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May Alison Kern (nee Gillman) was born in England in 1896 and at an early age moved with her family to Edmonton. In 1924 she settled in Vancouver where she became active in local Parent-Teacher Associations. She served as President of the British Columbia Parent-Teacher Federation [BCPTF] from 1947 to 1950. Mrs. Kern was actively involved in all aspects of the Parent-Teacher movement in Canada for over twenty-five years, and throughout that time maintained strong ties with the National Congress of Parents and Teachers in the United States. In addition to her work for the Canadian Parent-Teacher movement, she was a member of the Council of the Canadian Association for Adult Education, served on the Advisory Council on School Broadcasting (1943-1950), and participated in the conferences of the Canadian Education Association. In 1946, while serving as Corresponding Secretary for the Canadian Home and School and Parent-Teacher Federation, she was chosen by the Canadian Teachers' Federation and the Wartime Information Board to make a lecture tour of Parent-Teacher Associations across Canada. In 1951, after a term as Executive Secretary, she was awarded a Life Membership in the CHSPTF. She died in 1985. MS-2775 consists of records relating to the British Columbia Parent-Teacher Federation [est'd. 1922] and the National Canadian Home and School Federation [est'd. 1927]. The records include correspondence, minutes of executive meetings, conference proceedings, and convention programs. In addition, this collection comprises historical notes and publications, and subject files on topics such as family relations, citizenship, censorship, health and parent education. Some personal papers are also included.