PTA - any tips?

[ketchupkisses]

Other than "don't do it"!

Our school's PTA needs re-launching. We need more parents involved. We need new exciting ideas.

Is it possible to run it without the traditional roles of Chair, Sec, treasurer? I'm nervous no-one will want the responsibility of Chair, and I don't particularly want it either. I can chair meetings, but I don't want to be seen as the "person in charge".

Is it possible to have a large committee and rotate taking minutes etc. or is that just unmanageable?

What are your experiences? What works? What doesn't work?

Any tips gratefully received!

I think if you are a registered charity you need a certain number of named people on the committee (?6) to run legally. I don't know if you all need 'names'. Unfortunatly whatever way you do it the same people do all the jobs anyway.

If a small group are prepared to put all the work in then give it a go. Try to be as inclusive as possible and not be clichey by having representitives from each class.

I'm sure your school will appreciate it.

Go to the NCPTA website...it has everything you need! Good luck...

Thanks. Is it really so inevitable that a small number of people run it? If its the same in every school, surely there must be a large pool of people that would potentially be involved if someone else wasn't (I put myself in this category as quite honestly I really, really, don't have the time, but equally I can't bear for it to not happen at all).

Having done it myself...twice in two differnt schools...the answer is Yes! However, a PTA that can manage a couple of things in its first year is better than none at all. Aim for a Summer fayre. They are easy to organise once you know where you are going but it just takes the work to start it all up. Think small...raise a bit for a specific item...playground toys etc... something that the parents can see/ touch and then shout from the roof tops...look what we can do!! How much more could we achieve if we had a few more members!!Come and join the FUN!!!

Make meetings short and pithy. well organised with an agenda that parents can see too beforehand so they can pop in any questions they may have.

Meet in someone's home..grab a cofee and then free to go as soon as over or stay for a more social time depending on your commitments.

It is really rewarding. Summer fayre season is a while away yet...lots of time to plan! xx

But a friend of mine says that they have elections for committee members of her PTA, so they must have more than a few volunteers.

I'd really like to hear from someone that has a large PTA, and how they think that has happened. It can't just be a coincidence. What's the secret?

Good advice on here.

From my experience it will always be the same people doing everything!

We have a good PTA approx 12 people and lots of additional people who are always happy to help if they are given specific tasks but the people who actually take on responsibility for events etc are always the same - usually those of us who work as well!

It is fun and rewarding and you just have to be happy for the people who do get involved and not worry too much about the reasons of those who don't.

If anyone is willing to be chair, sec etc, then election just means everyone else breathes a sigh of relief and votes them on. You could make it clear that roles are for 1 year only so no one's signing away their life. Make clear that outgoing person will help settle next one in. Secretary and Treasurer should have all forms/letters on a disk so can recycle for next year and not work from scratch. I agree start small with easy events that don't scare off newbies. NCPTA are great.
Never just send out letters saying please volunteer. People ignore them (I do) and sounds whingy. Chat to people in playground, ask them for 1 hour on a stall/make cake/distribute flyers to their street - really specific jobs. Try to get different group/cliques involved and they'll bring in their friends. Do charm offensive on reception parents who may be keen to be involved but put off by established parents who know ropes, especially if existing PTA have kids in years 5/6 and will be leaving.
Last night we had PTA kids disco. Entertainer did music/dancing games for years 1-6, held from 3.15 so it feels like end of term party. Parents bring kids as they're collecting them anyway, so had a big crowd. No kid wants to miss school disco(!). Lots of socialising parents (good for PTA networking). All over by 5.30pm.
Pizza/cakes/drinks/crips on sale (easy cooking or buy in). We're a very small school but still made £150 and no one sweated.

inkyfingers speaks sense about how to get vounteers.

I reckon it's crucial to approach ppl with a clear request. Let's face it, you wouldn't vaguely ask people "oh can anyone ever help me with after-school childcare?" but you might say "I'm stuck on Thursday, do you mind having the DC till 4.30?"

So what I do is for eg take on the cake stall and ask a few people I know bake to do some cakes - even better if I can say "that yummy chocolate slab thing" - and I will get a much better response.

People (often) don't mind running a stall for an hour or folding 500 raffle tickets or wrapping 100 Santa gifts, but cannot bear to (or simply cannot - husband works late, small DC) come to a meeting three times a term.

I think being Chair is the best job, you get to tell people who are waffling to be quiet, move the meeting on and keep it to the point, you don't have to keep notes (secretary does that), or be responsible for money (treasurer's job).

Have a sponsored event for the children, raise lots of money, without stress, very little effort for PTA, raises lots of money and the children love it.... unlike the summer fair (bitter experience).

Enjoy it - can be a good way of meeting people, though there will be people you don't like, but c'est la vie.

Thanks everyone for all your tips. You've confirmed what I feared would be the case.

I'm still very uncomfortable with being Chair as I have 3 kids (including 2 pre-school) and work 40-50 hours per week split over 4 days (but often end up working Sunday afternoons). Sorry for the winge, but it is relevant to whether this can happen. I think secretly I want to be Chair, and I can see myself getting sucked into it because no-one else will, but I might just be letting the school down by saying yes to something that I physically can't do with only a small handful of helpers!

I think you also need to try and be specific what you are raising money for.
it sometimes feels like the PTA in our school raises money for raising money's sake, almost like a competition vs the previous PTA.

i am always much more willing to give/contribute/take part if it is for a specific thing rather than to meet a fundraising "target".

our PTA also have a rep from each class, then each event is run by a year group. the PTA committee just oversee it really, pass on the info from the previous year. Notes are written after each event for the file, to pass on to the next year group to do the same event. Seems to work well.