Some advice for some of you wrapping up your school year....

Last year we had a fabulous stay-at-home mom who practically devoted every waking hour to PTO. I cannot say enough wonderful things about her. She made things happen through sheer persistance and personal effot. HOWEVER, over the summer, she moved. Her absence really created a vacuum. There was so much information in her head, so many contacts that only she had developed, she had so much experience that wasn't written down. (Luckily, we CAN still call her in a pinch, but that's not the same.)

If you have these people, get them an apprentice, have them write things down. I know from experience, it's often faster "to do it myself" than to enlist help and explain how. You cannot afford this way of thinking - you need to train your successors.

Watch out for this, because you definitely pay the price later as an organization.

I just recently lost my friend that I would call for just such things. She volunteered so much at our school they offered her a job! Anyway her husband wanted to move the family back 'home' to be closer to their family. That move was the hardest move I have ever helped with! We have e-mail and I am reminded how crazy I am to put in 30 hours this post week alone with prom, graduation Committee and PTO stuff! I was lucky as she left me things and knowlede about stuff but I miss calling her or walking to her home. She's now 700 miles away- that's a LONG walk!
I guess I'm lucky to have been trained but I still miss "0 B 1 "

I once took over as pres at a middle school and was left not one single note. The minutes for past several years were even missing. Any way, since that dreadful year I have everyone fill out "event reports" and have them turned in after each event. This report includes such info as ate held; Number of volunteers and hours; supplies needed; all expenditures listed; who/how many served by event and recommendations for doing it again (what would you do different, why). When you go to do the teacher breakfast I know how much coffee etc... Require your people to do this!