25631 Peter A. Hartman Way • Mission Viejo, CA 92691 • www.svpta.org
President: Kim Henderson
Newsletter Editor Pro Tem: MaryAnne Shults
September/October 2005
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Council News OnlineSaddleback Valley PTA Council Newsletter
Saddleback Valley PTA Council
25631 Peter A. Hartman Way • Mission Viejo, CA 92691 • www.svpta.org 
NEXT MEETING
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2005 8:45 - Executive Board; 10:00 - General Meeting SVUSD Recreation Conference Room
ITEMS
TO BRING TO THE MEETING:
IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND THE MEETING, PLEASE SEND A DELEGATE FROM YOUR UNIT, OR ADVISE BRIDGET OR KIM SO WE CAN BE SURE TO SEND YOU ANY HANDOUTS VIA INTER-DISTRICT MAIL... thank you.
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President's Message
by Kim Henderson,
As we begin this new school year, I am excited to be working with all of you. This is my eighth year working with the PTA. I started out as a preschool mom helping establish the PTA at Esperanza. I have since been involved at Melinda Heights in many positions including two years as unit president. I am now a member of Robinson Elementary PTA and RSM Intermediate STPO. I also serve on various SVUSD committees as well as the Fourth District PTA executive committee. I have two children, a daughter in 8th grade at RSM and a son with Down Syndrome, in 6th grade at Robinson Elementary and a very supportive husband. And yes, I do have a life outside of PTA. (Although it is rather hectic.) The Saddleback Valley Council is here to help each of you and I hope that you have a great year. We have a wonderful board and I hope you get a chance to meet and work with all of them. They each bring their own talents and strengths to the board. The council goals for this upcoming year are 1) Strengthen the units through information and training, 2) Help units work together, and 3) advocacy. Throughout the summer, we offered a "Train Your Board" workshop for all presidents. Additional workshops for Reflections and Bylaws are being held in September and October. At council meetings we get a chance to share information
from the school district, the State and 4th district PTAs as well as
review topics relevant to our schools. Often we add roundtable discussions
of subjects such as gifts to schools, fundraising, etc. This year we
are also adding an outreach position on the council to start reaching
out to the Spanish speaking community in our schools. November brings
a special election with issues related to education on the ballot. Education
and advocacy will become familiar topics for all PTA units. BYLAWS WORKSHOP By Dolores Winchell, Council Parliamentarian, When did your unit last update your bylaws? To best assist you with this process, our Bylaws Workshop will be Monday, October 17, 2005, at 7:00 PM, in the SVUSD Board Room. If your unit did not update their bylaws last year, unit presidents
and their parliamentarians should plan to attend. This workshop is recommended for unit presidents and parliamentarians together because it is most beneficial to the unit if both officers are on the same page. If both officers understand and consistently communicate the ins and outs of the bylaws to the rest of the board, running your PTA will be much smoother and a lot more fun! Please RSVP to me by Tuesday, October 12th. PAR 5 FOR 2005 - MEMBERSHIP DRIVES ARE UNDERWAY By Kelly Pittman, Membership Chairman, It is a statewide goal this year to see each unit increase
its membership numbers from last year by five. Already we have seen
a majority of units achieving this goal. Everyone is very excited about
getting more parents involved and helping them become more informed. MEMBERSHIP FAQS What does “Per capita” mean? “Per capita” means “per person” and refers to membership dues. PTA is a membership association people join each year by paying “membership dues.” The membership dues are set by each PTA unit (the amount
is listed in the PTA’s Bylaws) and include the following: Remember: The PTA can only keep and spend the unit portion. The rest belongs to the other levels of PTA and must be remitted to them. Can we have “levels” of membership? The membership campaign invitation should be for membership
enrollment only. A membership drive is not a fundraising project. If the PTA wishes to solicit donations with levels of contribution, it is done as a separate project from the membership campaign. (Membership dues and donations to the PTA budget should be recorded separately.) For example, a gold donor/patron could reflect a contribution of $100; a silver donor/patron $50, or whatever names and amounts the PTA decides. The details of the donation project should be outlined in the standing rules and approved annually by the membership. A good rule of thumb for membership dues is to collect an amount that will cover per capita for the constituent organizations – National PTA, California State PTA, district PTA and council PTA– and a small portion of each membership for liability insurance premiums. What about “Family Memberships?” “The concept of group memberships (e.g., family memberships) must include the payment of per capita dues and a membership card issued to each member.” (Toolkit, page 94) The PTA’s bylaws must define “family” for the purposes of membership (family=how many people?) and the per capita (per person) must still be paid through channels to the other levels of PTA. Each member gets their own PTA membership and membership card.
IS YOUR YEAR-END AUDIT COMPLETED? By Kim Brown, Council Auditor, As specified by your unit bylaws, all units must complete a year end audit. Our last fiscal year ran from July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005. Usually the outgoing Auditor is responsible for conducting the year end audit. Therefore, all units should already have their audits completed. A written report needs to be presented to the executive board by the September meeting. The California State PTA recommends that if the audit is not completed within two weeks after the completion of the term of office, the president may appoint a committee to immediately audit the books. The same time frame must be followed for the semi-annual audit. For new Auditors, you will find complete step-by-step instructions on Audit Preparation and Procedure in the California State PTA Toolkit 2005 update section 5.4.3 and 5.4.4. By way of motion, the final completed audit needs to be adopted by your association at the general unit meeting. The adoption date must be indicated on the audit. A signed copy is attached to the meeting minutes and filed with your Secretary. Two additional copies of your adopted audit should have been submitted at our September meeting. Additional audits can be mailed to Kim Brown at 24752 Eldamar Ave. Lake Forest, Ca. 92630. Please feel free to email me with any questions.
REFLECTIONS... WHAT'S IS ALL ABOUT? By MaryAnne Shults
The National PTA Reflections Program is an arts recognition and achievement program for students. The Reflections Program provides opportunities for students to express themselves creatively and to receive positive recognition for original works of art inspired by a pre-selected theme, while increasing community awareness on the importance of the arts in education. Is it a “contest”? Participation and appreciation for the arts is the Reflections Program's goal. Although the Reflections Program follows a "contest" format, winning should not be the emphasis. Why should students participate in this program? News from the Fourth District Reflections Chairman, Karin Mowrey: UPCOMING EVENTS Volunteer at the California State PTA Convention in Anaheim from May 10-13, 2005. Get your board members involved at virtually no cost to your unit—volunteers are permitted entrance to the general meetings, exhibits and conferences on the days they volunteer. Members can sign up online www.fourthdistrictpta.org. Fourth District PTA is planning a Fall Idea Forum in Costa Mesa on November 17. There will be a morning and an evening presentation. Take this opportunity to network with other PTA members from around the county. Register online at www.fourthdistrictpta.org.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
Tuesday, October
11 SVUSD Board Meeting 7:00 PM November 2005 Wednesday, November 2 Nominating Committee Workshop SVUSD
Board Conference Rm. TBA
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