Wow! It’s hard to believe we’re wrapping up another year. It seems like it was just August and we were having Packet Orientation and all of you were starting your membership drives. Now here we are, it’s the end of the year, you’re holding your elections, winding your year down, preparing to do your audits, and we’ve held our District Awards Dinner, honoring our award recipients, as well as all of you for the fine work you do in District 28. I want to thank everyone who was able to join us for the Awards Dinner and hope those of you unable to attend this year will be able to join us next year. I also want to say a special thank you to Bruce Bohren, Illinois PTA President-Elect, for speaking at our Dinner, and Colleen Charaska, Illinois PTA Vice President of Program Services, and Jean Matthiessen, Immediate-Past Illinois PTA Secretary, for joining us.

            Following are some items you want to give attention to between your elections and September. As soon as your officers are elected, complete the pink registration form and mail or fax it to the State office. Please include your home and e-mail addresses. The information you provide to the State office is given to me. We started going green with our mailings this year and will continue sending our newsletters and event mailings out via e-mail next year. We will e-mail district information to all officers who provide me with an address. I take the privacy of your information seriously, so be assured that I will protect it.    

            Summertime is a time for you and your officers to start thinking ahead to next year and what you, as officers, need to do to prepare yourselves and your PTA to have a successful year. First thing to do is make sure the treasurer’s records are audited. Even if you are not changing treasurers, records should be audited on a yearly basis. Any time a treasurer leaves his/her position, the records should also be audited. Get your budget committee together and form your preliminary budget. This budget should be presented to the board with the recommendation that it be presented to your general membership for adoption. Remember, your general membership is the only entity that can adopt your budget and the only ones that can adopt changes to it.

            Take advantage of training courses. There are several available. The PTA Road To Success course has a lot of very useful information about PTA, the different officers positions, and parliamentary procedures. This is a very good course for new officers and returning officers who haven’t had the course yet, or who would like take it again as a refresher. New presidents, we have a President’s Course you would find beneficial. Presidents, Treasurers, and anyone who is a check signer, we have a Money Matters course that has a lot of practical information regarding handling money and record keeping. Remember, ALL PTA members are more than welcome to attend ANY training course. It’s not just for officers. I work full time and can do evening trainings. I have board members who can come out during the day if that works better for your PTA. Presidents, please contact me at (708) 484-1472 or dscollardpta@sbcglobal.net to arrange trainings.

            Advertise next year’s Reflections theme, which is contained in this newsletter, to your students now, so they can get started on their projects over the summer. Encourage their creativity!

            Packet Orientation will be held in August again this year. Look for details in July. We will have the National PTA Back-To-School Kits as well as CDs with the Illinois PTA information on them again this year.

            Call or e-mail me anytime if you have questions. That’s what I’m here for.

            Have a safe, healthy and happy summer!

Debbi Scollard

dscollardpta@sbcglobal.net       (708) 484-1472