Iwould like to plan a guest speaker for next year. Any topic ideas or suggestions on how to find a speaker?(cheap?)

We have one speaker at every meeting usually having to do with parenting or kids. This year we've had two speakers from the school system (1 on reading with children and 1 on learning styles) and we had 2 speakers from the college in town.

The speakers have helped with attendance at meetings.

We have a guest speaker for just about every monthly meeting. In the past we've tapped our own teachers to present info about specific programs or simply to give an overview of the activities/goals of their grades, the principal and/or ass't superintendent to review mastery test scores/goals, local professionals (social worker, financial planner re: college tuition planning) who come as a professional courtesy at no charge (promotes their business), our own school social worker and nurse, the district science director, an educator from a nature center, the middle school principal with a "panel" of students to answer questions abouth the transition to middle school,etc. Ask your membership for ideas and I think you'll get quite a few that you can use.

Your local police dept should be able to send someone to speak about child safety, a local drug treatment center could send someone to speak about the signs of drug use (you didn't say how old your kids were - this would be more appropriate for middle/high school). The library could send a rep to talk about getting your small children ready and excited about reading. Use your imagination - there are a million people anxious to share their knowledge with an audience!

One of the best speakers we had this year was a local counselor talking about the "middle school years" and what our kids were going through at this age to make them the "angels" that they can be at 12 and 13. She was excellent and it was free (she had business cards there, and I think she got a couple of clients out of the deal).