Look, I have to reiterate I doubt anyone here on this forum takes the VOLUNTEER JOB to get a gift at the end of their service.

Before our current officers took over their positions as officers were leaving they received Gift Certificates to restaurants from the PTO funds. It was something the previous president did without asking for anybody elses thoughts. When we took over we all agreed that we did not volunteer for this to receive a Gift Certificate for our work. We felt that any money raised should be for the school and not the volunteers. WE considered putting it in the bylaws that no PTO money should be used for gifts for officers when they leave.

Hind sight is 20/20. Most new officers have no idea how much work goes into helping out everyone elses children (via being an officer on your PTO). Granted some PTO's have more help with a larger volunteer base and some have very little leaving the officers to get blindsided with "holding it all together" as well as dealing with the "idiots out there who are always there to chime in on what you are doing wrong but never do step up and lend a hand".

I guarantee all of us here do it for the right reasons and not the "gift card or whatever" at the end. HOWEVER, WE ARe NOt MARTYRS, but human beings and if we can thank everyone else for a job well done,(teachers, volunteer helpers, etc... there is abolutely no reason not to accept a small gift - SMALL GIFT - of thanks at the end, it is offered. Be gracious and humble and accept a small token. But please don't preach like you are a martyr, which is what it sounds like.

As for changing your bylaws to reflect your personal feelings, I can't help but feel that is wrong. I am pretty sure most bylaws (if done correctly) have a clause about officers not recieving monetary compensation or loans from the organization or words to that affect.

I know this sounds like a tirade (sp) but I guess, we all have to agree to disagree on this subject...

Before our current officers took over their positions as officers were leaving they received Gift Certificates to restaurants from the PTO funds. It was something the previous president did without asking for anybody elses thoughts. When we took over we all agreed that we did not volunteer for this to receive a Gift Certificate for our work. We felt that any money raised should be for the school and not the volunteers. WE considered putting it in the bylaws that no PTO money should be used for gifts for officers when they leave.

So this year as the 4 of us leave after serving two years the incoming officers have used PTO money to purchase 4 books for the school library with a label inside each book thanking us for our work during the last 2 years, all our names are listed in there. We are much happier to see the school get something they can use than to have our families raise money they think is used for the school and then find out that gifts are bought for outgoing officers.

The thanks we have gotten over the last two years from the staff and families is really all that we need. The books will be a nice way for us to be remembered for all our work and every student in the school benefits from it.

It's really nice to get a thank you card and gift certificate to a resturant. Everyone like to eat! It really does help to show your appreciation for all the hard work put in by your board. There is nothing wrong with using funds to do this. We have a PTO President fund for things like this. A couple of years ago our PTO President took out some board members for lunch (those that could make it)using funds in our PTO President Fund. This is usually $100.00 set aside for that.
Appreciation is very important.
EVEN ---Our current Principal at the school for the past two years does something nice in the way of an appreciation gift to the PTO Board members. Not every Principal does this, and we really appreciate his support and aknowledgement.

Dar R.
Sunset Canyon PTO
Phoenix, AZ

We began giving gifts (gift cards to the local mall) to our outgoing officers last year, which I'll continue this year with the three officers who are leaving.

I, as PTO president, make it a point of thanking all parent and teacher event volunteers personally and publically by listing their names in our newspaper or displaying their names on the PTO board. I too think it's incredibly important to acknowledge all volunteers.

I think it's very important to recognize the volunteers. At the end of each event, we put a notice in our monthly school newletter thanking them by name if we can.

Also, as a PTO co-pres, we are personally buying our board gifts. I think this year we will take them out for drinks after our last meeting. I don't think the PTO should pay for it, but I appreciate all they've done this year and I want to let them know it. Our tradition when there is an out-going pres is to collect money from the parents to buy a gift. The PTO pays for a bouquet of flowers for the outgoing board and the incoming board. I don't think most parents have a problem with spending small amounts of money on gifts, but there is a limit to what you can spend.

I've been putting together token gifts for our teachers and staff for Teacher Appreciation Week, and it occurred to me that they would be equally appropriate for volunteers. We're giving each person a very small ($2) pot of thyme, wrapped in cellophane and tied with a handwritten card that says "Thanks for all the 'thyme' you devote to our children." I figured anyone who doesn't want to keep the plant at home (thyme grows like a weed a makes pretty edging in a flowerbed or large pot) can just eat it!