**Once again, I am not suggesting that we don't provide the opportunity for new fresh members, I'm only suggesting that we set up the situations where we don't hurt ourselfs down the road.**

I understand what you are saying. My point that I don't feel you are understanding is that this by-law change will greatly reduce the board's motivation to actively recruit fresh blood. If the safety net of unlimited terms is permissable, it will be too tempting to rest on one's laurels and skate through each election with the existing board instead of acting with a sense of urgency to find replacement nominees. Firm deadlines have a real way of producing results.

Secondly, the amendments you put in place today, given today's circumstances, may not serve your organization well in the future. With some changes, you can't easily "unring the bell" once you've put measures into place. For example, presume that someday, as your school grows, there are plentiful candidates for board positions. This by-law, however, paves the way for an entrenched group of members to vote against fresh faces in favor of keeping the existing team together (clique, anyone?). Imagine, in that situation, what would have to happen in order to amend the by-laws to ban the unlimiited terms and break that stalemate. It would be an unholy mess. So, don't give power in your by-laws for such situations to develop.

So, consider very carefully the long-term ramifications of the actions you want to take to fix a relatively short-term issue and see if there aren't viable solutions that don't involve amending your by-laws to such an extent.

Once again, I am not suggesting that we don't provide the opportunity for new fresh members, I'm only suggesting that we set up the situations where we don't hurt ourselfs down the road. Changing our bylaws to remove the 2 year limit but still holding elections every year would allow exactly what I'm suggesting. And yes, we are looking at better ways to bring in volunteers, our school is only in its 4th year and we are trying out new, fresh ideas.

**But the problem is that we can barely get people in to help run a game during a fall fest much less hold a ex. board chair.**

I gave you only one example; there could be many other issues at play. The key to successfully solving the lack of volunteerism at your school is to find out why the above situation is happening and come up with possible solutions and workarounds. While it's unnerving to consider not having a president next year, it's even a worse situation to find no one in MANY of your PTO's positions after the current group has moved on with their chidlren in a few years. Altering your by-laws in such a way that the group isn't forced to find fresh blood does not provide for a healthy organization.

That may be true if that was the reason no one wants to step up. But the problem is that we can barely get people in to help run a game during a fall fest much less hold a ex. board chair. What I would like to see happen is after say for example a two year period a position can be put on the ballot but if no one steps up...just like last year with the vice position then the current member has the option to stay on even if they have held the chair for 2 years. Last year the treasure and vice position were open and I was the only one that put in for treasure, no one put in for vice. I'm not saying that someone can keep the position even if nobody wants them there, but I surely don't want us being without a president next year because our by laws say she can't serve next year because she has already served 2 years.

rlaneew;146326 wrote: Nobody really wants to step up and do it so as Jim said...why not just let the person that wants to be there do it.

People don't step up for valid reasons. The solution isn't to put measures into place that allows the same person to hold office year after year after year. The solution is to determine and solve/find work-arounds of those reasons so to ensure fresh blood on your board. If, for example, people aren't volunteering because they don't want to work with one or two existing board members, amending your by-laws to allow these members to continue on unabated will just exacerbate the situation.

That is one of the things we are trying to change on our by laws. We have yearly elections for open positions and a two year limit on consecutive terms. I would like to do away with the two year thing all together. Nobody really wants to step up and do it so as Jim said...why not just let the person that wants to be there do it.