Dear fellow bus families,
The bus fees we pay go towards the cost of operating the bus but they don’t cover all operating expenses. Subscriptions fall short $10,000 each year on operating costs alone and we collectively need to offset the difference through fundraising, otherwise it will be a case of increasing bus family fees in 2017 to make up some of the shortfall. The bus society may also need to revisit the discounted school charter rate which would impact school trip prices.
So please get behind the Pukekohe East School Bus Society’s hypnotist fundraiser evening next Friday 12th August. This is our one big fundraiser for the school bus this year and we need your help to raise money from the community.
Here’s how you can help:
- Invite friends, family, neighbours, colleagues, everyone, to the comedy hypnotist fundraiser. They can buy their tickets online at eventfinda.co.nz. Search ‘Dave Upfold’.
- Please could you help out by providing a plate of baking. We’re providing a light supper in the ticket price and home baking will help us to keep our costs down. Please drop off your baking to Gail in the Resource Room (old Library) on Thursday or Friday next week.
Thanks for your support.
From your Bus Society Executive
From your Bus Society Executive
Sarah Beston, Sally Grey, Lara Utatao and Lisa Wharfe.
Pukekohe East School Bus 
If this is the one big fundraising event why chose a hypnotist at $40 / ticket? Then make parents feel awful about not wanting to attend. Perhaps the society should ask paying parents and families what fundraising they would like to see and collectively we might feel that we are part of a democratic society. Some of us have to work exceptionally busy hours and attending the meeting can prove difficult with all the other after school activities and programmes we necessarily have to support. For us a little transparency about the bus costs and some insight into income and expenditure may help us buy in and assist with financial or other solutions. I can’t speak for anyone else but a hypnotist show is not appealing in the slightest. This deficit-based ‘save the bus at your peril’ attitude, particularly when we hear talk of bus routes stopping, is not community building it is damaging, alienating and disempowering.
Dear Gilly
Thanks for your response to the bus society website post, we appreciate the feedback.
We understand that a hypnotist is not to everyone’s taste but the opportunity for this fundraising event came up and some volunteers have put in the time to organise what could be a valuable fundraiser for the bus society. We are not asking all parents to attend but to help us sell tickets into the broader community where hopefully this evening might appeal.
Just to give you some more context all families that are registered with the school bus are members of the bus society and welcome to attend meetings which are held the first Monday of each term at 7pm. We publish the meeting schedule well in advance, at the beginning of the school year, and we send out reminders encouraging members to attend. In terms of income and expenditure and fundraising ideas this is all shared and discussed at meetings.
I appreciate as a full time working parent who commutes that it is not always easy to attend everything but we welcome casual attendance and any input but ideally positively positioned where possible as we are a group of working parent volunteers who are doing our best to ensure that the children are transported to and from school and also to any trips safely.
Happy to discuss with you further and welcome you to our next meeting.
Kind Regards
Sarah Beston
PEP Bus Society Chairman