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Bring the family together before the stress of fall picks up.

In our contemporary world, families are generally living hither and yon, so many miles apart that often a plane trip is necessary in order for family members to see each other. That’s one reason many families hold reunions in summer. So, fire up the laptop, pad or smartphone and lasso everyone in your family network to help with the planning.

The first order of business is to choose a date and a place. There are many fun family resorts or theme parks to build a reunion around, but this is only one way to go. Take a vote on budget and preferences. Fancy five-star hotel or campsite at the lake? Does the group want to meet in the middle of each other’s hometowns, near a well-known attraction or is there one family member that can accommodate the entire group?

Another important consideration is length of stay. Let’s be honest, there comes a time in even the most loving of families where spending too much time together can cross the line between how lovely it is to see everyone and wearing out the welcome. Openly discuss your family’s tolerance for a length of visit. After all, wouldn’t you rather go your separate ways wanting to see each other again as opposed to relief in getting away from each other?

How large will the reunion be? If yours is a large family, will there be a cutoff along family lines or will the reunion be a joyful cast of thousands? Every size reunion has its special qualities. Discuss this very important detail with one or two other trustworthy family members to determine who will be invited and how you will explain your decision to those who aren’t. Handled with care, hopefully no one will feel left out.

Like most families, you probably have a wide range of ages, interests and abilities in yours. So, how do you choose activities everyone will agree on? Well, the short answer is, you won’t, so don’t even try to make every activity a “must” for all reunion members. Categorize activities according to age and interest and distribute them amongst a range of energy input required: If you are planning a strenuous five-mile hike one morning, balance the evening activity with a roundabout of board games.

Likewise, choose menus that cater to all by serving up a variety of foods at each meal. Decide beforehand how the group will handle meals: will one group shop for the crew, another do the cooking and still another serve and clean up? How will the money be handled? Everyone chipping in at the end of the trip requires one person to serve as bookkeeper or treasurer throughout. Breakfast can be simple: lay out a few boxes of cereals and let everyone serve themselves. Lunch can be on the go with dinner the main meal that everyone participates in.

Appoint various family members to be in charge of reunion “media”: consider appointing a photographer, videographer, social network specialist (to post family updates for those who can’t be there or after-reunion details) and perhaps a writer to follow up with a holiday newsletter and or photobook. Another tip: Consider creating reunion T-shirts for all in attendance.