As an advocacy organization, the strength of the PTA is dependent upon the number of members that support its many efforts.  So what you do over the next weeks and months will impact the “strength” of our “voice” in the coming year.  Since the campaign is to develop membership, anyone that supports the mission of the PTA as the preeminent advocacy group and lobby for education and child welfare can become a member – parents, students, teachers, grandparents, community members, etc.  At this time when public education is in such dire need of proper financing and legislative support, it is essential we build a strong membership to show our legislators that education is a priority for many people – not just for parents and students.  At the very least, we should have one member for every child that attends our schools. 

IMPORTANT DEADLINES:  Submit your memberships to meet the following deadlines . . .

SEPTEMBER 25: Early Bird* (at least 15 memberships). Our goal is 100% unit participation!

OCTOBER 23: 1st required remittance. All units that did not meet the previous deadline must turn in memberships by this date!
Chairman's Club* (at least 50 memberships). Our goal is 100% participation!

JANUARY 2: 2nd remittance - Start the new year off right with an accurate picture of your unit finances by turning in all dues already collected.  This is also the deadline for your Creative Membership Award Application.

FEBRUARY 26: Final remittance for the 2008-2009 school year
All dues received after this date will be credited to the following school year.

*Councils must meet the deadlines for Early Bird and Chairman's Club in order to qualify for district awards and certificates from state. Scholarships may also be available to those qualifying units.

By now, the membership chair for your unit should’ve received their membership campaign packet which includes: 

1. General Info Sheet
2. Membership Goals / Tally Sheet for this Year
3. 2008-2009 Creative Membership Award Application
4. Directions regarding how to use the Membership Cards & your first set of membership cards
5. And, if ordered, pre-printed envelopes

There are some great resources to help you with your campaign – customizable fliers, info on how to run your campaign, etc. -- on the National PTA website, www.pta.org, and on the California State PTA website www.capta.com.  Some helpful links are listed below: 

California PTA Membership Introduction
California PTA Membership Outreach Page
PTA Membership Publications / Customizable Fliers & More!
National PTA Membership Page

There are some important things to remember . . .

1. Please refer to this campaign as a “campaign” and not a “drive” – this is not a fundraiser, it is a campaign to raise awareness and support for the organization.
2. ALL officers and chairpersons MUST be members of your PTA!
3. Be sure to broaden your circle of potential members – approach students, neighbors, family members, etc.
4. Ask your principal to remind and encourage all staff, not just teachers, to join PTA!
5. Try approaching your school board members, local business people and others who support public education.
   

Meeting Your Goals & Keeping Track of Your Members . . .

1. OMDR  - Enter your new members info into the OMDR system.  For more info on how to use OMDR, go to http://www.capta.org/sections/membership/omdr-intro.cfm

2. Submit a Remittance Forms Regularly along with a check to Glendale Council PTA for $4.25 for each member. Just in case – the $4.25 is disbursed as follows:

$1.75 to National PTA
$1.25 to State PTA
$0.50 to First District PTA
$0.75 to Glendale Council PTA

You can do this once a month, or as often as necessary.  You can download Remittance Forms here  Please forward dues on as soon as possible, they are not for your unit to keep as cash.
* Payment for membership dues must be by separate check from all other payments, including envelopes.
* Please include a remittance form for the appropriate month with your dues payments. You can make additional copies if needed.
* Dues should be sent to Jaimi Zwerling-Jeffrey, either by interdistrict mail to Glenoaks Elementary School or directly to the school c/o Jaimi Zwerling-Jeffrey via postal mail (see remittance form for address).
* Be sure that all totals and payments are correct and that you retain copies for your records

3. Keep a List of Your Members - A list of individual members should be kept at the unit level. Your president and parliamentarian should also have a copy of that list should the need arise to verify memberships. Glendale Council, First District, State PTA, and National PTA only need to know your # of members, not their names, at this point.

MEMBERSHIP CARDS
Printing out your Membership Cards is a function of the OMDR system. For more info, go to Printing Membership Cards on the CAPTA site.

When creating your membership cards, please keep the following in mind:

1. Please be sure to "Test Print" a single card page prior to printing multiple pages of cards to be sure that everything lines up correctly!!  It is best to print on a blank piece of white paper first and then hold it up to the sheet of cards to see if everything lines up correctly before you even begin to start printing on the cards.
2. The number of membership cards your unit was initially given is equal to approximately one half your total memberships from last year. You may request additional cards after dues for the first cards issued have been submitted.
3. Your unit ID # must be printed or stamped on each card. Your unit # can be found in the Council Program Book. If you do not have a copy of the book or cannot find your ID # in your procedure book, please feel free to email Jaimi Zwerling-Jeffrey.
4. The expiration date for all memberships is October 31, 2009 and that date must be printed on each card prior to distribution.
5. Each card should have the member's name filled in prior to distribution. Please do not distribute incomplete or blank cards!

If you still have questions, feel free to contact me.

Wishing you a very successful membership campaign!

Jaimi Zwerling-Jeffrey
Glendale Council PTA – 2nd VP
818-246-4857  Home
818-291-0717  Work
jaimi@ptbreak.net