Hi Dawn,
I too, am in the same position as you. Fortunately (or not), I am an internet junkie and have found a lot of useful information online. I've also had 5 years of volunteering at our school already, so have been exposed to a lot of it already. I just came across a book called The Complete Idiot's Guide To Robert's Rules of Order and have ordered it. A lot of PTA's, PTO's, HSA's, HSC's, etc. govern themselves by Robert's Rules of Order. However, they are difficult, if not boring, to pour over and learn. I haven't received my book yet, but the reviews of same are very good and I'm sure that will help me run the meetings more efficiently. I've also found a great website called Survival Tips on Robert's Rules of Order at
www.roberts-rules.com. It's a great site for understanding the parliamentary process. Robert's Rules has the different positions and their responsibilities outlined, but you can search the internet for pta's (I've found the best results with that rather than hsa's or hsc's, etc.) and pour over the different by-laws and officer responsibilities that are posted. It will take you awhile, but it's worth it to get the product that you like. You can also check out our new website at
www.jackson.mhu.k12.ca.us/
Under the Home and School Club link, we have several documents posted, including the board descriptions. We are still "tweaking" our website and have some corrections and additions to make, but we're off to a good start. Good luck!