Pep Rally Office Retirement Party

- - Birthday, Business, Retirement

Our office landscape is changing due to the retirement of baby boomers. We’ve already had three retire this year!

pep-rally-retirement-office-party-thoughtful-gift-ideaWhen a longtime employee is retiring, it can get teary-eyed and emotional but a fun office retirement party will bring out the celebration and laughter.

Phil retired after 30 years and for his send-off we organized a pep rally style retirement party with six employees participating as “cheerleaders.”

Each cheerleader had a card with a letter that together spelled R-E-T-I-R-E. Individually, they would raise their card with their letter and enthusiastically call out, “Give me an R” and the audience would loudly reply “R.”

The next cheerleader would hold their card up and say “Give me an E” and so on until the word R-E-T-I-R-E had been spelled.

To further excite the crowd in the room, the cheerleaders asked in unison, “What does it spell?” The audience would scream their response, “RETIRE!” This went on a couple more times.

retiremints-thoughtful-gift-ideaThe experience felt like being inside a high school gymnasium and everyone having a great time!

After the cheer, another employee who served as the Master of Ceremony read the definition of retire.

“Retire – leave one’s job and cease to work, typically upon reaching the normal age for leaving employment.”

Then she added, “We have another definition.”

Each cheerleader announced their letter, what it stood for, and then presented Phil with a gift that corresponded to that letter.

The meanings and the corresponding retirement gifts:

  • R – RetireMints* | Mints (30 years later, still in Mint condition)
  • E – Entertainment | Movie theater gift card
  • T – Travel | AAA travel books and maps
  • I –  Indulge | A co-worker made Phil’s favorite cake to take home
  • R – Read | A journal to write retirement activities and memories
  • E – Enjoy | Vietnamese Coffee since he is a connoisseur of coffee

Phil loved the presentation of his unique retirement gifts.

This fun pep rally style retirement party and gifts could also be used for an office birthday by spelling the name of the employee.

*The RetireMints are Ice Breakers Mints with a personalized cover printed and glued to the top of the container.

Retirement is quickly approaching and I remember when it seemed so far far away.

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