Wow. You guys are so right. I totally took this personally and shouldn't have. I love working with the kids. I love seeing their faces knowing I'm making a difference.
The PTO is just the facilitator of sorts. You're right..the $1000 would be better spent spread out.
I do agree with giving a few things to volunteers to make sure they're appreciated.
Thank you to everyone for helping me view things differently. Our parents at our school are wonderful. Yes, we're not the "richest" parents, but in the end, we put in just as much work as any other PTO. Our parents and our teachers are the CORE of our school and without every little ounce of energy given--we wouldn't be the same.
I've seen shining faces this year--that is my reward. I hope that we can get others involved as well. I'm just to type of person who likes to make sure people feel rewarded. I'll use personal notes and other things I use for my employees at work to make sure they feel appreciated. =))
Wow, I never dreamed my original post would get such a response. Thanks to everyone who responded. I thought, and still think, that this was a horrible idea. I was hoping for support and ideas on how to marshall my arguments against such a proposal. Did I ever get it!
To clarify a little, I never meant to imply that Brenda was looking for personal gain. This is/was a proposal meant to offer an incentive to new people for next year. Brenda has definately worked hard and it wouldn't surprise me to find out that she's spent $250 of her own money over the course of the year. BUT, reality check here, our PTO would not have made half the money they did this year without the support of ALL the parents and teachers at Sabin. Sure the board works hard organizing and planning fundraisers, and yes it's hard to get volunteers to help out, but it is the parents who hawk the candy at work and to their friends and family, it is the parents and teachers who show up and bid on items at the Silent Auction and who fork over $5-$10 per child come carnival time, it's the parents and teachers who buy the flowers etc. etc. etc. and who do these things year after year after year.
I'm sure you can see where this is going. Our board has built upon the efforts of past boards, who worked just as hard. NO ONE does it all or alone, and no one should be rewarded above and beyond what's good for all.
Last year my daughter's class went on a three day camping trip in the mountains. The teachers knew we were having a tough year and offered the scholarship monies to help pay for her way. Now I turned them down for more reasons than the main- I am on the PTO Board. I just didn't want it coming back that my kid was scholarshipped.
Now on the other hand, volunteers are allowed a free lunch and soda from the kitchen, small gifts here and there, and left overs from pot lucks to list a few.
I would rather be allowed to have a voice in the school than cash to send my kid to camp.
You know... I have to disagree a little bit wit POMOM. I am a board member for 5 years and it IS by my choice most definitely. There are many times not enough people come up to the plate and I do have to put my family on the back burner at times. I put in sometimes an average of 5 hours per week just doing the daily stuff and overseeing our organization. I have volunteers who do put in BIG TIME hours and for them I do give them a small perk here and there. For instance.... at our Winter Wonderland all chairpersons get a coupon for a free meal in our food room, why? because they are there all day! My fundraiser chairs or bookfair chairs get a little something to show appreciation. I see nothing wrong with that at all. The person who consistently comes to the plate and puts in 20-30 hours a year versus the one hour volunteer is going to get something from me and I see nothing wrong with that. I do have a problem with scholarships going to a choice few as in the first post of this long, long thread.: Comments anyone?
In our PTO (I'm not sure if this pertains to all above postings) all parents/legal guardians are automatically a member of the PTO regardless of their involvement in the school.
I am on the board and I would never dream of taking such a "perk" as mentioned in the original posting.
With that being said, I think the main thing to remember is although I am on the PTO Board (strictly by choice), I can not presume to know what the other parents' involvement may be in our school. A PTO involved parent can be so behind the scenes (perhaps because of the political aspects). Does this make them any less of a volunteer for our school? No! Sometimes the smallest of jobs may be the most appreciated (and without all the frustration and burnout). Why do people presume that the big "fundraising parents" or "board members" are any more important?
People can only give as much as they can give. Let's all give them a Kudos for doing so. Legalities aside, volunteer incentives are just wrong! If you have to reward a volunteer for anything, it's probably not the type of volunteer who is doing it for the right reasons anyway.
A suggestion for some of the "lower income" mentioned...Our PTO gives a monetary amount to the Principal (slush fund if you will) and she makes the decision as to how it will benefit those who may need it. No one on the board should ever have that power!
In response to Brenda's statement of "It's really not that much money in the whole scheme of things." PTO monies earned that do not benefit the students or school as a whole, is too much money in any respect. I'm done now, thanks for reading [img]smile.gif[/img]
I, too, have read these posts a couple of times and as everyone adds their two cents in (look at all of us!)the topic has gradually changed from one thing to another. However, to the inital post: I have to agree with everyone else that it is not a great idea. What is good with this forum though is just what has happened: an idea has flowed from someone onto this forum for some comments and thoughts and all who have answered have given great points to consider. Although, it is not the response the poster wanted to hear, after awhile it sinks in and she(or he) can see the validity to everyone's concerns. That is what is so good about this forum!
We all have ideas from time to time that we need to bounce off other people who are, for the most part, involved in their own school parent group. Don't give up on coming up with things outside the box. A lot of good ideas come from outside the box!
Since some of you posted things about how you go about thanking your volunteers and how this can help you to increase parental involvement, we are doing our first Volunteer Appreciation night for all those who helped out this year with our parent group. We are going to hold a "Desert Fest" and have all kinds of goodies and different coffees and teas. We will issue an invitation out to all who volunteered "any" time this year to come. Hopefully, it will be a successful night.
