If the student counsel is a school function that is separate from the PTO than you have to follow bylaws and if they accept all members to join, then she must be allowed to join. However, if SC is a part of the PTO, then I would check the bylaws to see if heading a committee (such as student counsel) requires that you be a member, she either has to join or be removed from the position.
Now, if the SC was dissolved at some time, the money was given to the PTO as part of the dissolution of the organization or club. Unless there were stipulations that the money be held in the PTO account earmarked for that organization (should it re-surface), the PTO does not have any obligation to hold that money or return it.
You'll have to check the minutes of the meetings, speak to the treasurer at that time and your bylaws.
seems like denying her member ship would only make her madder and then a bigger problem. Find a way to work with her, use your bylaws when heated topics are occuring, stand your ground but denying her would be a huge headache!
"When you stop learning you stop growing."
Yeah, it sounds like there are two ways to go, and I'd strongly suggest the latter.
1. Use (or create new) bylaws regarding membership eligibility. I suppose it would be possible (kind of like bylaws regarding removing an officer from office) to fashion some kind of bylaw like: "90% of membership determines this person is unfit to belong" or something. But that feels very wrong and very Plymouth Plantation (public shunning) to me.
2. Better I think to start using (or sharpening) your bylaws around debate and time limits and agendas. Most PTO and PTA groups don't run their meetings highly officiously, but Robert's Rules certainly supports this. Using Robert's Rules well, you could -- for example -- only allow debate/discussion on items that are on the agenda. You can also limit the amount of time for debate on that matter and limit how many times someone may speak to the matter, etc.
Going that direction -- it would apply to all - may help you.
I would say not unless your bylaws give you the authority to refuse membership. Also--being a pain in the buttocks doesn't make her membership ineligable. I think the best thing to do is ignore her. If money was "given" then it was a gift and it is yours to use as you see fit. It would be best for you guys to try to come up with some sort of a working relationship since she's obviously going to be around...but you cannot just not allow her to join unless you've put a cutoff date on membership acceptance for the current year or your bylaws address the issue for you.
We have a very difficult "member". At one point our PTO was a PTA. This member was the former PTA President I spoke about in a previous post. Some of the money that was missing has been accounted for. Many PTO members felt that any money was good enough and we should let it go.
Now this "member" is the head of Student Council. She claims that money which was GIVEN to last years PTO from a dissolved Student Council, now needs to be repaid.
In all honesty, our PTO board and many members are now feeling harassed and like she is trying to push the PTO out. But yet, she wants to be a member.
She has yet to pay her dues for this year. Is it possible we can deny her dues and ask her to not attend meetings?
