When in the decision-making stage for a project, existing or new, we advertise a meeting and invite everyone who is interested to attend. This included meeting with four potential fund raising Reps, and planning the school carnival, or planning the new playground. Inevitably, there is a small turnout and those few people make the decisions. All input is welcome, and solicited. The options are presented to the membership, with the committee chair's recommendation, for approval. If suggestions/criticisms come later, as they do, we try to be flexible if possible, but also remind them that the decision-making was open to everyone in a timely manner. I believe that even if "nobody attends" we still need to plan an inital meeting for input to provide the opportunity. It's up to the members to take advantage of it. These meetings are definitely give-and-take and also when assignments of responsibility are made based on the direction decided.

Just wanted to let you know, I hear you loud and clear and do agree with the gist of what you're saying. I can definitely see that a lot of times your biggest "worker bees" will be on the board. Also, I would not want someone making a decision for me that I would have to do all the effort on carrying out. I realize this would be a risk.

Still and all I can't help but think that maybe the board could do the research and give a range of options for the membership to look at. It would be nice to think that the few members that do participate on a regular basis are at least in the same ballpark with the direction their PTO is taking, if not on the same page!

Just a thought and a bit of defense:

When I was elected to the position of prez, our membership was a total of 8 members on a good night. We do not pay dues, so everyone can belong, regardless of their monetary situation. Did free membership encourage people to attend? It did not. We do vote each April to continue with our same Fall Fundraiser. Except the year I was elected. Our then prez did the research, and found a prospective new fundraiser. I made the decision as the incoming prez. It looked like everyone had a say in it, but the fact remains, I chose. The reason for that decision is that it would fall into my lap (as prez AND fundraising chair) to organize the event over the summer months. Of the 8 people who attended that well publicized meeting, 4 were moving on to the Jr. High and one was moving. Again, it would fall to me to do most, if not all, of the grunt work involved, as two of the officers were moving on. I began the year a veep short and the other two officers were teachers.

When the school year began (2001-2002 school year), the fundraiser came before the first meeting. It always has. I still recruited people to help, but by the time we had our first meeting, the fundraiser was already completed, which was a good thing because of 9/11 (our fundraiser ended on 9/11). At our first meeting, there was 55 people who attended. I got them signed up for one thing or another. Thing is, with this many people (our average meeting after this one continued to draw 30-40 people), it is hard enough to get them all to agree on what color a shirt should be, much less expect them to do the research on, and make a decision on a fund raising company that the majority of them will willingly (using past experience) have no part of.

I think that it is up to the board to determine if a new vendor is something needed. Our old vendor just had too many problems with our stuff. They weren't helping us, becoming more of a problem for us than a solid fundraising company. It was time for a change, a decision made by the people who would do the brunt of the work, from researching to fundraising. In our school, that would be the board. If you have a fundraising committee that sticks it out together, they should make the decision. I know that when the Spring Fundraiser came up, we were unable to secure a decent candle-sales deal. Presented to the members were two other, well researched, choices. Even then, the members each had their own idea of what we should do. 30 choices, none of them researched. Just imagine! And who ran the event? Not one of the people who had a different choice helped out.

Like you, the new prez (2002-2003) believes everyone should get to make the decision. I can't wait to see all that stuff laid out on the table and 30 people combing through it. And then getting them to agree on what unresearched event they should let someone else run. Meanwhile, I will be running the Fall Fundraiser the same as it has always been done, without 30 or 40 different opinions on why we should have gone with someone else. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Our current vendor is a dream. I hope they don't get rid of him because of some misguided, well intended, I-wanna-make-decisions parent/teacher/volunteer, who will not even end up working the event.

Sorry to sound so harsh. I've seen the nasty side of "Let Everyone Pick" and it isn't pretty.

When I took over as President three years ago we were having fundraisers all the time and none of them were doing particularly well. The new board at the time decided to take a bold step and announce that we would only do ONE fundraiser a year and the response was great we made more money on that one fundraiser than we had on all the others combined. We also had an item added to our bylaws that states "No member of the PTO board can sign a contract on behalf of our organization without prior authorization of the membership". For us this works out great, our former officers were siging contracts right and left commiting our group to all sorts of things and we felt that it should be a group decision. I am very group oriented and feel that while I am the PTO president,I am only the facilitator of what the membership wants to do.

Hi! Just wanted to say thanks for all your replies! This discussion forum has been a priceless resource for me since I managed to get myself involved in "the wonderful world of PTO!" This may be the death of me. (Have I said that before in a previous post?) Actually, I guess I have to say I was probably already starting to lose my mind before I became a board member. (Children and a husband have a way of getting that started for you!) But, anyway, I have spent hours reading the various posts on here and have picked up a lot of useful information.

Angela, you pretty much said verbatim how I feel. We complain because we can't get involvement up, but then you've got to give them a reason to come too. I think their opinions should be asked and at least taken into consideration. I guess I look at it as that's how I would want to be treated. And, yes I know we may ask our 5 to 10 people we may have show up and they may not really have an opinion, but at least you asked. I disagree with having people come so you can tell them what you need from them without giving them a whole lot back. (And yes, I know we give a lot back. We're helping the school and that helps their children, but you know what I mean.) In a perfect world, everybody would just come, and help, and get involved, and that would be great-but it's not a perfect world.

I guess, I think if you give them a little bit of choice and say in something, then in a way you've empowered them and they would be more likely to be interested and care a little more. Maybe, they would even feel a little more obligated. (That couldn't hurt!)

And, yes IMovePeople, how intuitive you are! I think this issue is so basic to how your PTO will function, I really think it's important. I feel pretty strongly about it. I don't think I would want to be a member of a PTO where there was hardly any input asked from the membership. I would really like to see our PTO ask for input on fundraisers and how the money will be spent before major decisions are made, if possible. We are still trying to "get our act together", but I hope we will move in this direction.

Thanks again for all the input. It is VERY much appreciated! You guys are lifesavers!(and sanity savers too!)
Sorry this post was so long! [img]smile.gif[/img]

Hello,

just my thought, keep in mind i am somewhat new to PTO all together, and
at that, i am brand new to being a board member(CO-PRES) this year,so, i
may have a different thought after this year lol, but, for the moment, i am thinking
how would I feel if I paid my dues, gave my time, etc.. and I wasnt at least
given an opportunity to voice an opinion on what kind of fund raising or where is
the $$ going? for our little town, if we didnt talk everything over with the 4 or t5
people we manage to get to a meeting we would be strung up by our toes in the
town gossip web!! but, on the same token, when people speak up this year,
make no mistake, they will be asked to chair the committee or take on the
responsibility of compiling info or whatever, bless the big hearts of our last board,
they were so open to share with the parents and the parents said what they would
and would not have, and then by golly left it up to the 2 people to carry it all out
and they were sweet enough to do it,(or in my personal opinion, silly enough to do it)
so, i say, a little of both, and dont let your parents tell you what they want and
then tell you to do it!! can i get an amen????? have a great 4th of July everyone!
angela