The PTA - Vichy Style?

A few weeks ago I thought to myself I wonder what it would be like to be on the PTA Vichy style? By that I mean having a break-away group that was involved in the running of the organisation.  Anyone who remained in the dictatorship part of the group would be called a "collaborator!". I'm pretty sure it would have been me on my jack jones.

Apologies if you're French reading this - I know you don't like talking about the time the French gave Paris to the Germans on a silver platter.  The French do, historically, get a lot of stick for this and the sympathetic towards the French say they didn't have the stomach to fight following heavy losses in the First World War.  In a nutshell, the French Government left the Parisian people to fend for themselves and basically pissed off to Vichy to run bits of the country that the Germans allowed them to. Nice.  As in charming not as in the sunny town. If you want to read more about it here it isVichy Government.

I jest of course. That's not an admirable thing to do and no one person is bigger than any organisation and nor should they be. In an ideal world we would all work together for the common good.  It never happens like that though does it.

So why did I start to think in those terms? Well I am a member of the PTA. They generally have a reputation of internal wranglings, politics and pit-bull types and that's probably a fair assumption.  In my naivety (4 years ago) I trotted down to my first meeting held in the local pub.  I figured that it was a noble cause - trying to raise money for your child's school.

I was welcomed by the person who'd just taken over (a woman younger than myself - now in her early thirties) whose boundless energy and enthusiasm for the cause knew and still knows no bounds.  A good start then.  Then I was faced with the Vice-Chair who I can only describe as a 'mood hoover'. You know one of those people that just suck the life and energy out of a room.

I piped up that I felt the Xmas fair was a bit of a shambles (but that was run by the previous chair) and surely the main aim of the PTA was to make money? The Xmas fair is a major earner and we could do lots to make it better.  So looking back it may not have been the most diplomatic start. Having said this, I did keep quiet and listened for the majority of that meeting - I had de-briefed myself beforehand not to speak too much - just get a feel.

I also mentioned a pamper night that I had been to at another school - it was very successful so I suggested this as an event.  The Vice-Chair during this whole meeting kept throwing another member childish raised eyebrows, funny looks and general pulling faces.  Welcome I was not.  Who did I think I was coming to the PTA to offer up my services?  Her response to my suggestions as a PTA virgin was "well you can run it then" followed by "who'd want their hair cut?" and "we're all enthusiastic when we start" "what you gunna have your nails done?" Cue much poking fun and laughter. She was a bitch towards me and I christened her "pit bull" from that day onwards.  She was always very happy to volunteer me and others for jobs but nothing that would involve too much effort for her. Maybe I should have called her dead wood instead. I couldn't believe this was the face of the PTA - no wonder they didn't have many helpers!

Now I'm pretty sure plenty of people would have ran for the hills following on from that meeting.  I certainly hadn't anticipated that, on the back of a suggestion for an event, I would be told to "run it then". Red and rag spring to mind. Run it I did - the first year made £460 the second £600 + and last year it made in excessive of £700 so up yours pit bull.

Oh and guess who didn't bother to turn up last year and not sell any of the 106 slots? I always got the impression she was willing me to fail at every juncture.  Hardly great camaraderie for the team is it? But more depressingly how an earth does that benefit the children of the school?  Which begs the question why people are actually on it in the first place. 

So why this post? Well matters came to a head a few weeks ago. This lady arranges the annual quiz night - it doesn't involve much - phoning a bloke to run it and putting some chairs out.  Thing is the bloke that was doing it (for free granted) had done the same questions two years running.  Now call me old fashioned but where's the sense in that? The rest of my team couldn't bear a third year running with the same questions. 

When I pointed this out and commented that we wouldn't have a quiz night at all next year, the mood became very hupperty and the pulling faces re-appeared. To cut a long story short it was too difficult to phone this chap to ask politely for different questions. I took over and my sister ran it with my other sister, brother-in-law and the evening was a success. 

Now it didn't make as much as the previous year for a few factors. The fish and chip place didn't give us the sausage and chips free (as they did last year) so that was about £25, we sold less raffle tickets another £40 there and this is the best bit...are you ready...vice chair and her team couldn't make it! A boycott no less. How fucking petty and what a major case of sour grapes but more importantly less money for their children's school - work that one out if you can.

So I thought I'll run this then resign - I've served my time with this one.  I would still continue to bake cakes, make gingerbread houses, attend events etc but for the life of me I could no longer go to her house (where the meetings were held) and hold my tongue.  I was one step away from "why the pulling faces?" "you're all for offering up people to do things". I mean I had a whole list of things in my locker I can tell thee.

I relay this to another member (the vast majority of which are lovely and there for the right reasons) but pit bull has manoeuvred behind me in the playground. I'm not shouting but I'm setting my stall out very clearly. The words "massive dose of sour grapes" and "boycott" "pathetic" are coming out of this ere mouth.  Fellow PTA member says "she's right behind you" "I don't care". That night she resigns.

I don't hate pit bull and to be honest I don't mentally call her that anymore. I accept all of this is her own hang ups and insecurities and its nothing personal. I'm sure I'm not the first person she's pulled faces at and certainly won't be the last. 

The PTA is a valid part of school life and some schools don't even have them now. Even if you don't join the committee then you should be going to most events to support them.  Or at the very least make/buy some cakes - no one's that busy they can't manage that. The children benefit enormously and so many projects have been made possible from the monies raised. 

The people that support schools in this way, sadly, are always in the minority. We have about 8 members (in a school that has about 230 pupils) organising all events. The parents that want the 'good school' don't actually want to contribute anything to make it good or improve it.  Most people are lazy and can't be arsed.  Leave it someone else is their motto and sadly 98% have that same motto. 

I am on the PTA for one reason and one reason only - to raise money for the school so that the children are not impacted by the governments savage cuts. If you're not doing it purely to raise money then may I suggest you make your way back to Paris - oh and take that pit bull with you!