to be livid at schools 'theft'

[misscutandstick]

I am absolutely livid.

I have just spent the last 2 days working my one off sorting thru nearly 30 boxes of toys (I have 5 sons)...why?

well I had decided that the bedrooms were far too cluttered and enough was enough and some needed to go. So i was going to have a sort thru the house and carboot the surplus crap clutter. Then i got a letter home from DS4's school (they attend a total of 4 different schools) saying that they were having a summer fayre THIS SATURDAY, and could anyone donate stuff for it?

Okay i thought, worthy cause, donate it to them and let them raise some school funds. However this meant i had only 2 days to get said job completed - not easy with a stroppy 4y/o who is only out the house in the afternoons, and doesnt miss a thing. Anyway, pat on the back job successfully completed and caretaker came to escort assorted bags and 10 boxes away without DS4 watching.

HOWEVER...

at approximately 3.30pm this afternoon upwards of half a dozen people were seen by my husband and neighbour casually walking down the street with OUR stuff in hand!!!

GGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

Okay some of me says i was donating it anyway, and since i wasnt going to profit then whats my beef? equally, actually i was going to carboot it, and it would probably have been worth about £200 (there were lego sets, and fisher price toys {incrediblock, drop and roar dino, peekablocks x50}, etc all good quality in excellent condition - i dont like passing on crap). But i wanted the school to benefit from the cash... not the PTA who got their hands on it first!

And if id have carbooted i wouldnt have run myself ragged trying to make sure it was done in 2 days! Admittedly it is very difficult to get a babysitter to have 5 children from silly O'clock in the morning... but still...

AIBU to be so utterly disgusted, upset, livid, feeling ripped off and used?

[GossipMonger]

Have bumped your thread.

[Tidey]

If people have just come along and taken what they fancied from the pile of stuff, then I too would be very angry. However, I do think you need to go along tomorrow and see if all of it is there. If it is not, I would be asking some rather pointed questions.

[welshdeb]

I am on my dc PTA.
I have to say I find it difficult to understand why volunteers were taking prizes to store or wrap if the fete is tomorrow.

We (PTA) are always on the lookout for prizes for raffles and tombolas. The school is unable to store prizes for more than a few days so its completely usual that anything donated more than a few days in advance are stored in our houses. But it all goes back into school the week of the fete for wrapping/ ticketing etc.

Maybe what happened is that helpers have got first dibs on nice items. However they should have paid for anything they took. As the person who donated these I don't think its unreasonable to ask the PTA or the Head about it.

[Tidey]

Oh, sorry, I've just seen that you can't go, do you have a good friend who is going who can have a look for you?

[onagar]

I hope it turns out to be a misunderstanding and I expect it will, but I'm realistic cynical enough to have thought the same thing.

I think misscutandstick should get credit for donating all that stuff and rushing to get it ready.

[LovelyTinOfSpam]

[Toffeepopple]

I am on the PTA and have a very nice new mobile phone sitting on my dining table, which has just been donated as a raffle prize.

I wonder if the person who gave it thought I was stealing it? I brought it home because I want to write up the make and model for our flyer.

I have also, in the past, taken items home to count so we can put a "complete" sticker on them and make more money and also sometimes to gauge whether they are good enough/new enough to be prizes rather than jumble.

I have been in places where volunteers take first dibs (local NCT). They did always pay, and did it because it was so manic once open they would totally miss out otherwise.

We have also had items stolen, from our PTA shed and also from the playground donation boxes - one was a very good bottle of whisky I donated for the tombola.

I think in your scenario that anything could have happened. I don't think it is unreasonable to ask what happened to the items but try not to go in all guns blazing as there could be a very innocent explanation.

Also, please remember mostly the PTA are good people and if they are a clique it is not usually by choice!

[misscutandstick]

thankyou Onagar & spam XXX.

toffee you have a good point, Im going to pop across tomorrow just before it starts (DS5 not good with crowds) and ask if everything was OK with the goods sent, as i noticed that lots were being taken away by different people, and do i need to label them or something in future?

perhaps that sort of tack?

[misscutandstick]

on the title front - just want to clarify: it was meant as theft from the school, rather than the school doing the stealing, IYGWIM.

Suppose it should have read "to be livid at schools' theft."

[Toffeepopple]

Misscutandstick, I think that sounds perfect. Hope you get an answer that satisfies you.

[LovelyTinOfSpam]

Do let us know what happens misscutnstick, i'm sure that it will all have been innocent.

[misscutandstick]

well im back!

DS5 is upstairs in a darkened room, and under his weighted blanket calming from the excitement.

and i have a verdict!

heres my small slice of humble pie, which i am presently eating, along with a smug look of 'i told you so'-ness.

Had a quick chat with the head and she was mortified that around a third of the donated items were no where to be seen, and says that she will enquire with the PTA to see how much money was raised for it. She did confirm that the PTA had 'processed' the items and they did indeed seem to be priced up and with their respective parts, as far as i could see.

so all in all a favourable outcome, the majority had made it to the fayre intact. XXX

[LovelyTinOfSpam]

Oooh thanks for the update!

Let us know what the head says about the rest of it

[katiestar]

I think if people are prepared to give up their own time to raise money to benefit all the children ,it is unlikely they are going to steal from that cause.They will have made a donation.
I hope I don't sound too harsh but I think you come across as being a bit mean spirited and I'm sure the head teacher would think that too.

[welshdeb]

Coming back to this thread. As I am a bit (HMMM) that head knows nothing about it.

Speaking as a PTA volunteer we are very careful if anyone asks for first dibs on a particularly nice item. Basically to ensure we are all above board and to avoid a situation like this.

In general with my PTA if its a very very nice item, boxed or brand new etc then this is not allowed.

Its only usally occurs for white elephant or bric a brac. We always clear it with the head first, incase of issues such as this one, and agree the money to be paid upfront.

I would be a bit concerned that this hasn't happened here.

[BoffinMum]

Gossip, sometimes I have volunteered for various PTAs and the reigning clique simply won't let me in. In such cases it's been dominated by a group with their own vested interests (e.g. getting better treatment for their own kids, getting first dibs on the after-school club slots, being Queen Bee, etc). However I have noticed how quick they are to skim off my home baking when I turn up with it for bake sales ... usually it never gets onto the stall. Flattering but not right somehow.

That having been said, not all PTAs are like this, of course.