how do we make it fun? Besides our monthly PTO meeting we hold all our committee and planning meetings at someone's house or a restaurant. I think atmosphere makes big differnce - If you are greeted at the end of your day with a smile and a "do you want a glass of red or white" and sit in a comfy chair it makes all the difference in your attitude. We also celebrate our successes. After big events, like the fall faire or our auction we have a party for volunteers - again either at someone's house or at a restaurant or bar.

I do think also that besides a social atmosphere, I agree with the other folks who said that having things organized and keeping lines of communication open contribute to a positive volunteer environment. We have started using google docs this year to store all our documents and it is working out great.

We are an elementary school and this year, when I became co-president, we decided to send thank you letters to anyone who volunteers and put a coupon towards a free raffle ticket at any PTA event. I think people are liking this and are volunteering more. I also send out personalized thank yous for attending PTA meetings. I think people like a personal touch and this way see that they are important to you and your organization.

Why can't you have fun while volunteering? Yes, sometimes the "job" is stressfull and difficult. Yes, we all have many other tasks we are working on in our lives BUT...stress and difficulty are much easier to work through if you can laugh and smile!!!

Who wants to come to meetings and events if the atmosphere is not fun? We all will have a better experience if our attitudes and demeanor or positive.

Remember, we are all here for the kids and to better the school. Try smiling instead of frowning and see what happens-you just might get more parent involvement!!! Our school has, good luck!!!

I think that if you work with a good group of people that fun will naturally come. I know from running the auction at our school last year, I had a small committee and picked the people that I wanted to work with. It became too big of a job and so no one wanted to step up and run it this year. So I am running it again.

I told the PA board that I would need their support and now they are each taking a position and I am helping them find people to support them. My goal is to lead more this year and get more involved so they can lead their sub committee next year.

But at a recent holiday hour that we tried to plan as a social function, only five people showed up. I told the planner that it should have been scheduled as a late night event so Mom's can get out and have a drink and mingle after the kids are in bed.

We would have had more show up if we had done that. Nobondy minds paying for their own glass of wine or beer and put out a few appetizers or desserts. I was able to recruit some people that night because of the five that showed up.

I also think that long term financial support and volunteer time will come if friendships are formed.

Having fun is an important factor to keep parents involved. I think the key to the whole thing is talking. I have noticed that the more you talk to parents the more involved they want to be. Once they realize that you are just like they are, they want to help you. I think if the PTA, PTO, PTSA was able to talk with parents before or after events and real in the ones that look like they want to talk then that is what we need to do. All they want is to be treated like an equal.

I volunteer in may activities inmy community, including PTO. PTO should be fun. Fun can be had if the people working have a sense of humor, know that not everything goes perfectly all the time, and be kind and respectful to the volunteers that they have. saying thank you at meetings but yelling at volunteers at events, does not make volunteering fun. so now I only go to meetings, and let the newbies in the PTO volunteer, I have been scolded and yelled at enough for putting the purple dinosaur on the table that was supposed to have jewelery or some other innocent mistake - yelled at in front of the children no less, so then i put on my coat and leave.

People are what make it fun. If the right people are all together, helping one another, joking, sharing stories, helping the kids, then there will be fun. We must be able to laugh at our own mistakes. I know those in charge do most of the organizing and I do appreciate their efforts, so I do not hold a grudge, truly, but I have plenty of other things I could be doing where people enjoy my company, appreciate my hard work and do not yell at me... That is where I have chosen to spend my time and energy