Also--there is no requirement for a CPA audit for a 501c3 program (or if there is someone correct me so I can start getting a CPA). We do an audit but it is by an experienced member of the school (who does audits for his church) and not a CPA.
I agree with pals (as you probably suspect) and although you don't need to turn over every piece of correspondence or have the prinicpal at every get together...if there isn't a feeling of team work and membership than it will continue in my opinioin to be difficult (especially if you already know that he/she wants to be a part of things).
I understand needing to 'hash' things out before meeting with the principal but I am afraid that asking her to come a hour after the meeting starts totally sends the message "we don't want to involve you".
I know from experience that sometimes it gets hard with a new principal but basically it comes down to the fact that whether you are a 501 or not you are opperating under the school's policies and rules, you are also using the students to help advertise your group. I found with my new principal he was laid back and it drove me nuts...I felt he didnt care with what we were doing, however he came to every meeting and event so I knew different. Now after watching us closely he seems to understand us and gets more involved, making suggestions, giving input and it is really nice.
If you need to hash things out find a way to do it before your meetings, if you cant then you need to realize that your principal has that right of seeing how your group functions. She should be involved and if I found that a principal didnt care then I would be worried...believe it or not there are principals who think parent groups are a bad thing. It will all work out but for now you need to accept that she wants to be a part and even needs to be a part...good luck.
"When you stop learning you stop growing."
We in no way want to alienate the principal from the organization. The board as a whole is suffering from a level of frustration from the last two years. Most of us have served during that time at different positions. The previous president even went so far as to disclose correspondence to the principal that was passed between officers during "hashing outs" before we were able to come together collectively on a decision. We all felt that we should have been able to find a final decision to present to the principal as a unit. As far as I am aware we due not have a 501c status due to the concern of costs for CPA auditing that we were told would have to occur yearly. We pay sales tax on items we purchase. We do have I believe what is called and EIN that is for our bank accounts. I spoke with one of our officers today. She thought that maybe we could appease the principal by inviting him to attend the meeting about an hour after starting with the explanation that we needed to discuss items before we would be able to present it to him.
While it is vital to maintain a working relationship with the principal, in my opinion it is not necessary to include the principal in every single meeting about every single thing. I understand your feeling of being "under the thumb" of the principal and it can be very damaging to the group if many people feel the same. We worked last year to change our bylaws and remove the principal from the list of executive board members. It was seen by some as a personal attack on the principal but that certainly was not the intent. By changing the structure of the executive board it allowed members to freely express opinions, brainstorm, vent, and plan and it has worked out just fine. If you are a seperate organization from the school, ultimately the principal does not have control over the procedures of the organization. He or she does have final say in what is or is not allowed in the school so special care should be taken to maintain balance. We have even had a few meetings (posted properly of course) at the local coffee shop and this works well for getting folks to relax and be creative
While it is vital to maintain a working relationship with the principal, in my opinion it is not necessary to include the principal in every single meeting about every single thing. I understand your feeling of being "under the thumb" of the principal and it can be very damaging to the group if many people feel the same. We worked last year to change our bylaws and remove the principal from the list of executive board members. It was seen by some as a personal attack on the principal but that certainly was not the intent. By changing the structure of the executive board it allowed members to freely express opinions, brainstorm, vent, and plan and it has worked out just fine. If you are a seperate organization from the school, ultimately the principal does not have control over the procedures of the organization. He or she does have final say in what is or is not allowed in the school so special care should be taken to maintain balance. We have even had a few meetings (posted properly of course) at the local coffee shop and this works well for getting folks to relax and be creative
Hi J--welcome to the boards. I too have had formal summer meetings and if they are a formal meeting then I do always invite the principal. At first, she was interested in attending, but as her confidence grew in our ability to keep her informed, she felt confident that we would be coming to her with a plan. I'm concerned by your sense that you are "under the thumb" of the principal as opposed to co workers on the projects you are inspired to pursue. I would think that before you got too far in the process of planning an event you would at least want the principals nod at the concept of what you are looking to do. For instance, a general idea that you are interested in a "Trunk or Treat" and then see if he is open to a fall event like that (with general terms) and then get to a more significant plan that you present to him. Most folks I've run into are willing to allow the planning to take place as long as they are in the final processes to (in our case usually enhance) the program.
As a new pres...it is so important in my mind to establish a working relationship with the principal and ensure that he understands you're a part of the team...
