The Texas PTA Membership theme for 2011-12 is “Team Up!”. Logos and themed graphics are available in the “Members Only” part of the Texas PTA web site. Go to http://www.txpta.org/intranet/members/membership-theme/ (You must sign in - your username and password can be found on on the back of your membership card.) Chair Guide: For new and experienced Membership Chairmen, the best resource available is the Texas PTA Membership Chair Guide. This will cover all aspects of membership including campaigns, forms, suggestions, ideas, awards and more. Council Dues: Local units must remit council dues of $75 by October 15, 2012. Invoices will be sent to each local PTA. TX PTA Dues Report Form Please Read: National Dues Increase for 2011-12 The bylaws templates have been updated to reflect the National PTA dues increase from $1.75 to $2.25 per member as approved by national convention delegates June, 11,2011. This does not require any action by your PTA membership.Membership Card Template Membership Template Instructions Membership Achievement Awards Form Membership FAQsWhere do we get the Membership Cards? If your President submitted you Local Officer information last May, then your cards were sent to Darlene Bodish. If the form was recently submitted to State, then the cards will be sent to your President’s home. How can you check if someone is a Texas Life Member? Each local PTA should have a list of the people they have award a Texas Life Membership to. GCISD ISD Council of PTAs has a list of Texas Life Members by school through 2011. If your school needs a copy, please contact Darlene Bodish, 1st VP Membership. If you are in a secondary school and would like to check if someone from one of the feeder schools has received the award, please email Dralene or contact the Texas PTA office, which maintains the comprehensive list (1-800-TALK-PTA). Once I have completed the membership list, what do I do? Make a copy for your Secretary, Treasurer, President and your procedure book. Then send your original or a copy to Texas PTA along with your dues check. If the check is sizable, please send it return receipt requested, certified mail. How much are PTA dues? There are several kinds of dues. The local membership rate is comprised of the National dues ($1.75/per person), plus the Texas dues ($2.25/per person), plus the local portion (this is set by the by-laws of the local campus). Additionally, each local PTA pays annual dues of $75.00 to GCISD ISD Council of PTAs. This year our Texas PTA State dues went up by a dollar (as of July 1st, 2009). All by-laws will be updated with this change (see Membership on the Forms page for instructions, templates and submission information). That means you are now charging $1 more for your dues this year. If last year you charged $6, this year you’ll charge $7. I have not ordered membership envelopes for our PTA. Is that OK? Yes, the envelopes are just one way to collect dues. Some PTAs like them because it is easy for members to fill out the envelope and stick a check inside. You can use whatever method works best on your campus. If you want to order the envelopes, you can do that on the Texas PTA website. What is a PTSA? PTSA is the acronym for Parent-Teacher-Student Association. PTSAs are organized in secondary schools where students in grades 9-12 can be members. It functions the same as a regular PTA except students may join. Students who pay dues may have full membership privileges. In order to be a member of a PTA, must I have children at that school? No. Anyone who subscribes to the basic policies and Objects of PTA is eligible for membership. Student members must be in the 9th grade or above. My children attend different schools. Since I have paid the state and national dues portions already, do I just pay the local dues portion at the other PTAs? No, you must pay all three portions of dues at each PTA. This allows the National PTA and Texas PTA to service each local PTA unit to which you belong. I'm a Texas Life Member. What do I pay? You pay the national ($1.75) plus the local portion of your dues. You are exempt from the state portion of dues. Texas Life Membership can only be claimed through one PTA. Full membership dues must be paid for additional memberships. I'm a National Life Member, but not a Texas Life Member. What are my dues? A National Life Member is honorary only and is not exempt from any portion of the dues. You may claim your Texas Life Membership but must pay the national and local dues portions at one unit. Texas Life Membership can only be claimed through one PTA. When my child was in elementary school, the PTA gave me a Texas Life Membership. My child is now in middle school. Can I transfer my life membership to the middle school? No formal transfer is needed. Simply join the middle school as a life member. If you still want to be a part of the school that presented you with the life membership, you may join that PTA as a regular member. You may use your Texas Life Membership at one PTA only. How much is a family membership? Texas PTA does not recognize family memberships. Membership is on an individual basis. Aren't officers of a PTA exempt from paying dues? No. They must be members before they can even be nominated for office. Article V: Relationship with National PTA and Texas PTA, **Section 10 of the Suggested Bylaws for Local Units states, "Only members of a local PTA who have paid dues for the current membership year may participate in the business of that association." |

