Last Spring I was recruited to join the PTA at Kamryn’s school for the ’12-’13 school year.  Actually, I wasn’t asked to join, but to run for one of the executive positions.  I agreed to the Financial Secretary position – the description made it sound like all I would be doing is counting money and depositing checks.  I got my start in the working world (at least post-college working world) as the Operations Manager for a bank.  I could handle a little elementary PTA position.

My idea of PTA moms consisted of all stay at home moms, wearing dresses with their hair “just so” and smoking cigarettes.  I saw a movie depicting a mom in the PTA and that’s what she looked like and beyond that, I knew nothing else.  I got quite an eye opener at our first board meeting a couple of weeks ago.

All I can say is “Wow!”  And really, that’s all I can say.  I’m not at liberty to discuss any of the goings on of the meeting.  I will say this, though, I have to do a helluva lot more than deposit a few checks.

One of the other things I did, ignoring the advice of a friend, was signing up as a chair for two PTA sponsored events.  The first is compiling and organizing the school directory.  I thought this sounded pretty easy and I used the directory quite frequently last year so I felt it was something that I could “give back”.  Kamryn has 825 kids in her school.  Each family can choose to put in a listing that includes, phone numbers, emails and addresses.

I did not think this through.  There was a reason that chair position was still open.

I’m not saying I regret my decision to join the PTA or even take on these extra activities.  I just didn’t realize that things were taken so seriously.  Everything is very closely monitored and discussed at great length.  It kind of blows my idea of sitting around drinking coffee and eating donuts every month with out of the water.  Apparently those things cost money and are only budgeted for certain meetings.  Damn.