REUNIONS
I find reunions of many kinds, including family get-togethers, to be beneficial in many ways.
Right now, when so much depends on bettering relationships among the many branches of those groups who constitute the Middle East families, we could all use some practical advice concerning merely getting along with each other.
This past week end we attended such a family reunion in North Carolina I wondered often, during the sessions, how such sentiments of mutual understanding and acceptance of realities can be translated into the international families. It is not easy. Few see it as being a quick victory.
The Reunion we attended Friday, Saturday and Sunday was held this year in the tri-town area of Newton, Conover and Hickory, North Carolina. Hickory, the largest of the three, is really a small city and Newton and Con over a steadily progressing. They have existed for some time back-to-back. Yet there is unity in many ways. They have e some disagreements, of course, but the family feel is always there and it is the solidifying factor in their mutual well-being.
I married into this particular reunion twenty-four years ago. This week- end we were the “Herman Family Reunion” to motels, restaurants, filling stations and other business locations in all three communities, and we felt welcomed, too.
Nationally the Herman family is quite large, of course. Our is a small wing of those who came from Germany and found their way to the Carolina colonies. Largely Germanic they were also of related Lutheran religious tenets. Those two qualities enter into just about every reunion there is - strong elements of element of unity in origin and basic beliefs they hold to be true and binding – both religious and secular religious and secular.
As with families of all types today, we are no longer tied to The Carolinas. Our “most distant” attendee year was. again Michelle Rogers who lives and works in Fairbanks, Alaska. The second largest portion of the group drives in from various sections of Virginia. There is no organized program as such but the whole group is made aware of good an bad news which has visited the lives of members during the year. Attention is paid to those members who were unable, for one reason or another, to attend ...a couple from Armada,.Co., a family from Murfreesboro, TN, another from Ocean City, Md other from Dearborn ,MI. The names names vary all over the spectrum now, too . ..Arndt, Beard, Campbell, Carr, Conn, Coleman, Dale, Fulk, Howe, Hovis and Crawford ...fifteen groups of actual Hermans, plus many others and I have, probably made a mistake listing some, knowing I would have to leave some out.
But, the Herman Reunion is always a happy one. There is no place for bickering over minor points. Organize your family to observe and annual reunion. Keep it informal and real. There is no better way for us to prepare ourselves as citizens to improve national family understandings world wide.
A.L.M. June 21, 2003 [c538wds]
