If your bylaws don't include rules for nominations and voting, you might be able to fall back on Roberts Rules Of Order which says that if your Bylaws don't specify rules, you can create them at your election meeting ("the assembly may determine the method".) As president, you could proposse rules at your meeting on your voting method (closed, written ballot), who should count votes, if nominations need to be accepted, if the nominees will stand up and introduce themselves, etc. Get the attendees to approve the method and go from there. Before next year's election, you will probably want to formalize some nomination/election rules in your Bylaws.
I referred to page 56 of "The Modern Edition of Robert's Rules of Order" by Darwin Patnode. I picked it up for about $5 at Borders. It's a very easy to read summary of RRO, barely 150 pages.
Thanks Pals
That helps alot. And Thank you, you put a smile on my face. I have done alot in 3 years that past members just talked about. They raised money for 5 years for a playground, but never had enough, or cared. First year as President, that was my main goal. I went over everyones head and complained to the district about our playground. They were all mad at first until they gave us $15,000. We have a great playground now! Now I just hope the prinicpal will listen to me about all this. Wish me luck!
hi...you sound really frustrated. We just did our first elections so I learned some. We had it that if a person is nominated they had to be there saying they were willing to accept the nomination.We then posted nominations for three weeks prior to elections. We also had it that the principal could not nominate anyone or even vote. Since we have like no teacher involvement it wasn't an issue for us. As far as voting the principal counted them but we had a parent with her to help .This parent had no interest in the group what so ever. It sounds as if you have been in it along time and your record will speak for itself. Sometimes people think that they can just walk in but your experience speaks louder than that.
"When you stop learning you stop growing."
Hello All,
I really have a problem and I hope someone can help. I am PTO President(3rd year) and we have nominations on Tue (April 1). OK, we had a new principal this year and she is very controling. She tried to take over the PTO in the beginning(and still tring), but I wouldn't let it happen. So you can imagine we but heads. She wants me out.(She even went as far and kicking me out of school one day, because who did I think I was just coming any time I wanted!) I wasn't going to run this year but I don't want her to take it over next year. She called all the staff to a meeting to talk about this and the "rules" of nominations and voting. She has picked one of her "favorite" moms to nominate. This mom has never even came to a PTO meeting, or helped in any way. Looking at our by-laws it says nothing about nominations or voting only that each term runs one year. OK, do you have to be at the meeting Tuesday to be nominated, or can someone nominated you and then call you and tell you? Who is aloud to vote? Who counts the votes? (I don't trust the principal to do it) Who rechecks it and who keeps them? (I sound like a owl-sorry) She is making this a very big thing and wants us to follow ALL the rules, but I don't know any-please can someone help. Thank you
