Present a Program

When we talk about a "program" we mean a formal presentation held sometime during your family reunion. It's a time to get everyone together and focus on your theme or goal. You can have more than one program during a reunion, especially for multi-day ones. In fact, your entire reunion can be a series of programs interspersed with food and socializing and other activities.

If you're having an afternoon barbecue, everyone will be present and you can easily call them to order for the program. You'll likely have to round up children who are playing and quiet people down but you can do that by simply announcing that the program is about to start.

For large gatherings or those that span several days, the best way to gather people for a program is to publish the time and place for it (or them) in the schedule or calendar. People will show up on their own.

It helps to start a program exactly on time rather than delay it while you wait for people to gather unless you have a small group. If you start late, people will learn that they don't have to be there until late. Some will come late no matter what, so there's no since worrying about them.

Use a master of ceremonies--it can be you--who will open the program and announce various elements of it. It gives the program someone in charge.