Question: Disputed elections and co-presidents

1. Can we have two Presidents? A mother has been nominated and wanted to have her friend as the Co-President. I opposed the idea because that doesn't sound right and function well. Instead, I recommended to have multiple Vice President. As a matter of fact, I was running for the Vice President. 2. We had an election by raising our hands. I've been elected as the Vice President but some mothers kept talking negative about me. And someone proposed to invaldidated the election because we were not able to a conclusion. Outgoing President who was not familiar with the process(bylaw) accepted the proposal and closed the meeting. Is this possible? I met most of the outgoing officers and parents for the first time. I was very embarrassed. There were teachers and administrators from school as well.

Asked by Anonymous

Answers:

Advice from PTO Today

Craig writes:
I understand your concerns, but in the right situation co-presidents can work. The key is to settle from the start how you're going to make decisions. Is one president going to have the final say? Or will there be another way of working things out when they disagree? The president's job, especially at the beginning, can seem daunting for one person. If sharing the job makes your president feel more comfortable, I'd say give them your support and see how things work out.

Community Advice

Parttimeparli writes:
Check your bylaws. If they state that co presidents are allowed then they are allowed. If the bylaws don't list that position then they are not allowed even if the president doesnt mind having a co-pres. Robert's Rules states that it's not a good idea. An assistant to the president is a much better solution. A sign that says " the buck stops here" cannot be shared by two desks.