I have decided to chair our 30th high school class reunion in summer of 2009.

A few people have told me I should get started by setting up a class reunion website and then getting the word out that it exists to gather email addresses and such to start planning.

My question for you smart folks is…

Has anyone done anything like this or have anyone had their class do this?

I am looking for simple, but yet has the ability maybe for a board. Something as a gathering place to put out information and have everyone keep in contact with the reunion group.

Someone suggested myspace?  I have not had a chance to look at that option.

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with these things.

I found out about my recent reunion at classmates.com. But, that's all I know. Does your school itself have an alumni website or some such?

Oh Richard, David has another job for you…

We've never had a reunion. Apparently no one still likes anyone enough to bother. But I do recall that Classmates is a pretty popular site for that kind of thing.

David :

Run away!!!

Yeah, classmates.com is what you want to use to set everything up.  You'll definitely get the most visibility there.  That is, of course, assuming all your old timer alumni buddies know how to use the Internets.

I'll check it out…I found something else that is similar that claims its "cheaper" than classmates.

I just dont want something that is going to solicit everyone for money….

*sobs*

I dont have any alumni buddies….they all abandoned me when we got knocked up…

As someone who found the reunion info on classmates.com and went to the reunion, I didn't pay a thing. Although, I don't know if the person organizing it paid anything.

k…thanks d.

Woo hoo!  Can I brew the beer and do the entertainment? 

Wait. I didn't go to high school with you. Damn it.

Oh sure! But you'll have to play tunes from 77-79.

You know…Dancing Queen, Frampton, Styx, Foreigner…

Okay….so next question. What's the best free email program?

I want to set up an email for the class to contact me…Obviously, I am familiar with Yahoo, but I see alot of you are using Gmail.

Any reason why I should use one or the other?

d….to answer your question, its like $ 39 per year for a gold classmates account which allows for one to set up reunions.

I don't have any experience with gmail, so I can't comment on it. Personally, I like Yahoo. And, I think Hotmail is just totally annoying.

And, 39 bucks doesn't sound too bad. But, what do I know? I've never done what you're trying to do.

Yeah…and the class will pay for the fees, so its all good. I am more concerned about what it can all do….

Pretty sure now I'll just set up an email, start building a database and when we have our first meeting in Sheboygan for the planning group, we can talk about it.

Gmail is better than everything ever.

I agree with Richard, gmail's the bomb.

For one, it keeps track of your emails different. In yahoo, you hit reply and you get a whole new email and whole new space to take up. In gmail, it adds it to a thread, so you just click on the original email and all the other emails come up under it.

I know I'm not explaining it right lol but it's the best way to keep track of conversations that you have.

It's simple and user friendly.

I won't change and no one can make me! ;)

Funny that ya'll are talkinga bout gmail…I was already in the process of switching to it…

I helped with the setting up of one for my 10 year.  We did some of it through classmates, and like you said, budgeted for the cost.  We also got permission from the school to post a link on their website.  Fortunately for us, one of the guys organizing everything works for an internet company so he was able to get us a free URL.

It might not be a bad idea to post something on myspace and facebook, but I would definately set something up outside of that.  We sent out paper invites but also sent out e-vites to those whose emails we had.

As for free email…I don't know about gmail.  I've stuck with msn because I'm a-feared of change. :D

gmail is best.

yahoo kept giving me so much spam and putting emails that were ok in the spam folder - even *after* I repeatedly cliked the "not spam" thingy.

gmail. much better :)