On August 7, 2026, Blue Family members came together for our second family conversation of the summer.
Building on the reconnection that began during our July 3 conversation, this meeting focused on a new question:
How can we turn our ideas into meaningful action while giving family members different ways to participate?
The conversation resulted in an important transition—from reconnecting and exchanging ideas to beginning our first project-based work together.
During the meeting, we introduced a project-based approach to family participation.
Instead of depending entirely on traditional committees, projects can provide clear goals, defined milestones, manageable work, and different ways for family members to contribute based on their interests, skills, and availability.
The approach is intended to create:
Clear goals
Defined milestones
Flexible participation
More family voices
Progress that can continue between meetings
Opportunities to strengthen relationships while working together
Participation does not have to look the same for everyone.
Family members may contribute ideas, feedback, insight, skills, or help develop specific project work based on their interests and availability.
Three examples were introduced to demonstrate what project-based participation could look like:
Plan and deliver the next Blue Family Reunion, including the date, location, activities, lodging, food, registration, and communication.
Create an experience for family members who are unable to attend the reunion in person so they can still feel connected to the family and the event.
Preserve family history through family trees, photographs, oral histories, stories, important dates, and eventually a digital family archive.
These were presented as interconnected possibilities for strengthening family connection before, during, and after a reunion—not as three projects that have all been formally launched.
The family then used the project approach to begin identifying the foundation for the next reunion.
The conversation centered on three immediate questions:
When should we gather?
Where should we gather?
How do we begin building the resources necessary to make it happen?
The family reached alignment on several important points.
Detroit was selected as the location for the next Blue Family Reunion.
Family members discussed accessibility, the family's connection to the area, and opportunities available in Detroit as reasons for moving forward there.
The family agreed that 2027 provides a realistic timeframe while allowing us to build on the momentum created through this summer's conversations.
A specific reunion date has not yet been finalized.
The conversation also emphasized starting with something manageable.
Ideas ranged from a simple park or backyard-style gathering to larger future possibilities such as a cruise.
Rather than beginning with something overly complex, the discussion supported building momentum with a simpler reunion and creating a foundation that can grow over time.
Another major discussion focused on family dues.
Family members identified the importance of having resources available for deposits, contracts, and other expenses involved in planning family activities.
The group also discussed making contributions more accessible.
One idea was allowing smaller recurring contributions rather than depending exclusively on larger one-time payments. The goal is to explore an approach that can build resources over time without creating unnecessary pressure on family members.
No final dues amount was established during the meeting.
Additional family input will be gathered before that structure is finalized.
The conversation went beyond reunion logistics.
Family members talked about the importance of relatives across the country maintaining relationships and creating opportunities for younger generations to know one another.
Participants specifically discussed younger family members meeting their cousins, building relationships, learning about shared family history, and discovering connections across generations and even similar professional interests.
Family history was also an important part of the conversation. Family photographs, stories, and a quilt containing family names were discussed as examples of materials that could help preserve and share that history with younger generations.
This reinforced that the work is about more than planning an event.
It is about creating stronger connections that can continue beyond a reunion weekend.
The August 7 meeting gave us a starting point. Now the work moves into development.
The next phase will include:
Organizing the ideas gathered during the conversation
Developing the first reunion milestones
Gathering focused input about family dues
Creating a simple project plan for the 2027 Detroit reunion
Creating opportunities for interested family members to contribute
Maintaining a running collection of reunion ideas and suggestions
Sharing progress with the family as the project develops
These next steps reflect the direction established at the meeting.
The August 7 conversation represented an important shift:
From reconnecting → to listening → to building together.
The 2027 Detroit reunion gives us our first major opportunity to put the project-based approach into practice.
The meeting also included early discussion about what could become possible over time as the family develops stronger systems and resources, including ideas around helping family members participate and potentially supporting future opportunities such as scholarships. These were future possibilities discussed during the meeting, not decisions or established programs.
For now, the focus is straightforward:
Build the foundation.
Keep the first project manageable.
Create different ways to participate.
Keep the family informed.
And continue moving forward together.
Family members can continue following updates through the Blue Family Information Center, family email updates, and the Blue Family Hub on Discord.
Future project opportunities and requests for family input will be shared as the work develops.