Senior Reunion Organization

Reunion Organization

Class committees approach reunion organization in different ways, reflecting the variety of class committee structures and leadership models among the classes. The success of the reunion depends largely on the appointment of effective reunion chairs. It is expected that the reunion chair will be a strong executive and not merely coordinators of others' efforts. Once selected, the reunion chairs choose their own reunion committees.

There are basically two sizes of reunion committees. Small reunion committees, with five or fewer members, have the virtue of efficiency, but may be perceived by the class as elitist. Large committees with ten or more members may be unwieldy, but insure greater participation in the reunion process. A way to achieve the benefits of both models is to have a small executive committee (Reunion Chair, Reunion Treasurer, and Registration Chair, for example) guide the committee and make the major decisions. Five or six general planning meetings for the larger group may be arranged. For some committee members, especially those far from Cambridge, participation on the committee may involve only two basic functions — encouraging classmates to attend the reunion, and serving as hosts and hostesses at one or more reunion events.

Delegation of reunion responsibilities generally follows one of two patterns. In one model, usually associated with the small committee approach, general areas of responsibility are assigned — all symposia, all social events, all outside services, all menus/food and drink, and registration and alternate housing. The other model, usually associated with the larger committee approach, delegates responsibility for each specific event and many of the details to individual committee members. In this model, the chair must control and coordinate the committee's actions carefully to avoid confusion. In practice, most reunion committees incorporate elements of both models.

An important part of the reunion year is the Class Report effort. This usually is separated from the reunion committee's responsibilities, and the Class Secretary, or a separate Class Report Chair, works with the Class Report Office to produce the report. Section X talks about this in more detail.

Also during the reunion year, the class' fund raising organizations will be in full swing. During the year classmates will be asked to increase giving to the College, to contribute to the Class Report, and to attend and pay for the reunion. The Reunion-Chairs, Class Report Chairs, and Gift Chairs should try to coordinate and synchronize their efforts. Keeping the HAA office informed of all committee activity helps to keep things running smoothly.

With the foregoing introduction, it is possible to suggest a reunion organization chart that is typical of Harvard reunions.

 * CLASS COMMITTEE
     * CLASS FUND-RAISING COMMITTEE
     * REPORT CHAIRS CHAIR
     * CLASS REUNION COMMITTEE CHAIR
        * SOCIAL EVENTS CHAIR
           * EVENT CHAIR(OPTIONAL)
           * EVENT CHAIR(OPTIONAL)
           * EVENT CHAIR(OPTIONAL)
        * REUNION TREASURER, REGISTRATION & HOUSING/HOSPITALITY
           * SERVICES CHAIR FOOD, DRINK, FAVORS, TRANSPORTATION	
        * SYMPOSIA CHAIR
           * SYMPOSIUM CHAIR
           * SYMPOSIUM CHAIR
           * SYMPOSIUM CHAIR