How would I feel? I would feel frustrated and aggravated, which of course you do too [img]redface.gif[/img] |

A few years back we had a president that didn't seem to think procedures and Roberts Rules were important. Fortunately there were a few parents that quietly hung in there and slowly made a few positive changes. At a general parent meeting, the new treasurer made a motion for the formation of an audit committee. She had not previously discussed this with the president because she knew it would get dismissed. The motion passed and a few parents volunteered for the committee.

The treasurer was then able to take the recommendations of the audit committee about following proper procedures, and just tell everyone "the audit committee says I need you to fill out this check request" or "the audit committee says I shouldn't write blank checks". I was one of the people on the audit committee that year, and we were glad to be the scapegoats. We just kept repeating that even though we trusted the current board, we just wanted to set up proper procedures for the future, because we didn't know who would be handling money in the future. We also said that following the procedures would actually help protect the board, so that down the road, no one could raise questions of impropriety after the fact. Lastly, I kept telling people how I would come here and read story after story of PTO embezzlement. It was actually easy for us on the committee because we were not on the board and did not have to deal with the board on a regular basis. We audited once a month and wrote up our recommendations for the general parent meeting.

Your new treasurer should know that she's really putting herself out on a limb by writing these blank checks.

It sounds like your prez needs a wakeup call. This is the PARENTS' money/account, not hers. And you as a parent have a right to question how it is being handled. Like writermom says, people need to feel their money being safeguarded before they will contribute.

If youre a registered non profit, and theres blank check stuff goin on with obvioulsy no records or receipts (otherwise it wouldnt have to be blank, now would it?) to account for use of funds, youre group is liable to be seen as not quite following the rules for non-profits.

Rules need to be adhered to to keep your corp status intact (not to mention all the other potential fallouts mentioned in previous posts)!

Crew Chief is right -- first off, change your poster name.

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission. -Eleanor Roosevelt-

Wow--what a mess! One thing that came to mind as I was reading your post is that if the principal thinks this woman is so great, maybe she should have a chat with the lady at the bank.

You need to stand up to this woman and get others to band with you. And it doesn't sound like you'll have too much trouble if she's treated others as badly as she has treated you. You are a member of your parent group and the pres is accountable to you. You have ever right to demand that financial protocols are put into place and adhered to.

Go to the principal; whether she loves the pres or not, she needs to be made aware of what's going on with the blank check and this woman's behavior. Get other parents to go with you if you can. If you don't get satisfaction there, go to the superindendant, school board, and /or the newspaper. And make sure other parents know the pres is writing blank checks to herself. I would be very reluctant to contribute to a group whose pres was writing checks to herself. And I'm not sure I would want to be a member of a group that condoned this kind of behavior.

CrewChief is right--be an advocate for your group. You have more power than you think. Most principals don't like bad press, and if yours knows you are willing to go all the way with this issue, chances are she will be willing to step in and get this resolved. Good luck and keep us posted!

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that the lady at the bank (who I don't know) called me back after she left to warn me that she was "irate" and had taken my cell phone number with her to call me. She said quote "She acts like she's the President of the United States" and "she kept saying "but I'm the President -- the Principal made me the President... this is MY account!"
She must have made quite the scene at the bank.

Wow! It sounds like you're in quite a mess - as is evident by your posts above. So, what to do?

1. Blow off some steam!
OK, you already did that. You're among friends here so it's a safe place to get things off your chest. If you keep this stuff bottled up you'll be back here later posting for a completely different reason.

2. Grab your bylaws.
Please say you have bylaws.... What do they say about:
a. Blank Checks
b. Checks over a set $ amount (ie $100+)
c. The Treasurer's responsibilities
Even if the bylaws are silent on these issues, there are common accounting practices that any treasurer is bound to abide by.

3. How is this President re-elected?
You say that during her rant at the bank she said that the principal 'made' her the president.
a. The principal appoints the officers? Not a good idea.
b. If there really is an election, did she run unopposed? Even so, she is still subject to recieving the majority of "Yes" votes to earn the spot. If the majority vote "No", then you just don't have a president until a viable alternate candidate can be nominated.

3. Change things.
Let's start with your screen name. Doormat doesn't suit you. How about.... Advocate! (n 1: a person who pleads for a cause or propounds an idea )
a. You are an advocate for your community. You and your teammates are elected and/or appointed members of a parent group charged with acting in the best interests of your school. She is but one member of this team and is equally accountable to the majority rule.
b. You are an advocate for your fellow members. You are not minions in her army. Band together and demand that she behave in accordance with your bylaws.
c. You are an advocate for yourself. Don't allow someone to bully and intimidate you. You are there to support your community and be a positive role model to the people you serve.

I know you'll recieve tons of support and advice from other folks here. Keep posting and let us know how things are going for you!

[ 08-03-2006, 08:00 AM: Message edited by: CrewChief ]

How would you feel if the Parents Club president intimidates the naive, newly-elected Treasurer into giving her a signed blank check? She made the check out to herself... then took it to the bank where the Club has the account. She is not a customer, so bank policy is to charge a fee. She threw a tandrum and demanded they call me because I'm on the account because I started a Scrip program for the school last year, before she was elected. The bank told her she could take the check to her own bank and cash it, but she insisted they call me; then she proceded to yell at me "What don't you understand? The $350 withdrawal is not the point! The $8 fee is! What is confusing you?" This is after I asked why she isn't going through the Treasuer to make a withdrawal so she can keep track of it on the books; she didn't say that the Treasuer had given her a blank check...
I've been snubbed, ignored, and made so uncomfortable that I quit going to meetings- event the "thank you dinner" at the end of the year when she was re-elected. She never asks if you can do something, she just tells you to and it's the 3rd time she has nastily yelled "What don't you understand?!" at me. She even yells at paid staff members of the school, yet our principal loves her and just doesn't see that side of her.