Why a Reunion?

Why a Reunion? by John J. Roark 
R-CA Past President 1993-1995
(From March 1993 Newsletter)

Family reunions mean different things to each of us and even our own concepts of reunions change as we get older. To many of us, the thought of a family reunion brings forth memories of happy times with many cousins. As we grew up and families dispersed, as fathers, mothers, aunts, and uncles passed away, our family ties focused more on our brothers and sisters and, of course, our children, and less and less on the extended family. 

As families have dispersed, both nationally and internationally, even the immediate family often finds it difficult to “re-unite”. Reunions now often mean rare Christmas visits or merely infrequent communications by telephone. Why then should we consider a reunion for families descending from common ancestors of five or six generations ago?

How can we encourage our children and grandchildren to attend a gathering of people we seldom see and third/fourth cousins we do not know? There are at least three objectives for the 1993 Conner-Roark Reunion which, in themselves, are reasons to attend: 

1. To better understand our family history and the great heritage that is ours. We naturally gather strength from an understanding of how our ancestors survived and prospered under difficult times. 

2. To re-establish family traditions and values. There is much to gain by grasping again the family values which have brought us where we are and from which we can gain daily support. 

3. To develop or recapture relationships among relatives who have much in common. This permits us to “make friends” with relatives who may have long since been forgotten and, hopefully, to embrace continuing communication. 

I hope you will see a reason to attend the 1993 Conner-Roark Reunion with your immediate family.