Over and over again history has proven three vital factors relating to our survival. The first is we need family and second is we need to earn a living to care for them. The third is most challenging. Learning how to find a balance between to the two. All too often the demands of secular employment leave immediate and extended family members feeling neglected and soon too much time is missed as they quickly grow up and established homes of thier own.
For this reason many have chosen to establish traditions and standard, assuring that family keeps pace with all the special events in each member's life even if it means getting together to exchange photos, stories and video. And thus the family reunion is born.
While some family members quibble over when a reunion should be held, others seek to establish a date based on a proclamation or recommendation by someone of note or social status. Note some interesting reunion proclamations as reported by the world contributed encyclopedia called Wikipedia.
Family Reunion Month
A Proclamation establishing June 16, 1985, as "Family Reunion Month" to raise awareness of runaway children and help reunite families of runaways. Authorized by the President of the United States.
National Family Reunion Month
While August has been dubbed National Family Reunion Month by commercial organizations, many social groups and church observances are in the month of July.
Family Reunion Planning Month
A unique observance centering around family reunion planning. Established in 2005 this awareness and observance resource named November as "Family Reunion Planning Month and November 21-24 as "Family Reunion Planning Week".
Why November? Here are 10 good reasons to follow this observance.
1. November is the time of year extended families come together making this an ideal time to discuss and establish suggested dates and activities for the next family reunion.
2. November - January are periods of time where families swap photos and videos. It's an ideal time to start putting together materials for family scrapbooks, family history books, memory books and reunion keepsake booklets.
3. During this time elder family members like to keep family traditions alive and may make their own proclamations, education and financial planning and seek to empower the family union in some other way. Reunion planning helps to serve that purpose as well.
4. November one of the more intimate times of the year. Indoor activities are the norm. This includes story telling. This makes for an excellent time to do family history information gathering including interviewing the elders of the family.
5. November starts eight week before the close year. A good time to access the accomplishments of the family and set goals to complete important tasks before year end. One such task could be to establish a date, time and place to hold the next family reunion.
6. Many November observances are family oriented. Aside from the obvious, others including:
National Adoption Month
I Am So Thankful Month
Child Safety and Protection Month
Family Stories Month
National Family Caregiver Month
National Family Literacy Month
International Creative Child and Adult Mont
Therefore this dates takes advantage of the fact that spending time with family is already being given serious consideration and preparation.
7. November is great time for family outings including nature walks, visiting museums and
8. November is a typical month families use to plan summer vacations and other major recreational activities.
9. November is a traditional time to remember, with a view to expressing gratitude and appreciation.
10. November is a time when genealogists conference and exchange interest historic artifacts and research techniques.
This is also a good time to get all family members involved in the family reunion planning process and appointing each and everyone over some aspect of the program.
That said November's Family Reunion Planning Month observance puts family in an ideal position to enjoy making plans that unite and empower our most basic unit of society, family. This month is now acknowledged and/or observed by many online social, educational and commercial groups including a Bigelow Tea blog, stanford.wellsphere.com, http://reference.findtarget.com, WWJ Radio and absoluteastronomy.com
