Well, I need the creative assistance of you guys....again!

Next year will be my 20th year out of high school. I'm trying to come up with ideas to present to the class for us to do. Does anyone have any ideas? I went to a small-town school and everyone knows EVERYONE. Many of us are on various social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc.). I have found about 40 of the 75 that were in my class (I told you it was a small town).

For our 10 year, we hired a "reunion planner" but I thought the lady sucked. She gave us this tacky ass souvenier booklet as well as a crappy/cheap 5x7 photo. Not to mention, she booked us at a VFW hall and we were all surrounded by all of these drunk 60 year old vets. Not too fun. I'm trying to come up with some ideas for give aways as well as some activities.

Some ideas I've had so far:

1. Go to a restaurant that has a banquet room to accomodate the class and their spouces. Everyone would be responsible for their own bill.

2. Schedule the reunion around the homecoming game. Have the entire class show up at the game and be acknowledged. After the game, drive to a casino (about 30 miles away) and gamble the night away.

3. Have some type of family outing. Whether it be going to a park and having a picnic or having some other type of get together where people can bring their children and spouces.

Any ideas?

Ours typically go like this, spreading out over 48 hours:

Friday night - alumni and families gathering. It could be more of a snack-type event with just hors d'œuvres, drinks. The "Ice Breaker" event. Sometimes the Friday event decorated like prom night is fun, since everyone is bringing a "date" of sorts (with spouses, etc).

Saturday early afternoon (like 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. sort of time frame) - alumni and families gathering at a park, Rent bouncy bounce for kids, set up other games like volleyball, etc. Have people bring picnic items. Organization provides all drinks (no alcohol) and ice, cups, plates, plasticware.

Saturday night - alumni only (no spouses, fiances, or kids) dance and dinner. We did ours at a country club. Rented a room, they made the food. We hired a DJ and danced the night away. A photographer came in and took a huge group shot of everyone, and sold 8x10's later for whatever price. I think we paid about $20-25 for the whole evening, which wasn't bad. The dinner was fantastic.

If desired, Sunday morning brunch at a local restaurant. Book the time w/ the restaurant - at least letting them know they might have 40 or 50 people influx to their place at one point.

Also, later Saturday afternoon, alumni only walk through of the school itself (if you're close). Arranged w / the principal and/or school board to have the doors open for a 90 minute span to let alumni walk through the halls and just look around. Ask if they'll open the library, as a central meeting place for folks to gather first, then everyone kind of wanders through the halls together, but in a very casual manner. Nothing like a tour at a museum or anything.

Set up costs to cover the whole weekend's events, including all food, or smaller packages like just the Firday night through Saturday night events. Or just offer the cost for the Friday/Saturday thing, and let people cover their own cost for the brunch the next day (which seems logical anyway).

Have a slide show at some point on the Saturday night event. Gather pictures from the old days from every person who is confirmed to come. Be sure to get their pictures back to them later. Karaoke is also an option for the Saturday night gig, at least for the first part, then let the music play for dancing in the later half.

My class has usually done things the opposite of Ernest's. Friday night is usually the meet-and-greet icebreaker event (at a bar) for classmates only. Spouses may come if they want - but they usually don't. This is a chance for classmates to see each other and put names with faces before the main event - when it would be a heck of a lot more embarrassing to be trying to introduce someone to a spouse/date and not recognizing classmates.

Saturday evening is more formal. At our 20th, we had a banquet room at a hotel with a dj after dinner. This is the event spouses come to.

Sunday afternoon is a family picnic - kids welcome. (This is the event people like me skip. )

I doubt that we will do anything this "planned" again, however. A lot of people are connecting on Facebook and whatnot, so getting together is becoming less of an event. We're now talking about getting together more often than every five years (which is what we've always done), too. I mean...let's face it...we're getting to an age where we're going to start losing classmates. Not that we haven't already, but it's becoming more frequent.

Genesia said:

My class has usually done things the opposite of Ernest's. Friday night is usually the meet-and-greet icebreaker event (at a bar) for classmates only. Spouses may come if they want - but they usually don't. This is a chance for classmates to see each other and put names with faces before the main event - when it would be a heck of a lot more embarrassing to be trying to introduce someone to a spouse/date and not recognizing classmates.

Saturday evening is more formal. At our 20th, we had a banquet room at a hotel with a dj after dinner. This is the event spouses come to.

Sunday afternoon is a family picnic - kids welcome. (This is the event people like me skip. )

I doubt that we will do anything this "planned" again, however. A lot of people are connecting on Facebook and whatnot, so getting together is becoming less of an event. We're now talking about getting together more often than every five years (which is what we've always done), too. I mean...let's face it...we're getting to an age where we're going to start losing classmates. Not that we haven't already, but it's becoming more frequent.

Since our school is so small, some have organized an all-school reunion type event. I went to the first one, but it was at a redneck bar where I didn't feel to comfortable. The bar has a bad reputation where people end up fighting/shooting and going to jail. Luckily, nothing like that has happened over the last few get togethers.

I like the idea of multiple days, but not sure if people want to do it. We did a one day thing on our 10th year. Mixer in the afternoon and dance at the bar.

I want to try to avoid a bar because there are so many in my class that are a few ministers in my class as well as a few people that won't come because of the location. So, I figured a restaurant/hotel/banquet room would be the best bet.

daPrettyman said:

Genesia said:

My class has usually done things the opposite of Ernest's. Friday night is usually the meet-and-greet icebreaker event (at a bar) for classmates only. Spouses may come if they want - but they usually don't. This is a chance for classmates to see each other and put names with faces before the main event - when it would be a heck of a lot more embarrassing to be trying to introduce someone to a spouse/date and not recognizing classmates.

Saturday evening is more formal. At our 20th, we had a banquet room at a hotel with a dj after dinner. This is the event spouses come to.

Sunday afternoon is a family picnic - kids welcome. (This is the event people like me skip. )

I doubt that we will do anything this "planned" again, however. A lot of people are connecting on Facebook and whatnot, so getting together is becoming less of an event. We're now talking about getting together more often than every five years (which is what we've always done), too. I mean...let's face it...we're getting to an age where we're going to start losing classmates. Not that we haven't already, but it's becoming more frequent.

Since our school is so small, some have organized an all-school reunion type event. I went to the first one, but it was at a redneck bar where I didn't feel to comfortable. The bar has a bad reputation where people end up fighting/shooting and going to jail. Luckily, nothing like that has happened over the last few get togethers.

I like the idea of multiple days, but not sure if people want to do it. We did a one day thing on our 10th year. Mixer in the afternoon and dance at the bar.

I want to try to avoid a bar because there are so many in my class that are a few ministers in my class as well as a few people that won't come because of the location. So, I figured a restaurant/hotel/banquet room would be the best bet.

Well, since you're all on Facebook, why not organize a group page and ask people what they'd like to do?

file:///R:/shows/2010/G/Gaylord/260221/500007-star.pdf

Genesia said:

daPrettyman said:

Since our school is so small, some have organized an all-school reunion type event. I went to the first one, but it was at a redneck bar where I didn't feel to comfortable. The bar has a bad reputation where people end up fighting/shooting and going to jail. Luckily, nothing like that has happened over the last few get togethers.

I like the idea of multiple days, but not sure if people want to do it. We did a one day thing on our 10th year. Mixer in the afternoon and dance at the bar.

I want to try to avoid a bar because there are so many in my class that are a few ministers in my class as well as a few people that won't come because of the location. So, I figured a restaurant/hotel/banquet room would be the best bet.

Well, since you're all on Facebook, why not organize a group page and ask people what they'd like to do?

I tried that. I have a page setup. I have asked people for ideas and such, but no one is replying. They all are just telling me to organize it and they will come.

daPrettyman said:

file:///R:/shows/2010/G/Gaylord/260221/500007-star.pdf

Genesia said:

Well, since you're all on Facebook, why not organize a group page and ask people what they'd like to do?

I tried that. I have a page setup. I have asked people for ideas and such, but no one is replying. They all are just telling me to organize it and they will come.

Well, I'll tell you what. I certainly wouldn't turn myself inside out organizing a party for people who don't give a shit one way or another.

Genesia said:

daPrettyman said:

file:///R:/shows/2010/G/Gaylord/260221/500007-star.pdf

I tried that. I have a page setup. I have asked people for ideas and such, but no one is replying. They all are just telling me to organize it and they will come.

Well, I'll tell you what. I certainly wouldn't turn myself inside out organizing a party for people who don't give a shit one way or another.

I think they all want to come and will participate.

Many of them have families and do extremely hard work for a living. I have asked several people for ideas for locations, restaurants, etc and they have all come through with that. I think it may be easier for someone like myself that is single with no children and NO LIFE to do a lot of the legwork.

The hard part is that I live about 200 miles from where everything will happen. I'm not going to spend money on gas running up and down the road. I have asked a few people to check out some of the places I've found online and they email me feedback and other options.

So, I do have SOME help. Many of my classmates are simple/country East Texans. They would be happy if we got together in a field and ate hot dogs. I was just wanting to do something a tad bit nicer than what they usually do.

have everybody pull out their cocks and bang it on the table to the tune of the "school songs"

big tittied women do the same.

a cup women just stand to the side and think about it:-(

Nvncible1 said:

have everybody pull out their cocks and bang it on the table to the tune of the "school songs"

big tittied women do the same.

a cup women just stand to the side and think about it:-(

daPrettyman said:

Nvncible1 said:

have everybody pull out their cocks and bang it on the table to the tune of the "school songs"

big tittied women do the same.

a cup women just stand to the side and think about it:-(

ours was just go to the pub and get plastered

daPrettyman said:

Genesia said:

Well, I'll tell you what. I certainly wouldn't turn myself inside out organizing a party for people who don't give a shit one way or another.

I think they all want to come and will participate.

Many of them have families and do extremely hard work for a living. I have asked several people for ideas for locations, restaurants, etc and they have all come through with that. I think it may be easier for someone like myself that is single with no children and NO LIFE to do a lot of the legwork.

The hard part is that I live about 200 miles from where everything will happen. I'm not going to spend money on gas running up and down the road. I have asked a few people to check out some of the places I've found online and they email me feedback and other options.

So, I do have SOME help. Many of my classmates are simple/country East Texans. They would be happy if we got together in a field and ate hot dogs. I was just wanting to do something a tad bit nicer than what they usually do.

DP, you're from Marshall right?

I noticed small Texas towns tend to do reunions around homecoming. We didn't do that for my 10th in Austin. I know you don't have a lot of venue options locally so I think your idea of doing something in Bossier City sounds good. I haven't been to the boat in YEARS but don't they have multiple restaurants like the casinos in Vegas? Maybe you can do something at one of the nicer ones. Then you could do a family fish fry on Sunday or something.

[Edited 8/24/10 6:55am]

SCNDLS said:

daPrettyman said:

I think they all want to come and will participate.

Many of them have families and do extremely hard work for a living. I have asked several people for ideas for locations, restaurants, etc and they have all come through with that. I think it may be easier for someone like myself that is single with no children and NO LIFE to do a lot of the legwork.

The hard part is that I live about 200 miles from where everything will happen. I'm not going to spend money on gas running up and down the road. I have asked a few people to check out some of the places I've found online and they email me feedback and other options.

So, I do have SOME help. Many of my classmates are simple/country East Texans. They would be happy if we got together in a field and ate hot dogs. I was just wanting to do something a tad bit nicer than what they usually do.

DP, you're from Marshall right?

I noticed small Texas towns tend to do reunions around homecoming. We didn't do that for my 10th in Austin. I know you don't have a lot of venue options locally so I think your idea of doing something in Bossier City sounds good. I haven't been to the boat in YEARS but don't they have multiple restaurants like the casinos in Vegas? Maybe you can do something at one of the nicer ones. Then you could do a family fish fry on Sunday or something.

[Edited 8/24/10 6:55am]

Close...I went to school in Tatum.

We've never done a reunion around homecoming. Our 10 year was done on a Saturday.

I'm like you, I haven't been to the boat in a while, but I know they have a lot of nice hotels there. I figured if we went to a hotel in the casino, those who want to gamble can and those who don't want to can socilize at the hotel.

I've also been thinking about what giveaways we could do. One think that came immediately was to transfer our high school graduation video to dvd and give it away in the reunion.

I also thought about creating a website where we could share HS photos as well as build an mp3 playlist for people to share their favorite songs from their high school years.

I'm trying to avoid doing the traditional bags and t-shirts. I don't think people use them and I think they are overdone.