If you look further down on this webpage, I did post on Saturday, January 20, 2024, my first article is titled “Planning a Family Reunion in 2024”. This 2nd article is about completing a family reunion --- the lessons learned and tips.
I started over a year ago by googling for family reunion checklists, guides, and articles. I went under the Google search images page and typed in “family reunion checklist”. Here are a couple more resources.
If you enter your email address, they will send you a free download of this checklist.
If you enter your email address, you can get this planning guide for free.
In 2023 and 2024, we live in a different world. On the one hand it was easier to locate some cousins due to Facebook, Ancestry and search engines. On the other hand, people are more afraid of being contacted and especially sharing their personal information because of scams and fraud. Plus people are busier and visit less with cousins or are not interested in family history.
I set up a separate bank account and started to draft a budget. I started gathering relatives' contact information and created an Excel spreadsheet to record the info. In my email inbox, I created a new folder for this reunion and expanded it over time with subfolders.
My brother went with me to check out 3 venues. I initially had 10 venues on my list. We both also checked out a few places on our own. It is important to ask a lot of questions. There was one place that we really liked but the buffet quote was too high. Another beautiful venue in a neighboring town had columns in the main ballroom that blocked the view for some attendees. We were looking at the seating limits, deposit amount, buffet quote, extra costs, and what additional services were available. We settled on the Ukrainian Youth Unity Centre but only two weekends were still available for the next summer (2024). Depending on the location, you might have to book the venue 1.5 to 2 years ahead of time.
When we met with the UYUC manager, we were told lots verbally and I was busy taking notes. We picked the date on the June long weekend and made the deposit. When we contacted this venue months later to start on the details, there were some changes. A new manager, no longer an ice cream shop on the corner, and no longer picnic tables outside. We paid an additional $300 for a green lights garland hanging from the ceiling to the side walls. Little extras like this really added to the abundance. We used the in-house white table linens to save money. It was all about balance. On Google Maps you can see where this venue is located and what is around it.
Ukrainian Youth Unity Complex
https://www.uyuc.ca/ 
I decided on a theme and reunion colors. Green, gold, and white with sunflowers. I started by checking out Amazon.ca, Etsy, Michael’s, Party City, and Dollarama stores and borrowing from extended family members. I got some table decorations, also for the memorial table, front registration table, and photo booth props, etc. The Family Reunion banner was an excellent purchase and really stood out on the stage. The sunflower decorations were also purchased from Amazon.
MEHOFOND 10x7ft Family Reunion Backdrop Family Tree We are Family …
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0C7ZRFXTQ 
We rented DJ equipment, and I learned at the reunion that this was a waste of money ($535.00). I should have asked more questions about the venue’s AV equipment. Actually, I needed to take one of my family members to check out their sound equipment at the venue. Today one only has to bring an iPad with a Spotify account and plug it into the venue’s sound equipment. We had a live singer so got a microphone from the DJ rental but no microphone stand. One of my cousins figured out that there was a steel pole from the centre ceiling on the stage that came down and he used some wiring to attach the microphone to the pole.
I asked my Ukrainian friends for a referral of a Ukrainian newcomer who creates live flower table centrepieces. Lesia was so reasonable. I picked up the centrepieces on Saturday morning, the day of the reunion so they were fresh and in good shape. They were such a hit at the reunion with cousins grabbing them at the end of the night when I announced that they could take them home. I had some wildflowers in the centrepieces to honor a cousin who had passed away from cancer. On the tables, there was green foil confetti to honor the farmers in our family and the small sunflower decorations to honor our Ukrainian ancestors. I can give serious inquiries Lesia’s contact info.
I had also picked up lots of children games and pinatas at Dollarama stores. I announced that the kids could take home all of the games. Just outside of the building was a large, landscaped area to set up the games for the kids. I did little personal things like getting clear labels at Staples then got an image online that I could add info to and put it on the jars that I got at Dollarama, for the table centerpieces. I tried to save money wherever possible.
Got a balloon air pump from Party City, liquor tickets from Dollarama, ordered USB sticks from Amazon, and other items from Walmart and Staples which saved time and money. It is worthwhile to shop around. Also being organized and having a good to-do list helped a lots. I took photos on my mobile phone. I got receipt books and made sure that I had checks and balances on recording the money that we were spending and especially the money coming in (who ordered what). I was collecting money for the reunion registrations, the 2024 family history book, or an USB stick with the first family reunion, PDF scan of the 1993 family history book and PDF of the 2024 family history book, etc.
I was left confused on what insurances I needed to get. The UYUC manager gave me a couple of names (PAL Insurance and Duuo) and two different types of insurance, event liability insurance and host liquor liability insurance (because we were providing the liquor and selling it). On the venue website, they list PAL Insurance (Canada) but I did not like all the questions that they were forcing me to answer on their website, e.g. marijuana coverage.
Duuo by Co-operators offers both insurances as a package and was so straightforward dealing with online and via email. Click on Insurance Get Quote button, then “I’m hosting an event”. It came to a little over $220.00 for 150 people, for one day.
Duuo by Co-operators
https://duuo.ca/ For the liquor license, you just go on the AGLC website, and it costs $25.00. We got a Special Events, private resale SEL license.
https://aglc.ca/liquor/liquor-licences/apply-liquor-licence/liquor-licences-private-special-events We went with Wine and Beyond Windermere to purchase the liquor. A staff person went over with us on the selections, keeping in mind items on sale and later sent me a quote via email including quantity, item number, description, unit price, taxable and sub total amount. We went with two kinds of beer, a couple different kinds of coolers, white and spiced rum, whisky, vodka and a case of each white and red wine. One thing to watch for is that you save on buying larger sizes but if it is open, then you can’t return it. The store gave me the number of servings for each, and I was able to figure out the cost per item. One mistake that I made was having different liquor tickets for the beer vs coolers, vs hard liquor vs wine. I should have just averaged all of this and only had one liquor ticket.
I sent email updates to my cousins, starting with a “Save the Date” newsletter. Included information on the different family branches, the venue details, some activities ideas, menu selection, family reunion website, and questions and input needed selection. This was sent out in early December, timed for family to talk about during the holiday season.
I found a good website to create a Kalynchuk Family Reunion page at MyEvents.com. They have lots of examples of other websites to assist you in getting started and good advice on putting on a reunion. I started with an outline in MS Word with a table of contents and started to fill in the information. I found this to be easier than working directly from the website design dashboard. I initially thought that more cousins would be involved on the website but instead the reunion website was used to register and check on the details. I got in touch with close to 300 cousins so was glad to have this set up. People could register on the website, but I took care of receiving the payments myself, directly. I found that the two fees and ticket surcharge plus they hold the money for at least 10 days was too much. Many cousins paid close to the reunion date and some even paid at the event or later on!
Family Reunion Planning Center, MyEvent.com
https://myevent.com/family-reunions/family-reunion-planning-centerAnother mistake that I made was in purchasing name labels at Staples and late on the night before the reunion was trying to print off the names with details (which family branch). The label sheets got jammed in the printer and it was a disaster. I thought that this would be straightforward and easy to do. Instead, it needed to be done ahead of time, put on an USB stick and printed off at Staples.
Etsy.com/ca was a wonderful place to purchase images for the family history book including the cover page (Wheat Clipart). The Family Reunion Conversation Starters quotes were a big hit. We cut them individually and put them on the tables. I received a download in an email then put it on a USB stick and printed off in color at Staples.
https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1500670701/printable-family-reunion-conversationhttps://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1406776214/ukrainian-ethnic-embroidery-with-cornershttps://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/1561954353/watercolor-ukraine-clipart-70-png-travelWe got large boxes of snacks (chips and snacks) at the Wholesale Club for the afternoon which was a good idea. The venue provided a coffee station with water and Tang drinks. I did not think about also having some food/snacks for later at night, near midnight. Some of my cousins ran out to Tim’s and got donuts!
I also canceled the Kalynchuk Family Cookbook project due to a lack of interest. I did up a display table on my family history and had friends there who had a table on Ukrainian culture and folklore.
I paid $100 for the large screen on the stage and brought my laptop with the 1993 family reunion video on it. A cousin was able to get it to play on a loop. This was a real highlight in the afternoon. Near the end of the event, I had two cousins approach me that they are willing to organize the next Kalynchuk Family Reunion (and it will not be 30 years from now). It feels so good to pass on the torch.
Cousins volunteered to cover the liquor ticket sales and registration tables, so I did not have to hire 2 staff. Also, the UYUC venue suggested at the beginning to hire 2-3 security guards, but we did not need to do this. There were no security problems at this reunion.
A good piece of advice I got for the next reunion is to have each of the tables have someone stand up and introduce everyone at the table and say how they are related to us. Cousins and siblings from the same family branch tended to sit at the same table.
Another piece of advice is to watch for cousins who are not acting in good faith. It is those naysayers and bullies that I am talking about. At this reunion, lots told me that they had a really good time and thanked me for organizing it. My focus was on the majority. I wanted them to have a wonderful experience, especially for the children and younger ones. They are our next generation.
How To Deal With Difficult Family Members at A Reunion
https://getting2theroots.com/difficult-family-members/ The results that I see from putting on this reunion is that more cousins have become friends on Facebook and more of them are attending family events, especially the younger ones. I am getting quite a few inquiries from cousins wanting the contact info to get back in touch with other cousins who they knew in their youth. There is also a huge interest in our great grandparents’ homestead which some of us visited on the Sunday right after the reunion.
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