help me write a plea to the parents for new committee members ..please

[brimfull]

I ma chair and ds is going to school in september so don't want to do it anymore.All the other committee members are in the same boat.
So how can I word a letter to the parents of the children staying on so they will volunteer to be on the committee.
Basically the pre-school will fold without a committee ,which is what I'd like to convey.BUt I will obviously feel obligated to carry on regardless if no one comes forward.Don't really want to admit that this is an option.

Help please.

shameless bump...dropped off the bottom in record time!

Oh ggirl I know exactly what you mean, we're in the same position here...

it's so hard, and so infuriating, people are willing to use the service but not to put the work in.

Sorry have no advice to give, just sympathy!

Think I may lie and say the school will close if a new committee isn't formed,but terrified if they all bugger off to a different school.

ggirl - I'm a chair too (reluctantly). I will have absolutely no qualms in quitting come Sept 2008 when ds goes to school - irrespective of whether there is a successor.

I personally would give the freeloading parents (I am sorry but I have come to see them like that - would it bloody kill them to one damn thing occasionally) an honest appraisal of the situation;

i.e. the Pre School needs a Committee with chair etc as part of the conditions for registration. If parents do not step forward for these committee roles the Pre School won't be viable.

That might focus their minds.

(I'm not sure that I have been entirely helpful - sorry!)

he Pre School needs a Committee with chair etc as part of the conditions for registration. If parents do not step forward for these committee roles the Pre School won't be viable.

right am using that line,thanks HMC!

You go ggirl!

Tell it like it is.

They won't leave the Pre School in droves - their children are settled there. It will probably flush a couple of them out of their cosy "some other poor sap will do it" apathy

treasurer has the gall to be moving house in a few weeks ffs!!
Will be doing her job aswell and she does loads more than me.I do bare minimum .

I had to do this for my preschool when I left as chair. Do you wnat me to email you the letter? It worked and we got someone.

email me on dimpledthighs at hotmail dot co dot uk and I will send it to you if you like.

thanks dimpled thighs,you helped me out with begging letter getting to be a habit.

Something along these lines, maybe?
---------

April 21st 2007

Your Pre-school Needs You!

Dear Parent

Do you know the answers to these questions?

Who manages your child?s Pre-school?

Who employs the staff, sets pay and issues contracts?

Who sets policies and fees?

Who chooses and organises fundraising activities?

Who decides the venue for the annual outing?

The answer is ?You do!? or at least you could if you were a member of the management committee.

A voluntary committee of parents manages your pre-school. Without its committee, the pre-school would not be able to operate.

Most of the present committee will not be standing again and we are now seeking nominations for several new members, as well as new officers.

What Would Joining the Committee Involve?

To be a committee member is not a demanding job, even as an officer. All that is needed is your enthusiasm and a little of your time. Almost all of the routine day to day administration of the pre-school school is carried out by the paid staff. The committee?s function is one of management, overseeing the smooth running of the pre-school, according to its policies, constitution and registration.

What do Members Actually Do?

Committee Member: Attends and votes at committee meetings.

Secretary: Same as committee member + takes minutes of the meetings; writes occasional letters to parents concerning pre-school business; signs cheques.

Treasurer: Same as committee member + passes on financial report at meetings (prepared by paid staff); signs cheques.
NB There is no bookkeeping or banking required.

Chair: Chairs committee meetings; signs cheques; writes occasional letters to parents concerning pre-school business; signs documents on behalf of the pre-school, eg annual returns to Charity Commission (prepared by paid staff).

Vice-chair: Same as committee member + deputises for Chair; signs cheques.

At their twice-termly meetings, which are held at members? homes in the evening, the committee discusses fundraising activities, social events, outings, fees, admissions, financial matters, new policies etc.

Your pre-school needs YOU!

Please consider joining the committee and becoming a little more involved in the life of your pre-school.

Remember that without the support of its parent committee, XYZ Pre-school will not be able to continue. This would be a tragic loss, not only to the children and families currently attending, but also to the local community as a whole.

If you would like to join, please complete the tear-off slip below and return it to xyz who will pass it on to the committee.

Remember, this is YOUR pre-school and it has always been the high level of parental involvement that has helped to make it so special.

Kind regards,

Ann Other
Secretary

???????????????????????????????????????????

I wish to be considered for election to the new committee. I would be most interested in the position of: chairman, vice chairman, treasurer, secretary, ordinary member.

(delete as applicable)

Signed: ............................................................ Name: .....................................................

oh yes!

No problem - you are just doing what I did but a few years later - would be silly not to help!

wow 80's mum,that's good!

Doesn't your treasurer keep the books and do the banking then?

Thanks for that!

excellent letter BUT I would say that the only real way to get more members is to approach people personally by phone or in person. ime

harpsi-will be doing both ..pray for me

We just couldn't get a volunteer treasurer who was prepared to do the bookkeeping and banking, so one of the staff (me!) did it at home and was paid a few extra hours a week for doing it and we outsourced the payroll to a local accountant who did a lot of other pre-schools' payrolls. The treasurer was always the hardest post to fill, but it became a lot easier after that.

I haven't worked in pre-school for nearly 3 years now, so my info may be a bit out of date, but could the PLA help? Or your local Early Years advisor (or whatever they call themselves now)? They may know someone who could take on the most onerous tasks for a small fee, which might make it easier recruiting a committee.

I would recommend personally approaching specific parents and asking them if they would take over a specific position on the committee. If you can figure out in advance who might have the time (stay at home moms) and who might be good at what (organized, artistic, computer savy), and then approach that person for that job. I suspect you will have lots of luck that way. It makes people feel special to be asked personally for a specific job.

we had a nice 'it is really fun would you like to be involved' letter that got no response and after approaching a few people personally and drawing a blank we put togethet a 'if no-one comes forward there will be no preschool' letter and that smoked them out!

there is kind of another side to it. it can be kind of hard to break into a pta. even if its not, thats often the perception.

so i think hcc is spot on with the personal approach

if its true that without the pta the preschool will fold then yes, say that.

bear in mind that there are other reasons why people might not be coming forward, notably childcare. If you can find way round that (eg holding meetings somewhere with a few toys) you might be away

don't know if this is possible (my DC attend privately run pre-school so don't know the ins and outs), but can you approach the parents of the children who will starting in September as well as existing parents?

i dunno, i would be kind of wary of approaching people personally, cos I wonder if there might be a problem around the pta being seen as cliquey. I think it might work but not really solve the problem which is that some parents don't feel particularly invested in their kids educations.

I think you should be straight up with them. maybe call a big meeting. If the preschool will close, or if the fees will have to go up sans support-tell them.

If you are leaving in september-its actually their problem then, tbh. (I know thats not nice but...it is. they need to take responsibility).

thanks for all your responses,lots of food for thought.Will have a think,am just about to go out .