how it all happened

• the project started in January 2002. Ae initiated and Nat Kittipong volunteered to be the secretary. Nat was a big help and did most of the personnel work.
• committee was formed. many people volunteered to help.
• originally thought to be our primary mean of contact, email communication was stalled. not much participation.
• meetings in physical locations had problems. many people attended the first meeting, but attendance significantly dropped in the next meeting. location seemed to be an issue. too much fuss.
• we started getting friends into the team. Neung Sansita helped lay out a nice long-term plan. Ae Thanaporn became our treasurer. Many friends (too many to list here) volunteered to participate. we also came up with a list of classroom representatives.
• long period (a couple months) of inactivity because of people's schedule conflicts (other life commitments and responsibilities)
• as the intended date (mid-August) drew near, we had to pick between 1. having a big, open, free concerted effort in the committee, which is ideal because everyone in Class of 23 gets a chance to help, but as a result, nothing would be finalized and this would delay the reunion, or 2. working with a smaller team, composed of people we already know, and getting everything done. we picked number 2, to have the reunion on time.
  
• Nat set up an email address. This email address, "reunionbd23(at)yahoo.com" could be transferred to the next team who wants to host the reunion.
• we found that finding the location and setting the date were not difficult
• there is no perfect date. there will always be some friends who couldn't come on any given date. we cannot please everyone. some people complained about the date being on a long weekend. but the fact is, you have to choose between, for example, going on a trip, or coming to see friends on a Saturday night. pick your entertainment. it's as simple as that. it's not like you have to cancel work to come to this.
• postcard was a good idea. we gathered 5 friends at Ae's house and wrote postcards. we sent out about 400 postcards. we used addresses in M.5 yearbook. for odd-numbered classrooms, we sent postcards to odd-numbered people; and to even-numbered people in even-numbered classrooms, with a few exceptions. next reunion, we should send to all addresses if possible. the cost was not that high.
• this postcard-writing team also turned out to also be the ones who designed games and activities. For those who enjoyed the Quiz Show, applaud Big Kanokrit, Can Vorragan, and Tao Sirawich for their creativity.
• shopping was done by various people. mainly, we had to buy stationery. the hardest things to buy were the prizes to hand out. Tao took care of this for us.
• we decided on our hosts 1 week in advance. this turned out to be Tom Tippawan and Nat himself. Superb choices. They did a wonderful job.

suggestions for the next reunion

• find better-quality stickers for nametags
• the admission fee, which was set at 350 baht, could be lowered a bit next time IF we could develop a good confirmation system. The more we know in advance about the number of guests, the less we have to cover.
• expect delays. the activities were scheduled to start at 6:30pm, but delayed until after 7pm. delay is normal, and must be factored in.
• more free beers and other light alcoholic drinks.
• smoking shouldn't be allowed inside the dining room next time. smoke can be disturbing, and there will be children attending in the future. we must make our party a family-friendly atmosphere.
• food should be put inside the room. they said it was not possible this time.
• 3 people at registration table worked well.
• the two hosts should have equal time to speak. it's more dynamic that way.
• the room had great stage decorations. white tables looked clean and nice. a place with higher ceiling may be better, but of course would be more expensive.
• we forgot to do "update friends' news." this should be an interesting part of the activities.
  
• the musicians were good, but next time a cd player might be a better idea, because the activities filled up most of the time. perhaps karaoke is a good idea too, for friends who want to sing.
• candle light vigil was a nice part of the party.
• at the end, things were getting a little confusing. friends left the room way too soon. we had the room reserved until 10:30pm or even 11pm. we want to keep friends inside the room.
• friends who came and registered their addresses this year should be guaranteed to receive postcards for the next reunion.
• guys outnumbered girls by about 2:1. we should try to make it more even.
• always remember, pictures with old friends are priceless. take a LOT of pictures.

final thought