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Classification Essay - PTA Personalities

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PTA Personalities



Many public institutions rely on the generosity and help of volunteers in order to run smoothly. One of the more important institutions is the school, and one of the most visible volunteers in the school is the PTA volunteer. These volunteers fulfill a necessary role, especially for the elementary schools, by augmenting the work of the principal and teachers with extras that the school ordinarily would not have. The people who do the volunteer work are varied, but the PTA seems to act as a magnet for three types of personalities: the power seeker, the eager beaver, and the dependable worker.



Dominating Dora, the "power seeker," usually starts off as a committee chairman and almost always …show more content…

Dominating Dora may pursue the issue anyway until there is a showdown with the principal, who usually has the last word on these things. Unfortunately, this disagreement causes bad feelings which many times costs her votes at the next election of officers. Dominating Dora always sees that her name is prominently displayed on anything that has to do with the PTA. This recognition is her payment for all that she has done, and she glories in it. She makes sure that she is always available for any awards or plaques or other recognition certificates, often missing out on her children's activities. A "power seeker" like Dominating Dora burns out in about two years, or she is pushed out sooner by her fellow volunteers who do not care for her leadership. Of course, she could not have accomplished any of her myriads of activities without the "eager beaver."



Rarin'-to-go Rita is an "eager beaver" who agrees with everything Dominating Dora says. She goes to all the board meetings and would never dream of missing one. She does everything she is told to do. She volunteers to do every job and is delegated to as many as she can handle plus one more for good measure. Rarin'-to-go Rita is usually the volunteer with all the PTA files stored in her dining room. Her family has not eaten in the dining room since she joined the PTA. Rarin'-to-go

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