Am I the only male president of a PTO?

I have to agree with the post about dads being home watching the kids while mom volunteers. For many of the families in our school, that's just how it works out. It does in our house. Or mom is an alum of the school and she already knows everyone so she comes to socialize and dad would prefer to stay in the background.

We'd like to start a dad's group, but we don't have a lot of interest since our charity poker program slowed down. We'd like to challenge them to come up with fundraising event of their own (we get a lot of feedback from them about how they could do our events "better"), but no one takes up the gauntlet. A golf outing, swap meet, pretty much anything they'd like just to get them on board. But most of our dads say they're "behind the scenes kind of guys" who like to support the moms in what they do by writing checks, watching kids, and building the occasional set prop. All important, but only having half your parents actively involved is still only half.

Hi barb r,

Thanks for the great post. You've shared a great story and we hear good things about the dad group you mentioned.

Rose C

My husband and I are BOTH involved in the local PTO's. We have 3 children... 2 at the middle school and one at the elementary level. When the middle school PTO called and asked me to participate I told them I couldn't. I was PTO president at the elementary school and honestly couldn't take on another PTO to any great extent. I suggested my husband take the spot instead. The lady I was speaking to didn't exactly say no but you could tell she was VERY hesitant at times and the concern she voiced was his ability to "organize" things. We finally agreed (she and I) that he would serve on the PTO but I would pick up if things fell through. That was last year.... This year - he became treasurer of that PTO because he was SO frustrated from last year's disorganization at times and lack of response to requested items. He is the ONLY man on the board at the middle school and there is one lone male on the board at the elementary school. BUT, they are making a difference and more dads are at least talking about PTO, etc. because of their known involvement. Actually this next year, due to some drama last year, the lone male will become the president of the elementary PTO.

Something we also have discovered is that mom's do most of the "school" stuff with the kids (registration, etc.) so we don't always know WHERE to plug dad in at. Our principal this year started a "Watch D.O.G.S." (D.O.G.S. - Dad's of great students****) program at our school. Actually she found a dad to organize and implement it. It gets the dad's in the school and there have been about 70 sign up to participate, which is an amazing number! Through this process the PTO has found out which dads 1) WANT to be involved in some fashion and 2) WHAT interests them so we know how to plug them in for future things...

I am VERY excited about both of these items and am hoping it will encourage more dad's and will be an entirely NEW face to the PTO in some ways. It doesn't matter the gender there are organized/disorganzed, committed/non committeed people in every gender. The key is accepting all of that and finding out the best way to make it all work for the kids!

****For those that don't know about Watch D.O.G.S. here is the link: www.fathers.com/content/index.php?option...view&id=21&Itemid=60 It is an awesome program that is truly an asset to our school!

I already live in a QUEENDOM ( wife and 3 daughters ) so the women majority thing doesn't bother me. I am well trained.