Making Reunions Work

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Making Reunions Work

• March 17, 2009
• Robin Rubenstein
• Alumni Coordinator
• Camp Ramah in Wisconsin

2008 13th Year Reunion
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Agenda

• Why We Bring People Back to Camp
• Reconnect (with camp and each other)
• Work, Wealth, and Wisdom
• What is a Reunion?
• Who Attends
• Agenda
• How We Run a Reunion
• Alumni Engagement
• Planning
• Communication
• Roles/Responsibilities
• Lessons Learned/Key Takeaways
• QA

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Why We Bring People Back to Camp

• Re-ignite a strong emotional connection
• Camp
• Camp Friends
• Experience a familiar placethrough different
  eyes
• Closure for those with less positive camp
  experiences
• Alumni can have a positive impact on the life of
  the camp
• While at Reunion
• Involvement AFTER the Reunion
• Reintroduce alumni to the camp, its programs, and
  its mission

Many of us marveled at the scope of the camps
communal membership, as well as the depth of the
programming and experiential components Ramah now
provides.
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Why We Bring People Back to Camp

• Reconnect (with camp and each other)
• Work, Wealth, and Wisdom
• Enrollment

It was a truly amazing experience one that I
cannot stop thinking about!
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What is a Reunion? Who Attends

• Bring together alumni of the same age who
  attended camp together
• 25-40 people
• Usually during camp
• Guests stay in our guesthouse
• We use the camp Seminar Center as the reunion
  home base.

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What is a Reunion? Who Attends

• 3 reunions planned for Summer 2009
• 13th year
• 25th year
• First Decade (1948-1960)
• Regularity builds excitement and anticipation

I have been walking around with a smile on my
face since I returned.
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What is a Reunion? - Agenda

• Begins late Thursday afternoon with camp-wide
  program
• Friday
• Camp Tour with Director
• Interaction with oldest camper group
• Pre-Shabbat explore camp official reunion
  photo
• Speak with group about current camp needs and
  campaigns
• Introduce concept of friendraising
• Shabbat Hadvalah brings the group together for
  an emotional ending to Shabbat
• Saturday purely social
• Balancing act Give them space to explore vs.
  creating agenda?
• Sports, swimming, singing, etc
• Sunday reunion ends after breakfast

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How We Run a Reunion Alum Engagement

• Ongoing Process
• Before Reunions
• Various channels for building community with
  Alumni
• Website
• Facebook
• eNewsletters
• Other events (ex. NYC event)
• During Reunions
• Both formal and informal time during reunion
  reconnect with both camp and old friends
• After Reunions
• Track attendance at reunions for future
  communications, solicitations, etc.
• Reunion photos on website, Facebook

We felt like time had not passed between us, but
alternately, felt that time had been VERY, VERY
good to the camp.
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How We Run a Reunion Alum Engagement

• Communicate Alumni information in all channels,
  including traditional Newsletter, website, etc.
• Reunion sign-ups
• Past Reunion pictures/details
• Build excitement

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How We Run a Reunion - Planning

• Timeline

Fall Winter Spring Summer
Which Reunions? Announce Registration (email and mail) Continue processing registrations Hold Reunions!
Generate Attendee Lists Process Registrations Finalize logistics
Chairs self-identify gather data
Ongoing Communications with Alumni (eNewsletters, Newsletters, Website, Facebook, etc.) Gather/update contact data Keep in touch following reunion! Ongoing Communications with Alumni (eNewsletters, Newsletters, Website, Facebook, etc.) Gather/update contact data Keep in touch following reunion! Ongoing Communications with Alumni (eNewsletters, Newsletters, Website, Facebook, etc.) Gather/update contact data Keep in touch following reunion! Ongoing Communications with Alumni (eNewsletters, Newsletters, Website, Facebook, etc.) Gather/update contact data Keep in touch following reunion!
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How We Run a Reunion - Planning

• Planning Which Reunions?
• Small Focus Groups of Alumni
• Discuss with Dev. Director, Chair of Alumni
  Subcommittee
• Fall before Reunion
• Generate list of invitees
• Use Sage donor management system to track Alumni.
  Alumni (and all other constituents) can be
  flagged in the system.

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How We Run a Reunion Finding Alumni

• Fall before Reunion
• Chairs self-identify to participate
• Update contact data
• Chairs help find missing information (Google
  Docs)
• Requests/reminders on website, alumni
  eNewsletter, Facebook
• Ongoing
• Continue to get new data
• Continue to send registration materials to new
  people

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How We Run a Reunion - Communication

• December
• Registration materials sent by both mail and
  email
• Welcome Letter
• Registration Materials
• Reunions Chairs names placed on the materials
• Communicate the event in various channels
• Website
• eNewsletter
• Newsletter
• Facebook
• Alumni newsletter with personal stories from
  alumni who RSVPd to reunions

It really was one of the best weekends I have
ever experienced. I felt like I was home.
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How We Run a Reunion - eNewsletter

• Details about reunions and link to register in
  all communications
• Highlight personal stories and build excitement
  for upcoming reunions

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How We Run a Reunion Facebook
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How We Run a Reunion Roles/Resp.

• Robin and team
• Prepare materials
• Handle logistics
• Robin arranges these tasks with business manager,
  kitchen staff, and housekeeping staff
• Communication
• Admins of various Facebook groups help send
  information to members
• Manage volunteer Chairs
• Alumni Chairs
• Help locate lost alumni
• Update Google Docs
• Names are used on registration materials to
  personalize the process

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Lessons Learned/Key Takeaways

• Alumni really want to get back to camp make it
  happen!
• Balancing act
• Logistics
• Free time vs. structured time
• Be very clear about Shabbat expectations and
  other general rules (ex cell phones)
• Be friendly, flexible, respectful, and
  accommodatingas best you can!
• Remember its all about reconnecting people to
  each other and to camp

Thank you again, I shall remember this forever!
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Questions?
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For More Information

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• Tech Program eNewsletter Archives
  http//enewsletter.gijptech.org