January 1 is symbolically a day for fresh beginnings. While I admit I have never been fond of the term “resolution” I do like to set personal and professional goals at the start of every new year. If you are a Reunion planner or organizer, you can also use this time to refresh, rejuvenate, or renew your family gatherings. Each month I will be sharing tips on how to help your reunion(s) thrive in 2025.
Let’s start at the beginning with defining both a mission and vision statement for your family or organization and putting them in writing. Sometimes the terms “mission statement” and “vision statement” are used interchangeably or even combined into a single statement, but they are two different concepts. A mission statement defines your objectives, and how you will reach them. A vision statement details where you aspire to go. To start, ask some questions. For example, why does your reunion exist? What do you hope to accomplish with it in the next several years? A mission statement can be as simple as “We will gather every 1, 2, or 5 years to share family memories and make new ones.” Your mission statement is what your family or organization is doing right now, while your vision statement is what you hope to achieve in the future—how you see the reunion grow and evolve.
Once you understand the difference, you can start writing down your statements. For example, my family’s reunion, ALAFFFA—an acronym created from the last names of my mother and her siblings Abbott, Lizanov, Alzo, Figlar, Figlar, Figlar, Augenstein—has had the same “mission” since 1967: “ALAFFFA will reunite yearly as a tribute to our parents, John and Veronica Figlar, who taught their children the importance of family.” Our vision statement for 2025, for example, could be, “We will ensure the family reunion tradition continues while embracing new ideas for meeting dates and reunion formats presented by the members of the current third generation and carried through to future generations.”
Once you have your mission and vision statements in place, make sure everyone on the planning committee has a copy and then start actively promoting and implementing them. Keep in mind, that these statements should be reviewed periodically and revised as necessary.
Happy New Year!
