To think that the PTA is voluntary?

[malificent7]

I used to help the pta as and when i could with the Christmas fare etc.

Then i got more work so i had to stop. I will nog forget one of the PTA have a moan at me in the playground that some mhms were not pulling their wieght as they were not in the PTA. When i said id love to help but couldnt she said "we are all in the same boat" She didnt work.

Aibu to think that if you volunteer you shouldnt moan about people not volunteering for whatever reason!?

Voluntary means just that!

Erm... hold on. If you are not told how much you are needed to contribute then are you just supposed to guess?

Btw. My kids dont attend the events, they are not interested. I also have no tattoos.

If people want to join the pta, that's their prerogative but not everyone wants to. And just because someone is a sahp, it doesn't mean that the pta has any right to determine how best they should use it!

I will send donations in and attend the school fete, buy raffle tickets, volunteer to go on trips if the class needs a parent helper but not everyone is a 'joiner'.
That said, I would never moan about the pta either, although I do suspect that some of them are involved because it gets them privileges (like front row seats at the school play), rather than overwhelming desire to findraise for the benefit of the kids!

Its exactly that kind of "considerably better than yow" attitude that reinforces my belief that the PTA is not for me.

Well yes, why not? If you figure out that you'd usually bake 10 cupcakes to be sold for 50p each, or spend £3 at the summer fayre - well just send that in instead. Or you might feel that £10 per child pa is all you can afford. Whatever. Anything is better than nothing.

The PTA will raise X per year. X is then what's available to support the school. Simple.

Just to point out that we do not attend the events because we truly want to go to the school fete, but because our kids want to and we are attempting to be supportive by buying back all the stuff we already donated!
It's not piss taking, it is an aytempt to be supportive. Frankly, I'd be happier if half these events didn't exist. Would happily make a one off payment in exchange for being spared the endless fundraising. But that won't happen because the pta is a hobby for some parents. Just not for all.

That's a shame about the teachers too - I agree that they shouldn't feel obliged, but the kids do love it if they get involved - ours took it in turns to be pelted with wet sponges in stocks at the summer fair - they had a huge queue all day and raised a packet!

There is NOTHING to stop you making a 1 off payment Aderyn2016. Just take it in to the school office tomorrow and ignore all other requests for help/support. Go on - put your money where your mouth is.

One thing that might help would be limiting how many years a parent can be on the PTA for - at my son's school, no one is allowed to be on the PTA for more than three years in total.

My PTA days are over but the 'same faces all the time' was always a bit self-fulfilling.

Yes to this. Someone said to me (on joining a new school) "I like to help out at events but I won't be in the PTA" which puzzled me, as I thought the PTA was for all parents, and you were automatically in it, and if you helped out that was that.

But of course they meant they weren't in the "inner circle". I personally don't like to hear people moan about how "it's always the same people every time" because you know what, so what if it is? If you have time and are happy to volunteer it, does it matter it's you and X others again? If you don't want to do it, don't volunteer at all. Your contribution shouldn't be based on anyone else's presence, just like anything in life.

I have been on both sides, working practically full time and having more flexible arrangements, and if you want to volunteer there is always something to be done that isn't physically manning the ticket booth at the school gate.You don't get "extra" credit in karma for reading with the Yr1 kids over and above sorting a great raffle prize or sponsorship - it all helps to take the pressure off teachers and the school and benefits the children.

Equally, if you don't choose to volunteer for anything but you spend your cash generously, that's great. Or if you never turn up to the events with your kids fair enough too.

What you can't do is moan that you don't like what's on offer if you're not willing to be part of the solution one way or another.

I do it because I see the value in it: I like what it means for the children, both in terms of the fun events that they like, and the money it raises to enrich their education. I also do it because I was brought up to get involved (my parents spent a lot of time organising stuff like this when I was a kid too) and because I have the skills and the opportunity.

But I really don't care if anyone else can or can't, or think badly of them. If there are not enough volunteers things don't happen, and that would be the natural consequence - I am fairly good at policing my own boundaries on that and not committing to stuff because of pressure if it's not possible without burning with resentment.

Exactly Aderyn, thats my point, I would prefer to be told (by the school) the division of the annual total that the school needs per year and everyone be asked to donate that to the SCHOOL. Ive no fucking idea how much the last cupcakes I made cost me and frankly have better things to do with my time than to figure that crap out.

The whole point is, not to make a donation and still have all the crap that no one wants. My donation would be intended to be fair and remove the need for this kind of fundraising all together. Takes away the moaning of those who want more people involved, the guilt of those who cant, the cliqueness of the sanctimonious do gooders whose lives seem to revolve around telling everyone else what to do, pressure on teachers to be involved and the constant barrage of requests for things that nobody wants, enjoys or needs (my kids included.)

^and this is why I dont join, because no one wants to hear my above view ^^

Barbarian, the point of doing it is so I will no longer be asked. If the dc come home with various requests, I will still have to fulfill those requests so that they don't feel like the only kid in their class not taking part. The one off donation only works if it is the same for everyone and instead of events, not in addition to.

aderyn. ^this^

Seems to me like PTA activity divides into two categories

1. Fundraising events. Like some PP I would far rather just write a cheque. This would be way more efficient too as it would avoid all the costs of running the event (which I suspect often outweigh or nearly outweigh the amount raised...) I really don't understand why there has to be some sort of event.

I can only assume it's because an undisguised request for donations is "not the done thing" whereas asking £4 for a fairy cake (on top of someone's time and money in making the cakes) is somehow different .

2. Volunteering at the school - reading help, accompanying school trips, helping behind the scenes at the play etc. I'd be happy to help with these things when I could, they are not things you can buy with money as a pp said. I thought that at most schools this was open to all parents and not PTA though?

I find that my kids school, the PTA mums wouldn't want just anybody to volunteer... It's like a popularity contest and they like being at the 'top'.

All of us non PTA mums avoid all volunteering as we left school along time ago and don't need to fight to fit into a clique

The majority of kids really like the events, though, Aderyn. The Halloween disco with the rubbish sweets, the Easter Egg malarkey, the bake sales and summer fair. The kids enjoy it. That's at least 50% of the motivation for some events.

And it's OK to say you'd prefer to donate. But for low-income families who can afford £1 on sweets and a bouncy castle go but can't donate £50 per year towards the school, then is it fair on them that no low-cost events happen at all?

Well said mini Possibly somewhat more eloquent than my rant too.

But squirrel, are they not spending that on crap at events and buying cake making stuff, then rebuying cakes for their kids throughout the year currently anyway?

The donation could be spread by terms, to lessen the cost.

Re fundraising.

It's the same principle as Kickstarter, where you get something in return for your pledge.

Or charity balls, or charity quiz nights, or buying a poppy or a pin for Marie Curie or whatever.

People are more likely to donate if they get something in return for their cash.

You might donate your cash to the school every year, but a lot wouldn't.

I mean tombolas ffs... send in a gift (usually has to be purchased) then spend £1.00 per ticket to win some shit that you dont want back again? After already having paid entry to the fair and the countless other crap that your kids want?

I have been known to go through £40 at school fairs due to pester power from my kids (in the past) before. That could have been donated couldnt it?

But squirrel, are they not spending that on crap at events and buying cake making stuff, then rebuying cakes for their kids throughout the year currently anyway?

No. Some people are doing the cake making AND dropping £X on buying them back. (and would go for your annual donation idea)

Some people are just dropping £X on cakes. (and would go for your annual donation idea)

Some people are spending just a little (£x) on a cake as that's all they can afford. (and would feel excluded by your annual donation idea)

Some people are never going anywhere near the cake stall no matter how their children beg them. (and would never pay it)

And some people are in between, and will sometimes come to an event and spend a bit, and sometimes not bother (and would almost certainly NOT donate annually).

Yes, there will be some that dont donate, but then they are probably the ones you are referring to who would sneak onto the bouncy castles for free etc anyway, so nothing lost there really.

Actually, re: value for money, our PTA committee has been quite good at rejecting stuff which doesn't have a good enough return for volunteer input. It needs to raise a wedge, or significantly entertain a large proportion of the children, or it doesn't happen.

And our cake sales are relatively expensive (50p) so that cakes aren't sold at less than the cost of making them. Because fucksake. At the church Christmas fair this weekend I bought a completely delicious fruit cake for less than the cost of the ingredients

I have been known to go through £40 at school fairs due to pester power from my kids (in the past) before. That could have been donated couldnt it?
You DID donate it, Wookiee. And the kids got a bit of fun out of it. I appreciate you didn't enjoy it, but it served its purpose!

That's fair enough squirrels. It's just that for me, it is one more thing to squash into an already packed weekend. My primary aged dc already does a lot of activities outside of school, I also have teenagers who need ferrying to and from places and truthfully I just don't want to add anything else.

I find that my kids school, the PTA mums wouldn't want just anybody to volunteer... It's like a popularity contest and they like being at the 'top'.
All of us non PTA mums avoid all volunteering as we left school along time ago and don't need to fight to fit into a clique

This is my life. My DH summed it up for me when he said "I get bossed about by some wanker 5 days a week and get paid for it but I'm certainly never going to give up my Saturday again to be bossed about by a different wanker."