L'Amicale

My first PTA meeting. For the last four years I have stepped very carefully round the tight cluster of women that run L'Amicale (Parent and Teachers Association) - but now it is time to take the plunge..

The first meeting is to discuss the school Christmas play, and how money can be raised to pay for additional school equipment or maybe a trip out for the children.

In previous years, there has been a stall selling handicrafts made by the parents, but the materials required are becoming more and more expensive that these handicrafts are almost unviable. My thoughts were that this theme could be expanded to include a cake stall, a tombola, Lucky Dip etc etc.

I tentatively mention these proposals to a couple of the other mothers, who looked mildly surprised, or perhaps it was amusement and couldn't quite understand why you would want to buy a cake to take home.. surely you could make a cake at home...

The evening of the meeting came, and it soon became quite clear that the only ideas that the small 'inner circle' really wanted were centred on the handicrafts, should we make Christmas tree decorations or paint small canvases.

At this point, I decided not to mention the 'rat in the drainpipe' game !!!!....