mykidsmom: you ask some great questions and I'd love to have more dialog on this. However, since this particular posting was about membership and bylaws, why don't I move this elsewhere? I'll add to a posting we already had going in this section called "Need Examples of Volunteer Forms" as part of your question would already be answered there anyway.
in reply to: ....so many parents tell me they would love to be involved but are unable to because of their job. Is this form something that would have phone # / e-mail address and what they would be able to do?
JHB- you mentioned a volunteer form....how does that work? I have had so mant parents tell me they would love to be involved but are unable to because of their job. Is this form something that would have phone
numbers/e-mail address and what they would be able to do? Our school depends heavily on volunteers and in you registation pack you are given a 'contract' you sign for the school. (The joke at school, I have signed four, so they have me for the next 18 years since the baby was registered last year!) We have so many members but so little help!
Technically, membership is restricted to dues paying members ($3 per year per family). This gives them the right to vote and a free copy of the school directory that normally sells for $3.
However, at our school, it's really a moot point. Our PTO has been around for about 15-20 years and has always been a pretty harmonious group. All the decisions are examined by the large executive board, compromises made, unsupported ideas discarded, etc. before anything comes to a vote. I've never seen anything that didn't have full support move forward (amicably). Basically everything is unanimous, so it's not like we really have to scrutinize our elections and who's voting and who's not.
Activity-wise everything we do is inclusive. Everyone gets the newsletter and can attend any event we run. Filling out a volunteer sheet is separate from membership. We encourage people to submit the membership form and become "official" members, but everyone is treated the same.
[This message has been edited by JHB (edited 06-30-2001).]
This is the section of our by-laws I hate with a passion. Any staff member, parent and legal guardian is a member. NO DUES. I have tried as secretary to give the pros of membership dues but have been shot down everytime. Our May election had an terrible show of maybe 20 adults that voted. The funny part is when we vote on anything and there are the usual 6 (six!) Tuesday morning I have had parents asking me why didn't you call! Anyway, I want to change ours to include dues! Oh yeah, did I mention we still have a gentleman that comes but NONE of his children OR step even ATTEND our school anymore! We, well I, have reminded him a million times he can talk all he wants but it will mean nothing and will not be in my notes. He claims as a community member he has the right! HE WAS THE FOUNDING MEMBER TO BEGIN THE BY-LAWS- he should know better!
Not looking forward to him this fall!
At our K-5 PTO, membership is restricted to dues-paying teachers and parents ($10 per family per year). Voting is the privilege of the general membership and per our bylaws, the exec board has little discretionary power. They can approve budget revisions up to $100 and conduct business as directed by the membership at the monthly meetings, but not much else.
You might want to read one of the many condensed versions of Roberts Rules of Order. I bought 2 for less than $5 each at our local bookstore. RRO includes guidelines about voting (i.e. when simple majority, when 2/3, etc.) and guidelines about bylaws (in a generic organization sense) that might prove helpful to you.
