HAA Best Practices Wiki - User contributions [en]

Commencement Dates: 2009-2015

2008-11-07T22:46:04Z

Pskoch: New page: These dates may be useful for all Classes preparing 'Spring' Reunions: '''2009 Thursday, June 4''' [NEW ACADEMIC-YEAR CALENDAR BEGINS FALL OF 2009] 2010 Thursday, May 27 2011 ...

These dates may be useful for all Classes preparing 'Spring' Reunions:

'''2009 Thursday, June 4'''

[NEW ACADEMIC-YEAR CALENDAR BEGINS FALL OF 2009]

2010 Thursday, May 27

2011 Thursday, May 26

2012 Thursday, May 24

2013 Thursday, May 30

2014 Thursday, May 29

2015 Thursday, May 28

Main Page

2008-11-07T22:37:49Z

Pskoch:

<big>'''HAA Best Practices Wiki'''</big>

Here you will find information on other classes' experiences with reunions and other events; what worked, what didn't work, which suppliers were good, where there were problems. Please feel free to add your own experience or comment on what others have written.

'''New users:''' Please check the [[Help:Contents|Help]] page for information on how to create an account for yourself, how to edit pages, and other detailed instructions.

'''[[Reunion and Class Report Planning Guides]]'''

'''[[Commencement Dates: 2009-2015]]'''

'''[[Class Communications]]'''

'''[[Vendors]]'''

'''[[Classes and Reunions Committee Members]]'''

'''[[Class Secretary's Corner]]'''

'''[[Webmasters' Corner]]'''

'''[[Class Organization]]'''

'''[[Class Activity Chairs]]'''

'''[[Practical Hints & Case Studies]]'''

'''[[Reunion Reports]]''' --- Also sample schedules and other reunion materials

'''[[Brief History|Brief History of the HAA]]

'''[[Outside Links]]'''

'''Reunion Committee Pages'''
* 2007 - Fall
** [[1967 - 40th]]

* 2008 Fall
** [[1968 - 40th]]
* 2009 Spring
** [[1959 - 50th]]

Fall Reunion Overview

2008-10-28T21:08:56Z

Pskoch:

===Overview===

The fall reunions begin on a Thursday evening in September, October or November (usually a football weekend) and continue into the weekend, concluding either on Saturday night or on Sunday following a morning brunch. Some held on a three-day weekend (e.g. Columbus Day) have been extended through Monday. (Extending beyond two days was deemed very important by a majority of those polled who needed to travel a long-distance to Cambridge.)

A reunion is a combination of social and intellectual events, and affords the possibility of interaction with current students and faculty. Free time should be included in the schedule for classmates to meet informally. The schedule should also enable women in the class to participate in Radcliffe-specific events held during this time. It is also a good idea to plan a particular time for the Radcliffe class to meet separately, if that is something they wish to do.

On Thursday, a low-key evening event is usually scheduled for those classmates who have already arrived or live nearby. The Friday afternoon reunion schedule is flexible, but the can include attending classes, lunch in the dining halls, a Memorial Service, tours, symposia, etc. Most classes leave late Friday afternoon open, since the greatest number of classmates will arrive Friday afternoon and evening.

Because of travel uncertainties, the Friday night social event is usually an open-ended buffet lasting a several hours, rather than a sit-down dinner at a set time. This gives classmates time to meet and talk informally.

Saturday's schedule may include a morning class meeting, memorial service, and/or symposium. Lunch can be an indoor picnic followed by a football game and/or an alternate program for non-sports fans. The Saturday afternoon event is really the only reunion event that is appropriate for children.

Saturday evening is a time when classes can have dinner at either an on-campus or off-campus site, usually followed by entertainment and dancing. Most reunions conclude on Saturday night, but some classes have held successful Sunday brunches and even on Monday.

The reunions offer considerable room for a variety of events within the three and one half days available to the reunion committee. The following sample schedule is only a guide to the committee's creativity.

Fall Reunion Overview

2008-10-28T20:40:20Z

Pskoch:

===Overview===

The fall reunions begin on a Thursday evening in September, October or November (usually a football weekend) and continue into the weekend, concluding either on Saturday night or on Sunday following a morning brunch. Some held on a three-day weekend (e.g. Columbus Day) have been extended through Monday. (Extending beyond two days was deemed very important by those traveling a long-distance to Cambridge.)

A reunion is a combination of social and intellectual events, and affords the possibility of interaction with current students and faculty. Free time should be included in the schedule for classmates to meet informally. The schedule should also enable women in the class to participate in Radcliffe-specific events held during this time. It is also a good idea to plan a particular time for the Radcliffe class to meet separately, if that is something they wish to do.

On Thursday, a low-key evening event is usually scheduled for those classmates who have already arrived or live nearby. The Friday afternoon reunion schedule is flexible, but the can include attending classes, lunch in the dining halls, a Memorial Service, tours, symposia, etc. Most classes leave late Friday afternoon open, since the greatest number of classmates will arrive Friday afternoon and evening.

Because of travel uncertainties, the Friday night social event is usually an open-ended buffet lasting a several hours, rather than a sit-down dinner at a set time. This gives classmates time to meet and talk informally.

Saturday's schedule may include a morning class meeting, memorial service, and/or symposium. Lunch can be an indoor picnic followed by a football game and/or an alternate program for non-sports fans. The Saturday afternoon event is really the only reunion event that is appropriate for children.

Saturday evening is a time when classes can have dinner at either an on-campus or off-campus site, usually followed by entertainment and dancing. Most reunions conclude on Saturday night, but some classes have held successful Sunday brunches and even on Monday.

The reunions offer considerable room for a variety of events within the three and one half days available to the reunion committee. The following sample schedule is only a guide to the committee's creativity.

Fall Reunion Overview

2008-10-28T20:37:10Z

Pskoch:

===Overview===

The fall reunions begin on a Thursday evening in September, October or November (usually a football weekend) and continue into the weekend, concluding either on Saturday night or on Sunday following a morning brunch. Some held on a three-day weekend (e.g. Columbus Day) have been extended through Monday. (Extending beyond two days was deemed very important by those traveling a long-distance to Cambridge.)

A reunion is a combination of social and intellectual events. Free time should be included in the schedule for classmates to meet informally. The schedule should also enable women in the class to participate in Radcliffe-specific events held during this time. It is also a good idea to plan a particular time for the Radcliffe class to meet separately, if that is something they wish to do.

On Thursday, a low-key evening event is usually scheduled for those classmates who have already arrived or live nearby. The Friday afternoon reunion schedule is flexible, but the can include attending classes, lunch in the dining halls, a Memorial Service, tours, symposia, etc. Most classes leave late Friday afternoon open, since the greatest number of classmates will arrive Friday afternoon and evening.

Because of travel uncertainties, the Friday night social event is usually an open-ended buffet lasting a several hours, rather than a sit-down dinner at a set time. This gives classmates time to meet and talk informally.

Saturday's schedule may include a morning class meeting, memorial service, and/or symposium. Lunch can be an indoor picnic followed by a football game and/or an alternate program for non-sports fans. The Saturday afternoon event is really the only reunion event that is appropriate for children.

Saturday evening is a time when classes can have dinner at either an on-campus or off-campus site, usually followed by entertainment and dancing. Most reunions conclude on Saturday night, but some classes have held successful Sunday brunches.

The reunions offer considerable room for a variety of events within the three and one half days available to the reunion committee. The following sample schedule is only a guide to the committee's creativity.

1978, 30th Reunion Commentary

2008-10-28T20:28:08Z

Pskoch:

There were a number of innovative events at this reunion that may be of interest to other classes. Here's a quick summary:

# Career Discovery Event for current undergrads.
# We held a few pre-reunion events, nothing really new there, except that only one was in the Beantown area, and we held an 'outdoorsy' one in Colorado around a 'class climb' of Mount Harvard. I believe Marty Grasso has already submitted something on this to the wiki. (See also the November-December 2008 Harvard Magazine Class Notes for a summary narrative.)
# We held 'Life Experience Seminars', informal discussions on topics as varied as money, sex, and health.
# We had yoga sessions, both for those who already did yoga, and those who were tempted (perhaps by our discussions on health).
# We did major outreach for participation in both the Reunion and the Class Report.
# We added a semi-automated 'career index' to our Class Report.
# We invited bracketing Classes (two above and two below ours, so those with whom we overlapped in our Houses) to join our panel discussions Saturday afternoon.
# We also offered these same Classes copies of our Class Report (preordered at the same price as that requested of our own Classmates).
# We actively sought out 'lost' Classmates, including those who were once in our Class but who, for various reasons, no longer are so classified.

After discussions of the HAA Board, offering bracketing classes copies of the Class Report seems to be being adopted as a 'best practice' way of expanding the community, and the Career Discovery Event, done with OCS, is under similar consideration (and was mentioned by Jack Reardon, President Faust, and Governor Patrick (also HR78) as a great idea).