Spring is here and for PTA volunteers that means a whirlwind of activities from carnivals to auctions to end-of-year class parties. There is sometimes confusion about activities PTAs can and cannot sponsor, but if you just remember to check the Toolkit and the Insurance Loss and Prevention Guide you can find answers to all of your questions.  Some important things to remember:

• Before holding any event, always check the "Green Light, Yellow Light, Red Light" section of your Insurance Loss and Prevention Guide. It will tell you which activities are permitted, which require additional steps, and which are prohibited.
•  Never hold an event without first having your Association vote to approve it. Insurance coverage extends only to events authorized by your Association. An easy way to do this is to prepare a calendar of all activities your Association participates in and hold a vote to approve it.
• Don't forget to fill out a Facilities Use Permit if the event is to be held on school district property.
• Alcohol service is severely restricted. Alcohol may never be served at events where children are present or on school grounds, and may never be served by PTA volunteers, even at adult-only events. Check the Toolkit for more detailed information about alcohol at PTA events.
• Before holding any raffle, bingo game, or other game of chance you must first file a Registration Form for Nonprofit Raffles with the California Attorney General's Office. And don't forget to file your Report after your event is over.
• When in doubt about whether an event is restricted, contact PTA's insurance broker, BB&T Insurance Services of CA, at (800) 733-3037 or Capta@BBandT.com.

And don't forget the most important thing of all: enjoy your event!

The California State PTA Convention will be held in Long Beach from April 28 through May 1. Those of you who have attended Convention know first hand the tremendous benefit your unit received from your participation.  Through informative workshops, inspiring speakers, and the chance to network with other PTA leaders from throughout the State, the Convention helps you build a stronger PTA for parents, teachers, and students.  Whether you're new to PTA or a veteran looking for new ideas and more information, you'll be glad you went. 

Remember to elect your delegates in advance so that they can vote at the General Meetings. For more information and to register, go to http://www.capta.org/sections/convention-2011/.

LTCC Parliamentarian

A big thank you to everyone who attended this year's 31^st Advocacy Day, and to the planning committee and Leg team members for organizing and publicizing the event. Over 150 concerned parents, teachers, administrators, and students came together in Sacramento to demonstrate our deep concern for our children's education and welfare, as well as to listen and learn about the current state of affairs from legislators and education experts. Incoming 32^nd District PTA President, Denise Jennison, made a passionate appeal to the legislators to give us the chance to vote on tax extensions, but by the end of that day, we learned that budget negotiations had broken down and there would be no June ballot measure.

So what next?  While it is too early to say for certain, we are not going to sit around and wait while our school funding falls off a cliff. Get prepared to help to send out our message through letters, rallies, raising awareness about the effect of current state budget issues on public education, and any other ways we can put pressure on the Legislature to work across the aisle to extend current temporary revenues before June 30. While it's too late for the public to vote in June, it's not too late for the Legislature to simply do the job they were elected to do and pass a balanced state budget by June 30, with a combination of painful but necessary cuts and critically needed revenue extensions. Our children's and our state's future is at stake.