2022 Reunion Recap

A LOOK AROUND

When my aunt, Lulu Sams Allen, told me that there would be a reunion in 2022, I vowed to attend if I could. On Friday, August 12th, I headed up to Woodbridge, NJ via Amtrak. My sister, Leshaunne, and 3 of her children met me at the train station. (I hadn’t seen them in person since Christmas 2019!)

After two months of talking by phone, it was good to finally meet the reunion host, Cousin Wilhelmenia, face-to-face. At the registration table, I also met some of the Florida and Illinois elders. We talked about highlights from previous reunions. As an adult now, and very interested in our family history, I enjoyed listening to their memories.

On Saturday morning, we held a family meeting. I went live on Facebook so those who were not able to attend could still hear and see what was going on. It was a lively discussion to say the least. After the meeting, a few more folks from CT showed up and it was game time! There were simultaneous rounds of Super Scrabble, CultureTags, and Blebrity going on. It was so funny (and enlightening) as family tried to give clues or make guesses. Those videos were also shared via social media.

The reunion banquet was a beautiful affair. The Vice-President was the Master of Ceremony. His wife, who also serves as the reunion’s Recording Secretary presented Cousin Wilhelmenia with a token of appreciation for her hard work. I was honored to share the Family Prayer and lead the Memorial Moment for those who’ve passed away since the last reunion. My cousin, Pastor James Duckett preached from Luke 7:11-14. The sermon, “I Bumped Into the Right Person” is available on YouTube. After we ate, we took a beautiful family photo. We didn’t want to leave! We kept talking, taking selfies with our cousins, and exchanging contact information so we could keep in touch.

A LOOK AHEAD

During the family meeting, I agreed to host the 2024 Duckett- Pyles Family Reunion in Richmond, VA. I’ve set up a website for updates: myevent.com/DuckettPyles Between now and then, I look forward to having several virtual Meet & Greets (video and phone), as well as recording oral histories from our elders. Stay Tuned...I can’t wait to connect with you! - Dwylene

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