I would let them be a part of the team, just not by themselves. I think that with their experinences that they may ahve valuable input. Maybe they saw things that should be there, maybe they had problems that should be addresse din the bylaws. Also make sure your principal is involved, I think it could be good. Forget the past and see what thye have to offer, besides the bylaws need to be voted on to pass!
"When you stop learning you stop growing."
We are in the process of updatin our current bylaws. There are only a few changes that need to be made to bring us in line with current school borard policies. And a few additions have been suggested. As pres, and knowing how busy our members are, the executive borad has written everything up and will present it at our meeting. Then we will discuss all changes and additions and we will add anything that is neccessary. After the discussion, a vote will be held. The vote is necessary to okay the new bylaws. We felt that by doing it this way we can invole all the members, not just a committee. This no one feels left out or that we are trying to hide anything. I hope this helps you. I will gladly email you a copy of our bylaws. That way you would have a starting point.
Excuse me PTOLisa- I just read your note. Am I correct in you writing "nosy parents". I'm glad you have "nosy parents" in your PTO. What an ugly statement that reflects directly back to you!!!!
We simply formed a committee to discuss and amend by-laws. Anyone was allowed to sit on this committe which was, for obvious reasons, disbanded after we had done our job. However, the by-laws are a tricky thing. We amended them, but then the amendments had to be read at 3 separate meetings and passed. Then and only then did they become part of our official by-laws. I will tell you that we have had a nasty time of it at our school. No one wanted to follow the by-laws and no one would enforce them. There was much fighting that resulted in a newpaper article and our activities were taken away last year as a result. Your group is only AS STRONG AS YOUR PRESIDENT. If the president does not enforce your by-laws it is a free for all chaotic mess. Many people fought and good people got slandered. It's amazing, but people don't realize what goes on within these pto groups. I now feel very stongly in regard to having a parliamentarian for each pto to enforce its by-laws. Without them, there is no order and parents will run the show anyway they please. And if you try to point out mistakes, they scream at you. Believe me, I've seen the worst of it. Please don't abandon your rules and please be sure EVERY member gets a copy of the by-laws at the beginning of the year. People were doing things that others didn't even know weren't allowed because they did not know what the by-laws stated. Officers were being renominated and sworn in because no one knew they could nominate from the floor. You've got to make your rules known and give every member a fair opportunity.
Out group is getting ugly too. As pres. I did form a by laws committee and we are all meeting to make amendments next week. I as pres. set this committee up and will get rid of it as soon as our business is done.
I formed it by asking the concerned and nosy parents to present to me their changes and we will meet to change them and present them to the members in OCt.
Lisa
