The President may have told you what ususally happend - but what does you Charter (or by-laws) say?

The Pres did tell you that ususally it was meeting attendance OR event coordinating that made one eligible. Perhaps the new VP did work behind the scenes instead of coming to the meeting. Perhaps the meetings next year will be scheduled on a different day or whatever was preventing the new VP from attending the meetings has changed. Or maybe they were trying to bring "new blood" into the group and get a new set of parents involved.

I can understand being confused by the apparent inconsistency. Were you interested in a position and did you let anyone know? I hope this doesn't sour you on the PTO.

In our group, there are 3 criteria to be elected to the board - you need to be a parent or legal guardian, you need to live in the city, and you need to have served on a committee. We don't have an attendence requirement and we don't even require that you chair a committee.

We sort of had the "same" thing but it was announced ahead of time that the nomination for vp would not be there due to a work project that she could not get out of of. She is not a regualr meeting attendee but was also the ONLY one who accepted the vp nomination, even though our bylaws say that the officers must attend 85% of meetings and events, be present for elections our feelings are she wants it, she volunteers lots of hours during the school day and so let her be it! if it is between having her there for an event set up or a meeting I would personally pick the meeting.
I don't blame you for being offended that someone who doesn't attend meetings got the position but please don't hold it against her. Maybe there is a good reason???

The more I read on this board the more common it seems to have similar problems in PTOs around. That there can be an unbalance of things going on. we have had that, too. It doesn't seem right that a parent who doesn't appear to be involved in PTO, to then be nominated and voted in unless she suddenly got a burst of excitement for PTO. But maybe, that's who your board wanted in. Could that be the case? Or is she involved and just does not make it to the meetings? Sometimes that does happen. None the less, there is probably, not alot you can do about it , unless your by laws state that you need to be in attendance to prior meetings to be nominated. Or something to that affect. Best wishes!!

this is my first year being involved with my PTO. I was excited, learning ready to be the "soccer mom'. and things were okay until last nights board elections. we have 11 regular attenders to our meetings. 8 parents 2 teachers and the principal. when the talk of nominations and elections came around I asked questions, not having been here for previous elections. I even raised the question if ANYONE can be nominated for a board position. I was told by the president that most nominations are ones that have been involved in the meetings and event coordinating- which made total sense to me. you don't want some one on the board who doesn't know the goings on.
our nominations happened last month.
and this month was the elections. I walk into the meeting and I see all the regular meeting goers as well as 10 teachers that have never been to a prior meeting.
just prior to the vote- we had a re-nomination with a name of a parent(who wasn't even there) nominated for VP. the vote happened and this parent whom I have never seen won the vote.
Is this practive common in PTO voting?
if so then whats the point of even having a vote..

any advise I would really appreciate. I'm ready to wash my hands of the PTO