Wow! Great thread guys!! Going back to Suzanne's initial post and to sort of piggyback on Metzy and Angela...membership is key to getting things done; if we don't have the interest of folks to help out on projects, then we wind up with one or two people doing it all and getting fewer programs and incentives for families to come into the school. We also need to reach out to the families that are simply not interested in becoming PTA/PTO members, reinforce the notion that inolvement does not mean membership, and encourage them to support their children and their school. Notices, mass letters, and other means of correspondence are important to getting messages out quickly and efficiently, but I agree with Angela that a "personal touch" is needed as well.

As for membership drives and involvement campaigns, I think people have to see that concerted efforts are being made to "reach out" and embrace interest and involvement no matter the shape or form. Suzanne, I have a whole bulleted list of ways to boost involvement; I have been working on it all summer for my primary school PTA and for my county-wide awareness and advocacy group. There are theme ideas, partnership ideas with businesses, activities to host, letters, fliers, and more. I have mentioned my letters of invitation and welcome aboard letter in other threads, and am willing to share with anyone interested. Most of the things listed are not new ideas...just things that have been forgotten (particularly by my school) over time and cast aside as "old" that I have 'polished up' a bit.

Our membership drive theme this year is "Join our 'school' and get hooked on PTA" with a fishing theme (we are a seafood industry area, so it fits) We also have on file for future themes the apple tree idea with the phrase "Join PTA, where the fruits of our labor are sweet!", a train with "Don't bring up the kaboose. Get on track with PTA!", and more. I can email most anything in an attachment, just email request to me. (I don't check threads everyday, so posting a request here might not be seen for a few days.)

I think for us, the most important part of our membership drive is not to boost our PTA membership, but make families more aware of the need for their involvement and let them know they are welcome in the school without necessarily having to be a member. We don't reserve our correspondences for "members only" and we don't stop our efforts once the drive is over. For instance, in our newsletters this year (going out at regular intervals instead of sporadically) we will include membership form, calendar, articles on events, tips for parents (homework, conferences, behavior, etc.), spotlight on a teacher or student for accomplishment, field trip stories (completed by filling out form with details...I fill in the rest), and more. (This is the first year in a long while that we have had someone work on a regular newsletter instead of just a letter or meeting reminder here and there.)

Our open house is Friday, and we are really making a concerted effort to be visible and "push" involvement and membership. We will have 'greeters' and a membership table, with members readily discernable by wearing specially (home)made t-shirts. We have items to "raffle" off (entries are made when one signs on with our PTA and the names will be chosen at our September meeting), like a book bag, two lunch boxes, box of school supplies, PTA t-shirts (male and female), and a ticket for a free parent lunch or breakfast with their child.

I got a lot of great ideas from the Nat'l and the Maryland PTA websites (you don't have to be PTA to use some of the ideas), and just by checking around with other schools in my area. Definately do the survey, not just of parents but teachers as well, to find out where parents are willing to help and what teachers need from parents and your PTA/PTO.

Suzanne (and anyone else), email me and I will send you all the info I have on membership drives, welcome packets, t-shirts, PTA officer business cards, etc.

Sorry for rambling...I don't know about anyone else here, but I am so excited about this year.

As an "innocent bystander", I'd like to make a comment to both Angela & Metzy Mom. I did not find either of you offensive in any way. You were merely sharing your differing ideas, but I did not get a feeling you were belittling the others' ideas in any way. And what a beautiful job Tim did (as usual!) in showing the similarities of your two ideas.

Hang in there everyone, there is not doubt from everyone's posts that we are all in this for the kids!

Jo

No apology necessary Angela. If someone should apologize, it would be me. Sometimes we forget that our posts do not come off the same way they sound in our head...lol. I know that I often sound very stern, or just plain harsh sometimes, and with one exception, I have certainly never meant them to sound that way. I think that most people on this message board would consider me to be a royal witch, and anyone who has heard me speak knows that simply isn't true...lol... okay, sometimes it's true, but most of the time...lol.

I am in your corner Angela because there isn't any doubt in my mind that you are doing what you do for the children. How can anyone who is doing this for the right reasons be anything but a kind and caring human being? Hang in there. We are all in your corner. I guess it is very easy to forget that we have all been in your place, full of new hopes, dreams and yes, theories! Hang in, stick to your guns and never stop working to make our schools a better learning experience for not just your child or my child, but for all children.

You Go Girl!

TheMetzyMom, and everyone else reading , in no way at all did I intend to "slam" anything anyone posted, i think you are all making awesome suggestions, i depend on these suggestions as I am new and trying to soak up as much of what all of you have to offer, we send home lots of notes, invitations, emails,etc.... and we also want higher attendance at meetings, and you are right about those who attend doing most of the work, we have a few exceptions, but mostly our PTO is our 7 board members. Iguess when i posted b4 i should have added in addition to.........., i certainly want to apologize to you as I feel my post may have upset you, I know that I am "wet behind the ears" so to speak, but my heart and my vision is in the right place, I think.

Yes, I do agree with that Tim. Especially now, having gone from a small, intimate PTO to a PTO that more than quadrupled in size as I took the helm. I took our group from its 8 members to more than 40 at each meeting, not including the countless 'members' who did work at home, never once attending a meeting or event. In actuality, having been heavily involved on both sides of the coin, I personally think smaller is better for most, but not all, things. I think that it is much more important to have a series of 'core groups' or committees who work doing different things (ie: family support, room parents, special events, fundraising, teacher support, extra aid to students, field trips, etc.). What is the saying? Quality over Quantity? Absolutely! I just know that most new presidents really work hard towards better attendance at their meetings. I'm sure that like me, they soon are remembering the old line of "careful what you wish for'...lol...

I agree with Angela about reaching out in a personal way, bringing families together with their students, the school, the teachers ~ to get everyone involved. I just wanted to point out that she shouldn't disregard things like flyers, or other things that have worked for many of us in the past. Again, as I said in an earlier post, sometimes it only takes bringing in a new president and/or a new board to bring in old and new members. Whether I was a general member or board member, I never once gave the 'WIIFM' theory a second glance in regards as to why I attended a meeting or event. I knew, however, that most people do think about it. I just made sure enticements were there. Then, I put everyone to work...lol...

Again, I agree with Angela on so many levels, but I just didn't want her to count out the things that have worked for those who have gone before her. And of course, I want to know what worked for her and how she accomplished it!