REUNION ADVICE
In planning a place to hold the reunion:
A group of high school classmates gathered to discuss where they should meet for their 20th reunion. They quickly agreed to meet at the Flyway Restaurant because the waitresses there had low cut blouses and the waiters were svelte and handsome.
Ten years later, for their 30th reunion the classmates gathered and again they discussed where they should meet. They agreed that they should meet at the Flyway Restaurant because the food there and wine selection were very good.
Ten years later, for their 40th reunion the group gathered and again they discussed where they should meet. After some quibbling they agreed that they should meet at the Flyway Restaurant because they could eat there in peace and quiet and the restaurant was smoke free.
Ten years later, for their 50th reunion the group gathered and once again they discussed where they should meet. It was eventually agreed upon that they should meet at the Flyway Restaurant because the restaurant was wheel chair accessible and even had an elevator.
Ten years later, for their 60th reunion the group gathered again. After talking about how their numbers had dwindled, they once again they discussed where they should meet. They agreed that they should meet at the Flyway Restaurant because none of them had ever been there before.
Social networking sites transform the high school reunion
By Eric Louie
Contra Costa Times
Posted: 11/30/2009 12:00:00 AM PST
Organizers of the 10-year reunion for Monte Vista High School's class of 1999 used today's most popular people-finder tools to carry on the high school tradition.
The result, said organizer Christine Wu, was that 62 percent of the roughly 500-member class was reached through Facebook or LinkedIn, two popular social networking sites classmates use to catch up with one another.
"It was easiest through Facebook," said Wu, a 29-year-old Manhattan resident from Danville. "If it wasn't through social networking, I definitely think it would have been challenging."
The popularity of the free social networking sites has been a boon to people hoping to reconnect, and those planning high school reunions are also putting the tools to good use -- finding alumni, spreading the word about events and just staying abreast of former classmates' lives.
Professional reunion planners agree the sites have changed the dynamics of the events, though they offer mixed reviews on how well they boost attendance. Some say the sites also have drawbacks.
Kevin Farrell, who put together a 25-year reunion recently for Pleasanton's Amador Valley High, said those who organized the larger and numerically more significant 20-year reunion told him half their mailings were returned because the addressee had moved.
But that was before Facebook, which he said linked 80 members of the 400-member graduating class to the site he created for the event. Through that and people found by extension, the site was responsible for up 90 percent of the classmates they reached.
About 60 people attended the class of 1984's event, held at a restaurant inside the historic Pleasanton Hotel.
"It was really the enabling technology for everyone to get together," said Farrell, 43, who now lives in the Reno area. "I wouldn't have had a plan B."
Farrell also posted the event at another side,www,classmates.com, although he doesn't think that site drew many, since it charges a fee for many of its services.
Farrell, who develops custom software, was familiar with Facebook, but hadn't used it before.
Lisa Gurule, who recently organized Capuchino High's 30-year reunion, said about 100 of 260 alumni were reached through Facebook, which allowed them to catch up before the event.
"People are keeping more in touch," said Gurule, an Elk Grove resident who was part of the San Bruno school's class of 1979.
Bridget Pelley, a Danville resident who organized Fremont's American High's class of 1984 reunion, used a variety of methods.
Through Facebook, they found about 100 of their more than 300-member class, and also used newspaper and radio announcements to get the word out. She said though only about 50 attended, with many not able to afford the $100 ticket price because of the economy, the effort has led to a lot of connections. They are planning a more affordable, informal meeting this summer.
"Social networking has been great," said Pelley, who has also reconnected with friends from elementary, junior high and other graduating classes.
Those who plan reunions professionally were mixed in how events have been affected by social networking. Some said it is a tool they use, but also cautioned that reunion attendance could be diminished if classmates already feel connected through the sites.
"Until social networking sites came into existence, it was virtually impossible to locate classmates," said Larry Webb, Northern California regional manager of Great Reunions, a Garden Grove-based company that organizes reunions. He said schools these days are more reluctant to give out student lists and address information, which can be outdated, and even records his company uses, such as driver's license information, is becoming increasingly harder to acquire because of privacy concerns.
Webb also sees downsides. A decade ago, 10-, 20- and 50-year reunions used to be the most common. But Webb, who organizes about 50 reunions a year, said attendance for 10-year reunions is half what it was, making them hard to be financially sustainable.
"I didn't do a single one this year," Webb said. "This new generation is shying away from reunions because it's much easier to connect with (classmates)."
Sherri Lokken, executive director of the National Association of Reunion Managers, has also seen attendance drop in 10-year reunions, but said it could also be from the economy. She cautioned against relying on social networking sites for other reasons -- including that not everyone uses them -- and cited numerous benefits of using professional services. Professional organizers are responsible for cost overruns, and boost success rates from 75 to 95 percent in contacting alumni, she said. Joe Smith, owner of National Reunion Services in Brentwood, said Facebook is widely used now, but the popularity could diminish if something else comes along.
He said attendance at high school reunions has been dropping for the past five to 10 years -- before social networking took off -- so he believes other factors could be involved. Professional planners said attendance averaged between 20 to 30 percent of the class at events they planned.
Still, all agree Facebook and other social networking sites have changed the reunions. Many may use them to see what others are up to before the event -- and how they've changed -- which can ease nervousness.
Nancy Tang, who was part of Monte Vista High's 40-year reunion in October, said her group has been holding reunions regularly, so organizers already had good contact information. But using Facebook helped find about 10 percent more of their graduating class.
More importantly they have shared photos afterward, which has allowed those who couldn't make it to share the experience. Comments continue to pop up.
"It was a great tool," said Tang, of Danville. "It's fun to pop in and see what people are doing."