Hi, <<First Name>>...
Here's the main point first... please continue reading below for the context supporting this decision and what we plan to do instead:
We are postponing our planned Class of 1970 50-year reunion for the duration of this year.
I sent out a survey last week seeking your input on our 50-year reunion in light of the coronavirus pandemic. It was delivered to 347 people, opened by nearly 70% of you, and a total of 58 people took the time to respond to the survey. The survey results aren't directly available because we also collected personal information, but I've created a summary of relevant results for your information - download the summary here and look at it as I give you the highlights below.
There are two pie charts on the first page. The top figure depicts the likelihood of the person attending the 50-year reunion before the coronavirus pandemic broke out. 80% of respondents said they would likely attend, 10% said they wouldn't, and 10% were undecided. However, after the pandemic hit, only 20% said they would likely attend, 50% now said they wouldn't, and 30% were undecided. If you're only reading these words and not looking at the pie charts, it's difficult to visualize how drastic this change is. The "Definitely Yes" category shrank from 52% to 4%... let that sink in. There is a lot of uncertainty in the remainder of the respondents.
On the top of the second page, when asked to identify their concerns about attending the reunion, two issues tied as causing the most concern:
- There's too much uncertainty right now to make definite plans, and
- There may still be restrictions in place that will make celebrating difficult.
Other issues included wanting to wait until things return to "normal", that there won't be a vaccine by then and we're at greater risk because of our age, and that fewer people would likely come, dampening the desire to attend.
Finally, the pie chart on the bottom of the second page shows the recommended course of action. Going ahead with the reunion as planned only received 4% support, while the bulk of the responses (nearly 85%) were spread between three similar options:
- Delay it until an unspecified future date when things return to "normal" (39%),
- Delay it for one year and possibly hold a combined reunion with the Class of 71 (25%), or
- Delay it for one year and have our own separate 51-year reunion (20%).
In light of the clear change in sentiment between the first and second surveys, we are postponing our planned 50-year reunion for the rest of 2020, because people have concerns that cannot be dismissed right now and attendance would probably be very low. The likelihood of having a gathering this year comparable to what we experienced for our 40-year reunion with a similar turnout (100 to 150 people) is pretty much zero.
Does this mean that we will abandon all plans for celebrating our 50-year anniversary this year? In a word, no.
Here are some of the things that we'll do to make sure we have multiple opportunities in 2020 to reflect on our 50+ years since Ramona:
- Continue and expand the use of video conferencing to connect alumni and friends of the Class of 70. I'll discuss more in an upcoming email, but check out the previous two videos available on the Ramona Class of 1970 YouTube channel.
- I'm making available PDF copies of all three Aries yearbooks, not just the pages with our class photos in them but every page from each book. If that's not enticing enough, I've been able to process them with a colorizing technique that brings old gray scale photos to life in pretty realistic color. I'll be making them available for download soon... again, details and examples of images to follow.
- I'm going to update an interactive Google map showing the actual location of every member of our class for whom we have a mailing address. The identities will be masked somewhat, but you should be able to confirm whether we have you accurately located with a street address.
- We'll work out details to create a memory book like we've handed out at previous reunions, where individuals will be able to reflect on their fifty years of life following high school. Once completed, it will be available for download by everyone.
- For those of you on social media, I'll solicit a current head shot to combine with your best yearbook photo and a suitable commemorative frame that you can post on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to mark your milestone anniversary.
- And lastly, I'll ask you to dig out and either scan or send me photos/slides from our years at Ramona, taken either at school or in southern California during the years of 1967-1970 to post on Facebook or our Ramona Class of 1970 web page for all to enjoy.
Like you, I'm disappointed that our plans had to change, but I also think of the kids from the Class of 2020 who, for the most part, won't have a graduation ceremony this year. I intend to move forward and not dwell on the disappointment, but focus on the opportunities we still have to make it a memorable year. If you have any other suggestions, just let me know. We're not going out with a whimper this year, but with a bang... let's see if we can plan something even bigger for 2021!
Steve
505-660-0353
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