Hope things get better! :)

50 is a huge milestone and if people are interested, I say "go for it". It is a hard thing to do long distance, but I hope your local helper will stay with it. It's not too early to do a "save the date" and get a head count of who is interested in coming. The hardest thing I would think is to get the current information on everybody. Does your school keep that information and is it available to you? Anyway, good luck. I hope you can pull it off. Sounds like it would be fun.

In general, organizing these sorts of events is a thankless job. I guess I can understand why the former organizer still has bad feelings about the process 20 years later. That's too bad, though, because I'll bet all of the participants will have a lot of fun. Good luck!!!

More than 10 years ago, I tried to organize a reunion for our 45 years. A gal in Colorado and I worked hard at it for weeks and weeks. Only 6 other people wanted to attend. I offered to host on my deck. It did not happen.

Ultimately, someone else decided to work on our 50th and had to end up using a service (I forget the name - old age). I went and it was OK, too many old people there. I told the missus that I would not do that again. And, I haven't.

If you belong to Classmates (www.classmates.com) you can post info about the reunion on your school's pages.

secsteve, I think your experience is common. Several of my high school reunions for decade anniversaries were honcho'd by people who were clearly lacking in organizational skills. I remember for one, the organizers wound up eating some costs because of arrangments they'd screwed up. For another, many classmates chipped in extra money for cost overruns but felt like the planners deserved the problems and aggravation they'd brought on themselves. In the second case, I put in extra money but we all suffered from how inept the planning had been.

That's probably why some groups resort to using professional planners. More expensive but more reliable outcomes.

My 50th was several years ago. I did not go as I live in another state and it was too expensive for me and my husband to attend. Travel, dinners they had at expensive places, etc. I think that something more low key would be fine. I feel that the folks who still live in the town where the school is located should be involved more. If no one is interested then just go with what you are doing and don't use people who have been burnt out having to spend their own money on the reunion. As seniors who has this kind of money? Most are on social security today and their health isn't that good either. One of the other reasons i didn't attend mine was I had not kept in touch with any of the over 400 classmates. They probably wouldn't know me anyway. Now my hubby went to a smaller school and he did go to his. He had a ball but it was handled by the people who lived in the same town or nearby. Even some were in grade school with him. Enjoy whatever you decide to do.

"From the people I've contacted there is a lot of interest."

" She's a nice person and I'm glad she volunteered, but seems I have to drag things out of her as to where we stand on various planning issues."

Round up a few buddies from the interested group to help you out. This should be fun for you, not drudgery.

One of husband's friends organized a couple of reunions. He's a good guy and really put a lot of work into it even making up professional level videos and basically selling them at cost. It was a lesson learned I believe. There were room rentals and tipping that he had to ask for additional money even with people having it at a restaurant and paying for their own meals. The next couple of reunions were at a local park under a pavilion with grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. I think money wise, that was more doable even if the food wasn't as gourmet. The costs were lowered and I don't think he was in a position to where he had to take up the slack if more people came than expected or there were no shows.

We didn't go to the 50th, in high school my husband (then boyfriend) and I hung out together, didn't belong to any groups...besides we live in a different state now. We went to the 10th when we lived in the same state, it was no big deal, never went again.

The next couple of reunions were at a local park under a pavilion with
grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. I think money wise, that was more
doable

It seems like the ones I've been invited to were on the cheap also, maybe even held at the school itself.

in high school my husband (then boyfriend) and I hung out together, didn't belong to any groups

Likewise I didn't know that many people in high school - or
really even have any fun experiences there, for the most part!

it was no big deal

I've never gone as I expected the same (in addition to the previously stated reasons)

I could see maintaining something like college fraternity connections for a lifetime - making such connections is one of the reasons for joining a fraternity in the first place, right? - but public high school wasn't that kind of situation at all.

Otherwise it is typical with small groups or similar situations for most of the participants to be quite happy to sit back and let a few do all the work while they look on. It is like we are a nation of couch potatoes expecting every experience to be a visual entertainment enjoyed with an absolute minimum of effort on one's own part.

All the more so when "we" in a particular instance is a bunch of physically declining old people.

Reading this, I just realized that 2015 was my 50th reunion. I live 3000 miles from my home town. I've never been invited to a reunion and don't expect to be..... YAY!!

As for the woman who doesn't want to put any money up front because she was burned...

well, I can't say I blame her. Good luck with this endeavor.

I've never been to a school reunion. Only got invited to the 10 year one and never got another invite after that. Not that I would go. I only had a couple friends in high school and I communicate with them on my own. Good luck, hope you get a good turn out.

I attended my 50th high school reunion and found that the statisticians were correct; Half of my class had passed away. However, 80% of the remainder did attend and found that we bonded better than when we were in school. We were grateful that we were able to attend.

Our small rural high school has an alumni banquet each June at the school. Those of us who attend each year claim we don't age.....(LOL) It's only people who come to the anniversary events who age! Anniversary classes are honored, as well as the oldest graduates attending. This is an easy way to get everyone together without a lot of expense, but the annual event is on shaky ground because of low attendance in the last few years.

The school goes out of their way to make all of this available because we are the driving force for scholarship money for the school.

I've done the thankless job (as Fun2BeHere so aptly put it) of organizing an anniversary for our class several times, along with a few other loyal classmates, as well as being on the Alumni Board planning the banquet, so I'll understand any rants on the subject. Been there - done that - got the T-Shirt!

Years ago I had a button that describes so well such "thankless" events (and there have been many of them in my life).

We, the unwilling, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful.

But we do it anyway because it's the "right" thing to do..... ;-)

I don't do reunions. However I have "reconnected" on Facebook via groups from the area I grew up in. Don't know most of the people in real life or remember them (we are 60's kids) but we have developed online friendships due to our shared histories/memories. It's interesting the "bad" ones are now conservative nice people, the nerds are the cool ones etc. Being children of the San Francisco Bay Area sixties we all sort of have that "we survived" thing going on. Fun.

Grain Lady, your school does like our school does, we have an annual Alumni Banquet at the school and honor a class each year. I have only been to my 25th one. They always have a catered meal and if you go you pay for your meal and any guests you have with you. I think that is a nice way to go. It will be coming up again in April.

Sue

Guess I'm lucky because my class has had a reunion every 5 years since we graduated. We had the 55th last August. There is a core group who still live in my hometown and do all the planning. They have it down to a science. I attend just about every one.

" was rather put off when she mentioned that she wouldn't be contributing any funds to help get started, because of "what happened last time". That was 20 years ago. Wanted to say "Don't you think you should let that go?"

I've been mulling this over. While I can see your point of view, Steve, I also identify with hers.

Experience is a hard teacher, especially with money, especially if one is not rich.

I can remember money issues from when I was very young, and some of them were hard learned. Even if something occurred 20 years ago, if I remembered, I would probably go out of my way not to get taken again.

There are things to let go, and there are things to retain. Which one to pick in financial dealings has a lot to do with the impact of the previous issue, current finances, life experience as far as overall trust.

It may be that your own judgment is perfectly rational to you, but may look completely different to someone actually faced with the choice.