Wallet stolen at school Christmas Fair. AIBU to not tell them

[onegiftedgal]

...that I saw who took it? I'm not sure what to do as the chair of the PTA took the wallet when she saw it lying on the ground.
She put it in her bag and hasn't mentioned it even though the Dad in question has sent a whole school message asking if anyone has found it.
She doesn't realise that anyone saw her but what can I say/do as she would obviously not be likely to own up or give the wallet back now even if I did say something.

Excellently handled OP and thank you for the update.

I dont agree with the posters saying that maybe she forgot. It’s a wallet not a hanky or something that falls out of a pocket. Similarly with house or car keys surely the thing to do would be to say to a friend “uh oh - look what I have found. I am just going to pop to reception and leave it there so hopefully the person who has lost it will claim it”. You do not pocket it and “forget” it.

Personally I would be privately emailing the head to tell her what happened and letting her draw her own conclusions about the honesty of the PTA chair. But then I cant stand thieves, especially ones connected with charities.

Thank you for all if your support and advice and yes, I think that the right thing to do would to just mention it to the head. That way, at least it has been noted.
It's got me thinking about so much though because for example, the helpers on the stalls always get a free lunch bap and drink etc and the main committee I'm sure do not pay for their children to enter discos etc. The amounts soon add up.
I think I'd rather just give the school a direct £5 each month pet child and be done with it!

OP I now think you're being unreasonable for begrudging helpers a free sandwich. I know first hand how much time and effort goes into organising PTA events. Unless you've done it, I genuinely don't think you'd know the time effort and at times personal money that PTA committee members put it. A free bap and possibly free entrance for their kid at a disco is tiny compensation, honestly. This is not to say your PTA woman is innocent, who knows, but to question the tiny benefits they get for raising huge amounts for the school, in their own time, is really unfair.

Totally agree @cardifcannonball

I am not on the PTA (just help where I can) and I am so thankful of everything they do!

That's a totally separate issue to there potentially being someone dishonest.

I don't think that @onegiftedgal is objecting to the PTA members getting a free sandwich/free admission for their kids etc - but that what she is objecting to is the chair of the PTA using her position to stuff the raffle prize draw so she is almost guaranteed to win it, and not handing in the wallet she found.

Of course the PTA and the people who help fundraise for the school deserve rewards - it can be a pretty thankless task - but they are not entitled to defraud or steal from other parents (and rigging the raffle by stuffing the draw with your own name, without paying would be fraud).

I've been Chair of a PTA. There's no time to think at all on a Fair day, Bonfire Night, etc; there's always someone asking a question or with an emergency. The chances of me having a lunchtime sandwich, free or not, were very slim.

I could easily have done this - picked something up and forgotten about it if someone rushed up with a problem needing solving

And then not see it in your hand bag for 3 days?

Sdt re-read her last post. It is what she's saying. "These things soon mount up". Totally unfair to connect the possible (though I maintain I could have done exactly what she did) theft, with PTA helpers getting a few perks.

And who said anything about rigging raffle?! Apolsif I missed a post. That indeed would be fraud. Has that happened here??

Thanks for the update.

Tell the head, if it’s a honest misunderstanding (which it might be) she can give the wallet back and no harm is done but if she really is trying to steal she won’t get away with it.
Until very recently I was chair of the PTA and if I had found a wallet in these circumstances I would have given it straight to the office precisely because you really don’t want these kind of accusations to happen.
Begrudging a helper a free sandwich or free entry to the disco is a bit mean though. They’ve been kind enough to donate their time why shouldn’t they be rewarded with a small thank you.

I could easily have done this - picked something up and forgotten about it if someone rushed up with a problem needing solving

But surely when the man's wife asked you about the wallet, you would immediately remember putting one in your bag? You wouldn't act as if you didn't know, but just check your bag "just in case".

@cardifcannonball - I did see the OP’s last post, but I interpreted it differently to you - we can agree to differ, I hope.

Re. the raffle rigging - I should have made it clear that the OP said this was a previous PTA chair, not the current one - apologies for that.

”...I also witnessed the previous chair of the PTA 'covering' the hamper raffle stall. She was filling out loads of tickets for herself and shoving them in the barrel. No money seemed to be going in the float. Guess what, she won the top prize...”

Agree with PP that this may be a small part of a bigger picture, or entirely not and a one off. But either way worth telling the Head.

Is the name of this school St Trinians?