Thanks for your replies, our bylaws don't state what are standing and special committees, it just has always been. My issue is that the position I was asked to chair, is a position that goes on the whole school year and I feel it should be a standing position with voting priveledges. When they first started the position, it was a one time thing, it has evolved into more. Bottom line I don't want to cause trouble and I am in it for my son. Thanks for your replies.
Like others here, our standing committees are listed in our bylaws and the chairs are Board members. However, we also have a phrase that allows the Executive Board to include others in the Board (by 2/3 vote, I believe).
As I've explained before, our Board transacts all PTO business, so we want it to be large. (General meetings held only twice a year. Board meetings every month.) Anyway, at our first meeting of the year in August, we add all the Ad Hoc (Special) committee chairs as well as some positions like the 6 parent grade reps to our Board.
This approach works well for us. The core is defined in the bylaws, but we have the flexibility to create Ad Hoc committees as we need them AND to include those chairs on the Board.
Check your by-laws. Our state that the President has the power to appoint standing and special committees as needed, and to appoint the chairs of those committees to serve at the President's discretion. Specific standing committees are not named. Thus, the President gets to decide if any new committees are to be standing or special, and could choose to change to status of any existing committees.
It is stated in our bylaws that the standing committees are Welcome, Homeroom Parents, and Special Events. These chairs are appointed and sit on the executive board. I would think that these would be different from "special" committees as they are static from year where the others can change. :cool:
Who decides on a PTO board which committees are standing and which are special? Our special committees do not sit on the board, and do not get a vote, but what should make the determination? Thanks for your help.
