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Show PTA People Taking Action Where It Counts! J t . 'A VL i It's as American as apple pie with a name that's become a household word. It's big enough to tweak the nose of the federal government, yet never forgets that its strength comes from grass roots America. It relates to the present and is flexing its muscles to meet the challenges of the future. It's PTA, people taking action where it counts. With almost 10 million members, mem-bers, the National PTA is the world's largest volunteer action organization. During its 75-year history of working to provide quality living and quality learning learn-ing for all Americans, some of the greatest accomplishments on behalf of children and youth have resulted from the work of the PTA. In recent years, the National PTA has Developed an action program pro-gram for use by its 52 branches and 40,000 local units emphasizing empha-sizing drug abuse, education, environmental problems, human hu-man relations, poverty, disadvantage disad-vantage and hunger, and student stu-dent unrest. Maintained a "volunteer lobby" in Washington, which not only works in behalf of education and matters pertaining pertain-ing to the welfare of all children, chil-dren, but also has been lauded for the instrumental role it played in the passage of the Drug Abuse Education Act. . Created "Project PTSA," which converts high school PTA's into parent-teacher-stu-dent associations, to involve students stu-dents in PTA work. Backing up the work of the National PTA, state and local PTA's across the nation are channeling their concerns into action where it counts. Some of the exciting things happening in PTA's include: A student recently was elected president of a high school PTSA in Hawaii. A midwestern PTA and local drug council co-sponsored a drug information conference which involved the total community, com-munity, enlisted a well known television personality, and gained nationwide attention. A southern PTA set up an information center to facilitate facili-tate accurate communication during a heated controversy centered around the bussing issue. A western PTA has a volunteer volun-teer corps that runs an all-day, all-day, five-day-a-week study hall to which teachers may send students who need individual in-dividual help. "In the PTA we are people taking action," says Mrs. John M. Mallory, Endicott, N.Y., president of the National PTA. "PTA members turn anxiety into action and aspiration into achievement." Membership in the PTA is through the local unit (local PTA) which is usually organized organ-ized in a school, and is open to all persons interested in the welfare of children and youth. Nominal dues include membership member-ship in the local, state, and national na-tional organizations. This youngster has just committed com-mitted a crime and probably soon will be sent to prison. What happens to him when he is released is a vital concern of the National PTA and the National Juvenile Court Foundation. Foun-dation. Together these organizations organi-zations are working to establish a nationwide volunleer program for the juvenile courts. |