Fremont: If your membership is in the dark about what you do, it's time that they were educated. Send out a letter to parents welcoming them to the school year and then explain what the PTA does for your school. If they realize that the school does not fund certain programs, supplies or activities, they are more likely to participate in your fundraisers. You need to also make it clear in your flyers/memos & newsletter that the proceeds from the XYZ function will go to support A, B & C this year. Educating your parents is a great way to increasing fundraising as well as the volunteer pool.

Also, you should send out a volunteer form with your annual activities on it and ask that parents return it indicating what they would like to volunteer to assist with. Those names and phone numbers can be passed on to the chairperson and those moms that wanted to help, but didn't know how or who to contact will get a call. Take advantage of the feedback you received and run with it.

MadamPresident;136036 wrote: Example: we wanted to order shirts and I found a good price on them at $4.75 a shirt. Her and her husband who is also an officer want to get polo's whith our name embroidered in them. I know this will probably be around $10. I explained to them that $10 is hard for some people to come up with. Their response was everyone can come up with $10. maybe but my friend has 5 kids at this school and I have 3 in school and 1 baby when you do the math that could be $30 to $50 and that is alot to ask for.

I know where you are coming from on there. Each year our school does shirts for each class and each class has a color. Well, each shirt is $8 and we have 4 kids, plus myself and that is $40 that I have to come up with! Plus my 3rd grader and 5th grader had to have agenda books that were $4 each. Almost $50 just on the first few days of school, that doesn't include all the supplies and such. This is the only time that the kids can get the shirts too. I want to work on getting some sort of spiritwear for the school and not just the shirts that they sell. I know the school in Alaska where we came from, the PTA did the shirts and sold them all year at every event. I just don't understand why that isn't done here.

Well, I got about 21 back on the first day. It surprised me how many people have no idea what the PTA does. Some don't know what the money goes towards. I got this answer from our past president that if they come to the meetings then they will know what goes on. I understand where she is coming from because a lot of them don't come to the meetings. I have a few that have stated that they want to help, but no one has asked them. I am hoping that these people do help when I call on them. I can't wait to see how many more surveys I get back. They have until next Friday to send them in. I know the kindergarten teachers are waiting to send theirs out until either tomorrow or Monday since all of the kids come then.

I know just how you are feeling right now fremontPTA, I too am in the same place you are. Last year our PTA really started to fall apart on the officer level. There was never a treasurey repot, minutes, and a definite schedule for the meetings. Not all just a few. It may not have been directly their fault but there was a lot of miscommunication at the PTA meetings. There was also a lot of shooting down ideas. So I took the Presidency and last years Pres took Treasure, found a vice-pres that is going to do alot for us, the rest are equally good. We do have a member that although she is very nice she does put off that better than you attitude. Well we have just last year recieved new kids more inner city and with times the way they are some of us have to watch our money well this PTO member doesn't believe in that.

Example: we wanted to order shirts and I found a good price on them at $4.75 a shirt. Her and her husband who is also an officer want to get polo's whith our name embroidered in them. I know this will probably be around $10. I explained to them that $10 is hard for some people to come up with. Their response was everyone can come up with $10. maybe but my friend has 5 kids at this school and I have 3 in school and 1 baby when you do the math that could be $30 to $50 and that is alot to ask for.

We are also looking for more teacher participation. we spent over $1000 on the teachers alone last year and only a small handfull helped or showed support. I hope our numbers increase.

So this year I am taking the bull by the horns and I have a lot of things I am putting in motion and a lot of support from the Principal and members alike. I hope I don't let anyone down and I hope you do well too.

Well, my Vice President and myself spent 3 hours getting copies of our survey and volunteer letters together today. I am hoping that we get a good number back. With it I included a page where they fill out their child/ren's names so that their child/ren could be entered into a raffle at the end of next week. I am hoping that it will bring in more. This is my first year being president so I hope we get a lot done. Last year was good, but the past president (my vice) had good ideas, they just got shot down by the board. I took what I wanted to do to the pricapal myself, gave her dates and she put them down and now all I have to do is tell the board what we are doing. I am hoping we get better response from the teachers also. Wish us luck on the survey. Dawn