High School. It’s the best of times and yeah, we won’t talk about the other times. Staying connected becomes increasingly difficult as our lives diverge on our own paths. It’s fun to find out how everyone is doing but the reunion experience is better when you stay connected online.
School Reunions Are Hard
My high school class was only 100 people. I know, I grew up in a small town. I went to the ten year but not 20 or 25 (because of finances). It was very difficult to track people down and engage them in some of the planning. Sadly, there are only about 15 of that 100 (yes, 15%) active on Facebook.
The more people you have, the harder it is. So, the first step in planning school reunions is to form a committee and decide on dates and locations. Then, find as many people as you can. Better yet, create an email list.
“Thankfully, the digital world we live in has made getting in touch with former classmates much easier. Social media is a great place to start – specifically Facebook & LinkedIn.”
RSVPify
Decide what kind of reunion you would like (in your home town, mixer, or destination). Like planning a wedding, the key factor in the reunion is the venue. Lock that down with a date, and you can go forward with planning the main event, mixer events, and outings.
When your classmates are in touch with each other throughout the year, the events are that much better in attendance and energy. Connection is the key ingredient.
Community Doesn’t Just Happen
Many of us had difficult times in adolescence. Whether it is a high school or college reunion, it’s important to remember that we have all grown and changed. Community doesn’t happen because you invited people to a group. It takes an intention, hospitality, and quite a bit of effort.
The primary driver of a successful alumni association and reunions is the nostalgia. Curiosity also plays a roll. Post photos from your yearbook, past events, and then and now photos. It’s a great way to remind fellow classmates of our shared history.
“Posting photos from previous reunions and running campaigns that urge your alumni to actively participate are some of the ways via which you can spread the word about your reunion.”
Almabase
Email digests are an excellent way to ensure your classmates don’t miss out on important notices and announcements about the reunion, too.
Why Not Use a Facebook Group?
You could use a Facebook Group. But what if your classmates aren’t on Facebook? A better question is what if your former high school classmates don’t regularly use Facebook? We sometimes forget that just because someone has an account, that they aren’t necessarily an active participant.
Privacy issues grow as the years go on with Facebook. Your alumni association should have its own website. This allows you to have event pages and, of course, we recommend PeepSo for the community collaboration.
Keep Your Community Together
It’s your community, your way with PeepSo. You have all the tools you need to engage your community. Create your community your way. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t start today.
