If you have a Friends of, or a PTA; how was your leader chosen?

[mxd]

Recently the two co-chairs of our Friends of stepped down and someone else was put in without any sort of consultation with anyone else.

I've found the way they've dealt with it all quite strange.
Engagement with volunteers etc is now so low, I'm almost worried it'll completely fold.

Any advice?

I went along to a meeting just to see what the PTA did, and got pushed into it by a very bossy teacher rep, same with my friend who ended up treasurer. Nobody wants to do it, it's loads of work and often a thankless task. The head virtually bullied someone into taking over from me when I stepped down. IME this idea that people want to be chair of the PTA to lord it over the other parents is fiction.

As a charitable organisation it should have a constitution which will set this out. It may be necessary to have 'caretaker' leader until the process to appoint a new leader takes place

Also-you don’t have to like the Chair. It’s a shit job-the important thing is that someone does it properly.

Whoever doesn’t start visually inspecting their footwear, or something in the far off distance quickly enough is picked. Attending these meetings is a very dangerous business but it’s the only way to gauge what’s really going on in the school. Sorry OP but I’ve always treated anyone who volunteers for these things willingly with deep suspicion.

With ours it became very clear that one of the mums was way more “PTFA” than everyone else. So they let her be leader.
Her child has just left the school, no doubt she is already leading her secondary school PTFA or whatever it is.
The primary one is folding now as no one wants to/is capable of stepping up and doing the PTFA stuff.

Normally there are conversations behind the scenes and then a token vote to ratify. Last year I was buttered up to be secretary- not a post I particularly wanted but kept being ‘encouraged’ to take. Thankfully somebody else who was stepping down from the PTA decided to stay on as their child didn’t leave the school as originally anticipated so I didn’t have to do it.

Absolutely gobsmacked that 4 people put themselves up for election, we have to beg and emotionally blackmail one person to do it, there’s never been a competitive election for any committee roles

So what was the process? Did you go to the next meeting when voting took place? Who did you approach to register your interest?

They had to write a paragraph about why they wanted to do it and they all sounded very passionate!

Ours were voted in at the AGM which is around October time. Someone nominates and then it needs someone to second it and then the role is filled. I was treasurer for a few years and it's very hard to get new people to take on the roles.

At DD3's school they beg and plead until one person offers and they're instantly voted in.

At DD4's there's a proper vote as there is always a couple of volunteers at least.

If they've ignored people volunteering and just put someone in place they've likely breached their own constitution

Why is that?

@Trafficwardentina yes - why "deep suspicion"?
Very strange view.

I would also add, that as PP have said, it's often very difficult to find a successor for the roles. For this reason, I did not become chair until my youngest child was going into Y5. That way I had a two year maximum term, as I would be leaving the school and couldn't be browbeaten into staying longer!

I went to the PTA AGM at DS's new school a few weeks back and there were only 10 of us, 4 of us completely new. The roles went to the only volunteers. I was pretty surprised at how few parents bothered turning up tbh.

What a horrible view to have.

Our pta organises discos, fireworks nights, inflatables days all of which needs volunteers to help. Our one raised about £16,000 last school year.

They've refurbished the library £30k, built a MUGA £65k and lots of other things around the school.

Why do you think volunteers are suspicious??

Exactly! I bet @Trafficwardentina is the first to complain about the way things are run too!

Sadly, i think youre right.

Yep - officially voted on by anyone who can be arsed to vote.

Usually it's only one candidate, who has been guilt-tripped into standing by the outgoing candidate.

The only job more thankless is treasurer.

There needs to be an official vote in line with the constitution, whether it's at an AGM or an EGM. If there's multiple people who are interested then it goes to a ballot and whoever wins gets it.

So if the committee didn't vote at all then that's a bit off as it needs to be democratic not just the favourite out in place.

I agree, it’s usually only one person who is brave or foolish enough to volunteer.

Our PTA raised almost £20k last year without which our very ordinary state school would not be able to upgrade lots of things around the school.

I am a trustee and we really struggle for volunteers. I do it so my child can benefit from the events and money raised and also work full time. I fear in a few years time when the current trustees leave the PTA will fold which will be very sad. People just aren’t willing to give their time, meaning the small core who are just have more and more work and then are more likely to drop out! It’s a vicious circle.