Let me clarify one point above as someone emailed me and asked... The monthy "Business Meeting" is a Board Meeting. Only Board members can vote, but visitors are welcome. We have been calling them "Business Meetings" rather than "Board Meetings" (in the newsletter) this year in an attempt to make them seem a little less intimidating, just in case that was a perceived barrier to visitors joining us. Actually, it doesn't seem to make a difference. If someone wants to get involved, they tend to join a project committee. They don't really seem to care about coming to a monthly meeting.

Our school gave up on general meetings long before I entered the picture. At first I thought this was odd, and even considered bringing them back. Thank heavens no one agreed with me! For us it really is the right approach. I would have just been beating my head against a wall because I thought it was the thing to do.

We have a large Board (about 25 people) that holds a monthly Business Meeting. Anyone can come(but we don't get many visitors). We generally have 20 people at the meeting. We have one general meeting in August to approve the budget (about 10 minutes long on Open House night) and one in May to elect officers. (Again, about 10 minutes long - held at Spring Fling or before a program). Otherwise, we keep the parents informed via newsletters and flyers. We encourage them to participate and join committees, etc. We did conduct a survey last year asking if they wanted this changed. Overwhelmingly - they want it to stay the same.

Practically every member of our Board works outside the home. And, of course their children are in multiple extra curricular activities - not to mention homework! I just couldn't imagine finding another free night once a month for a general meeting.

However, I really applaud your efforts, and I think there are some real benefits if you can make it work. But if it just doesn't work, maybe you could consider quarterly meetings or once per semester like we do.

Hey Tim- I hate to tell you this but I have tried some of the ideas from the first magazine of this year without much sucess. I was even asked to NEVER ask another speaker to a meeting again! AUGH!
Our January meeting did go well, and did recieve suggestions about what changes we can try to make. We were asked to send home a survey (hope to do in February) by the membership. Many did say they don't attend because of past meetings that were negative and the Board was one big click. Babysitting was asked about, tried that but everyone agreed from our past experience a change could help. We had students watching the children and the students wanted to be paid but many parents (according to the students) never paid them. A high school parent mentioned they should be able to babysit and recieve community service 'credit'.
The biggest issue is the date and time of our meeting but some hated meeting in the morning before school, afterschool was out, and early evening was a whole other discussion! We did find a medium- monthly meetings in the morning with an evening meeting quarterly. This still needs to be voted on etc, BUT to find a half way point was huge! Our Principal mentioned having (in the beginning of the year) meetings with each of the classes (Monday night the kindergarden, Tues. night the first grade etc) to let the parents know we are here and how important their involement is to their child and the school. The school has done this in the past with 10 out of 50 (on average) parents coming. I don't know. Also we are K-12! That is alot of meetings!
PTORock- I should tell you I've heard the same thing about a parent not knowing we were there! As Prez and co-editor of the newsletter that hurt!
As far as speakers, I think it went over great and that parent is just good at......never mind!
I had someone speak about a law going through our state leg. about Bullying in the school, the nurse about health concerns, and we have a staff member that has been teaching an Internet Safety Workshop for the parents, he spoke to our group.
Maybe this can help someone, I thought they went over well.

Hey - great job! If something isn't working back up & try a new approach! I have found this to be true for busy parents - the words "could you" or "would you want to" is another way of saying to them I've got some other people interested or willing if you can't. But in our case it isn't so much getting parents, they'll be there if they think they are needed and we have work for them to do it getting our staff/administration involved with projects along with the parents. I've been proposing things (never to be answered) I'll try this with them, duh! It's might feel a little like encroaching on their territory for awhile but it also might work! This time instead of 'I'd be willing to do this' or 'could we do this' I'll put it like 'We/I will do this; this is what we want for this perticular thing'! Can't hurt to try. Thanks, sometimes it takes hearing things from someone else to have a light bulb moment! Good luck

We hold ALL of our organizational meetings BEFORE school programs or parent nights... needless to say the attendance is great. *laugh* Parents coming to watch child's program are very eager to show up early for the "good seats", we always have enough members to have motions be voted on and the parents (honestly) are more eager to pay attention.

You don't have to conduct ALL of PTO's business at the organizational meetings, LEAVE THAT FOR YOUR BOARD. Just get down to the real guts of the issues at the org. meetings. You'll save yourself a lot of time and hassle.

The other way we got our org parents to volunteer on committes was by putting out sign up sheets at EVERY meeting. I explained what each committee handles and aprox how much time was involved. THEN i told them the kicker:

"If we do not have_____ amount of people on the __________ committee THESE ARE THE THINGS WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO this year." (and then i listed them out)

It made people think!! And we've had a higher response this year then any other in the school's history! this is also the first year our school has had a full PTO board (25 members)

I finally figured that is was time to stop saying "Well if you have time..." , "If you don't mind would you ____" Ect. And that it was time to starting saying "I need you to do ____.". AND IT WORKS! I may not be the most liked president in the school history, but i feel very rewarded in the fact that there has never been a higher level of parental involvment at our school with less of the "few people who do EVERYTHING" scenario.

GOOD LUCK!