Hello all!!! It has been a long time since I have had time to come back to the PTO today website. Our school was starting over with PTO as you may or may not remember. Anyway, I am a little bummed out!! Our board for 2003-2004 is all quiting except me, I wanted to quit too but just can't sit back and watch all the hard work we did last year go to waste. We earned over 17,000 dollars and have really done alot for our school, but at the last PTO meeting the parents all got together to pound the PTO!! I was only secretary last year, but the only board member at the meeting so I got the royal blood bath by myself!! We are voting for the 2004-2005 board next Monday, I don't know what to expect. So far, I am running for Pres., a parent who is hard to get along with is running for vp, no one for secretary, and a very helpful but overly stressed mom for treasurer. I am wanting to dissolve our PTO completely for some program that offers more structure, so I don't have to worry from year to year how the group is handeling funds (in the past we had several thousands of $'s spent on pedicures, make-up, and tanning beds). I know why the parents have a hard time trusting us, but the PTO does need to be able to do things (teacher appreciation, Honor Roll awards, etc..) without being totally micromanaged. I guess the biggest problem I had was the parents who were the most angry about not knowing where the PTO money was being spent, have never been to a meeting before last week! Thanks for beeing here!! I just needed to vent a little. I hope someone can give me some advice.
I know others will have 'softer' ways to handle this, but here is my take on it:
Take charge. You've had a year to see what didn't work and you have the insight to know that it doesn't have to be this way. Step up to the plate and take charge. Explain to your general membership what did and what did not work. Make sure you have ways to improve this ready to vocalize. Make sure you have all your ducks in a row before you set this in motion. There will be questions that you will need to answer. Research, research, research. Look at other successful groups large and small. Why do they work when your group does not? Why did your PTO fail in the years preceeding and what steps are necessary to prevent it this time? Find out.
One thing that might help is to start small. It sounds like your group may have taken on too much in its infancy year. Just run a Fall and Spring fundraiser. A budget of some sort is an absolute must. Do it in percentages (10% for administrative costs, 50% for free family events, 25% for teacher reimbursement, etc. - these are only examples). This is a great way for small groups to budget.
If you are willing to stand up, take charge, do the homework, and take it to the general membership, I believe the majority will back you up and take the steps necessary to put together a functioning PTO. If being popular is your goal, forget it. Until the group takes shape and is headed in a positive, forward position, you are not going to be very popular. But it will turn around. I promise.
First thing I would do is get some definate bylaws in order. Purchase a copy of Roberts Rules of Conduct and get familiar with them. The committee that is working on the bylaws will also need to get familiar with them. Put together a set of bylaws over the summer and present them at the first meeting for approval.
Make sure that your PTO checks require two signatures.
Make sure you include the principal as you build your group. This person can make or break a group.
I will think about this today, but I have to run. I've got a Site Council meeting this morning and an election to win tomorrow...
I'll offer some more on this later, but my first quick thought is that the thinking you're describing is exactly why your PTO was defunct in the first place. It's not unusual thinking, but it's a recipe for weak results; it's a recipe for turning your group into a constant (not that effective) fundraising group; and it's a recipe for slow decay, as the best volunteers (like you) will want no part of it or will just kind of slide away over time.
There are too many places to give of our time and talents (the YMCA, the Lions Club, the Church, the soccer league, etc.) where that time is valued and those talents are put to great use for long-term good.
The route your new PTO is taking is the wrong route. I know you know that, now we have to find ways for you to share that with others.
When I heard that our school was going to try and re-start the pto, I jumped thinking it would be a great thing. At the first meeting I volunteered for the VP position. Unfortunately, from that point it has so far been a major head butting contest.
The president took off running the show by signing us up for things then telling us about it later. Finally, after getting complaints via telephone, e-mail and the gossip column, I called her and discussed it. Things have slowed down, but now I am running into the "we're too small to need to do it" mentality.
So far we are too small to:
Join the National PTO - they wouldn't have anything to offer to us.
Purchase our own insurance - the principal has assured us we are sufficiently covered under our rider on the school policy.
Need a budget - we can just spend as we go.
:eek:
Need to track the money from fundraisers by individual because we won't loose that much money.
We don't need to plan for hte future, because our kids are out in 4/5 years.
And we don't need to meet over the summer - even though we have several outstanding issues.
The issues go on - like since no one in our group has ever applied for a grant, we couldn't possibly successfully do it as a group.
I am not sure if I am the problem, but I am exhausted after a year of listening to others whining and not speaking up and am not looking forward to another year of headbutting. I work for a mjor corporate and think that we should run the group like a business - planning for next year and setting goals a few years out.
Does anyone have any suggestions for overcoming the "little" mind-set?
