MIDLAND PTO
CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS
ARTICLE I. NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Midland PTO.
ARTICLE II. MISSION STATEMENT
This organization is to promote a closer cooperation between home, teacher and school, to support the school by providing social functions and financial assistance and to promote the welfare of the children and their educational growth.
ARTICLE III. GOALS OF MIDLAND PTO
ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP
All parents, guardians, Midland District residents or teachers of the Midland Schools who are interested in the welfare and betterment of the school are eligible for membership in this organization. There will be no dues.
ARTICLE V. MEETINGS
Section 1. Regular monthly meetings during the school year shall be held at Midland
Elementary or other specially designated place on the Fourth Monday promptly at 6:30 pm, unless a conflict arises, necessitating a change of date or time.
Section 2. The number of members present, regardless of how many, shall constitute a
quorum and the meeting shall legally take place.
Section 3. A majority vote in favor or against a motion shall determine its fate.
ARTICLE VI. GOVERNING BODY
Section 1. The officers of this organization shall be President, Past President, President Elect, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Director and Parliamentarian/Volunteer Coordinator.
A. These officers shall constitute an Executive Board to meet on call by the President or by any four members of the committee for the consideration of special matters between regular meetings.
B. All executive officers should have Midland School email addresses or other (i.e. Yahoo, Hotmail) email addresses designated for Midland PTO (midlandpresident@yahoo.com).
C. The Executive Board may authorize purchases or expenditures up to $100.00 to be presented for approval at the next monthly meeting, if said purchases or expenditures are not in the approved budget.
Section 2. A Board of Directors consisting of the elected officers, Past President and standing committee chairmen shall be in control of the property and management of the organization, subject to the will of the membership. This Board shall act upon any emergency that may require immediate action between regular meetings. Minutes shall be taken and a full report given at the next regular meeting.
Section 3. Vacancies shall be filled by the approval of the majority of the group present at the next meeting to serve for the duration of the term of the individual being replaced or until the next regular election.
ARTICLE VII. DUTIES OF OFFICERS
PRESIDENT
The President should be willing to dedicate 2-4 hours per month for meetings, including the Executive and General Membership meetings.
Responsibilities
a. Conduct all PTO Executive Board and General Membership meetings.
b. Confer with the Principal prior to all meetings.
c. Prepare agenda prior to meetings.
d. Work with teachers to assess their needs.
e. Attend district meetings, as necessary.
f. Coordinate elections of Board members.
g. Appoint financial review committee.
h. Coordinate summer budget meeting.
i. Vote only to break any ties on motions.
j. Appoint committee chairperson(s).
k. Sign checks.
PAST PRESIDENT
The Past President should be willing to dedicate 2-4 hours per month for meetings, including the Executive Board and General Membership meetings.
Responsibilities
Shall act in an advisory capacity to the President and executive board.
PRESIDENT ELECT
The President Elect should be willing to dedicate 2-4 hours per month for meetings, including the Executive Board and General Membership meetings.
Responsibilities
a. Conduct PTO Executive and General Board meetings in the absence of the
PTO President.
b. Assist the President with duties as needed.
c. Take and distribute meeting minutes when the Secretary is absent.
d. Be timekeeper at the PTO General Membership meetings.
e. Sign checks.
f. Shall become President the following year.
VICE PRESIDENT
The Vice President should be willing to dedicate 2-4 hours per month for meetings, including the Executive and General Membership meetings.
Responsibilities
a. Conduct PTO Executive and General Board meetings in the absence of the PTO President and President Elect.
b. Organize childcare for the PTO meetings when necessary.
c. Assist Communications Director with school directory.
d. Assist Parliamentarian/Volunteer Coordinator with room mothers.
SECRETARY
The Secretary should be willing to dedicate 2-4 hours per month for meetings, including the Executive and General Membership meetings.
Responsibilities
a. Record minutes of the Executive Board meeting and distribute to Board members.
b. Record minutes of the General Membership meeting and distribute to members.
c. Make meeting minutes available for the Midland District website.
d. Distribute meeting minutes to teachers, staff and faculty at schools.
e. Shall be custodian of all official records.
f. Shall conduct all correspondence and give notice of all regular and special meetings and any other business of the membership.
TREASURER
The Treasurer should be willing to dedicate 4-6 hours per month for meetings, including the Executive and General Membership meetings.
Responsibilities
a. Responsible for checking/savings account.
b. Receive and deposit all money.
c. Pay out funds in accordance with the approved budget or as authorized by the
Executive Board.
d. Prepare, along with the financial review committee, the yearly budget for the new school year.
e. Present budget and financial report to the Executive Board and General Membership meetings for approval.
f. Present all outstanding invoices not in budget at General Membership meetings for approval.
f. Keep an accurate record of receipts and expenditures.
g. Prepare year-end financial statements for audit by financial review committee.
h. Monitor and renew tax-exempt status.
COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR
The Public Relations/Communications person should be willing to dedicate 2-4 hours per month for meetings, including the Executive and General Membership meetings.
Responsibilities
a. Coordinate media coverage of PTO sponsored events.
b. Prepare and distribute PTO promotional flyers.
c. Coordinate information for monthly PTO newsletter.
d. Provide information to Webmaster or individual(s) responsible for maintaining and
updating school website, as it pertains to PTO news, information, and events.
e. Prepare or provide information to volunteers for school directory.
f. Provide notification to General Membership of any Executive Board vacancies.
g. Prepare and distribute teacher & faculty invite to PTO meetings.
PARLIMENTARIAN/VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
The Parliamentarian/Volunteer Coordinator should be willing to dedicate 2-4 hours per month for meetings, including the Executive and General Membership meetings, plus additional hours for coordinating volunteers.
Responsibilities
a. Shall help Executive Board govern the Executive and General Membership meetings using Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.
b. Find volunteers to coordinate PTO sponsored events.
c. Update volunteer event notebook.
d. Attend committee meetings as needed.
e. Assist President and Committee Chairperson with filling committees.
ARTICLE VIII. ELECTIONS
Section 1. President Elect, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Director and Parliamentarian/Volunteer Coordinator shall be elected by a majority vote of those attending the meeting.
Section 2. Prior to the annual election, the President shall appoint a chairman and two-member nomination committee. This committee shall present a slate of one or more nominees for each office at the April meeting, these members having agreed to serve if elected.
Section 3. Nominations may also be made from the floor by any member preceding the vote for that office.
Section 4. All new officers shall be installed at the May meeting. The new officers and
standing committee chairmen (excluding the nominating committee chairman) shall assume their duties at the end of the current school year and shall hold the office for a period of one year or until their successors are duly elected and installed or appointed. The Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Communications Director and Parliamentarian/Volunteer Coordinator can be re-elected to the same office one time only. No officer may serve more than 2 terms in the same office.
ARTICLE IX. AUDITS
A financial review committee shall review the PTO books annually before the books are turned over to the new board. The committee shall consist of at least one outgoing or current, board member and one incoming board member, along with one other current member of good standing. This committee may not include either the outgoing or the incoming treasurer. This committee will match every financial request with every receipt. The committee’s report will be submitted to the Executive Board at the first General Membership meeting of the new school year. The committee will be appointed by the President and approved by the Executive Board.
ARTICLE X. FUNDS/BUDGET
Section 1. All PTO checks will require two signatures. Authorized signatures on PTO checks shall include the Treasurer, the President and the President Elect. The signature on the check cannot be the payee. For example, in the case of the treasurer needing reimbursement, the check must be signed by the other two authorized signatures.
Section 2. To be reimbursed from the PTO, a reimbursement form along with a receipt or invoice stapled to the form must be submitted to the Treasurer. If it is not an item as written in the budget, two board members must sign the request form. Receipts are required for reimbursement.
Section 3. If teachers or staff would like to request funds from the PTO they must fill out a Request for Funds form and submit that form to the Treasurer for approval at the General Membership meeting.
Section 4. At the end of an event where monies have been collected, a cash control slip will be filled out by two members of the Board. The members of the Board cannot be next of kin. Both members should count the money, sign, and date the slip. One copy will go to the President and one copy is kept with the deposit slip by the Treasurer.
Section 5. PTO funds should go directly from the school to the bank for deposit. If the bank is not open, monies will be stored in the school safe. PTO funds will not be taken home.
Section 6. A budget will be determined by the Financial Committee & Treasurer prior to the first General Membership meeting each school year. The budget will be discussed at that first meeting and must be approved by the second General Membership meeting. All expenditures within the realm of the approved budget are authorized expenses. Budget will be posted on the Midland website after membership approval.
Section 7. The Financial Committee & Treasurer will determine a Cash Management Policy to determine how cash will be handled at various events.
ARTICLE XI. COMMITTEES
A Nominating Committee and Financial Review Committee shall be formed by the Executive Board each year. The Executive Board shall determine all other committees deemed proper and necessary during the school year such as to fulfill the purpose of the organization.
Committees could include, but are not limited to: Family School Night, Grandparents Day, School Carnival, Book Fair, Teacher Appreciation, RIF, Field Day, Bake Sales, and Fundraising.
ARTICLE XII. RULES OF ORDER
Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised shall govern the proceedings of this organization not herein provided for. At the 1st meeting of the year a condensed version will be provided for each member at the meeting. If questions arise, the Secretary will have a copy at each meeting. A copy will also be posted on the Midland website.
ARTICLE XIII. AMENDMENTS
This Constitution and By-Laws may be amended at any regular meeting by a two-thirds vote of those present, provided the proposed amendment has been presented and discussed.
ARTICLE XIV. BYLAWS
The By-laws will be reviewed every two years by a committee appointed by the Executive Board.
Revised 5-5-2008