Congratulations and good luck! I too am a new President this coming year also. If you can swing it, try to have a planning meeting with your executive board before school ends and just do some basic planning and brainstorming about the new year. Even if all you do is set meeting dates for the coming year, you'll have a better idea about things. Our planning meeting is June 9th. You got a lot of great advise here, that's why I love this site!
I'd like to add my congratulations to the others you have received here! I think everyone had great ideas, but I'd like to add one more. Assuming your town has more than one school of the "level" of yours (elementary or middle school), find out who the PTO pres. is there and give him/her a call! Should be a good resource. you can find out what local businesses are supportive, get ideas for what they do for fundraising, any ideas for running meetings, etc. Certainly, you want to find out what your own PTO has done in the past, but this will give you a new friend who is in the same position you are and can add more ideas to the ones you already have. When I became president, I called the pres of a couple of other elementary schools that were considered "good" schools. They were really willing to help me and gave me a sounding board that wasn't in my own school.
You'll do great! The fact taht you were elected means that your fellow parents have faith in you!
CharlotteKay - definately try to talk with last year's pres. Treat her to lunch if necessary, but really try to open a dialogue.
As far as this summer...I would definately start by reading through the files you inherit (get them no matter what your relationship with the former president), concentrate especially on the bylaws, work on a budget for your group, document thorough descriptions for each committee, have the books audited (by a volunteer is ok), set up a preliminary calendar of meetings/events/projects, confirm any fundraising projects(does your PTO have a current contract with a firm?), and recruit chair people for your most pressing committees. Meet with your fellow officers.
Later in the summer, plan your first meeting, how you'll recruit volunteers (we put out committee sign up sheets at Open House and host a table there), and reserve meeting space in your school if that's required. Plan some sort of welcome back thing - simple as a sign on the school fence or complex like an ice cream social the day before school opens. There are lots of ideas on this forum and in back issues of the magazine if you can find them in your files.
Don't panic. You must be the right person for the job or someone else would have taken it.
charolettekay, been there done that. The first year I was VP, then had to step up to the pres position, our principal was new. I had many reservations about her but it turned out she was very supportive of the PTO and a great person to work with.
What about the out going board? Can you not ask them questions? If they are burned out or just plain done you make have to take the initiative and "Git'er done."
well the pricipal i spoke with today was the one who was there this year,he is leaving and a new one is coming for new year.this one was not helpful at all
charlottekay, Is the principal not supportative of your PTO/PTA? Can you schedule another meeting and express your concerns? Can you talk to past board members and find out what they've done in the past and when they started? Never having been a board member, I'm not really sure what to expect, but I sure hope that my meeting is more helpful.
