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Communication (continued)

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For those who did not attend
Dr. Marion B.W. and Philip Holmes, Wyncote, Pennsylvania, shared an open letter to children and other family members who'd not attended their Berry-Harrison-Hardman Family Reunion in Atlanta.

Atlanta hostesses mother and daughter, Dolores Berry Jones and Roxanne Butler, showed off their city with tours of the Coca Cola Pavilion (with generous samples), the 3-D Cyclorama Center and Stone Mountain Park where they enjoyed dinner and a laser show - and that was only the first day. One rainy day was spent in a state park with lots of food and games which ended in muddy fun for everyone from five to 80. On Sunday everyone was bussed to a family church and a show demonstrating great family talents that enjoyed rave reviews. Yet another day was spent doing the Southern Black Heritage Tour.

If the Holmes' purpose in writing this extensive report was to promote their 1999 reunion in Cleveland, they convinced me! EW

Report to the missed
Pam Wodzicki, Bethlehem PA, Coombe Family Reunion, sent letters after the reunion to everyone who did or did not attend. Here, edited to fit space, is what she sent.

"Well, the reunion has come and gone and I'm writing to let you know what occurred. I'm sorry you could not attend. You missed a fun day and you were missed. Perhaps we can meet some time in the future. Fifty-three attended.

Name badges were made for everyone with a rainbow imprint, our name, the date, and the person's name. Identification was less burdensome for those with short memories. Each person attending also received a pencil embossed with Coombe Reunion and the date. Each family received a very sparse family tree constructed from the information received from mailings. Everyone was asked to scrutinize the tree and update information.

The day was filled with relatives reuniting, meeting for the first time, and sharing old and new memories. Scrapbooks filled with old photos as well as obituaries and other information were very interesting.

Everyone gathered at 6 PM in the pavillion for dinner. There was a large sheet cake decorated in red, white, and blue, with Coombe Family Reunion written on it and an English flag on top. Glow in the dark necklaces were provided for children when the sun went down.

The day was very pleasant. Everyone seemed to have a good time. I would say the reunion was a huge success!

Sincerely,
Pam Wodzicki

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Ever wonder how those family reunions you see on TV got there?

Several national TV shows are looking for families whose reunions are between now and the end of September and who would want to be on and look great on TV.

What are you doing? What are you plans? What's special on your program?
Where are you doing it and when? How many members do you expect? Describe what you expect will be very visual* and inspiring to viewers. Any surprises planned?

*examples of visual: a reenactment, skits, historical style show, pig roast, balloon launch, lots of kids games, intergenerational activities, lively tournaments and contests, lots of people having lots of fun.

We'll share your messages with the TV shows who will contact you if they're interested. E-mail us your name and all the ways to contact you – address, phone, fax, or e-mail.

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What's on your reunion video?
We are collecting information about stories told on reunion videos. This summer videos from the Beckley, Brolra and Walker Family Reunions were all featured on The Family Channel's Home and Family show. Each video told a story; the Beckley's of their youth recognition ceremony and talent show, Brolra's Beach Olympics and Walker's re-creation of their ancestors covered wagon trek. If your family reunion video has special stories to tell, share them with us - the stories, not the videos. Think: ice breakers, auctions and raffles, displays and exhibits, kids (and adult) games, cooking with the crowd, more re-creations, sports and talent shows; always with people having a great time! Be creative! Your family may be featured on TV but not unless we know about your video. E-mail us a description.

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