hi! mykidsmom-a few years ago a recount was demanded and somehow the key got lost to the lock box and when they found it, well...the ballots were missing. The past president was in charge of that election committee too! I have had an interesting phone call and an anonymous e-mail stating that election was rigged and that this one is planning to be too. The past president wants the person I am running against to win. The problem is the parents don't want her to. I am 75% sure I will win if the votes are counted correctly, only we have nothing in our by-laws about who counts the votes, how the ballots are handled and by who. I am going tomorrow morning to have the principal take this woman off of the committee. I have printed out the e-mail to show him. Wish me luck!!

Scooby-
We have a locked box for elections. Our membership refuses to entertain the thought of an open election like yours but the school holds their election open during school. The ballots are turned into the front office and kept in another locked box until after school. AHH yes, the key is kept (for the school board elections) with the Secretary or Principal... a thought for you!
Personally, I think it would be inapproprate for the former president to even see ballots in her mail box at school. But that's just my thought.

Wishing you luck though!!!! You can always demand a re-count!! Not like it's NEVER BEEN DONE!
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[ 03-24-2002: Message edited by: mykidsmom ]</p>

Scooby, maybe I jumped a bit too fast. I'm sorry. Your original letter did sound a bit 'high schoolish', but I think, like me, you are just tired of fighting what looks like a losing battle. WAIT! I said 'what looks like', not what is. Yes, I agree that the bylaws should be changed as soon as they can. Why wait? Most bylaws tell you how to change them. It usually involves a reading of the bylaw as it stands, the reading of the proposed new wording or new bylaw or bylaw ammendment. It would probably have to be posted for 30 days and then voted on by the membership. Check under Special Votes (you have to be an officer to initiate according to our bylaws). Look it up and then start the process! I must admit that it isn't right for the prez to be meeting without the full board, but I am guilty of doing that to our VP as well. She is argumentative and it doesn't matter what we all agree on, she goes her own way at the meeting anyway. Our bylaws do not provide for removal of office (being ammended as we speak...lol). Again, I must say Trust Your Membership Body! Maybe the reason you only have 2 or 3 parents coming to the meetings is because they don't like her either (which also makes a point in the debate of who gets to vote...lol...). I know that I have problems within my own group. A very select few think I have been a bad prez, mostly because the decisions didn't all go their way. I chose better fundraisers (voted on at the end of last year), that made more money, with less hassle than ever before. We ran fewer fundraisers while making more money without allowing our students to go door to door. We purchased items that the school NEEDED VS wanted. I've spent an average of 5 1/2 hours a day at the school as volunteer in order to make PTO more accessible and more visible at our school. I put together an email address, a suggestion/comment/complaint box. So you can see (or maybe you can't) that while I've tried to be a good president, some people didn't see it that way. We still have a 3 person clique who literally didn't like the way I ran things. It is led by a parent/teacher who owns her own business and expects our PTO to purchase everything that we can through her marked-up-in-it-for-the-money-and-doesn't-deny-that store. This is who I will be running against this April. I'm still trying to figure out my own footing...lol...

Sorry to vent. Good Luck!

HI!In our by-laws the only thing about the election is this:
"A.Nominations for officers shall be made from the ****** Elementary School district. The nominations must either be a member or become a member by the day of the elections to be eligible to serve. Those members shall be elected by popular vote via secret ballot of active members during the month of April. B. Only those who have consented to serve if elected shall be eligible for nomination. C. There shall be a nominating committee consisting of three to five members one of whom shall be selected by the executive board from its body (that did not happen) and the balance elected by the organization at a regular meeting prior to December first. ( didn't happen) This nominating committee shall select its own chairperson immediatly following their election. (didn't happen , the past president just said 'I am the chairperson')".
Although at the end it does state that Robert's Rules of Order newly Revised shall govern the organization in all cases in which they are applicable and in which they are not in conflict with these by-laws. Nothing is mentioned about how the election actually procedes or who counts the votes or well...anything. The past president gets PTO mail because she orders stuff for through PTO for all the committees she has decided to chair. Some of which were mine, and since she seems to control the current president, she just handed them over to her at the beginning of the year. Anything that has her name on it regardless of whether it is PTO related or not,just goes into her mailbox. She has told the secretary already to put the nominations into her mailbox. So one would assume that that is where the votes would end up. I wrote to the principal and asked him to have the teacher give the votes directly to him when they came in. I have an appointment to see him on Monday. Metzymom- this PTO really is a click- it isn't run smooothly or without incidence. They insist on doing everything their way without thinking of any consequence. This is my third year in the PTO with different people each year. This is the first year that I have heard complaints from parents and teachers, or the first year I have had any complaints. I think the principal is catching on because he told them that they meet too much, the three of them, without me or the vice-president. I am not saying that they are terrible, they have done quite a bit, although they have also messed up good PTO-parent relationship. They also seem to have forgotten it is for the kids not for their egos. Some of these kids cannot afford to buy their own lunches, yet she wants to up the prices of everyhting. This is including a reward at the end of the year that the PTO has paid for completely, she wants to charge $.75 per child, reduced lunched are only $.50. I just want to see the PTO do all that they can do for these kids. I am not trying to sound like a martyr, really!! Just my opinion. So.....does anyone know what I should do about this?? I think if I become president (cross your fingers) I am going to have a new by-law voted on specifically detailing the election. But until then??

First of all, do you really want to be part of an organization where you don't trust the people to not "lose" your vote? After all, this isn't high school. Speaking of high school, you mention you having trouble with the cliques. Pahleese! I'm beginning to wonder how many actual 'cliques' are out there and how many well run groups are called cliques because someone isn't part of the team in the way they think they should be.

I understand your concerns, but you have to trust that the membership body has brains. Trust them to do the right thing. If the current president is as bad as you say, nobody will vote for her. Does everyone think she is doing a bad job, or just you and your supporters? As for losing votes in the PTO mailbox or the past president's box (why does the past president get PTVO mail in her teacher box?), have the voters put their ballots in a sealed envelope and give them to the school office manager. She can put them in the school safe until the election where they can be counted in full view of everyone if need be...lol...

As for the advice offered by Midfield High School:
<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Midfield High School
Only PAID members are allowed to vote and if there a situation arises that is not covered by the bylaws, you defer to Robert's Rule or whatever is listed as the governing <hr></blockquote>
I don't believe this is actually correct. Your bylaws may say something different than hers. Each PTO has it's own bylaws, it's own rules that pertain to the individual counties, districts and/or schools. Whereas most of the PTO's use Robert's Rules of Conduct it's default source, not everyone does. It is not a law. It is just one way to go. Our organization does not charge it's members. All of our parents are considered members, as we all have children at the school. So, if Midfield is correct, no one can vote at our school. You have to do what will work for you. Sometimes that ends up being very
creative. This year is the first year we have had more than one candidate for any officer's position. We have nothing to cover that in our bylaws, as it was really never a problem before. I had the Asst. Principal, the Vice-President and myself sit down and create a voting process. We took it before the PTVO for a special vote before we began the election process. For us, voting will take place at the meeting, by ballot. An unbiased person (our school office manager), a member chosen by each candidate will be the persons counting the ballots. Here is another thought: If only two or three parents show up, then only those 2 or 3 should be voting... if only because they care enough to come down and make a difference. Send out a notice to all parents that on such and such a date there is an election for the Officers of PTO. Mention in your newsletter that if they like the way things have been done this year, that they really need do nothing. If their child's education is at all important to them, they need to come down for one evening, for one hour and cast one vote.
Good Luck.

Scooby Doo,
My3sons and bwmom have given the correct information. Only PAID members are allowed to vote and if there a situation arises that is not covered by the bylaws, you defer to Robert's Rule or whatever is listed as the governing authority in your bylaws.

Our President went to the middle school and announce that she was going to be president because our bylaws say that one is "eligile" to serve. She took that to mean that she has an automatic renewed term. I told her even the President of the US has to be re-elected for a second term.

So she couldn't be President, automatically, she decided to rally the parents of the middle school and the high school to come out and vote for her and her nominees. She forgot that we only have 50 paid members, not 50 active members, but 50 paid members. Our President is the alpha and omega of confusion. Everything she touches ends up in disarray and disorder. The rest of the officers are left cleaning up or smoothing over her mess.

Make them stick to the bylaws. Stick you guns and don't give up without a "professional" fight.