A few years ago, we stopped charging dues. Instead, all parents and staff are automatically members. We sell the school directory and notepads a la carte - they used to be included in your paid membership. We don't miss the dues money. This way we can tell all our parents that they are members of the parent group automatically, and not worry about whether something is a "school" event or a "PTO" event.
If your PTO holds its meetings in conjunction with a school event, your group get lots of exposure automatically. I wonder if it feels a little awkward to address a members-only issue when you have all those non-member parents in attendance. Maybe your gruop should consider dropping the dues requirement so you dont have to differentiate between the Members and Non-Members in those situations. All are included!
We sell PTO memberships as a fundraiser and give each member a student directory. The only to get a directory is to be a member. Inour bylaws we allow any one present at a meeting vot, not just members. Some of our best volunteers are not members, becasue they don't believe in paying dues. We have never had a problem with this. If there is a big topic up for vote, we send home a flyer telling everyone to come and vote. I hope this helps you.
We also do not charge dues. We also do not hold meeting in conjuction with another event. Anyone who has a child in our school or works in the school is automatically a member of the pto & can vote. But our teachers send 2 reps. each month (they rotate who comes)Hope this helps.
We don't charge dues.
Generally, elected officers have one meeting that only they can vote at but others can attend, and then general meetings are held for everyone.
We don't do meetings during school events, but have been known to do something informative like awards/prize ceremonies or discuss an upcoming event or fundraiser when it is something different from what we normally do and think it would be best explained to adults instead of children. These are very rare.
The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating-in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life. --Anne Morris
When ya'll have PTO meetings, are there only PTO members or is anyone invited to attend? I guess I'm wondering, from those PTO's that ask for membership fees, how do you vote on issues? We have PTO meetings accompanied by class performances so we have a high number of parents show up, but the great majority are not PTO members - they are there to watch their child perform. HELP!
