Thought I would tell you what I came up with. It was very well received by the departing co- pres and audience. It was presented at the end of the year show.
All of this was put into a tool box labeled PTO survival kit and was introduced as things we wish we had when we started out. (Had we known what we were in for!!)
Silly string for when only our silliness held it together.
A calculator that automatically figures out just out how many pizza’s you’ll need for 560 children if they each eat 1 ¾ slices and the pizza is cut in 10’s and 8’s???
Dark glasses for each of your children for when you are in front of one their friends in line at Walmart doing PTO shopping and you have 12 cases of teenies, 25 bags of smarties, and 100 10 cent seed packs all of which must be scanned individually.
A eraser for all the times we’ve had to erase an idea and start over.
Modeling Clay for all the times we have to make something from nothing.
Plastic gloves for the times when you reached into the bottom of the trash to retrieve that last boxtops stuck to the goo, then washed and dried it, so we would get our 10 cents.
Your Santa Cap because it was your idea for us to wear them at Shop til you drop.( An idea we got and ran with success from PTO today!!!)
Glue stick because many times it felt like we were joined at the hip.
A weeks supply of Tylenol PM ( It was a large bottle with a homemade label on it!) For all those nights you wake up and start to worry about some detail of what ever event you are planning at the moment.
Stock in “The Dollar Tree Store†Because we’re the cause of it’s rising value.
It got a laugh and made my friend smile. Mission accomplished!!
I thank you for your help. The gift or surprise would be my contribution. I agree PTO funds are for school children. It would be my gift to her to make her smile, and publicly express a thank you for all she's done.
No apologies necessary!!LOL
Sorry if it looked like I took a severe offense but we all know why we do this and so many posters feel the need to clarify that they do not want or need anything. While that may be true, as I stated before we are all human. We are busy doing for all the students of our schools and as a human being no matter if it is volunteer work or if we get paid at our jobs, a thanks for a good job is the right thing for anyone. Thank you - something you do not hear enough of these days. Flowers - they do not cost that much and are a nice touch at the end of a long road. LOL!
Daddio44 you deserve it when you are done too.
I am one of those can't sit still types and am out of the pan and into the fire.....high school involvement already - fundraising chair. :eek: ...Someone ought to hit me in the head with a brick!!!!!
I did not mean it's out of line - I apologize if it sounded cold. I have also had to put in 110%, run events by myself and by pulling in a few volunteers. I was pulled my self into prez a year ago (had no idea what I was getting myself into), but have made huge strides on improvements with family events (we have more than ever before schedule for this year), we had more than 50% at our BTS bbq last summer, which is more than they ever had before, have doubled the participation in the meetings and the board - could go on. But, I am not looking for anything - I do this in the interest of doing it and helping out. I dont need anything other than the thanks I hear. Yes - i'd appreciate a gift, but it's not needed. There are better things they could do with the money and energy.
Daddio44 -
I just conducted my last meeting as Co President for 4 years on Wednesday evening. I received a beautiful bouquet of roses from the organization and the Teachers Association also presented me with a bouquet of flowers. There were teachers who came to the last meeting to say thanks to all 3 of us who were leaving because we DID do an awful lot in those 3 years to turn things around! I had to chair many events over the years because no one else wanted to do it or be "in charge" and I did not want to see the kids suffer. I gave 110% of myself all the time and many times putting my own family on the back burner to get things done.
I was very touched by this showing of thanks and although I did not sign on to this gig to get something as I am sure many board members who read this will agree, some form of thanks because we are human... we bleed too -is not out of line.
We did not do anything for the past president, nor would I expect it. Especially if it's something that would be coming out of the PTO budget. Use the funds on classrooms or volunteers to get them in and helping. I'm not in it for me, but my two kids - I'm sure other prez's would agree.
If I was going to so something, I would either recommend a plaque for them to have, or get a big plaque and hang it in the school (the big ones that get updated each year with a new little brass piece with their name) so they would recongnized by the school for years to come. The investment on this would be all up front, then each year it would not be much to add a new name/year.
