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The State of Georgia Adoption Reunion Registry assists adoptees in searching for birthparents and biological siblings, and provides referral to support services. Responses to a mail-in survey of 45 adoptees and 46 birthparents, all users of the Georgia registry, indicated high levels of satisfaction with the registry's services. Birthparents expressed frustration at lack of access to information. (KK)

Study of determinates of consistent and occasional alumni giving at a small, private liberal arts college over a 23-year period. Finds several similar determinants for both groups: For example, volunteering for the college, playing varsity sports. Occasional donors were male, members of either fraternities or sororities, and close to retirement. (Contains 27 references.) (PKP)

While adoption is a goal for welfare services when children cannot remain at home, adoption should not become a goal unless family reunification cannot occur. Recent initiatives take an oversimplified approach to agency standards, creating misunderstanding of programs. Adoption rates of agencies should be rewarded only after estimating pool of adoption-eligible children and taking likelihood of reunification into account. (LBT)

Personal interviews were conducted with 67 adult adoptees who had reunions with birth relatives. Postreunion relationships were studied; closeness of the ensuing relationships was assessed. Interactive and motivating factors associated with the development of particular relationships were identified. Implications for clinical practice are discussed. (Author/EMK)

Studied adolescent personal and interpersonal characteristics, including social competence and thoughts on friendship and romantic interests during a camp reunion. Found that concurrent interest in relationships is a stronger predictor of social competence for participants with anxious histories, although participants with secure histories were more socially competent overall. (Author/SD)

Argues that freshman seminar class reunions increase the benefits of freshman seminars for urban commuter college students, and reports results of a study testing effectiveness of class reunions in reducing attrition for high-risk students (n=40). Findings support hypothesis that freshmen seminar groups with class reunions show greater student retention and higher rates of achievement.(Author/MSE)

A study of 16 children with autism, 16 typical children, and 16 children with Downs syndrome (ages 3-6) investigated children's responses to separation and reunion with their mothers. No differences were found between groups; however, the children with disabilities showed more individual variation in separation and reunion patterns. (Author/CR)

Surveyed 72 adopted individuals who had sought for and found at least 1 biological parent. Although 86 percent of the respondents had a positive reaction to the reunion, only half felt they had a positive relationship with their biological parents. (BG)

Reports on a survey of 125 Anglo-Saxon adoptees in Ontario, Canada, who had completed a reunion with their biological mothers and relatives 6 months to 4 years before the survey. Topics of discussion include adoptees' motivations to search for their mothers; the search and reunion activities; and the reactions of adoptees, biological mothers, and adoptive parents to the reunions. (Author)

Notes that since 1980 Navy Family Services Centers have provided deployment programs to Naval personnel and families to prepare for separation and reunion. Highlights Return and Reunion program given aboard U.S. Navy ships returning from deployments and designed to increase resources to respond effectively to normative and stressful event of reunion. Reviews evaluation measures. (Author/NB)

Colleges' innovative efforts to bring alumni to campus for reunions illustrate how effective provocative promotions can be. Ideas include a game theme in brochures (Lewis and Clark College, Oregon), distribution of a 40-minute video (Gilman School, Maryland), class-targeted brochures (American University, District of Columbia), and a four-mailing promotion (Whitman College, Washington). (MSE)

College alumni directors are finding that alumni want more than parties at their reunions and are overcoming attendance slumps with creative, substantive programing. Ideas include faculty seminars on topics of current interest, sometimes integrated with professional continuing education, alumni panel discussions, involving the family, involving current students, and community-related events. (MSE)

College reunion success depends on careful planning, including (1) starting early; (2) documenting all planning efforts; (3) motivating, including, and communicating with volunteers; (4) using formal and informal meeting time effectively; (5) providing a program highlighting events planned; (6) freeing staff to be volunteer-reliant; and (7) celebrating success with followup. (MSE)

Associations between mother's models of attachment and mother and child behaviors related to separation were explored in a study of 45 mothers and their 2- to 4-year-old children. Results showed that mother behaviors before and after separation and child reunion behaviors varied according to attachment classification. (SH)

Using a hypothetical case study told in the first person, a fiftieth reunion chair illustrates sure-fire ways to lure reluctant alumni back to the campus. The techniques emphasize the personal and sentimental touch in mailings, other communications, and at the reunion itself. (MSE)

Basic principles of designing a reunion gift program include beginning small, researching class prospects, gathering volunteers, determining the financial goal, communicating needs and intentions, organizing volunteers, advertising well, and making the donation at the reunion a major event. More ambitious plans can be tied into the program later. (MSE)

Sixty five year olds and their mothers were given the semiprojective, picture-based Separation Anxiety Test (SAT), which was scored to reflect attachment, self-reliance, and avoidance. Ratings were correlated with observed attachment status during a brief laboratory separation-reunion procedure. (DR)

Two seventh and eighth grade teachers, trained in the Foxfire approach, describe class projects related to their rural school's 50-year history--oral history interviews with former students and teachers and the local historian, writing a book of school reminiscences, and organizing a school reunion. (SV)

Observed preschool children with their parents at two separations and reunions at nursery school to determine the role of proximal and distal factors. Parent and child pairs behaved in reciprocal and complementary ways, indicating mutual influence. (BB)

A survey of the best in event ideas, settings, and themes for alumni programs is discussed. Traveling reunions at Greenhill School, a private screening of "Ghostbusters II," morning breakfasts of alumni at Purdue University, are among those described. Capturing the attention of graduating seniors before they leave campus is advocated. (MLW)

Starting a special-interest alumni group based on race can be problematic. Painful memories still linger for many minority alumni. Louisiana State University's Tureaud Chapter was willing to operate within the alumni association's framework. The right mix of communication, programing, and financial support is needed. (MLW)

Findings indicated that attachment-related affect may reflect an affect continuum that underlies certain mother- and stranger-directed behaviors in the Strange Situation. However, not all aspects of reunion behavior can be predicted by prior separation reactions. (Author/RH)

Describes how an elementary school used the celebration of its 75th anniversary to promote social studies instruction. Includes activity ideas and step-by-step instructions for developing a celebration of school heritage. (JDH)

The bottom line of a reunion is increased alumni support of all kinds--including monetary. Planning requires the combined efforts of both staff and alumni leaders. A training plan for alumni reunion leaders is described. (MLW)

Syracuse University's use of a personal computer to keep track of alumni reunion registration is described. They can take reservations over the phone, produce lists of returning alumni according to different categories, give catering current meal counts, keep track of special requests, and write personalized confirmation letters. (MLW)

Examines the parent-child bond by focusing on reunions between elderly parents and adult children. The authors explore several basic themes in reunion: stability and change, autonomy and dependence, and wanting and fearing. Identifies four major themes intrinsic to the parent--child bond: continuity, stress, link to the family, and separation. Concludes that reunions reflect parent--child relationships. (GEA)

Defines the term reunions and delineates the dimensions, such as formality, frequency, and size, in which they differ from one another. Discusses the significance of reunions throughout the life cycle, examining the change in meaning and importance attributed to them as people age. Reviews the literature on the subject. (GEA)

Described is the development of a method for identifying and classifying differing attachment organizations at six years of age. The system is based on an analysis of children's responses to reunion with parents following a one-hour separation. Sixth year attachment classifications to mother were found to be highly predictable from infancy classifications. (RH)

Participants in interdisciplinary professional development workshops and reunions expressed satisfaction and reported positive effects on their teaching. Although the program met participants' expectations, sessions did not consistently reflect principles of effective teaching and learning. This discrepancy is discussed. (Author/MLW)

Analyzes data concerning the relationships between the success of reunion with biological parents: (1) adult adoptees' age at the initiation of their search; (2) grief resolution; and (3) attribution of blame for the relinquishment to the biological mother. (BB)