Wow, It's Amazing That I'm Not The Only One That Has The Same Fears And Frustations. I Was Elected To Be The PTO Pres. Last Year During Our First Open House Meeting. From That Point On Tried To Do Every Thing The I Can To Promote Voluntering With The One Member Pto Organization That We Have With Little To No Help From The Principal. I Wish You The Best Of Luck This Year
After reading Tim's advice in PTO Today magazine, I changed my speech to tell my story of being new to the school and how it seemed everybody knew everybody ... except me. I remembered how hard it was being the new parent and really put my self in the Kindergarten parents place. I spoke from my heart and I was definately more relaxed than usual when giving a speech The "what we can offer you" approach is what I will stick to from now on. Thanks tim!
As leeannes mentioned we talked about this very topic in the August issue of the magazine. It's on the top of page 10 - Tim's Tip. Here's the text:
<snip>
Tim's Tip: That Open House Speech
Sometime soon, you or another of your leaders is going to be asked to make the annual “introduction to the parent group†talk: “Here’s our PTO. Here’s what we do [starting with the big fall fundraiser and including eight or 10 other events]. We meet once a month, and we really need more parents to help out. Thank you.â€
It’s nice—and certainly all true—but your job in this speech is to engage and attract parents. You don’t need their help; rather, talk about how you can help them. Give out the home phone numbers and email addresses of your officers, and make sure all parents know that you want to help any way you can.
A lot of parents assume that the PTO is just a cliquey group of regulars and that school volunteering is not for them. The best way to fight that impression is to use the big opening talk to openly debunk that myth. This is your chance to set the tone for the whole year. What message do you want to send?
<snip>
Trustworthy in every project you take.Eager to reach your every goal.
Effective in the way you fulfill your role.
Ready with a smile like a shining star,
Special and wonderful—that’s what you are.
--unknown
<font size=""1""><font color="#"black"">Liberalism is not an affilation its a curable disease. </font></font><br /><br><font color="#"gray"">~Wisdom of Shawnshuefus</font><br /><br><font color="#"blue""><font size=""1"">The punishment which the wise suffer, who refuse to take part in government, is...
Oh bless your heart--you worked so hard on this. I wish we had that type of forum to address the families but we don't usually. At least you were prepared. I'd have thought the principal would have intro'd you anyway and let you decide how long you'd stay up there. Good for you guys though that you stayed positive. And if anyone asks you are ready to give them a mouthful!!!!
So the Pre-K and K open house was last night. I was very nervous about speaking but had everything together that I wanted to say and was ready to go. Thank you to everyone who offered ideas, I compiled quite a few as well as adding my own.
Only problem was, the principal never gave us the opportunity to say anything. Cafeteria was filled to the brim with people. New parents that are really our target audience. PTO was supposed to speak after the welcome by the principal and after one of the Kindergarten teachers went through her spiel. Then while the teachers went back to their classrooms to get in place, the principal was supposed to announce the PTO. Except she didn't. She didn't even mention that fact that the ice cream social that was still to come after everyone met their teacher was hosted by the PTO. By the time I could get up to the front (place was really crowded) it was too late. (Looking back, I should have already been up front.)
When I asked why she didn't she said it was because she couldn't get the mic to work.
The rest of the evening went okay. And fortunately the other board members that were there were very supportive and we all stayed positive for the most part.
We had displays and forms and volunteer sign-up sheets. If we had a chance to speak even for a minute to make our presence known I think we would have had a lot more than 14 families become members and a lot more people on the volunteer list. But it's a start and now I know that I have to be more assertive when it comes to PTO hosted events to make sure the planning that goes into them isn't for nothing.
Today is a new day. This afternoon is the new students open house which isn't formal at all. There is no welcome or introduction. But the PTO will have displays and registration forms and volunteer sign-up forms and although I am the only one that is able to be there, at least we will still have a presence and maybe have a few more families sign-up.
And at least I know what I am going to say at the 2 other open houses in a week and a half and plenty of time to practice!
Thanks again for all the ideas! I'll let you know how the other open houses go.
The "what we can offer you" approach is what I will stick to from now on. Thanks tim! 
