Our VP of Fundraising looks for outside vendors and there is an unspoken rule that we will not perform fundraisers in which a parent/parents have direct financial benefit. We have had parents offer to do pampered chef, partylites, tupperware, etc. We always express our sincerest appreciation for their desire to be involved and then graciously say "No thank you!". Even the principal and vice principal don't want this situation. You may want to amend your bylaws (by committee) and have this as part of them. At the very least I would urge you to include in the bylaws that no board member or faculty member can accept a gift or money (like your $50) from ANY fundraising organization.
Is there anyway that something concerning this could be put into our bylaws so that no one has to go though this again? I know today there will be alot of flack from this mother but I'm ready for it too. One officer said I only voted for her because she was going to give me $50.00 worth of her product. I just shook my head. It's a sad day when the kids of our school are set aside over $50.00 worth of stuff. It was obvious when they got up and walked out that they were only there to try and get her voted in as the catolog sale for this year.
Wow...talk about a tense situation! I believe that your PTO handled the situation perfectly. The Mom knew coming into this that she was only making a presentation...not a "kick-off". If the other company was offering more of a profit then of course you would choose them because unlike the disgruntled mom you have to make a decision based on what is best for your PTO!! I personally would feel very uncomfortable with any person who would offer $50.00 in free merchandise to any officer for choosing their company...that is way out of line. As far as her husband voting the people who were at the meeting surely could see what took place and it is unfortunate that some would buckle under pressure rather than voice their true opinion. I truely think you guys handled the situation the best you could....it seems to me that a person in the position to truly help her child's pto would have cut a much better profit than 30%...if it is the pto interests and not her own at heart.
I'm still fuming over our meeting yesterday. It's time for our annual catolog sale. 3 Sales representives where there to show us what they had to offer. The first gal gave us 45 percent profit and a variety of products to sell. The second gal (who is also a mom in our school) gave us 1 product to sale and 30 percent profit. The other one was about the same as the first. The mom that was trying to get us to sell her product started out by saying I will give each officer 50.00 in free merchandise if you go with me and proceeded to give her sells pitch. She then left called her husband he he showed up during the last sells pitch. When it came time for us to vote the president told her that she didnt feel that she should vote in the matter, nor should her husband. They proceeded to say that they were parents blah blah blah and the mom said well give me another chance and I'll see what I can do. The president said no you cannot pitch your product. You had your chance and it's time to vote. Well the husband insisted he vote. It ended up that because the memembers where pushed into a wall on this with her sitting right there after the president said that she would prefer that they were not present because she did not want any hard feeling, it was a tie vote with the president breaking the tie. We went for the first gal. The mom got up said "I can't believe you would go with a person that isnt even in our area when I have children in this school. This is terrible" and her and her husband proceeded to walk out. How should of this been ran? How can we advoid these things in the past? I have tossed and turned over this situation all night. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
