Still trying to get everything in order....one thing that's been weighing on my mind is where exactly to have the meetings.
It was decided by some of us that we'd try to set up a meeting in the city where I live because for those on the committe, it's easier to come into St. Louis. But there are some that would also like to help out that live in Poplar Bluff where we went to high school.
I'm trying to figure out if it would work out having 1 meeting here in St Louis then the next week also having one for those in PB so everyone can be involved and not feel excluded.
What have others done when committee members are spread throughout the area?

How many miles are we talking about traveling?

From Poplar Bluff to St. Louis would be a little less than 150 miles or in most cases about a 2 1/2 hour drive.

Have you thought about computer conferencing? IM/ Pod casting? Maybe some techie in the group can figure that out for you all.

Just a thought.

Wow. 150 miles is more than I'd want to travel just for a meeting. But it probably depends on how many meetings you're having. Sign up with Skype and get web cams so you video conference. It's either free or almost free. As they say in Missouri, SHOW ME

We had 1 meeting a couple of months ago in which phone conferencing was set up where only myself and one other person used. Since then of course there have been so many changes in the committee. The 2 of us that did the conferencing are the ones have taken over along with 1 who is taking on a more active role that lives in Georgia. Then we do have some people in the St. Louis area. So doing one here isn't so bad. However, I also go down to Poplar Bluff quite often that it would be easy to have a local PB meeting too.
I just can't wait when everything starts to fall into place and things run so much easier.

Well, I wasn't even going to our 40th reunion since the 30th was rather disappointing. Then I found classcreator, started our class website and 9 months later we are less than 7 weeks from our reunion and it is going to be a great weekend.

I paid attention to who responded and participated on the site with suggestions about the reunion.I invited these folks to be members of a "national" reunion planning committee. Our school is in northern CA, I am in Houston, TX, and committee members stretch from upstate New York, to Missouri, Oregon, Nevada and all over CA. I wrote the usual hometown group and said hey, we have a lot of help this time, let's go for it!

We had one phone meeting between myself and the hometown group because they didn't want to do a conference call, nor are any of them aware of Skype. I reported the findings to the entire group by email and asked everyone to "Reply to All" with any questions, input or reports. We already had a "search" committee composed of mainly national committee members.

I happened to be flying into San Francisco from overseas, so I traveled to my hometown in late Feb. and we had a meeting. More people showed up than I imagined would. One couple even drove over Donner Pass in the snow to get there. We were able to look at the venue, talk to the coordinator there, decide on decorations and the menu. At the meeting, whenever anyone had a suggestion on one of the agenda items, I sweetly said, that's a great idea, would you like to take that on? They all said yes, and only one person has flaked out on us.

Also, whenever there was a lot of discussion with differing views on an item, after a while I called for a vote and recorded the results and have been able to refer back to that vote when one individual or another tries to change what we all decided we wanted to do. We individually talk by phone and email, and once every week or so I send out an update to the entire committee.

We never skype or do conference calls and it has worked out great. You could hold one meeting, make the most of it and then do the rest as we did and I think it will still be great!

God luck, sorry this was long,
Retha

We just had our 45th this Summer. On ours we put out a call locally for volunteers to help plan. We usually act as hostess. We send out emails to those who might want to help, those who have said they would help. The hometown committee could develop a questionaire and get responses from others - set limits, i.e. Which place would you like to meet for ___whatever portion of the reunion.Name the places you have someone locally to check out. DELAGATE. One person canot do it all. We keep ours simple, cheap and give people time to breathe in between events.
Lara

Thanks everyone for your input and feedback.

I guess I'm a little glad that we have just a little bit extra time to get things in order.
I've really got to say over and over I'm so glad for this site and how it helped in creating my own class website. Not that I don't love my facebook but this is something that will hopefully outlive FB. And thanks to everyone that spends the time to give input because without it, I'd be freaking out like I was at the beginning..lol.

I know what you mean about the conference calls. But, we have meetings in the same room and someone makes a comment and it splinters off into several conversations.

I like the SKYPE idea.

I've never used it but, as I understand it ... more than two computers can talk back and forth and join in with cameras and voice. AND IT IS FREE. NOTHING to set up except your free account.

Would they consider you meeting half way? Like St. Gen or Peidmont?(sp)at times?

I used to make that drive for my work from Alton. It was do able but, no fun.

In this area, it may be snowing here and pure ice the farther you go south.

Here is a thread from another discussion on setting up a remote reunion for a guy over seas to be able to attend.

http://forums.classcreator.com/messages.cfm?threadid=F9B69C01-0823-08E0-FF7F48717B132253

Some meetings just don't last long enough to drive that far and turn around and go home.

Good luck