Connecting Schools With Great Fundraising Ideas.

In the archives of this blog, I have written about (and have actually suggested) the method of “torturing” the school principal as an incentive and a reward for a fundraiser.

I’ve read about things like shaving the principal’s head and making the principal sit on the roof of the school in a lawn chair for the entire school day. These things sounded fun and unique, and I really didn’t see the harm.

But, now I’m wondering about that. In recent weeks, I’ve come across a handful of news articles that are reporting incidents of principal fundraising torture that perhaps go a bit too far. But, then again, maybe I’m way off-base here, and you might not agree. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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Here are four separate cases:

An elementary school in Alabama recently held a fundraiser for the Red Cross Heroes Campaign. Students were told that if they met their goal, they would have a chance to duct tape their principal to a wall in the school gym.

Well, the students held up their end of the bargain. So shortly after the end of the fundraiser, the student body gathered in their gymnasium. The principal stepped up onto a bucket, which was placed next to a wall. Then each student was handed a two foot long strip of duct tape. They formed a giant single file line, and one by one, each student placed his or her tape over the principal’s body.

When every student had accomplished this task, a couple of teachers removed the bucket, upon which the principal had been standing. Because he was secured so firmly against the wall, he did not fall, when the bucket was removed. The reporting website said that the kids howled with delight (at their little display of sadism). Hmmm.

(Take a minute to watch the video of this event, embedded below. I, myself, felt a little differently about this after having watched the video.)

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Not all of my ideas have been well-received.

I was reading an article in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune this morning about the dire straits that private schools are finding themselves in during this economic downturn. Parents are struggling to find ways to afford expensive tuition rates, and schools are seeing many families depart for the free option- public school.

As a former private school principal, I used to grapple with these same worries. So, I remember that over the summer one year, I sat down and brainstormed all the ways I could think of to keep our current students and even attract more.

As I mentioned at the top, not all of my ideas have been well-received.

So, I was thinking… continue reading

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10. On family vacations, you find yourself putting together imaginary auction baskets from all the little shops you visit.

9. You cut out the box top label on the cereal box BEFORE your kids can get the toy.

8. You had to purchase a stand-alone freezer, just to store all the cookie dough you’ve bought.

7. You’ve memorized the “Cash for Class” codes for all of your children’s schools at every grocery store in town.

6. Your family has to play “Guess What Kind of Soup We’re Having Tonight” because you’ve prematurely removed all the soup labels and turned them in.

5. You volunteer to take a shift at the bake sale for the school in the NEXT TOWN OVER.

4. Other parents at school see you coming with your clipboard in hand and quickly head the other direction.

3. You place bid sheets in front of your children’s Christmas presents.

2. You have the state raffle license office’s phone number on your cell’s speed dial.

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