My observation of PTA groups is that usually there will be one person who will do all the organizational, motivational work. The “hey, everybody, let’s have a Spring Fling!” work. She (it’s always a “she”, and that’s an actual observed fact, not a baseless prejudice, OK?) is the one who gets people organized. Other people then run the telephone tree, find someone to do face painting, spend Saturday afternoon gluing crepe paper to backdrops, etc.
But then, when her kids move up to the next level (I’m talking about a kindergarten through 8th grade school), either out of primary into junior high, or out of junior high into high school, poof! your mover and shaker suddenly vanishes into thin air. Her kids aren’t there, so she’s not interested.
Then there will usually be a one or two-year interregnum, during which absolutely nothing will get done, PTA-wise. Then, finally, some other mover and shaker whose kid has just started kindergarten, or 6th grade, will move in and fill the vacuum.
And sometimes the movers and shakers just get burnt out, and quit in the middle. I can’t say I blame them one bit.
I stopped going to PTA meetings after the first one. A lot more actual work gets accomplished over the telephone.
Oh, and Arnold?
Never volunteer for anything.
I believe this holds true for the Army, too.

“Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast!” - the White Queen