I'm sure you would have some brownies who could help with the box tops and soup labels. They could earn their helping hands badge for their efforts...I can't help but ask why you are bothering with the soup labels...your end reward won't be worth all this stress you have now! Pack those labels away for when you have a volunteer and concentrate on the boxtops!

With respect to the Market Day problem---at our school, each team/grade is responsible for each month's sale in exchange for the profit generated. (Each grade is responsible for unloading the truck, sorting and distributing the products.) Seems to works for us. During our board meetings, we have the children present to trim the Box Tops. The PTA bought safety scissors and the babysitter stresses how much they are doing to help their school. Kids get a kick out of helping their school and the box tops get trimmed. Just some stray thoughts I had. Hope they help.

I've been doing this PTO for awhile now and still have two more to start school! My "issue" right now is no one wants to talk to the Prez SO they call me (Sec) and beg for volunteers! UGH! I don't know NEAR the people the Prez does and after awhile we seem to be the ones that get things done.

I have been in your situation and did ask how can we help you or where do you need help? Shoot, with those Box Tops, can't you have everyone cut out a bowl full during a meeting?! I find as long as I can find Moms to help without the stress of chairing, a few more help.

What makes me laugh is last week a school staffer asked me if the PTO would like to PARTICIPATE in the Spring Fling NEXT WEEK! I guess the school is getting teachers and the after school program (they benefit from the proceeds) to put together a Spring Fling. Now I feel stupid because a parent asked at our first meeting about doing a carnival and the Board said we were told NO by the school. Well, now we know why!

May 13th.......AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH as long as we have no snow days, our last day is May 13th!

I appreciate the point Karen Salinas made about establishing purpose for our events. If the events and activities we offer are not part of a shared ownership, then we can't be effective. I know we do end of event evaluations with board members, chairpersons, committee members and attendees and we also do an overall end of the year evaluation. These have been instrumental in helping us make events more meaningful and organized and prune the events/activities that were missing the mark. We also survey our parents two times a year for their needs and input and that has helped us develop programs that have been well attended and supported. It's all about the people we serve.

Thank You for helping me "vent". In my head, I know something's gotta give. But in my heart, I feel so terrible that things may have to change. I LOVE LCC's suggestion about going to the teachers to find the "active" parents. Positive, not negative, seems to be the answer.
We send home so much information to the parents regarding what the PTO does for the kids, but whether or not the parents read it is unknown. We can "advertise" an event for weeks and still have parents show up that night saying "we didn't find out until little Jimmy told us TODAY that this was going on!". Very frustrating!
Thank you again for all input. I will post again when there is a conclusion to this saga!

I can certainly feel all the frustration. Without trying to add to it, I do have a question. Did anyone ask all of these parents if they wanted to be involved in all of these activities? Do these parents understand how these activities will benefit their children? Maybe there needs to be more of a link to learning so that parents will see the reason in spending their short-in-supply time. I too have been frustrated by people not helping. Often, however, they were never asked for their input. I think then the probelm becomes a joint one. As the saying goes, "there is no I in team". Good luck!