PTA Meetings in the Pub? Really?

[AwkwardMary]

It seems inappropriate to me...our PTA is trying to recruite more members as it's traditionally seen as a bit cliquey so their idea of trying to make more parents join is to call an evening meeting in a particularly hard to get to pub in the evening.

I dont mind going to PTA meetings maybe half an hour before school picck up..but I dont want to go to some out of the way pub an hour befoe the DCs bedtime.

Is it me or is this a silly idea? The clique who oranised it happen to use this pub as their base for socialising...it feels like they've thought..."HOw can we get more parents invoved and not think we're cliquey?" and then come up with the idea of inviting us into their inner sanctum.

AIBU to say "Can't you do a meeting in school hours or just after?"

bunbaker we're not allowed in pubs, some muslims might go in & drink non alcohol but its not allowed at all so majority don't.

firawla - Different muslims have different interpretatiosn about whether it is okay to go into pubs. No its not okay to drink alcohol.

Out of curiosity, what about restaurants which serve alcohol? The lines are increasingly blurred these days between restaurants and pubs.

I suppose I mean bistro type places where you can either eat and drink, or just have a drink on its own.

or unlicenced Muslim restaurants that charge corkage on diners bringing in their own drinks (in Bradford and the food was FAB)

We have had a couple in the local pub , they even provided free food (the pub ,not the pta) .

Panzee

YANBU. I think it's more appropriate to have the meetings in a more serious, calm, quiet venue. Gives people space to think and speak without pub music, other people's loud conversations, wandering off to buy the next round etc.

No harm in one of the "clique" standing up and inviting everyone to the pub afterwards though :)

Thats right!

YABU (and living up to your name

We tried both,cafe and pub. Cafe to attract the ethnic groups,when asked they weren't allowed to go anyway. Somalis,Turkish,Pakistani. We reverted to the pub,working parents had a bite to eat,good turn out. Where else would you suggest?

I'd love to have our meetings in a pub but very mixed school and some parents would find that off putting (not assuming, have canvassed opinion).

regardless of location though, evenings are the only time the T bit of the PTA can attend as they are teaching our children during the day. Don't know how we would do it without our active members from teaching staff (2-3 each meeting).

Our regulars (about 8) all work at least part time and we're not besieged by sahp wanting daytime meetings.

Having said that I would love a chance to spread responsibility a bit but what really matters is getting help at events. If you want to get involved, help out when you can and get to know the committee members who might turn out to be less of a clique, more people thrown together by virtue of having got involved on the PTA.

Our meetings are always in the pub, have been for years, 8pm so post bedtime for most. Can't please everyone, but we get a consistently good turnout and no-one has complained that I know of ( and I would, being chair!). The pub is a nice, quiet one, and midweek is never busy or noisy, so there is no problem being heard. It's supposed to be fun, not an extension of work!

why not do an "American supper" at somebody's house (everybody brings along a bit of buffet type food - then the hostess is just providing the space and everybody knows there will be SOMETHING they like)

We have some of our PTA meetings in the pub , we do the meeting then have a drink and a chat.

It actually doesn't matter where we have them it is always the same people who turn up anyway, whether it is after school or in the pub of an evening.

" Holding it in the pub means you aren't having to pay the BSS to open the school / lock up. "

You use these people? BSS

That must be expensive?

We tend to do every other PTA meeting at the nearest pub to our school. We do this to help working parents attend.

i have only been at our school under a year and even though I was nervous I was determined to make connections for my sake and my boys sake. We had lived in the Middle East for a few years & I knew nobody. So I attended a couple of PTA mtgs by myself, This was 9 months ago, and I am now the joint secretary and I am not part of the so called 'clique'.

Pendeen - no. 'BSS' is the title of the member of staff that used to be called 'The Caretaker'. He/She is now known as a 'Buildings and Site Superviser'.

Thank you - I live and learn! :)