MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN

INSTRUCTION BOOK

2009

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS and SUGGESTIONS FOR PTA/PTSA MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction.......................................................................................................................................... 1 Why join PTA? ..................................................................................................................................... 2 Get Men Involved ................................................................................................................................. 2 Where to Begin..................................................................................................................................... 3 Necessary Information to Track on the Membership Form .............................................................. 3 Dates to remember ............................................................................................................................... 4 General Information / Helpful Hints .................................................................................................. 4 Membership Dues ................................................................................................................................ 5 Setting Up a Membership Table .......................................................................................................... 5 Handling the Dues Received................................................................................................................ 6 Membership Forms / Contest Flyers ................................................................................................... 6 Membership Cards ............................................................................................................................... 6 Student Members of PTSA Units ........................................................................................................ 7 Membership Dues Form(s).................................................................................................................. 7 Other Responsibilities of the Membership Chairperson .................................................................... 8 Membership Contests and Rewards .................................................................................................... 8 Sample Contests ................................................................................................................................... 9 Index ..................................................................................................................................................... I

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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS and SUGGESTIONS FOR PTA/PTSA MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN

Introduction It is the intention of this booklet to give helpful information, instructions, hints and suggestions to make your year as Membership Chairperson easier than you thought it would be. Read through it to be aware of deadlines and record keeping requirements – then use your imagination and have fun this year! If you are unavailable to be at school during the day due to work schedules, you will have to develop your own system of getting the job done. Ask for help from other PTA/PTSA members. Use e-mail – whatever works for your situation. Sample forms and flyers can be obtained at the 14th District website in the Membership Forms Folder. Feel free to use these sample forms to create your own. Please contact the 14th District PTA/PTSA membership chair with any questions you may have at [email protected]. Also check the district website often for up-to-date information about everything going on at the district.

Good luck with your campaign!

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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS and SUGGESTIONS FOR PTA/PTSA MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN

Why join PTA? As you are running your membership campaign, keep in mind the real mission of the PTA. We are not just the moms who pass out cookies and punch at Open House! For more than a century, PTA has been a driving force in national education policies and programs. Today, PTA continues to champion the importance of parent/family involvement, safe and nurturing environments, and proper funding, curriculum and leadership in our public schools. Membership in PTA provides us as parents a ‘united front’ to advocate for changes in our children’s lives. That is the power of PTA at the national level, you say. What about here at our school? When speaking to people about joining PTA, don’t be afraid to brag about the many programs within your school that your PTA/PTSA sponsors. Has your unit started educational activities such as Math Night, reading programs, and other events that enhance the students’ learning experience? Do you host events that are just fun! Your potential new members may not realize that your PTA/PTSA sponsors these events and programs. Anything that your PTA/PTSA has done in the past or plans to accomplish in the future for the betterment of your student body should be bragging points for you. Also, be sure to let people know that joining PTA does not automatically mean that they have signed on for volunteer work. However, always suggest that they could help PTA in many ways. Perhaps making phone calls or other small duties that would not require hours at school. Most of all let them know that involvement at any level in their child’s school life will improve every aspect of their school experience. Get Men Involved All 14th District PTA/PTSA units have been given a special challenge - to find one special man to head up a committee made up of only men to develop programs and events that will draw men into volunteering in our schools. Every school has at least one man who attends PTA/PTSA functions or volunteers in other ways. Ask him to can find other men to work with him on a committee. They will come up with ideas that will bring in other men! They will think of programs that will enhance the education of every student. As you plan your membership campaign, keep this challenge in mind. We all know that the students who have a good male role model in their lives always do much better in school. Let’s do all we can to encourage those wonderful dads, grandfathers, uncles and professionals around us to get involved in the lives of our children. Think how great it would be if every child had a great male role model in his/her life! They will do it if you will ask!

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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS and SUGGESTIONS FOR PTA/PTSA MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN

Where to Begin Your First To-Do List: • • •

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•

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Don’t try to go it alone. Form a membership campaign committee. Decide a theme for your campaign. This should be a ‘catchy’ slogan that will lend itself to most of your student contests, flyers, posters, etc. Create membership forms. (See “Necessary Information to Track on the Membership Form” for the information required from new members. Sample forms can be obtained at the 14th District website in the Membership Forms Folder.) Most PTA/PTSAs send home a packet of information with each student on or about the first day of school. If your PTA/PTSA supplies this type of packet, be sure the person responsible for its contents gets your membership form in time to include it. It should have some information about joining – benefits, etc. – and a cut-off section that has all the information you will need to keep your membership records. Sample forms can be obtained at the 14th District website in the Membership Forms Folder. Important: Don’t just use last year’s form without verifying that information, such as the cost of your membership dues and contact name, has not changed since last year. Ask the school counselor or office for a list of all students enrolled sorted by home room. You will need this to verify information on a membership form that is incomplete, and to know how many copies each home room requires of flyers you are distributing. Ask for a new one occasionally. Students change home rooms, transfer schools, etc. Ask the school office for a list of faculty and staff so you will know when you have 100% staff membership. Those people that ‘float’ between different schools, such as certain therapists, may not need to be counted at your school to reach 100%.

Necessary Information to Track on the Membership Form If all membership forms contain the following information you will have the information required for reporting to KY PTA, for other lists that the Membership Chairperson may need to provide to teachers and Board members during the school year, and for tracking contests between home rooms, etc.: • • • • • •

Student Name (even if they are not joining a PTSA) Home room teacher of that Student Grade and Team Information Name of person(s) joining PTA/PTSA Their relationship to student: self* (if you are a PTSA), parent, uncle, etc. Record whether the adult member(s) are male or female*.

*In March you will need to submit the Membership Report to both the state and district offices and will need this information giving a count of how many adult male and how many student (if PTSA) members you have.

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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS and SUGGESTIONS FOR PTA/PTSA MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN It’s a good idea to create a special form to use for teachers and staff that doesn’t have the other unnecessary information: A sample can be obtained at the 14th District website in the Membership Forms Folder. •

Teacher or Staff Member name.

You will be asked often for a list of members for different reasons and you will need to sort membership by category: Faculty, students, parents (or other adults), school staff. For the sample school, membership records were kept with Microsoft Access, which made it possible to create sorted and/or separate lists in these categories. You will need to create a data base, if only handwritten, to keep track of members. When creating your data base, track the following information for each member as the bare minimum. This is the information required for your list that is sent with dues payments to KY PTA, and for completing the Membership Report due on March 15th: • • •

Number the list (see Membership Dues Form(s)). Name of Member (as of this writing, full contact information was not required) Member Type, i.e. Student, Parent, Relative, Male or Female, Teacher, Staff (or Other)

Dates to remember Consider the 15th of every month to be the deadline for submitting dues and lists of member names to the Kentucky PTA and the 14th District PTA office. October 15th is a mandatory deadline. You must have sent at least one dues payment to both the state and 14th District to remain a unit in good standing! A PTA/PTSA that is not in good standing cannot participate in the Reflections program and is not eligible for any awards (see President’s Notebook – Forms section).Your PTA/PTSA unit’s treasurer should mail the form with the check for dues, but you must give the treasurer the membership names and numbers. See the Membership Awards document in the Membership forms folder on the 14th District website at www.14pta.org for the complete list of membership awards and incentives given by both the state and district. General Information / Helpful Hints Opportunities to begin your membership campaign happen before school starts, such as: •

Orientation Night, when students and parents pick up class schedules, pay fees, and meet teachers. Set up a membership table in a prominent area, such as the school lobby. Suggestion: Have a drawing for gift certificates (or prizes of your choice) for those that join that night, choosing one adult and one student (if you are a PTSA). (NOTE: If you are a PTSA at a middle school, a lot of incoming people may not yet be aware that students can

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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS and SUGGESTIONS FOR PTA/PTSA MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN

•

join PTA. Be sure to tell everyone!) You need time to meet with your child’s teachers, too! So ask for help sitting at the table. Teachers/Staff Meetings are usually held just before school starts. All the teachers are there in one place. Ask the principal if you can set up a membership table. The principal can announce that they can join PTA at your table during their lunch/break time. Since it is important to have 100% Teacher/Staff membership, this is a good time to get almost everyone at once.

Occasions to set up a membership table during the year might include Parent/Teacher Conference Night, ball games, dances, any event when you can get a lot of people at once. Membership Dues Your membership campaign is not a fundraiser! Each PTA/PTSA sets its own membership dues. This amount should be enough to cover the national/state dues and 14th District dues that you will have to pay. The membership dues amount is part of your Bylaws. To change your membership dues, the proposal must be voted on by your PTA/PTSA members at a general meeting. You must give your membership 30 days prior notice that a vote will be taken. An amendment to your bylaws then needs to be submitted to the state office of KY PTA and approved. Please contact the 14th District Bylaws chair at [email protected] for more information about amending your bylaws. Setting Up a Membership Table The following are things you will need at the membership table: • •

• •

• • *

Membership cards filled in (see “Membership Cards”), torn apart, and ready to give to the new members. Membership forms to be filled out by the people joining. Be sure everyone joining fills out a form, pays the dues payment, and takes a membership card while at the table. Mark your area of the form (Paid, Cards Issued) as you go. You will need to verify your information after the event. Membership tables can become very busy. If you want to hand out a flyer at the event, make it a separate piece of paper from the membership form so that you don’t have to cut the form from it at the table. (A sample 2-up form can be obtained at the 14th District website in the Membership Forms Folder.) Pens or pencils. Money for change. Contact the PTA/PTSA treasurer for this money. AN ELECTED OFFICER OF THE PTA/PTSA BOARD SHOULD BE AT THE TABLE AT ALL TIMES BECAUSE OF THE MONEY INVOLVED. Poster or other decoration to draw attention to your table and to indicate why you are there, and explaining any drawing you may be having. Help from two or three other PTA/PTSA board members and other parents*.

Does your PTA/PTSA put a Volunteer survey form in the 1st of year PTA/PTSA packet? Parents can tell the PTA/PTSA when, where and how they can help during the year. Get a list of people Page 5

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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS and SUGGESTIONS FOR PTA/PTSA MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN who said they could help at the time you need them. CALL THEM! Remember, the biggest complaint people have with your survey is that they take the time to fill it out, but no one calls them. Also keep these people in mind as you plan your contest winner parties. If you can’t be at school during the day, you’ll be able to find someone who is willing to serve the pizza! Handling the Dues Received Turn over membership dues immediately to the PTA/PTSA treasurer for deposit. Keep a record of the amount of money you are turning in and the number of new memberships it represents. The money turned in to the treasurer should correspond to the number of memberships being added. You should also verify that the number of membership cards you have left is correct, based on how many memberships have been sold. The state office keeps a close check on the number of cards they issue. Membership Forms / Contest Flyers The membership form should contain an area for noting that dues were paid, cards were issued, and whether you were given cash or a check. This is for your use only. Sample forms and flyers can be obtained at the 14th District website in the Membership Forms Folder. •

When preparing membership forms for occasions like ball games where no hand-out is required, size the form so that there are two per sheet to save paper. (A sample 2-up form can be obtained at the 14th District website in the Membership Forms Folder.)

Keep all completed membership forms to verify your membership list, and as an audit trail in case any questions arise. Your list of students acquired from the counselor should have a total number of students for each home room, making distribution easier. Membership Cards The KY PTA office issues the blank membership cards. The number of cards issued in the first batch is based on the prior year’s membership totals. They will send an amount equal to total membership of the last year. KY PTA requires a payment of membership dues before issuing more cards. When making the payment (see Membership Dues Form(s)), have the treasurer request the number of cards you think you will need. Each card issued should have your PTA/PTSA Unit ID #, the school’s name, ‘Date Issued’ (07-01xx), and ‘Expires’ date (06-30-xx). They can be hand-written, but National PTA has created a Word template. See the 14th District website Membership Forms folder to obtain a copy of the template file. It takes a bit of trial and error, printing on blank paper first to check alignment, but it is much quicker than doing it by hand.

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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS and SUGGESTIONS FOR PTA/PTSA MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN When you conduct home room contests, parents will send in dues with the student. You will not be able to just hand the parent their membership card. If you are unsure about the easiest way to get the membership cards to the member, ask the previous membership chair or school office staff for suggestions. One way is to address an envelope “to the Parents of student”, marking the envelope with the home room teacher’s name. Then distribute the envelopes into the school office mail slots of the teachers. Remember, you should not have to use regular mail and pay postage! It is not necessary to put the member name on the card before you mail it out. The member should sign the card. You may want to send a note along, i.e. “The(se) cards are for new member name(s)”. Include your contact information. Then if you have the wrong name on your list, they may call and let you know. Student Members of PTSA Units If your unit is a PTSA, your 6th-12th grade students can join. Your membership total will greatly depend on participation by the students. Advertise the benefits PTSA student members receive at your school, i.e. discount admission to ballgames, dances, etc. It is a good idea to have student members as representatives at PTSA functions and meetings. These students act as liaisons between the PTSA board and the student body. Each home room should have a representative. Enlist these representatives to help at PTSA events and to enlist other students. Membership Dues Form(s) The Membership Chairperson should submit to the treasurer the total number of additional members as of the date the dues are sent to state and/or district, along with a numbered list of member names*, indicating the category that member falls into, i.e. student, faculty, etc. This list is required for the state only; District does not need a list of names. (But always pay District dues at the same time!) ∗

With each payment of dues, you are sending money and names for only those added since the last dues payment. So each time a list is submitted, start your list where the previous list left off, i.e. if your first list stopped at member #152, begin with #153 this time. With the list, tell the treasurer the number of additional members for whom you are paying dues.

Current 14th District and State dues forms are on the www.14pta.org website in the Treasurer’s Forms folder. Look in the PTA/PTSA Business forms folder on the www.14pta.org website for ‘Important Mailing Addresses to Know’ for all addresses you will need this year. Membership Report Due March 15th, the Membership Report gives the KY PTA and 14th District PTA your total membership numbers by categories. This report tells us whether you had 100% teacher/staff membership, what percentage of your membership base is student, parent, male/female, etc. These

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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS and SUGGESTIONS FOR PTA/PTSA MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN are the figures that determine membership awards. The current Membership Report form can be obtained at the 14th District website in the Membership Forms Folder. The district address is not on the form. The state office does not forward these reports to the district offices. Therefore, be sure to send 14th District a copy to be eligible for district level membership awards. To verify the current address of the district membership chairperson, please check in the PTA/PTSA Business forms folder on the www.14pta.org website for ‘Important Mailing Addresses to Know’ or email the district membership chairperson at [email protected]. . Other Responsibilities of the Membership Chairperson If your unit is a PTSA and your student members receive discounts at school events, the Membership Chairperson will probably need to provide people with lists of those students during the year. Examples follow. Your school may have a different way of handling these and similar situations: •

The person handling the sale of ball game tickets would require an up-to-date alphabetical list of student members for home ball games. Give him/her a new list any time significant additions to student membership deem it necessary.

•

The committee member in charge of PTSA sponsored dances requires a list of student members, sorted by home room, to sell advance tickets to dances. That person would supply each home room teacher the list of PTSA student members in their class with the envelope used to collect ticket money.

Other occasions may come up during the year when someone may ask for a list of student members. That is why accurate record keeping is very important. Membership Contests and Rewards Having contests and/or events that will excite students and get teachers, staff, and parents involved will be the key to a successful campaign. The winning class usually gets some kind of reward. Maybe your principal or a teacher who is a good sport would agree to become a ‘human sundae’ if you reach your membership goals! As Membership Chair you should have a budget for these incentives. Use your imagination and do what would work at your school. Don’t forget to call those volunteers who said they could help. The day and time for winners’ parties should be discussed with the winning teachers, the cafeteria supervisor, and the principal, so that the time does not interfere with anything else.

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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS and SUGGESTIONS FOR PTA/PTSA MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN Print enough membership form/contest flyers so that every student gets a copy. Run your contests for no longer that about two weeks. Enthusiasm wanes if you try to go longer. Because classes vary in size, make it fair by using percentages instead of total number of students per class. IMPORTANT: When holding contests between classrooms/grades it is very important to have a way of showing the kids how their class is doing (see examples following). Keep the chart up-todate! They will lose interest quickly if no one changes the data on a daily basis. This is another occasion to ask for help if you are unable to be at school to make these updates. Sample Contests Sample flyers can be obtained at the 14th District website in the Membership Forms Folder.. The following are descriptions of actual contests held by a middle school PTSA. They are listed only to give you some ideas. Contest #1 The first contest accepted all members, parents and students, but counted only student members for purposes of the contest. Three racetracks (one for each grade level) were drawn and hung in the cafeteria. Clipart racehorses were printed and cut out, one for each home room. The clip art used included the jockey on the horse, but the jockey was removed from the horse at first. Since we want 100% participation from teachers and staff, the horse could not start the race until the teacher had joined PTA, no matter how many students had joined. Peer pressure, and especially student pressure, insured that all the home room teachers joined! Banner paper was used to print a group of spectators watching the race. Each of them was labeled with the names of the remaining faculty and staff. Since people in Kentucky wear fancy hats to horse races, as each staff person joined PTA, they received a fancy hat. As student memberships came in, the horses were moved down the track. Contest #2 This contest counted all new members, adults and students. We were trying to reach a goal of one (1) member for every student enrolled at the school. This time there were three mountain peaks in the cafeteria with mountain climbers representing the classes. We did a “Pop” party for these winners (popcorn and pop). To get the teachers involved in boosting the excitement for the contest, we also gave each winning home room teacher a gift card from a local gas station. Car Show A custom car show has become an annual event in September at the school as a membership booster. Anyone entering a vehicle in the car show automatically becomes a member of the PTSA, with a portion of the entrance fee used for their PTSA dues. This event gains about 40-50 members, and is growing yearly. Have fun and good luck with your campaign! Page 9

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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS and SUGGESTIONS FOR PTA/PTSA MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN

Sample forms and flyers can be obtained at the 14th District website – www.14pta.org in the Membership Forms Folder

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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS and SUGGESTIONS FOR PTA/PTSA MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN

Index

Awards and Incentives 14th District awards, 4 State awards, 4 Campaign theme, 3 Changing what your unit charges to join PTA, 5 Computer programs used for samples membership records – master records, 4 Dates to Remember deadlines for sending dues, 4 finding award and honors information, 4 First To-Do List, 3 Get men involved, 2 List of faculty and staff, 3 members sorting, 4, 8 students enrolled, 3, 6 Membership card, 5, 6 getting additional cards from KY PTA, 6 getting card to member, 5, 7 Membership contests, 8 announcing the contest, 9 organizing the winners' party, 8 Membership dues, 4, 5, 6, 7 Deadlines, 4 How to change what your unit charges, 5 working with the treasurer, 6

Membership form, 3, 5, 6 copying forms and flyers, 3 information to track, 3–4 Membership lists, 6 sending with dues payment, 4, 7 sorting, 4, 8 Membership Report, 4 Description and Purpose, 7 Membership table, 4, 5 Money collecting dues, 8 working with the treasurer, 5, 6 Payments of Dues to KY PTA & 14th District, 4, 7 PTA 1st Day Packet, 3, 5 PTA Unit ID Number, 6 PTSA Units Student members, 3, 4, 6, 7 printing a list, 8 Sample contests, 7 SAMPLE FORMS finding samples, 10 Student members of PTSA units, 3, 4, 6, 7 printing a list, 8 Theme for your campaign, 3 Where to Begin, 3 Why join PTA? Get men involved, 2 What to tell potential members, 2 Working with the treasurer, 4, 5

Index

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