Hey soccer mom,
Thanks for the advice and vote of confidence. I received a packet yesterday from the recording secretary who chaired the nominating committee last year with minutes of the meetings etc. and finally a copy of the by-laws. WOOPIE I finally have a copy of theby-laws... even if they are expiring in April. I never questioned procedure for last year. I specifically said I didn't exactly remember how it was done. I'm sure it was done right, I just didn't remember. Well they blew it up that I was questioning procedure and accused them of doing it wrong. That is so minor in the grand scheme of it all. LOL. Our terms are 1 year, not two like I thought. They just announce that they give courtesy to those who have served one year the courtesy of another year. So they in essence save them from being replaced after a year.
I was also told that if I put myself in and/or get nominated for VP and "any other position" by people that on the date of nominations and elections, if the nominating committee does NOT have a new president nominated, and they put up the current president, I can stand up and say I will sit in as "Interim President" until a new one can be found. And then it goes to a vote between the two of us and the nominating committee would then have to nominate someone else for the VP Position. That's if they nominated me in the first place. Then i'm not sure if it would still be a conflict or violation of the county by-laws with working in the district.
I may request two things. I may request that a Council representative sit in on the nominating committee meeting. And I may request a personal meeting with the current board to clear some things up before they escalate and they continue calling me a cry-baby and trouble maker. Because if I don't stay on the board next year, there are several ideas that I want them to consider for events, workshops and fundraisers.
I'll take the weekend to mull it over I guess. Thanks again.
I think that you would be too valuable an asset to your PTO to pass on that VP position...they need you now more than ever! Every member of that board should have a copy of those by-laws (I copy and pass them out EVERY year to EACH member of our EBoard.) You say you have alot of ideas...as VP, your voice would be louder than most. Also, a vice president isn't small potatoes! There's much responsibility--I've relied on my (2) VPs countless times over the past two years because of personal schedule conflicts, etc. My vote is...TAKE THAT POSITION!!! You'll be glad you did, I promise! Stay the course with the current president, it sounds as if she needs to go...I'd continue with that battle, as long as there's someone to step up and take her place. OOOOHHHH, I just thought of something. Can't you, as a board member, make a motion at a meeting? I would motion that the "terms of officer position" be reviewed and voted upon and there be a revision in the by-laws stating that each officer's term is for X amount of years, with a maximum of X amount of consecutive years per officer position. (make sure that you have a few people on your side, you'll need a second in order to make it go to vote--and remember, CLOSED BALLOT!!!) Take your copy of Robert's Rules of Order as a reminder of how to make a motion, and if anyone argues with you, that's what you can show them. FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, GIRLFRIEND!!! (Future VP!!!!)
I just found out that since I work in the School District I cannot be PTA President. Isn't that a kick in the teeth?
I was told that I could take on any other position, but not president. In the event that during nominations no one is nominated for president and they revert to the old president I can stand up and say that I will sit in as Interim President until another president can be found. Then it would go to a paper ballot on that night.
I wish I had known about this before I went though all this BS with these people. But hey at least it keeps them accountable if anything.
I don't know what I am going to do now. I may just bag the entire idea and focus my attention on other things. Or do I take the open VP position with a new president? What would you all do?
"I'd rather let someone else have the opportunity to learn how to do the job while I'm still there (for their comfort level, in the event that they have a question)."
I wish my current president had that approach. I hope she will stay on and be a confedant and someone I or anyone on the board can lean on for advice if we needed it. I just don't know if she is willing to do it now. I don't know if she's going to have an "all or nothing" attitude.
I would do the same for someone else when my time would come to leave.
It just is not worth not being honest and forthright with people. Why should anyone beat around the bush when asking or answering a question? What are people so afraid of? Rejection? Being wrong? Being made fun of? I have learned so much in my life about things like that and it's just not worth it. It's more effort to lie and hold back than it is to just come straight out.
I don't want to come of nasty or anything, just want people to be sincere and honest. Is that asking too much? LOL. Am I living in a dream world? That's o.k. they like me here in my own little world.
If only more people were like you, AnnieGirl!!! Honest and straighforward is soooo much easier than those that try to hide their true intentions. It's hard to work when half of the board has their own personal, private, alterior motives! And yes, Daddio, the second year is so much easier than the first. You've done it all but aren't burnt out, you don't have to worry about how to do things, it's a much more comfortable year, in my opinion. I've been asked to stay on again for the third year as president (we also have one year terms), but I've decided to pass as well. I'd rather let someone else have the opportunity to learn how to do the job while I'm still there (for their comfort level, in the event that they have a question). I approach the PTA presidency much like I approach parenting. You need to be able to make decisions, and organize things, but you also have to be willing and able of letting others make decisions. It doesn't serve anyone well to keep ultimate control over everything, all the time, how would anyone else learn to do the job? Everything has it's "season"...and you have to be willing to let loose of the reigns when the time comes and be confident in the fact that someone else is capable of doing the job! We would all love to believe that no one else can do things as well as we can, but lets face it, no one is irreplaceable. As much as I love being president, there is a part of me that is looking forward to passing the torch!
I agree daddio. Keeping new and fresh ideas is great. Also keeping fresh people rotating through the board is a nice thing for members to see. There are so many people who don't come to meetings or participate because they think it's been done the same way for 6 years and they don't think they can invoke change because they won't have it. So that's where I tried to come in. Tried to tell those people that they should participate and they should get involved and not feel threatened by the clique.
I think you should go for it again. Since you only have one year terms and it takes that whole panic filled year to get through the kinks, you should have that second year to perfect it!
