I totally agree with Eagle Prez and Jill- By Laws are a MUST!!!! I know some people think they are a pain- but they protect the membership and board members from this kind of problem.
I also suggest you put together some "standing rules". These will be quicker to put together than by-laws- and protect you while you get a by-laws committee together.
They do not have to be as formally worded. It can be- (for example)
"A Nominating committee will be formed in March. The elctions will be held the last month of school at a general membership meeting".
You can have rules for anything that is important to your group- like
-when your board meetings will be,
-The minimum number of general membership meetings you will have
-how many fundraisers a year you will have
-Will you loan out the coffee pot?
etc.
Do get the general membership to call the meeting- the president serves at the pleasure of the membership and the school- he/she works for THEM! (not the other way around).
Good luck!

I totally agree with EaglePrez...Get those BY-laws in order but aside from that, you can force her hand if done correctly.

We are having a conflict with our by-laws this year as well and (since my resignation as Prez in January) I have watched my successors do little to improve the school or the PTO. They have done very little for the students this year and praise themselves CONSTANTLY for a job well done. I don't see it.

As for our elections (held every Spring) the seated board members are choosing which portion of the current By-laws they want to adhere to in the subject of an election. The general membership who is already outraged at how little this group had done for our students and the traditiona that they have put an end to, have formed a Quorum against them and have been passing around petitions to force these Officers to follow the rules and play fair.

You might try starting your own petition and getting the majority of the General Membership to sign it calling for a Special meeting to discuss the topic of elections.

Since there are no current by-laws in place, then there should be no set date to hold and election there by living it up to a vote of the general membership. You might also use that special meeting to vote in some by-laws or at least pass out a copy of some to the membership and vote whether or not to accept them at the next meeting or the First one of the school new school year.

Good Luck and hang tight, You'll regret quitting and leaving it all up to her. I do.

Jill

I would suggest getting By Laws together ASAP. I dont think trying to force her to do something as you described would really matter to her one way or another. Maybe I'm sneaky but I would bring it up at a meeting or schedule it if one is not set and let the members decide OR do it anyway and she'll find out when it happens. Maybe I'm being mean here. I think most organizations hold their elections late spring to allow the newbies to get aquainted with things before the school starts back in the fall, etc. It is not fair that she decides everything -the Board should make the decisions together and I would force it by meeting a majority vote. She should not be allowed to veto something just because she doesnt like it and I think you should take a stand. Good luck!

Hi,

I need some opinions if this is the right thing to do? Please excuse the long story.

I am on my PTO board, which started out with a total of 6 parents and 2 teacher reps. the teacher reps never come to the meetings we just keep them informed and get there opinions on things which has worked okay.

Over the course of the year myself and the other ladies have come to learn the President is somewhat irrational. You know, it's her way or the highway, we vote only on things someone other then she wants to do. We have had 2 of the board members resign for "personal reasons" the reason was they didn't want to deal with the President anymore. The remaining three, myself included, have almost resigned numerous times, but talked each other back in.
The three of us remaining nuts, have discussed with the president about having the elections in the spring. the principal is okay with it, the teacher reps are okay with it. She is adimently against it, why we can't understand. (note: we have no bylaws we've just always had it in the fall)
We three have decided to try to force her hand by giving her a written request to have elections in the spring and set a date now for the spring meeting now. As well as asking that we vote on it as a board. (3-1 for the meeting would be the turn out)
And if she doesn't agree/schedule the meeting. We have decided write a joint resignation letter, in which we would recommend to the principal and reps. that a vote be scheduled immediatly since there is no board in place right now.

What do you think? Are we being out of line? If there is only one person "officially" on the board does that require a new election or could she continue on herself through fall?

The three of us have talked about me taking over and the principal has asked numerous times, and I would like to do it, but if I don't do it it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. There are many opportunities for me to volunteer in the school.
Would this woman stay on a President? maybe, there are a few parents from past years may run to oust her. Pretty much she has alienated evey parent who has serve on the board with her in past years. Each year she finds new unknowing parents to volunteer and then makes them crazy and they run away screaming. I know, a few of them warned me in the beginning of the year. maybe I should have listened?
All those horror stories you hear about PTO's a muck, I've got a few.

What do you think?
Andrea