| Measurements of various means of locating lost classmates reveal that some methods are more productive than others. Using the most effective searches in a prioritized manner will save you time because fewer classmates remain who will be sought in less effective searches. | ||
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| Form a committee, choose a treasurer, facilities contact, graphics artist, publicist, etc. until everyone has a title. Determine a date for the reunion that is available to everyone on the committee. Start a treasury. | 12 months | Ask your committee for recollections of missing classmates and their families. If your school has alumni activities, check each organizer for their information. Also, check any alumni directory. |
| Select a site for the reunion.
Assemble your roster from annuals, commencement announcements, and all other sources available. List all classmates, men and women, by their surnames. The "first name"  field should include full
name, not nick name, at least until the classmate is found. Place middle
name and married name in their own fields. |
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Search the Internet for those who have identified themselves
as your  classmates
in high school registries.
If the reunion is your 40 year or later, now is the time to seek
missing classmates in state death records, about 10% of your classmates
are gone at this age.
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Mail the initial letter to the class. Announce the date and place
(but not necessarily the price) of the reunion, have them verify their
addresses  and
seek their help in locating your classmates and alumni from other classes.
Continue to mail initial letters to newly found classmates.
Telephone classmates who did not respond to the initial letter, personally invite them. |
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If your reunion is earlier than the 40 year, and if you have a roster
of students' home addresses, search property rolls by address for family.
Obtain a roster of students' home addresses for your classmates, access like rosters from other classes of your school to find siblings by common addresses. Contact siblings of missing classmates. Search the California Birth Index for your missing classmate. If found, note the mother and father's surname. Re-enter using only those surnames to find siblings. |
| Choose a firm to print the "Memory book", a booklet containing
photos of your classmates at the reunion, a directory etc..
Decide on music. |
months |
Learn the married names of missing women. Search brides' index of marriage records for women classmates and transcribe the certificates. |