

Understanding the Importance of Proper Planning

Determining How Often to Hold a Reunion

Staying in Touch

Chapter 2: Playing Family Detective

Locating Your Kinfolk

Folk-Finding on the Web

Getting the Help of a Search Party

More Creative Sleuthing Resources

Chapter 3: Calling on the Clan

Organizing Your Information

Getting the Clan Involved

Part II : Getting into the Nitty-Gritty of Reunion Planning

Chapter 4: Figuring Out When, Where, and How Much

Setting a Date

Location Is (Almost) Everything

Narrowing Your Options

Ka-Ching! Working Out a Budget

Setting Up Sensibly

Chapter 5: Planning for a Barbecue, Buffet, or Blowout

Picking a Reunion Theme

Feeding the Masses

Gettin’ the Grub

Setting the Mood with Music

Making Your Reunion Earth-Friendly

Chapter 6: Preparing for the Family

Handling Invitations and RSVPs

Creating a Reunion Web Site

Getting There and Staying Put

Preparing for the Unexpected: Making a Back-up Plan

Planning for People with Special Needs

Part III : Keeping Everyone Busy

Chapter 7: We’re All Here . . . Now What?

Rolling Out the Welcome Wagon

Introducing Yourself

Warming ’em up with Icebreakers

Finding Out More about Your Kin

Dividing Up into Teams

Chapter 8: Bridging the Generation Gap with Games

Getting the Group Involved

Family-Friendly Competitions

Opting for Rental Activities

Doling Out Awards and Rewards

Chapter 9: Establishing Family Traditions

Making Your Memories Last a Lifetime

Creating Reunion Keepsakes

Designing Other Unique Mementos

Part IV : After the Reunion

Chapter 10: All’s Well That Ends Well

Speech . . . Speech: Thanking the Clan

Rewarding a Job Well Done

Sending Everyone Home

Cleaning Up the Mess

Determining What Worked — and What Didn’t

Wrapping It Up

Chapter 11: Keeping in Touch and Gathering Feedback

Following Up with the Family

Reviewing the Post-Reunion Evaluations

Keeping in Touch with the Clan

Chapter 12: Putting Your New Skills to Good Use

Evaluating Your New Skills

Planning Other Reunions or Events

Going beyond Reunions: Other Neat Ways to Use Your Skills

Part V : From Branches to Roots: Researching the Family Tree

Chapter 13: Getting into Genealogy

Starting with Yourself

Diggin’ in the Dust

One Is Not the Loneliest Number — In This Case, at Least

Writing to the Relatives

Managing Your Information

Organizing Your Research

Makin’ It Last

Keeping Track of Family Treasures

Chapter 14: Exploring a World Full of Records

Getting Started: Visiting Libraries and Archives

Going Further: Finding More Sources of Records

Running Down the Records and Their Uses

Chapter 15: Separating Family Fact from Fiction

Getting Your Hands on Documentation

Digging for the Truth — No Matter What

Keeping Track of Your Progress

Chapter 16: Partnering with Your ‘Puter

Selecting Software for Genealogy Junkies

Searching the Internet for Ancestors

Writing Life Stories

Part VI : The Part of Tens

Chapter 17: Ten Lessons in Family Dynamics

Aunt Agnes Won’t Go if Uncle Hubert Will Be There

Billy and Bobby Are Fighting Again, but Their Parents Do Nothing

Cousin Sue Changed Junior’s Dirty Diapers in front of Everyone

Fifi and Fido Made Boo-Boos

That’s Not the Way It Happened!

This Stuff Tastes Like Roadkill!

Sally and Lindsey Are Squealing like Greased Pigs

Uncle Bill Won’t Participate — As Usual

Uncle Fred Told You It Wouldn’t Work

Mr. Negativity Wants to Settle an Old Argument

Chapter 18: Ten Terrific Reads

Family Tree Maker For Dummies

Genealogy Online For Dummies

The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy

Betty Crocker’s Great Grilling Cookbook

Betty Crocker’s Fast & Flavorful: 100 Main Dishes You Can Make in 20 Minutes or Less

The Buffet Book

Gala!

The Joys of Entertaining

Entertaining For Dummies

Great Parties

Chapter 19: Ten Tips for Preserving Family Treasures

Preserving Family Photos

Reproducing Photos

Copying Photos and Documents

Maintaining the Quality of VCR Tapes

Saving Old Letters and Newspapers

Laminating Your Treasures

Making Memory Books and Scrapbooks

Keeping Bibles and Books

Holding On to Heirloom Textiles

Saving Your Other Memorabilia

Chapter 20: Ten More Great Reunion Ideas

Chinese Gala

Northern European Celebration

Nordic Fest

A Little Bit of Italy

Japanese Traditions

A Taste of Spain

Middle Eastern Fantasy

Proper British Fare

German Biergarten

Greek Festival

Part VII : Appendixes

Appendix A: About the CD

System Requirements

Using the CD with Microsoft Windows

Using the CD with the Mac OS

What You’ll Find on the CD

Internet Links

If You Have Problems (Of the CD Kind)

Appendix B: Terrific Internet Resources

Locating Great Reunion-Specific Sites

Finding Genealogy Sites with Reunion Information

Discovering New Fun and Games

Leaving the Planning to the Pros

Appendix C: Departments of Tourism

Contacting Your State Department of Tourism

Appendix D: Betty Crocker Recipes

: Hungry Minds, Inc. End-User License Agreement

: Installation Instructions

For Microsoft Windows

With the Mac OS

Introduction

“Of all the nostalgias that haunt the human heart, the greatest of them all is an everlasting longing to bring what is youngest home to what is oldest.”

—Laurens van der Post

When I was a kid (good heavens, it’s hard to believe that I was ever a kid!), the biyearly family reunion gave me the perfect opportunity to reconnect with my cousins. As a group, we played games and wreaked a little havoc — for example, we hid toads in people’s shoes and painted the side of the house with a mixture of mud and water. (You can be sure that Grandpa wasn’t too thrilled about the last one.)

Now that I’m all grown up (and have decided to use paint instead of mud), I plan the reunions so my family members can reconnect with cousins and older relatives, meet the newest additions to the family tree, and watch the children grow and wreak their own brand of havoc. In addition, my relatives get to review the family history. With families spread out across the miles, hosting a reunion is often the only way to gather the generations in one place.