CT PTA President's Letter
September, 2005

Fall is a Great Time to Begin!
A message from
Suzanna Kern-Massey
CT State PTA President

Fall brings the end of summer and the beginning of a new season. Some think of fall as the dying off of flowers, the shortening of daylight hours and the beginning of a colder time. Perhaps that is true in nature, but for me and for those of us in PTA, we think of fall as a beginning, a time of rebirth, rededication to our mission and re-growth of our organization.

It is time to come together as a group of individuals, parents, volunteers, teachers and administrators whose one goal it is to make the education, health and welfare of children our top priority. PTA has been a driving force for the betterment of children and families for over 100 years. We must build on that history. But we cannot just sit on our laurels. In order for the PTA to continue to make it's message heard, for us to continue to strengthen families and schools, in order for us to move ahead on initiatives we need to make PTA grow.

Did you know that the state of Utah with a population of 2,389,039 has a PTA membership of 135,000, while Connecticut with a population of 3,503,604 has a PTA population of only 54,000? This is only one state but it shows what one state can do with PTA numbers.

CT PTA needs to grow. Your job as PTA officers is to make every effort to invite and encourage people to become new members. When a PTA has more members they can do more things. Jobs can be shared easily; there is a sense that you are not alone in this, that you have others on your team. It is amazing how much work can be done with just an hour of volunteer service.

Although CT may have fewer members than other bigger states, our PTA is a vibrant, active and dedicated group. Call into our office in Hamden and you are greeted with a smile and someone who can help you with any question or problem. Visit our CT PTA website and view the work of our expert webmaster, attend one of our training sessions and listen to our PTA officers present accurate information, come to our annual convention and hear great speakers, attend interesting workshops and receive awards for your units. At the end of the day, attend our Gala where you can have fun and enjoy the company of old and new friends.

Welcome fall; welcome one and all to our 2005-2006 PTA year. Personally, I am looking forward to a great year filled with many opportunities leading to some great accomplishments. As for many of you first timers, this is my first time as CT State PTA President. I hope to meet you along the way. Let's make this year a great one for all of us.