Just my 2 cents too! Our organization would have a field day if they found out we were spending PTO funds on liquor! We do however have a end of the year "Turn over" get together at a resturaunt. It is a "we pay" and all rules as far as drinking are out the door. Don't get me wrong...it is not a "sloshed" party but we just kick back, have some fun, and everyone gets to tell their most embarrassing, wierd, bad, etc. moment of the year. Then the President gets to roast each Board member as a last chance to share her love. We have a blast! No Limo though, just desiganted drivers picked ahead of time.

We call it the TurnOver Dinner. Basically as dcd described.... one location, arrangements made by the Hospitality Chair, invitations sent out by the outgoing President. All PTO members are welcome, but "personal" invitations go to the outgoing and incoming Board members & Committee Chairs. Committee reports are usually handed over... small appreciation gifts too. Everyone going pays their own way, with the exception of the Principal/Vice Principal & their spouses and the 3 office administrative secretaries.... max expenditures over the past few years has been around $100 as they don't all come.

Just my two cents here.

I know the board likes to gather together at the end of the year - we do to at our school (the incoming and the outgoing board members all at one time - together in one place).

Our hospitality chairmen reserves a place that will accomodate all of the people, and then makes sure that they will agree to seperate checks - since all the attendees will be paying for their own meal. This is usually just fine with the restaurant -they get good tips this way since the gratuitiy is added to the bill -- yes we always have more than 10 people so we add gratuity automatically.

The installation of the new officers is also done at this gathering - to keep fun and meaning to the get-together. Any procedure books that are ready to be turned over to the next person -- are also brought to this Board Appreciation / Installation dinner -- and put on a table for the incoming chairmen to pick up.

One more thing - the president usually has a small gift for all the members that were on the board with her that year - just to say thanks for all that board did - in all the many, manys ways they did so much! When I was president I found little gifts at "Tuesday Morning". Wrapped a little rafia bow on the gifts, and walked around the room to personally hand them to my board members. Another friend of mine gave a package of seeds to each friend "To say thanks for planting the seeds of all the good deeds this past year. Watch the flowers sprout as those seeds continue to come up each year - in the good deeds of each following board"

Appreciate the board, but keep the board together at one restaurant and please do not spend the money of the memership on the board appreciation dinner - that money belongs to the many ways the PTO helps the students, the teachers and staff.

Just my 2 cents (I haven't figured out how to do those little graemlins yet) hahahha

[ 08-30-2002: Message edited by: dcd ]</p>

Dinner and a limo...... Wow!!! And the parents that attend our meetings think, paying for postage stamps is a waste, they want us to hand the Thank you notes we write to the students to send home! They would just DIE if we mentioned spending $$$$ on our dinner & a limo!! The school dose a little thank you volunteer tea at the end of the year. It is small & kinda lame! All our board deserves dinner & a limo, but I think it's a unneeded expence!

Our elementary school had it's 1st All Volunteer Breakfast this past year. It doesn't matter how much or little anyone was involved with the school, all volunteering is appreciated. The teachers brought in all of the food, and then we had our last PTO meeting for the school year.
I believe it is wrong to be spending the money raised for the children. If $400 is spent from year to year, look how this adds up. This is an absolute miss-use of funds. We do go out for dinner at the end of the year, but not on the expense of the children. It's quite degrading when a PTO loses sight of what they are all about. There are no justifiable reasons to be spending this on the board.
The reward for all the hard work is when you see the children climbing on the playground equipment, putting their belongings in the lockers that were just purchased or the fun family activities that are so successful. It's the children!

Thanks for the replies. The school does throw a Volunteer Luncheon hosted by the principal. The Board Appreciation Dinner was after that. The wierd thing was, the receipts from that night were from 3 different restaurants at the same time, so I'm guessing they broke off into little groups & went where they wanted. A board member this year was part of the group from last year so we'll see how it goes... Thanks again!