You are only as independent as your strongest members who are willing to uphold your bylaws.

I like that. I think this line is a keeper. [img]smile.gif[/img] Thanks for all of the responses. Touchy issues sometimes and I think it is good to see how others think outside of your own district. Keep things in perspective and it's good to know that you aren't too far off the mark. Thanks everyone.

As for your question concerning being your own entity and being in control over the money, that really depends on the district. Ours only has control over our money(check writing and disbursments)if we go through their account. Otherwise we are on our own. It helps to out from under the thumb of the district if you have a tax id # and articles of association. This does not mean that you will be free from pressure to spend money raised as the principal or some other sees fit. You are only as independent as your strongest members who are willing to uphold your bylaws.

Presenting unbiased information is wonderful at PTO meetings, but bringing in speakers with a "platform" is a good way of destroying your group. If candidates are coming to speak, make sure all sides are represented. If someone is coming to speak about an upcoming issue, have both the pros and cons represented. If you cannot do that, I would personally steer clear of it! And make sure that it is well broadcasted that the PTO is just the forum and does not endorse any particular one!

Like an earlier poster, our general meetings are usually short, business meetings only. We had one meeting with a speaker a few months back, but she was invited to speak about Women and Security Issues because of our current political climate here. We also had a speaker last fall who spoke about her medical mission group (they do cleft palette surgeries for the poor in our community) and what we could do to help. :cool:

This is a good ?. Just this year, we had two speakers at 2 different meetings that had a political agenda. The first was more of an informational speech on a serious school building problem our town is currently facing. The issue was going to be on the ballot at several town meetings and a general town election. However, the speaker was not tring to sway the vote to her side, rather she was providing facts and figures to our members, so they could make an informed decision.
The second was a parent at the school, whom is not an active member of PTO, who was very much promoting a town wide smoking ban that would soon be on the ballot at town elections. This was much more, vote for this ban because I want you to, rather than an informational presentation. Basically, because everyone knows the pros and cons of public smoking.
I am the incoming President next year, and I think I will be more selective about these types of speakers. And ask the Principal's opinion before allowing such presentations.

This really doesn't happen to often in our group and the only time I cam think of is when the school board election (for our school) are coming near. We have invited the canidates to talk in the past but it is understood that the PTO is there to help in the school, we have no "power". Now public officals don't use our PTO as a forum but rather have their own "town hall" meeting on another day. Our Principal would rather have parents coming to see and talk to the city officals than yelling at the PTO or take the risk of us being questioned on OUR political views.

Otherwise anyone coming to our meetings with an issue are asked to wait till open forum to be adressed. Many don't stay, imagine that [img]smile.gif[/img]

As to your first question, our PTA meetings are generally business meetings where committee chairs report on what's going on, we vote on items that aren't already in the budget and our Principal might talk for 10 minutes about anything interesting that's going on in the school. We've never had politics involved and I don't believe that a general meeting is the place for it.
Second question, our budget is voted on at the beginnng of the school year. If something comes up, say we need a new keyboard for the music room and it's not already in the budget then we vote on it at a monthly meeting and it must be a approved by the majority of the members. Pretty cut and dried.