Camping

We have booked two primitive camping sites right next to the pavilion where we will be celebrating: sites number 3 & 4. 

No electricity but it is the perfect spot to toss a tent and sleep until the birds wake you up in the morning. We can build a fire  in the fire ring and continue our celebration into the night. The pavilion closes at 10pm so we will move to the campsite at that time. There is "no alcohol" allowed outside of the picnic area and a "maximum" of 4 people per site.* If you are interested in camping, please let us know so we can make arrangements with you. Each site cost $13 to reserve so we can split the cost between those wanting to stay. Email ao04.blogspot@gmail.com or drop us a line in the Facebook group.

*We have to share the rules. Whether we have to enforce them remains to be seen. 

PS. Sites 1 & 2 were not available to reserve. If you are the one that booked them, please let us know!  

'Smores Bar

Putting the finishing touches on the menu for our class reunion and sometimes you have to start with dessert! In addition to delicious orange & blue jello-cake cupcakes, we will be featuring a Build-Your-Own 'Smores Bar. Complete with the classic ingredients, we will also have Heath Bars and Andes Mints, cinnamon graham crackers, and the option to dip your toasted marshmallow in Bailey's Irish Cream or Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey (it tastes just like the Atomic Fireball candy)! Weldon Springs Sledding Hill has a wonderful firepit and we're going to put it to use!

Photo Booth Preview

One of the coolest parts of our ten year class reunion will be the Photo Booth! With a large frame hanging from a tree to pose inside of and tons of fun props to choose from, you will leave with great memories captured on a high quality DSLR camera taken at your push of a remote control button. 

The props to choose from include mustaches, lips, bow ties, a pipe, and glasses on sticks. There will also be men's and women's hats and feather boas to don on your fabulous selves!

Putting the Fun in FUNdraising

When I first realized it was time to start planning our Ten Year Class Reunion, the first question I asked was, "What the heck? It's been 10 years already?!" But the second question was, "How the heck are we gonna pay for this thing?" With no class funds, your organizers are on their own. So, to keep ticket costs relatively low, we've come up with some fun ways to drum up a little money to help pay for this gig, but more importantly so we have a little nest egg the next time the class reunion comes creeping upon us.

1. Silent Auction 

Be sure to bring some cash or a checkbook to the class reunion for the silent auction. We are still accepting donated items for the auction! Items to be auctioned include:

• A homemade A-O themed cornhole game 
• The class quilt the art students made for the class of 2004. Remember the panel with your name on it?
• Spirit gear such as this A-O Bombers cowbell, because you've got a fever...

2. Book Sales

For a class project in Mr. Cowgill's AP Literature class in 2004, twelve students set out to create a tale of horrific homicide set to the tune of religious fervor. Given the task of writing one chapter each, the students -- almost exclusively from the class of 2004 -- collaborated to tell the story of Leonard, a rabbit with his herbivorous teeth set on destruction, plagued by the commercializing of his favorite holiday: Easter. Order The Easter Basket Case here and have this great book in time for Easter. Or buy it at the reunion.

At $12, all proceeds from book sales will go toward funding this and future class reunions. Try to guess who wrote what chapter without looking at the table of contents. Listen to the little nuances between the authors' voices while still maintaining the voice of our narrator. See how the authors set up the next chapter to further the plot, or to challenge the next author. (We're offering a $2 off discount to contributors. Email ao04.blogspot (at) gmail (dot) com for the discount code.)

3. Donations

Of course, you could always simply donate money. Cold hard cash is always appreciated. Even $5 could go a long way toward purchasing food and drinks for everyone.

4. Decoration Sale

At the end of the reunion, all decorations have to go. Pinterest-inspired luminaries and backdrops will sell for less than you'll pay on Etsy. Cute decor such as a hula hoop chandelier and photo booth props like mustaches on sticks are just a couple examples.

The Dog Ate My Ticket, And Other Bad Excuses for Not Attending Your Class Reunion

The class reunion: Causing social anxiety in even the most well-adjusted graduate since forever.

Thinking of NOT going to our class reunion? Think again.

If you are NOT attending, you will need a good excuse and a note from your mom! The following reasons have been tried and are UNACCEPTABLE.

Excuse #1: I've gained a lot of weight. / I'm starting to get wrinkles. / I don't look as good as I'd like.
Look around! I doubt any of us could get back into our jeans from high school anymore.

Excuse #2: I'm a different person than I was in high school.
Lucky for you, we ALL are. Let's face it: we could only have improved.

Excuse #3: I'm not successful. I'm not a lawyer, a doctor, or rich (take your pick).
You'll be pleasantly surprised to find out how much everyone has matured. We may be plump and wrinkled (see #1) but we're not stupid. Money is not success. Please note that any doctors in the class are very welcome. Any lawyers will need special permission to attend.

Excuse #4: I was not in a popular clique at school.
Now that we're older and smarter, those cliques have dissolved just like the superficialities they were based on. The only cliques you'll notice at the reunion will be the sound of your joints as you walk around.

Excuse #5: I don't know who to talk to or what to say. 
Don't panic. No one knows who they will talk to or what to say. Somehow when you get there, it all falls into place. If not, the booze is there to help.

Excuse #6: None of my friends from school are going. / I don't have a date.
This one is the stupidest excuse. Band together and talk your old friends into going with you! Or come anyway and make new friends in the most unexpected people. You may be surprised. And we really could not care less whether you have a date or come alone. We will just be psyched to see you!

Excuse #7: It's too expensive.
We are trying our hardest to keep the ticket price as low as possible for everyone. I get it. You don't really have extra cash laying around to dish out so you can make awkward conversation for a few hours. Keep in mind that we have put a lot of our own time and money into making this an enjoyable event for all. All money raised will go in the class account to be used toward the event, and any extra (if any exists) will go toward the next reunion. Those coming from far away have another set of expenses for traveling and lodging. We hope you will make the trip! Maybe you will consider staying at the campground with us... more details on that to come.

Excuse #8: It seems like everyone just wants to drink alcohol at the reunion.
Not all of us drink. Some of us have only a few to relax our nerves. We are trying to keep this as family friendly as possible. There will even be kids games and a playground.

Excuse #9: My significant other will feel completely left out and/or find out embarrassing things about me.
Your SO already knows all kinds of embarrassing things about you and loves you anyway. We will make sure your SO has a wonderful time and look forward to getting to know each other.

Excuse #10: I just don't feel like it.
Seriously? Life is full of things we don't feel like doing. Plus there'll be food and music and a firepit. Just buy a ticket and show up. If it totally sucks, you can bail early. (It won't totally suck, I promise. And you'll have a great time and everyone will talk about how much fun they had and your old friends will be jealous that they didn't go and you did.)

From now until April 1st, you can purchase your tickets at the early bird price. As an added bonus, if you buy before April 1st, you'll be entered in to a drawing for a prize! 

If you haven't already joined our Facebook group (here), please request an invitation. It's been difficult to track down everyone and we definitely don't want to leave anyone out!

Location and Date!

A very important announcement:

The Argenta-Oreana Class of 2004 Ten Year Reunion will be held at...

...drum roll please...

Weldon Springs State Park in Clinton, IL on Saturday May 31st, 2014

The Sledding Hill pavilion called Lookout 1 will host our outdoor shindig. Complete with a fire pit and a playground for the big kid in all of us, this beautiful State Park allows alcohol in the picnicking areas. Those coming from out of town, or those looking to hang out a little longer after the reunion, can rent a campsite to crash!

Help Wanted

As the planning of the Argenta-Oreana Class of 2004 Ten Year Reunion continues, the list of things to do becomes longer and the need for volunteers becomes more urgent. There are many different ways you can help, and most of them are surprisingly fun, easy, and cost little to no money!

1. DIY Decorations

Keeping the decorations easy and inexpensive will be simple with these low cost DIY projects. If you decide to volunteer your time, we can provide a budget and reimbursement at a later date. Bring your creativity and discuss your ideas with the committee through email or on Facebook. Some of the decoration ideas include:

Hula Hoop Chandelier           Glowing Log Stools for the fire pit          Basket of Blankets

                      

2. Photo Booth

Photo Booths are becoming a very popular trend because they are so much fun and make great souvenirs. 

Photo booths need props and we've got a few fun ideas if you need them, including:

Mustaches on a Stick

Lips on a Stick

Hats

Glasses

Boas

Masquerade masks

Chalkboard Signs

Photo Frames

3. Games

Entertainment will abound at our class reunion with your help. Games like Twister, Lawn Tic Tac Toe, Bags, Ladderball, and Glow Bowling will keep everyone on their toes while you catch up with old friends. Don't forget the kids! We can do ring toss and a bubble station for the little ones. 

4. Donations

The quickest and easiest way you can help plan the reunion is to donate your money. All of these things cost money to make and until ticket sales start coming in, the cost will be upfront to the planners. Help ease their burden by either purchasing your tickets earlier or donating a small amount to the class. We have a business account in which to keep all of our funds, so all money will be kept in a secure location to be used solely for the purpose of planning this and future class reunions. $25, $10, $5, even just $1 will go a long way toward making this event a success. Donations can be applied to your ticket price or stand alone, you tell us. To donate, simply use the PayPal widget on this blog.


If you are interested in any of these projects and want to learn more about them, please email the Reunion Committee at: ao04.blogspot@gmail.com.

Got some cool ideas of your own? We want to hear them! Share them in the comments below or shoot us an email to the above address.

For more inspiration, check out Katie's "Party Planning" board on Pinterest!