So, I've been out of high school for 10 years now, which usually means a 10 year reunion. I never signed up for any of that class president stuff because I had no interests and, more so, because I didn't want to be in charge of planning a reunion.
Now with the wonderful world of Facebook, planning has become a lot easier. So I contacted the class president and asked her what's going on, this was months ago.
By nature, I am a planner (not always my favorite role, but somebody's gotta do it). So I tell her "let me know how I can help!" I sincerely meant that. So we find a venue and since no one else has stepped up to help, we decided together to book it and pick a random date in the fall, thinking that there is just no way you'll be able to make it work for everyone, so just pick it! Then the next step was to decide on food, but first we wanted to see who else we could get to help. No one stepped up again and I didn't hear from the Pres for quite some time. At this point I'm feeling like I'm the only one interested in getting this thing planned. I have no idea where to start or where to finish.
In the year 2000, new privacy laws went into effect, and we can no longer go to our high school and get contact information for everyone, which means no addresses. How do we overcome this? My only idea is to find a yearbook and search the internet (facebook, classmates.com, etc.) for people. Networking is going to be huge in this.
Being that I sit in front a computer all day for work, it is easy for me to go on Facebook and create an event to get the date out to everyone. Not only have I created a 'save the date' event on Facebook, I've created a group page for our class. I feel that that was a great help and a fantastic place to start.
I am beginning to feel like time is running out. Our date is 2 months out and we don't have a menu (which is essentially easy to decide on), we've only told people on facebook, we don't have anything in place for accepting payment, we don't even know how much we need to charge.
Is any of this my problem? No. Do I still feel a huge amount of pressure to make sure this thing goes off without a hitch? Yes.
Part of me wants to take a step back and say "I offered my help, but I'm not going to plan the entire thing" but the other part of me wants to kick people in the ass and say "Get off your ass and do your job!" I'm pretty fed up.
I wanted to start planning this in the early Spring... now here we are 2 months away with nothing but a date and a venue.
Am I right to feel like throwing in the towel?
Please, I need someone to be my voice of reason.
4 comments:
I HAAATTEE when I somehow get stuck with planning things. Like you, I am a planner by nature... and when I'm in charge of something, I need it to go off perfectly.
It's not your job to plan the reunion... and if you don't really care too much about seeing everyone again, then drop it and leave it for the president to do. BUT if you're excited and you really really REALLY want this thing to go on (tradition aside) then it looks like you're stuck planning until the president stops dragging his/her feet.
Oh man... that sucks Ang. I, like you, am a planner and I know how it feels when you're trying to help someone else and then they drop the ball.
I'd say email the prez and basically tell her that you signed up to HELP not to plan EVERYTHING and that she needs to start doing her share because you don't have the patience to do it all yourself. And if she doesn't step up then I'd probably just drop it.
Then again, I don't even plan on going to my 10 year so maybe I'm just apathetic about the whole reunion situation, hehe.
I'm also a planner so I know how you feel but it always seems things that get planned with less time still end up working out and being successful.
I would be honest with the president with your feelings of having to feel like you are working alone. Hopefully a gentle nudge will work!
Good luck! I did not go to my 5 year or 10 year and this year is my 15th year out of school (yikes) and nothing is planned. Fine by me!
My reunion is in a few weeks- and we're in the same boat. They are now charging us $65 for two nights when really- it should only be one night.
So if you have the venue- pick out snacks and make dinner optional. Seriously- go the cheapest/easiest way out because charging more than $20/person is going to result in low attendance and pissed off people. Because yay- that's what happening to ours.
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