Appointing people to chair committees is extremely important. The President/board should not be soley responsible for filling all positions. Rotating chair committees is a good idea because you get fresh ideas and different people always put their own spin on things, that way committees don't go stale. You do need however, a way for a successful chair person to pass on their knowledge to the next. What we try to do, (note the word try) is to prepare a notebook of ideas that worked, didn't work, budgets, volunteers needed, how much time was involved, and was the event a success or not, bottom line, did the kids enjoy it? And how would you do it differently if you had the chance to chair the event again. Sometimes, a person will stay in the position for another year to train the next person, for big events like carnival or basket raffles. Also there are times when no one else will step up and the chairperson is asked to do it again. Having a notebook is a great timesaver, you don't have to re-invent the wheel each time, even it you are the one who chaired the event and wrote the plan. Lastly, there are times when people have chaired an event for so long that they take ownership of the event. To discourage this, it is helpful that your bylaws stipulate that a person should serve no more than 2 consecutive years as the same chair leader. Unless, of course there is no one else. (this happens more than you think). Hopes this helps.
We are always short on Chair people so I ask at the board meeting which board member would like to chair that committe. If we don't do that it falls back on the president. I do work very closely with them to make sure things are going great. I feel that's the best way to handle this problem. We only do this when no parents sign up. We have a comment box and a parents signs there
name to the comment I contact them ask them
to do the research on that idea. Then ask them would they please chair that committee. It hasn't back fired yet. I work closely with them as well. Due to being a parent. I ask them to attend a PTO Board Meeting and if they are super shy. I moreless explain the idea and gently turn it over to them. They learn how to be leaders in this process. I ask them to keep me posted of any needs or questions they may have. They see how PTO works and I have had a couple of them come back for more committees.
Our board members are involved in some committees but not the chairs.We have a lot of other chairs who have volunteered to help. These chairs are not a part of the board though. Many stay on the committees for years because they like it or no one else wants to do the job.
Thank you, I was not sure. Most of the ones I have heard of seem to have chairs. In ours the President sets virtually everything up and the treasurer does most everything else.
I think in varies from PTO to PTO. We have a small board and have various chair people run our events, the chair people do not sit on the board. Others I believe have the people that run the events sit on the board thus leading to a larger board, whether or not they are called chair people I do not know.
