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The Homestead offers terrific
deals and packages for your Family Reunion. With nearly 1000 feet of Cypress Creek waterfront and a large
meeting room along with 8 cabins and an additional 7 cabins available directly across the street, there is plenty of
room for everyone!
Planning a family reunion? These
days, it’s tough to get the whole nuclear family together for a meal, much less the extended family for a few meals
and days of telling family tales and photos. Gosh, our relatives and loved ones are spread across different cities and states and
countries, money can be tight, and it sometimes seems that even the family dog is overbooked!
So.. when folks do make the commitment to take a break and get together for a family reunion,
we think that’s pretty special. And that’s why we’d like to help.
We are centrally located in the Heart of the Lone Star State! We offer 14,000
square miles of hills, lakes, live oak trees and winding roads, good value, and we have ways to keep everyone - even
your teenagers - engaged! From theme parks to State Parks to concerts to natural undeniable delights such as 8 (count
em!) Hill Country Lakes and bubbling rivers for water sports along with delightful food wherever you go, we can keep your
family entertained and well-fed. Of course, if your family’s tradition is to bring the traditional family food, we've
got plenty of kitchen space to let all the chefs participate! Did you ever notice how food tastes better when you’re
laughing?
Church Reunions and Youth Group Activities Need help
with church event planning? In today’s busy world, planning your church reunion or church youth group activities can
be a challenging charge indeed. At Texas Hill Country Retreats we are here to help you reunite in a setting that fits
your group just right. Getting your church group together can be not only an enjoyable time to spend catching up, reminiscing,
planning or whatever you wish; it can also be a great spiritual time that can impact your loved ones and be remembered for
a lifetime.
We can assist you in finding a location, indoor and/or outdoors, as well as accommodations
to fit your group’s size and church event planning budget. We are centrally located deep in the Heart
of the Texas Hill Country. We offer a good value, and we have ways to keep everyone engaged. Even your teenagers will
enjoy church youth group activites.
Here are some suggestions to keep
your reunion on track and everyone informed: Like many families, you and your relatives may have
made plans to get together this summer. What a great opportunity for sharing stories and family history! Give one of these
fun family history activities a try at your next family reunion to get people talking, sharing and having fun.
1)
Memory T-Shirts
One popular reunion
idea is for everyone to have matching T-Shirts. Have a more creative member or your group create a design for the reunion
t-shirts. Many office supply or hobby stores sell thermal transfer paper, which you can print designs on, and then iron onto
a t-shirt. You can find out when you send the invitations how many people want to buy a reunion t-shirt, and collect the funds
with the ticket price. If you have the design already done, send a copy of that design to help your group members make up
their minds. You might purchase plain white cotton t-shirts in bulk and figure their cost and the cost of the transfer paper.
Color-coded family tree name tags offer a more inexpensive variation.
2) Photo Swap
Invite attendees to bring their old, historic family photos to the reunion, including pictures of
people (great, great-grandpa), places (churches, cemetery, the old homestead) and even previous reunions. Encourage everyone
to label their photos with the names of the photographees, the date of the photo, and their own name and an ID number (a different
number to identify each photo). If you can get a volunteer to bring a scanner and laptop computer with CD burner, then set
up a scanning table and create a CD of everyone's photos.
3) Family Scavenger Hunt
Fun for all ages,
but an especially good way to get the kids involved, a family scavenger hunt ensures plenty of interaction between different
generations. Create a form or booklet with family-related questions such as: What was great-grandfather Powell’s first
name? Which Aunt had twins? Where and when were Grandma and Grandpa Bishop married? Is there someone born in the same state
as you? Set a deadline, and then gather the family together to judge the results. If you wish, you can award prizes to the
people who get the most answers correct, and the booklets themselves make nice reunion souvenirs.
4) Family Tree Wall Chart
Create
a large family tree chart to display on a wall, including as many generations of the family as possible. Family members can
use it to fill in the blanks and correct any inaccurate information. Wall charts are popular with reunion attendees as they
help people visual their place within the family. The finished product also provides a great source of genealogical information.
5)
Heritage Cookbook
Invite attendees to submit favorite family recipes -- from their
own family or one passed down from a distant ancestor. Ask them to include details on, memories of and a photo (when available)
of the family member best known for the dish. The collected recipes can then be turned into a wonderful family cookbook. A
great fundraising project for the following year's reunion!
6) Storytime
A rare opportunity to hear interesting and funny
stories about your family, a storytelling hour can really encourage family memories. Have someone audiotape or videotape
this session.
- 15 months out:
Send out a letter/e-mail to a handful of group members. Ask the questions like "where in Texas should we
have our reunion," "what kinds of activities should we plan," and "how long should it be." Let them
know you need their suggestions back as soon as possible so you can get some preliminary plans laid out.
- 12 months out:
Send out the invitations--include information like when, where, who to contact, cost (if applicable), and any appropriate
web addresses (your own website, your organization's website, www.texashillco.com, etc). Have the reply date set for three - four months later.
6 months out:
Send out a newsletter, updating the guest list if necessary, and letting everyone know what's in store for this event. - 3 months out:
Send
out the next newsletter; ask for event volunteers, and include information like what food or other items to bring.
- 1 month out:
Send
out your next newsletter to let everyone know things are going according to plan and you're looking forward to seeing
them soon!
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