I have to admit we don't have all 30 at all meetings, but we usually have 15-20 and since many committees are co-chaired, information filters back to those who are missing.
Certain things DO require a vote of the general membership. So far, we've handled those at the August or May meeting. But it would be easy enough to call a special meeting if we needed to.
JHB, I have to smile every time I read about your 30 member executive board. I wish we could get 30 people at every monthly meeting! It seems to me that a 30-person exeucutive board is no different from having the same 20-30 people show up at a general meeting each month. Maybe just a name change -- maybe just what we need!
P.S. how do you deal with matters that need a vote of the membership like changes in the budget or a bylaw ammendment? Does your Exec Bd have authority to make all those types of decisions?
thank you all very much for your ideas. I will try to get some sort of survey going to see what the parents and staff would like us to do in the future. Thanks for your much needed support.
After spending 3 out of the past 4 years as president of a middle school PTSA, I am no longer discouraged about attendance. (420 enrollment, 190 members, 56 of them students) Although attendance has improved from 5 to 15 I do not have a problem as long as they are joining and volunteering. I hate to bring parents out for nothing so if you plan ahead, know what business needs to be taken care of and by when, you could probably schedule less meetings and offer parent programs instead of meetings in some montths. If you have to keep monthly meetings then bring the kids in to perform. The choir, the band and the orchestra. Yes the parents will come! JHB Thanks for the survey results!
Our principal comes to EVERY meeting, and he is a big draw to get parents there. He has also strongly urged the teachers to come to one meeting a year. They sign up in the fall so we can publicize in advance which ones will be there. This year some of the teachers have done actual presentations and the parents seem to LOVE it! We're K-5 and some of the teachers come as a group (i.e., all the third grade teachers came to the same mtg & gave a group presentation). I'm pretty sure that people come mostly to hear the teachers and principal. This year it's been fairly social too - not everyone rushes right home. We have refreshments - I don't know if that matters or not. We also have a very supportive principal.
Good luck!
Jo
I'm coming to the realization that JBH is right. We have monthly board meeting (which are open) and monthly general meetings. Our general membership votes on all money decisions as well as other day-to-day decisions.
Out of a school of about 425 families we have the same 20 people at each meeting. This consists of board members and committee chair/members (although most times if the committee has fulfilled it's obligation <ie the Fall Festival> the participants stop attending).
At first I was all about getting people to attend. I still think this is a good idea but if you are getting parents to volunteer for events is there really alot to be gained from having extra "bodies" at meetings?
I love the idea of a couple of meetings a year and publishing the results of the board meetings. I can't help but think you would have a better attendance if people know there are only two or three meetings for the year.
