Talk to me about your PTA/Friends of as I have just been to my first committee meeting......

[McDreamy]

.........and I need some advice ! It was a bit of a shambles but as a new parent at the school and on the committee I want to help but how without upsetting people?

What sort if shambles?

At our school we have a number of events, eg Movie night, school disco, pamper evening, school fair.
Generally a person or people offer to be the lead organiser for a particular event. We usually bite their hand off if they offer! No hierachy here, or cliques etc. Just happy that people wnat to help, esp new people as they have new ideas.

Talk to the Chair about where she/he wants help the most. Is there a specific task you could just take over for her? Or can you think of a fundraising activity which you could organise yourself?

Don't fret about upsetting people - PTA activities are not the sort of thing people should be precious over. If you want to get involved, and you have the time, just get in there - be as proactive as you want to be.

They were all lovely, really lovely people but there was no organisation at all. There was no agenda, no treasurer's report, so no-one has any idea how far they have got with their fund raising. No advertising what they have achieved.

The events are not spread out over the year, for instance there are 4 events next month and then nothing until the summer. One of the events early next month has yet to be advertised. Just think it could do with to be a bit more organisation.

Get in there and help at a few PTA events before trying to change how they run the meetings. Keep quietish for a bit and figure out how it all works and why it is a shambles and then tread softly softly. Although they probably will be delighted at anything you can offer to help with.

Our PTA meetings tend to be a bit long-winded / going round in circles before we decide anything - but that's mostly cos we're all having a night out at the pub without the kids, as well as a PTA meeting.

Now the pub sounds like a fine idea

jump in and offer to organise the McDreamy... I'm chair of our PTA and it can be a complete shambles depending on how crazy my actual job is.
Just don't criticise at all, offer to take on the work with a smile on your face.

Ah, ok. In that case tell them that admin/organisation is your strength (if it is) and would they like you to do some?

Maybe say that, as a new parent, you'd have liked to have known more about the PTA, and offer to write an advertising letter - which will mean you need to get your hands on the books and work out how far they've got in their fund raising etc.

By advertising letter I mean a letter to go out to the parents

I think it requires diplomacy and patience but a retention of enthusiasm. Basically agree with fruitful; there is probably a number of people there who have worked their socks off for years for no thanks and are desperate for volunteers but will know better about many things due to experience of school which cant be underestimated.
Why not start with something straightforward; offer to do an agenda and/or the minutes; thankless tasks crying out for volunteers! This will enable you to set the tone without taking the lead and when something is suggested ask who it is that will drive it and to what time scale (you know, for the sale of the minutes....)
Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer.
Anyway good luck, you wont regret it I'm sure.

IME what you need in getting involved in running the PTA is the determination and guile of the women who runs Kraft and who just has succeeded in taking over Cadbury. It is only a shambles if you think that the only objective is raising money and spending it less wisely than perhaps is ideal. Tahter the PTA is an arena for a whole host of other objectives the details of which will depend on the social, ethnic (any Anericans involved) and yunnyiness of the mums involved.

Thanks for your comments. I have been on a couple of fund raising committees before (not school) so I will offer my help where required and take it from there. As I have moved home I have also got some local contacts so could offer organise an event that hasn't been done before. They are looking for new ideas at the next meeting.

I have realised they are/we are a committee that has lost alot of long term members and has been left to parents who are keen to continue the good work but don't really know how events have been organised in the past as there hasn't been much of a handover. As a new parent I am not much help as far as this is concerned but maybe having the confidence to try new things is something I can encourage and be part of.