Convention Commitment

Last night I got home from my last PTA state leadership convention.  I've been going for years and years.  For the past few, I have worked in the registration area helping the attendees with their convention packet material or as the "happy hostess" (read: welcome wagon).  I've thoroughly enjoyed seeing moms and dads arrive who not only love their kids, but are concerned for their children's classmates, school friends, and children all around the state enough to get involved.  Those kind of parents are the ones who attend the convention.

Some of these folks come from far away--St. George, Vernal, Cache County, Blanding, Utah.  That is a real commitment for them to come.  The convention registration fee is about $50 per person to start with, so they really come to attend with a full level of commitment.  The same can't be said of the locals.  I saw several registration packets go untouched.  No one came to get them, so that person did not attend.   The majority of those were from right here along thew Wasatch Front.  They didn't need to come from hundreds of miles away.  They were just a 15-20 minutes freeway ride away.  But they didn't show up.

I chatted with one volunteer mom from Richfield.  She is a local officer in her child's school.  They don't have a council where she lives--it is too rural and sparsely populated to make that work.  And more sadly, she doesn't have a Regional director at the moment either, though their area is programmed for one.  She had no one to turn to for advice, guidance or training except the state ladies.  Her comments made me realize even more that our situation here in my little town is pretty ideal.

Even with that said, I am looking forward to my final year of PTA leadership.  Both the kids will be at the high school int he fall for one year.  I've committed to serving as the PTA president there and then I am done.  After that, I'll go tuck myself into the Viking Store and work as much as they need help--happy to help, but in to be in charge.

And not to attend another convention.  Ever.