Cool stuff. And it is nice to see some of these old familiar names from the boards.
I've even heard that a certain JHB may be making an appearance at our Houston Expo in February. I haven't seen her since our very first conference in Massachusetts in 2001.
Crew Chief really has captured the nature of PTO work and the nature of these boards very well. It is cyclical, and even the best volunteers and the best board contributors move on to next phases in their lives. That's actually one of the reasons I so recommend repeatable systems for PTOs, because you can't rely on having that one amazing volunteer forever. Her kids will actually get older every year....
I also remember a very comforting comment a mom of older kids (almost called her an older mom -- oops) )made to my wife about 5 years ago. Our oldest (of 4) was in 1st grade and Ellen was feeling guilty about not volunteering very much. (Mind you, she did have 3 little ones at home including an infant.) This other mom said: "Are you kidding? We all understand. It's not your time right now. Your time will come."
(And boy, has it ever!)
At that time we were just before our turn as leader-volunteers. And in a few years we'll be phasing out.
The cool/hopeful thing is that there are already new volunteers at our school coming in wit new energy and ideas. Same thing happens here on the site. I've often said that our work and that of bridal magazines is very similar -- we both have a new crop of brides/leaders each year.
Thanks for all everyone/did/is doing/will do -- depending on where you are on that timeline.
How exciting that someone came looking for us!!! It makes me smile. Yes, like dlf said, many of us have moved through the grade school phase of our kids lives and, therefore, much of the PTO work we're likely to do.
Like I've always said, PTO's are cyclical by nature due to the ebb and flow of school populations - as will PTOtoday's contributors.... I enjoyed PTO work and was especially grateful for PTOtoday, their magazine, message boards and so much more. The overall network provided for PTOers is amazing. I made a lot of friends and still keep in touch with many of them. I even lurk in here from time to time to see the latest trends.
I'm in school full time now, working toward an Elementary Education degree. Soon, maybe, I'll be the "T" in a really great PTO somewhere!
Everyone on the boards, keep up the good work. You really are making a difference!!!
Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our hearts. And we are never, ever the same."
"The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory or defeat but in the true perfection of one's character."
Hi Hmmmm--I think we are all still about--many of us have gone to facebook and our ventures have taken us through our PTO experiences. I still post occassionally, when something strikes my fancy and I think I can contribute. If you're interested in the general social stuff you can email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we'll get linked with cc, luv, shawn, brandy and me on facebook. PTO stuff we still come here...but careful what you wish for. Our real lives are a lot more gritty than the PTO world .
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