By Derek Schlom
Rose Sloan Bellon (Benj â09) is a constant presence on both campuses, but you probably canât pick her out of a lineup.Â
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She supervises dozens of school events every year, but you probably have never heard her name.
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Bellon is the President of the Parentsâ Association.Â
The organization, which counts all parents of current students as members, is run by an elected executive committee and a board appointed by the president.
The duties of the Parentsâ Association and its president are often overlooked due to the behind-the-scenes nature of their respective responsibilities.
Beyond organizing and operating Homecoming activities, the associationâs work is mostly limited to organizing parent-exclusive or faculty-based activities, like revamping the Feldman-Horn kitchen.
As a result, she does not have a sense of how the association is perceived by the student body at large.
âIâd like to know the answer,â she said. âI would guess that they see it as the vehicle to make sure the Homecoming games and rides happen, or they may know that their parents attend lectures we organize or be aware of us as a resource for the Blood Drive.â
Still, she adds, this is just a guess.
The issue is that âthe fundraising aspect of the association,â a significant component of the associationâs responsibilities, âdoes not intersect with student-driven activities,â she said.
The Parentsâ Associationâs annual gala (this yearâs event, taking place March 8, is themed âEscape to Monte Carloâ), Faculty/Staff Appreciation lunches and grade parent parties are usually not attended by students.
The administration has limited involvement and authority over the association, which is a separate entity governed by its own rules.
âThe major issue of administration oversight is the calendar,â arranging theatrical, athletic, alumni-oriented, admission and advancement occasions so as to not overlap, Bellon said.
She said she began her involvement in the Parentsâ Association âbecause [she] saw a school with amazing resources reaching out to parents to help.âÂ
âI wanted to be a part of the community in supporting my sonâs school,â she said
She co-chaired Homecoming and served on the Faculty Appreciation, Arts Performance and Hospitality committees as a member of the Parentsâ Association Executive Board prior to being elected President in April 2007. Her one-year term ends at the end of the school year.
In the remaining months, Bellon plans to continue the Associationâs fundraising efforts to support departmental projects and endowment funds, as well as their hospitality at performing arts programs on both campuses.
âThe Association will continue to do what it does best â be responsive to needs articulated by the administration for our support, and we hope to make our large school feel welcoming to all parents by finding pockets of involvement for our diverse community,â Bellon said.
