Minutes from 2015 Family Reunion Meeting and Financial Summary

Prepared by the 2015 Organizing Committee

Below are the minutes from the the 2015 Family Reunion Meeting that took place on Sunday, July 5, 2015. A representative from each branch of the family was asked to attend. We have also prepared a Financial Summary for you to view in PDF format. (click on the link to download a copy of the file)

Attendees:

  • Mathieu Préfontaine
  • Melissa Préfontaine
  • Lisette Préfontaine
  • Laura Ross-Giroux
  • Jo-Ann Gingras
  • Yvon Préfontaine
  • Novelene Martin
  • Tanya Préfontaine
  • Chad Ross
  • Deondra Rondeau
  1. Discussed continuing the reunion every 3 years and keeping it at the same location in Wood
    Mountain. Everyone was in favor.
  2. Family Calendars. Should we make it available online so people can print it themselves at
    their own cost? Laura was going to look into it.
  3. The following suggestions were made for the next reunion:
    • Look at buying some cheap kiddy pools for the little ones and maybe have a slip
      ‘n slide and some super soakers and water toys. Tanya Prefontaine offered to be
      in charge of this for the 2018 reunion.
    • Don’t rent pool for next reunion – just let people go when they want. The timing
      didn’t work for everyone and it was an unused expense.
    • Option of doing a potluck.
    • Ask people to bring buns instead of buying from the bakery.
    • Keep the catered supper for Saturday night.
    • Liked the taco in a bag meal.
    • Add a safe zone for the Scavenger Hunt.
    • Get pictures from the family to start a Photo Gallery online of the past reunions.
    • Could we have 2 or 3 golf carts available for transporting people around –
      especially those who aren’t as mobile.
    • Everyone seemed to like the option to email transfer the registration funds –
      made collecting the funds much easier to manage. Melissa & Mathieu offered to
      continue being in charge of this for the next reunion if the next organizing
      committee is ok with it as it requires the knowledge of the backend of the
      website to complete the registration online. All were in favor.
    • Should we try and do a family picture on the Saturday night? Do the picture on
      the rodeo bleachers or at the Sitting Bull monument.
    • Is there the option to rent the hall across from the rodeo grounds? Could be an
      option to do our meals there – more room for the growing family.
    • Start the horseshoe tournament earlier in the day.
    • Look at hiring someone like Joceyln Beaureguard to manage the kitchen. She was
      asked for the 2015 reunion but was not available. Another name that was
      mentioned was Russell Belback of the Burning Hills Café (not sure if this was
      meant to cater the whole weekend though)      ?
    • All families agreed that it would be a nice gesture to send Marguerite a thank
      you card and a donation of money ($20/family – total of $240) as a token of our
      appreciation for her being the head of the kitchen during the 2015 reunion. It
      was sent shortly after the reunion.
    • Look at renting a refrigerated trailer for the weekend (in Weyburn) so there is
      room for the food and other items in case the fridges and freezers are full or not
      working properly. Lisette and Aggie will look into picking up the food for the
      weekend with the refrigerated trailer.
    • Jackie Gingras’ name was suggested to be in charge of the music again for the
      next reunion. Just confirm this with her prior to the next reunion.
    • Purchase or borrow some Bag Buddy’s for extra bins for cans and garbage
      around the camp.
    • Have a dedicated grounds crew to manage the garbage and make sure the
      bathrooms are in good order. (This was in place in 2015 – not sure if there were
      some crews that didn’t cover their jobs?)
    • It was suggested to maybe have people wash their own dishes instead of having
      clean up crews.
    • In order to “stay green” and use less disposable material, would people be open
      to bringing their own dishes, coffee cups, etc.?
    • Work the cost of ice for coolers into the budget. (for 2015 we did cover the cost
      of ice for the coolers that pertained to the food supplied by the organizing
      committee but any other ice that people required was to be purchased on their
      own)      . It was suggested to stock 1 freezer with ice to sell to everyone at the
      reunion in case the store ran out and so people didn’t have to make a special trip
      to purchase it.
  4. Laura had offered to be in charge of the 2018 reunion but only in the capacity of
    delegating the tasks. Lisette offered that her family could do the planning and organizing
    of the reunion and it was decided that because they would be able to be fully “hands
    on” with all of the tasks that it would be a better fit.