Recently, the chair of our Key Club took a group of kids to a local shelter to distribute Halloween candy. While parents had written a note to allow the children to stay after school, they had not filled out a permission slip. A permission slip had been mentioned in the flyer that came out before the event however, one never came out. The children were returned to the school unharmed but I just wasn't sure if this was a good idea, going out without a permissions slip. What are your thoughts?

In your opinion, what are the key differences between a note from the parent and a permission slip?

The note only said the kids could stay after school and sort candy. There was supposed to be a seperate slip so the children could ride in the car with the chairperson. Is the note good enough? I thought we needed emergancy contact numbers and doctor's info. Am I wrong?

You're right. The parents weren't notified of the exact nature of the after-school activity and, therefore, hadn't given permission for the children to leave school grounds. The chair made a huge mistake and set your club up for tremendous liability.