Thank you for all the tips and advice in this matter. We do have by-laws but they were very vague on how to handle situations. We have since ammended them to state what is expected of each volunteer in a leadership role. the way we view it at our school is that a volunteer can set their other priorities, but a chair has agreed to step up and coordinate their events and therefore have more responsibility and accountability. The board members are even beyond that. We all have other lives but we got involved in this way because we felt there were things we could do to make a difference in our school. So as I see it, they need to stick by what they agreed to do...and do it in a way that meets all guidelines and by-laws. Call me crazy, but this is like a second job...if I didn't want to do it, I wouldn't have agreed to it, and all board members and chairs should view this the same way. Unfortunately, some people have other motives for stepping up. I feel that board members should work as a team and if they don't want to be a part of that team, keep their mouths shut during the nominating process...same goes with the chairs. I would rather step up with board members and handle committees than let a chair ignore their responsibilities. We all work together anyway, but the problems we have are some chairs that are totally messing things up and aren't following through with tasks or even communicating that they aren't going to do it until it becomes an emergency in someone elses already loaded schedule. And then people act as if they can't be "fired"???!!...and then think they are going to do it again??!! I wanted clarification that I'm not alone in this thinking and if a chair/board member is doing something that hurts the objectives of the PTO, then they should be and can be relieved of their duties. It's not fair to the kids and the school for people to think they are above consequences. I'm sorry, I'm getting a little off topic here, but as I said, thanks for the tips...I'm hoping that we can now avoid these issues next year.

I think everyone has had this problem in one way or another. I am a past President and the President before I was President was very good about making big plans, allowing no one to help, then not showing up for events. The other officers we always there to pick up the pieces and put out the fires. This happened for one full year before we learned our lesson. Fianlly the President just sat back and let another officer take over. When the officers took things into their hands and planned committees they allowed the ex-pres to co-chair a committee with someone else. Of course the same thing happened, the ex pres lied and made up stories, handed in false bids for food for our School carnival. Two days before the carnival she was called on it and the other Chair took over and got the job done. These people do not understand that they have many people and and entire student body counting on them. They are responsible for the way people look at PTO as a whole. I don't understand why people take on tasks and leave them for others to finish. There needs to be some type of clause with expectations in yopur by -laws. Also, we then only allowed past Chairs to chair a project and new members had to successfully co-chair an event before Chairing one themselves. This way they knew what was expected from them and their obligations.

i recently posted this in another thread, but I will say it again here, in response to GaMom.. try advertising " Volunteer Opportunities".. instead of begging for help.. In the " advertisement SPELL OUT exact time commitment, when and where.. and be sure to mention " what a fun way to meet your child's friends.. " ..

You will be amazed how people WILL step up if they see that they can "give 2 hours on TUesday, the 19th.." as opposed to just reading " we need help for the fair".

Also, every year in my Open House speech I give this little example about how I hope that each person would give just one hour of their time over the course of the year.. and if each parent of the 500 kids did that, we would have about 700 hours of volunteer time, and that goes a LONG way for all of our children..

and I am also quick to point out that i don't expect them to be committed to the level I am, but just an hour would be great!

I also say , "can you spare one hour of not watching TV once this year, and instead, give the time to your school?"

Lastly, I tell them to look around the room and see that these people they are sitting near and around they will be " stuck with" for the next 12 years while their kids are in school, soccer, dance,birthday parties, etc.. together, so wouldn't it be easier to just meet NOW, and get it over with?

I think a lot of organizations who have success in getting and retaining volunteers are those who approach it with the attitude that " we would love to have YOU join us.... not WE need your help"

hope this helps you see it in a different way! good luck.

Daddio--i get that a lot also. People will say, I didn't know you REALLY needed volunteers--as though i am just asking for fun or something. i try to explain that I understand everyone has their own lives outside of PTO and that I don't ask for them unless i need them. It is usually the same ones though. I wish I knew of some magic to get differnet ones in, cause the same ones tend to work harder than they should, and get appreciated less.

This is for "pals" - yes, we let parents know why the Santa Shop was cancelled. We haven't had one person ask about it since.

This is for "volunteermomo3" - the two moms who left because their children graduated are both involved in the middle school PTO so they don't have time to help.

Queen PTO, the first question I have to ask is about your bylaws. The fact that your group is a PTO would likely mean that you are an independant, non-profit organization. As such you should have a set of bylaws. My group's bylaws aren't the best by any means, but at least they provide some general guidelines. If you would like to take a look at my groups bylaws feel free to go to the website I created this year, hill-roberts.kannoncom.com/ptoweb/, and go to the Bylaws section.

So if you do have bylaws there should be some guidance regarding these types of problems.

Also I have to ask for clarification regarding your definition of "chair". Is the Treasurer or Secretary considered to be a chair or would they be given the term officer? My PTO has a meeting in May where we ask for members to step up for the following year. Officers and even event/program chairs are decided during that meeting. If I had an issue with a Chair not performing their "duties" properly, and I knew that they desired to keep the role, as President I would discuss the possibility of co-chairing with other specific members who may be interested. Then at the May meeting I would pass around a generated list and would have co-chair sign-up for those events/programs. That way you won't offend/lose the parent that is not meeting expectation and come next year procedures or necessary protocols will be followed/enforced because the co-chair will make sure.

Also who are the ones telling you you can't "fire" the volunteer? Is it the volunteers themselves, or your Officers, or possibly the Principal? If it's the volunteers themselves, then I would say that this has already been handled poorly. It should never have reached the point where you are asking for them to resign.

Overall this comes down to your President doing their job.

-Jim