Class Reunion Guide - Alumni Association, SMLLU

Reunion Planning Guide
Everything you need to know to make your class anniversary memorable
Created by the Alumni Association
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Table of Contents
Basic Information Letter ...............................................................................................................3
Alumni Association Contact Information .................................................................................4
Reunion Class Gift Challenge .....................................................................................................5
Reunion Planning Overview and Deadlines ............................................................................6
Quick Reunion Facts ................................................................................................................. 7-8
Reunion Program Ideas................................................................................................................9
Reunion Location Ideas ..............................................................................................................10
Publishing Your Reunion Book.................................................................................................11
Appendix ......................................................................................................................................12
Appendix
Class Reunion Letter Samples
Reunion Book Questionnaire
Class Reunion Webpage Sample
Preliminary APC Weekend Schedule
Reunion Sign-in Sheet
Copyright 2015, Alumni Association
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Basic Information Letter
Dear Class Representative(s),
Many alumni find that volunteering to help organize their School of Medicine
reunion is one of the most gratifying and fun things they do for their class and alma
mater. Because it is no small task, we have created this guide to give you the tools you
need to succeed. If you don’t find what you are looking for, please let us know.
The Alumni Association is more than happy to assist you in planning your reunion
to be held during APC Weekend. Here are some of the things we can do for you:

Provide you with a class list, including addresses, phone numbers, and emails.

Mail a letter written by you to your class about your reunion (see a sample letter
in the attached appendix). Stationary is provided by us. Postage is taken out of
your class fund. Our staff will handle all the mailing details so you don’t have to.

Promote your reunion in the Alumni Journal (deadline is November 10).

Help you create a class webpage for your reunion on our website, including a
link to RSVP for your event.

Assist in planning your class gift. Reunion classes typically make a class gift
during their reunion year (project is selected by class vote).

Offer ideas for reunion locations and in some cases assist in arrangements.

Take a class photograph at your reunion (to be published in the Alumni Journal).

Coordinate having the Dean of the School of Medicine at your event and/or other
School representatives.

Schedule a tour of campus for your class during APC Weekend.

Reserve tables for your class to sit together at the APC Gala and be honored.
Remember, successful reunions start with advanced planning and by gathering a
core of volunteers to form a class reunion committee (i.e. 3-5 people). So don’t delay, get
started today!
Sincerely,
Dennis Park
Interim Executive Director, Alumni Association
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Basil Vassantachart, MD ’79 (?)
President, Alumni Association
Alumni Association Contact Information
As you begin making plans for your class reunion, remember our staff is here to help
you in any way we can. Please call us anytime with questions, and don’t forget to keep
an eye on our website for more information about APC Weekend.
Alumni Association, School of Medicine of Loma Linda University
11245 Anderson Street, Suite 200, Loma Linda, CA 92354
(909) 558-4633 | www.llusmaa.org
Dennis Park, Interim Executive Director
Reunion Expertise: Class gift planning and fundraising, selection of the class project
dpark@llu.edu
Armine Borquez, Executive Assistant and Events Coordinator
Reunion Expertise: Plans APC Weekend events and schedule, arranges campus tours
aborquez@llu.edu
Sue Kunz, Bookkeeper
Reunion Expertise: Class gift donation processing
skunz@llu.edu
Calvin Chuang, Media Technician
Reunion Expertise: Creates class webpages, assists with photography and video needs
calchuang@llu.edu
Ath Tuot (AT), Records Manager
Reunion Expertise: Coordinates class reunion mailings, updates alumni records
atuot@llu.edu
Chris Clouzet, Staff Writer and Publication Coordinator
Reunion Expertise: Promotes class reunions in the Alumni Journal
cclouzet@llu.edu
Veronica Martinez, Office Assistant
Reunion Expertise: Provides class lists, assists with reunion location selection, ticket
purchases and class reservations for APC Weekend events like the Gala,
Reunion location selection, class reservations and ticket purchase vemartinez@llu.edu
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Reunion Class Gift Challenge
Reunions often inspire alumni to make a gift over and above the support they
usually provide in other years. The Reunion Class Gift Challenge encourages classes to
reunite and commemorate their special reunion year by making a substantial combined
gift to their alma mater. Sometimes this is to establish an endowed scholarship in
memory of the class or someone special, or to improve a building or classroom on
campus, or even purchase new equipment for a lab or clinic. There are many
possibilities for classes to leave a legacy at Loma Linda University. The Executive
Director can assist you in selecting a project that best fits your class’ wishes and dreams.
Contact the Alumni Association office for more information. (909) 558-4633.
Only gifts given to your reunion class fund are counted towards the Reunion Class Gift
Challenge. Gifts can be mailed to the Alumni Association or made online at
www.llusmaa.org. Be sure to mark your gift for the “Class of 1966 (or 1991) Reunion
Fund” (insert your class year). All monies collected are tax-deductible and go towards
the project selected by your class. All monies are held in trust by the Alumni
Association and are distributed only upon class request.
The success of the Reunion Class Gift Challenge is dependent upon you! So, we invite
you to participate in the challenge and spread the word to your classmates. Challenge
your class to break a new giving record! All class reunion giving will be recognized in
the Alumni Journal following APC Weekend.
You can work with the Executive Director to select a project and set a fundraising goal.
Please consider making a reunion gift yourself to be a good role model for your
classmates. Gifts can be made outright, by planned giving or through pledges. Your
alma mater counts on the generosity of classes like yours.
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Reunion Planning Overview and Deadlines
Class reunions are typically held on Sunday of APC Weekend.
Form your class reunion committee (3-5 people)
10-12 months prior
Submit nomination to Alumni Association for Alumni of the Year
10 months prior
Contact Executive Director to discuss class gift options
7-8 months prior
Select location and catering for class reunion
6 months prior
(Don’t forget to consider how you will handle RSVPs)
Draft initial reunion letter to class and send to Alumni Association 6 months prior
(Remember to include the dates for APC Weekend, your reunion details, your
class gift information, your class webpage, and RSVP details)
Draft reunion book questionnaire to be mailed with letter
6 months prior
(50th Reunion Class only)
Alumni Association sends reunion mailing to your class
5-6 months prior
(Includes your letter, questionnaire, class gift card, and return envelope)
Have Alumni Association update class website as necessary
3 months prior
Have reunion committee call all your classmates
10 weeks prior
(Encourage classmates to attend, make a gift, and ask for missing questionnaires)
Give all reunion book questionnaires and photos to designer
12 weeks prior
(50 Reunion Class only)
th
Order mementos to give away at your reunion (if any)
8 weeks prior
Check final proof of reunion book before it goes to press
10 weeks prior
(50 Reunion Class only)
th
Finalize the reunion program with your reunion committee
6 weeks prior
Email your class an update and remind them to attend
4 weeks prior
Obtain class photo(s) and yearbook for display at reunion
3-4 weeks prior
(50th Reunion Class only)
Make final arrangements and print name tags
1 week prior
Send thank you to reunion committee
1 week after
Identify classmates in class photo for Alumni Journal
2 weeks after
Email out a post-reunion letter with photos to class
3-4 weeks after
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Quick Reunion Facts

Class reunions are typically held on Sunday of APC Weekend unless notified
otherwise.

The date for APC Weekend this year is March 4-7, 2016.

The special reunion classes this year are:

2006 – 10th
1981 – 35th
1961 – 55th
1996 – 20th
1976 – 40th
1956 – 60th
1991 – 25th
1971 – 45th
1986 – 30th
1966 – 50th
Reunion classes typically make a class gift to the school to commemorate their
special anniversary year. Please see page 5 for more information.

A personal phone call to your classmates can significantly encourage attendance
to your reunion and inspire people to give to your class project. Divide up names
among your reunion committee and have each member call some of your
classmates.

Each class has its own account at the Alumni Association to which it can donate
funds, deposit fees and payments, and pay for activities, reunion books, and
mementos.

A representative from Loma Linda University will be on hand to assist you
during your class reunion, as well as to answer questions about the school.
Contact the Alumni Association to find out the name of your representative.

A photographer will be assigned to take your class photo during your reunion.
The photo of 25th and 50th class will be published in the Alumni Journal.

Use the reunion sign-in sheet with space for email addresses at your class
reunion, then share the email addresses with your classmates so you can stay in
touch. This will also help you keep track of who attends. Be sure to send a copy
of the sign-in sheet to the Alumni Association for our records too.

Be sure to print name tags for classmates and their spouses who are attending.
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Quick Reunion Facts Continued

Each reunion class is responsible for the costs incurred for their reunion. Most
classes charge a reunion fee per person to cover the costs of catering, mementos,
reunion book assembling and printing, etc. The Alumni Association can process
the reunion fees and reimburse you for any expenses incurred up to the amount
collected from those attending.

APC registration fees cover the cost of continuing education classes offered,
some meals, and some entertainment throughout the weekend.

The APC Gala is a formal event with entertainment and food. The program also
includes the recognition of the Alumnus/Alumna of the Year and several
Honored Alumni, as well as recognition of the special reunion classes and their
class gifts. The Alumni Association offers reserved seating at the APC Gala for
special reunion classes. Contact us to learn more. Many alumni also choose to
sponsor a table at this event to benefit our medical students.

The 25th reunion class are asked to have class members participate in the Sabbath
School and church program on Sabbath morning. Contact the Alumni
Association to learn more.

The Alumni Association is happy to host your class website and process your
class gift donations for you. We can also create a quick link for your class website
upon request (call for web address).

25th and 50th church participation
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Reunion Program Ideas
Here are some possible class programs, based on those planned by previous
classes.

Performance or presentation by classmates who are singers, authors,
musicians, artists, photographers, etc. Be sure to invite early!

Talk by faculty speaker on a topic that ties to your class theme or is of
interest.

Prepare and do a fun survey that classmates can take during mixer and
read the results at the end of dinner

Present some class awards (serious or fun)

Update the class on what is currently happening at the school

Create a reunion memory book or PowerPoint for display

Highlight classmates who have passed away with photos or stories

Introduce spouses

Do a “What happened that year?”

Put up a white board for everyone to post photos on.
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Reunion Location Ideas
Here are some possible class reunion locations, based on those planned by
previous classes.

A room on-campus (i.e. Wong Kerlee Conference Center)

Alumni Center Conference Room

Home of a local alumnus/alumna

Local hotel conference room (Hospitality Lane)

Local restaurant banquet room (i.e., Napoli’s Restaurant)

Redlands Country Club dining rooms
NOTE: Feel free to contact the Alumni Association office for help in finding an ideal
location.
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Publishing Your Class Reunion Book
(50th Reunion Class only)
Class reunion books are updates from your classmates in their own words. This is
meant as a keepsake for classmates, and is distributed at your reunion. They may be
long or short responses (only limiter is the cost of printing more pages). Be sure to
inform the Alumni Association if your class is considering a Class Reunion Book.
Gathering Content for Reunion Book
If your class will be printing a class reunion book, be sure to mail a questionnaire with
your class reunion letter (see sample questionnaire in the appendix). The Alumni
Association can mail the questionnaire with your letter for you.
Once the questionnaires are returned, you will need to compile the information in a
style of your choice. Some examples may include:
• Biographical sheets in alphabetical order and copied as submitted
• Statistics compiled from questionnaires
• Questionnaires printed as submitted
• Illustrations, graphics, poems, photos, etc.
• Memorial pages in honor of your deceased classmates
The Alumni Association has a designer who can help you layout the information in the
style you prefer and help you prepare your book for printing.
Reunion Book Printing Options
After the materials are gathered and prepared for printing by a designer, you can have
the copies made at your local copy center or ask the Alumni Association about other
printing options. Most attending classmates will want to receive a copy of the book.
Most classes typically print between 50-75 copies and charge their classmates for the
printing cost. The sales of these books can be run through your class fund at the Alumni
Association.
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APPENDIX
Class Reunion Letter Samples
Dear Classmate,
Our 40th class reunion will soon be upon us. Reunions are a great time to catch up with
old friends and to relive memories of our medical school days. We launched our careers at
Loma Linda University with the help of friends and faculty. For those who have not been to the
LLU’s campus recently, you will find it changed in appearance--new buildings, new
technology, new faculty--but still very much dedicated to providing excellence in medical
education.
Besides offering us a chance to catch up with each other, our class reunion is also an
opportunity to make a meaningful class gift and give back to our alma mater, and to raise our
class giving totals—both by having more of us give and at a higher level. Class giving totals will
be reported in the summer issue of the Alumni Journal. Also, we will be voting on a class project
that our money will go towards on our reunion night. Please send class gifts to the Alumni
Association at 11245 Anderson Street, Suite 200, Loma Linda, CA 92354 or you can give online
at www.llusmaa.org.
Our class reunion will take place during APC Weekend, which is scheduled for March 14, 2013. You have probably already received some information about it in the mail. You can
register online at www.llusmaa.org/apc. There are some great events to look forward to during
APC, including world-renowned speakers, concerts, campus tours, and the APC Gala on March
4. The Gala is a black-tie affair that includes alumni awards, entertainment, and a delicious
meal. You won’t want to miss it!
Of course the best part of the weekend, will be our class reunion, which will take place
Saturday, March 2 at 1:00 p.m. at the home of Gary Wernick (1494 Cindee Lane, Colton). Please
RSVP by February 1 to bchayton@sbcglobal.net or by calling (949) 201-9402. In addition, we will
have a photographer on hand to take our class photo, which will be printed in the Alumni
Journal.
I look forward to seeing each of you on campus soon. Safe travels!
Sincerely,
Bill Hayton ’73-B
P.S. If you have questions or need assistance with APC Weekend details, contact the Alumni
Association at (909) 558-4633. A schedule of events and more details about APC Weekend will
be mailed to you soon by the Alumni Association.
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Dear Fellow Classmate,
It seems unfathomable that a quarter of a century has gone by since we graduated together from
the Loma Linda University School of Medicine. Time has quite literally flown by. Wasn’t it just
yesterday when we had our 10th…when “John Smith” went around introducing himself to all of
us, fearful that we would not recognize him with his new hairline? John, a lot of our hairlines
have receded while our belt sizes have grown.
As the Silver Anniversary Class this year, we have a few responsibilities as well as an
opportunity to give a gift to our School of Medicine, the place that provided us with the
education to do what we do. Some of our classmates who teach at LLU have informed me there
is a need for more diagnostic ultrasound machines for the Physical Diagnosis Class for the first
year students. With the University discount, the units cost about $20,000 each. After some
discussion among our class, we feel this is an excellent choice for our class gift. Our goal is raise
$40,000 from our class so the School of Medicine can purchase two units at their discounted
rate. We will present this gift to the school at the APC Gala on Monday, March 9, where our
class will be recognized. You can purchase tickets for the Gala at call us for web address.
Donations for the class gift can be made on our class website at call us for web address. This
site keeps track of our class donations and other class information. Please note that your
donation is for the Class of ’90 Fund. Alternatively, your check can be sent directly to the
Alumni Association office. I sent in my donation today and urge the rest of you to do the same.
Our class is also responsible for Sabbath School and some church platform duties at the
University Church on Sabbath, March 7. Many classmates have agreed to participate in these
roles—thank you! As of this writing one slot still remains open (opening prayer for first
service), so if you wish to participate in this manner, email (insert correct address here).
For our class reunion, we will be having a brunch Sunday morning at Castaways Restaurant
in San Bernardino from 10am-2pm. A photographer will be on hand to photograph our class at
11:30 am. The cost for the meal is $40.00/plate. You can pay for your tickets in advance by
visiting our class website and clicking on the link for the brunch. You can also mail a check to
the Alumni Association, at 11245 Anderson Street, Suite 200, Loma Linda, CA 92354. Be sure to
indicate in the memo line that this is for Class of '90 Reunion Brunch.
Finally, we would like to compile an email list for our class to make communication easier.
Could you please take a moment so send a quick email to insert correct address here? I look
forward to seeing many of you in the near future.
Sincerely,
John Doe ‘90
P.S. Don’t forget to visit our class webpage at call for web address to make your class gift in
honor of our 25th Class Anniversary.
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Class Reunion Book Questionnaire
If you know you will be publishing a class reunion book you will want to include a
questionnaire like this with your class letter. See page 11 to learn more about publishing
a class reunion book.
Full Name: ___________________________________________________________________
Primary Address: _____________________________________________________________
City: _________________________________
State: _______
Zip: _____________
Primary Phone Number: _______________________________________________________
Primary Email: _______________________________________________________________
Employer/Occupation: _________________________________________________________
What have you been doing since graduation? Please include job/s, education, volunteer
activities, political work, family, interesting things you do in your spare time:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
What is most important to you now? (Work, academics, family, etc.):
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Best vacation since graduation:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
If the person you were when you left LLU were to meet your current self, what would
surprise him/her the most?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Please return completed questionnaire no later than (date) to:
(name)
(address)
(email address)
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Class Reunion Webpage Sample
Class Page for 1990 School of Medicine Graduates
Class Representatives: insert name | insert name | insert name
Our 25th Class Reunion will be during APC on March 8, 2013! Click here to RSVP.
A class photo will be taken at the reunion and a copy printed in the Alumni Journal.
Our class gift will be presented and our class recognized during the APC Gala on
Monday, March 9, 2015 at 7:00 p.m. Purchase tickets to the Gala here.
20th Class Reunion Photo
(2008, Loma Linda, CA)
Note: A few classmates are missing as they arrived late.
Class of 1988
It is a LLU School of Medicine tradition that the 25th Class Reunion
Goal:
make a class gift to commemorate their special anniversary. Our goal $40,000.00
is to raise at least $40,000 to help the School of Medicine purchase
Achieved:
two diagnostic ultrasound machines. If you haven't given to our class
fund yet, please consider making a contribution. All monies collected $37,400.00
1988 Class Fund
are held in trust by the Alumni Association and distributed only upon
class request. Your donation to the 1988 Class Fund is tax-deductible.
For more information, contact the Alumni Association.
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Click here to
make a
donation.
Preliminary APC Weekend Schedule
Friday
9:00—11:30 am
Campus Tours
12:00 noon
Lunch on Your Own
1:00—4:00 pm
Symposium
7:00 pm
Mission Vespers
Saturday
9:00-12:00 pm
Worship Services
12:00-2:30 pm
Fellowship Dinner/ Mission Luncheon (AIMS)
4:30 pm
National Auxiliary Vespers
7:30 pm
Entertainment (to be determined)
Sunday
7:00 am
APC Scientific Program registration opens
7:45 am
Devotional and Opening Remarks
8:00 am—4:00 pm
Plenary Sessions and Specialty Symposiums (CME credit)
10:00 am—3:00 pm Exhibits and Scientific Poster Session
12:00 pm
Alumni Luncheon and School Update
5:00—9:00 pm
Class Reunions
Monday
7:45 am
Devotional
8:00 am—4:00 pm
Plenary Sessions (CME credit)
10:00 am—2:00 pm Exhibits and Scientific Poster Session
12:00 pm
Physician/Medical Student Luncheon
6:00 pm
APC Gala (Alumni Awards)
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Class Reunion Sign-in Sheet
Class of 1965
Name
Email Address
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Class Reunion Sign-in Sheet
Class of 1991
Name
Email Address
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