The meeting was called to order at 7:10 p.m. in the Cafeteria by Laurie Vertefeuille.

Attendance: Laurie Vertefeuille (PFO President), Al Wilder (PFO Vice President), Karen Ford (PFO Treasurer), Corinne Fitting (PFO Secretary), Cindy Hair, Tina Abell, Lisa Ward, Kirk Murad (WT Principal) Mary-Paule Monks (WT Guidance), Sandy Campbell (WT Guidance)

Secretary’s Report: Minutes from the April 10 meeting accepted with no changes.

Treasurer’s Report: Checking Account Balance is $2,884.35 ($619 of which are held for reimbursement to other organizations). Ms. Ford presented a detailed accounting of all PFO funds for the year and a sales form she has worked up for any event, both of which will help us keep better track of our funds and allow us to analyze what is successful and what isn’t. These will also simplify an audit. Note that the cookbook sales have just moved into the profit zone. Unless we make some cookbook and tech-wear sales, scholarships are going to be very tight this year!

Old Business:

Clothing drive: Flyers went out to the whole school in a mailing last week. The first day of collection netted about 40 bags. The company will give us $0.13 / pound for the items. Ms. Fitting will request Dr. Ashton e-mail his contacts at Windham High and Eastern to get the word out further to the community. Ms. Fitting will also contact Susan Bucklin at WT to see if we can get some WT National Honor Society students to help load the truck on May 22nd (Ms. Monks will also assist in lining up students.)

Cookbooks: We’ve sold about 200 cookbooks so far of the 650 we have. Ms. Ford coordinated selling books at Ted’s IGA in Hebron and sold 27. A report card mailing is going out this week, and the school will include a cookbook order form if we can revise the form and get it to them quickly. Ms. Monks also suggested doing an auto-dial phone message to all students. Ms. Hair has a contact at the Willimantic Chronicle who said we can send a copy of the cookbook to the education reporter, and they’ll run a story on it. Ms. Hair will also follow-up with WalMart, who couldn’t advertise in the cookbook, but said they would make a donation. Mr. Wilder also has a contact with the florist across from WalMart and he’ll ask her to put some cookbooks out on the counter. Ms. Monks will contact the 2 cookbook design winners regarding the tech-wear prize offered by Ms. Abell. The winners were Jennifer Anderson (cover design) and Jeffrey Lemieux (title). Ms. Vertefeuille could use some help with sales at the Chef’s Hat Restaurant if anyone is available at lunchtime to assist.

Tech-wear: Ms. Ford put in an order of tech-wear so we will have some for freshman orientation on May 16. Ms. Ford, Ms. Michaud and Ms. Vertefeuille will man a table for orientation for PFO. We’ll be able to offer tech-wear, bottled water, cookbooks, snacks and membership forms!

Linda R. Martin Foundation dinner-dance: Everyone generously brought in items for the Italian Food basket PFO is donating to the dinner-dance – thank you! Ms. Monks will check to see how many people will be at each table and get back to us.

Financial Assistance Request Form: Ms. Fitting modified the form to make it more general. Several people offered edits, which Ms. Fitting will incorporate. The form will be posted to the web site in the fall. We’ll ask anyone who is seeking funds from the PFO to make their request by November 1 of each year so we can better plan.

Summer Reading program: Dr. Ashton has been getting some great prizes donated for the program, including large gift certificates to local stores and an hour’s flying lesson! Donations are being collected now.

New Business:

Nominations for officers: Ms. Ford offered to be Treasurer again next year, and Ms. Fitting offered to be Secretary again. Ms. Vertefeuille and Mr. Wilder have already held their positions for 2 years and offered to step down, but no one else came forward for President and Vice President. Ms. Vertefeuille therefore offered to continue in her capacity as President and Mr. Wilder offered to continue as Vice President until the end of the calendar year (his son is currently a senior). No opposing nominations were made. The PFO will vote on the slate next month.

Meeting adjourned at 8:35 pm.

The next meeting is scheduled for June 12, 2007. This is the last meeting of the year, and will be a pot-luck dinner featuring recipes from our cookbook!