TIMELINE FOR ALUMNI REUNION PLANNING COMMITTEES

One Year Before Reunion

• Hold first committee meeting and recruit committee members.
• Select date and location of reunion event(s.)
• Update class mailing list.
• Decide on reunion committee meeting schedule. Can we do conference calls?
• Decide whether you wish to invite other classes to your event (do multiple-class event?)
• Decide whether to do a class gift and consider what it might be. Do we need a separate committee to do the class gift?
• Decide whether to do an alumni "yearbook" with classmates completing survey forms describing what they've been doing since graduation or the last reunion.
• Do you want to offer tours of your school for returning classmates? Contact Paly Alum Association.  Tour fee: $50.
• Reserve a block or blocks of hotel/motel rooms for returning classmates at reduced prices
• Send "Save The Date" postcard to classmates with information about reunion and ask for volunteers willing to help with the planning. Give contact name.
• Appoint reunion treasurer and be certain proper accounts are in his/her name so deposit checks can be written and income and expenses properly recorded.
• Post reunion information and start an email directory on your class webpage.

Six Months Before Reunion

• Begin preparing reservation letter to classmates with prices and reservation form.
• If doing class gift, be certain major donor prospects are being solicited.
• Reunion committee chair should be certain specific tasks are assigned to specific committee members.
• Begin compiling list of former teachers to invite (they love to meet former students).

Four Months Before Reunion

• Mail reservations letter to classmates with reunion details and pricing. In the letter include email address of class web page.
• Create a link on class web page. for the reservation form for classmates' convenience.
• As reservations come in, post names of classmates coming to reunion on class website.

Two Months Before Reunion

• Organize class "phonathon" to call classmates and encourage them to attend reunion.
• As reservations come in, adjust arrangements on food/accommodations to reflect numbers.
• Invite former teachers to reunion.

One Month Before Reunion

• Do email reminder to classmates about getting reservations in for the reunion.

One Month After Reunion

• Reunion committee holds follow-up meeting to analyze reunion strengths and weaknesses.
• Chair(s) for next reunion should be selected.
• If reunion generated surplus, be certain money is properly accounted for and a treasurer for next reunion selected to oversee "startup" funds.
• Send updated class address list to your class website so it will be available for planners of the next reunion.