Hampden Elementary School PTO
By-Laws
Effective as of March 2015
Article I: Name
The name of this association is the Hampden Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization. (PTO)
Article II: Goals
A. To enhance the well-being of the children of Hampden Elementary School.
B. To serve as a vehicle of communication between parents and teachers.
C. To Support policies which foster the education and protection of all Hampden students.
Article III: Policies
A. The purposes of the Hampden PTO shall be achieved through conferences, committees, and projects.
B. This organization shall be non-commercial, non-sectarian, and non-partisan. Neither the name of the PTO nor the name of its officers in their official capacities shall be used in connection with a commercial concern or with any partisan interest.
C. The organization may serve in an advisory capacity or provide a forum for topics of general concern. It shall not seek to direct the administrative activities of the school or to control its policies.
D. The Hampden PTO may cooperate with other organizations which promote the same goals as our PTO. However, persons representing the organization in such matters shall make no commitments that bind the organization without the consent of the Executive Committee.
Article IV: Membership
A. Membership in the Hampden PTO shall be made available to the currently employed staff and parents and/or guardians of currently enrolled Hampden students.
B. Members must subscribe to the basic policies of the PTO without regard to race, color, creed, or national origin, under such rules and regulations that are not in conflict with the provisions of these By-Laws.
Article V: Officers and their Election
A. Eligibility for Office
1. Each officer of this PTO must be a member of this PTO
2. To be eligible for the Presidency, a person must have served on the Executive Committee / Board for at least one year. In the event of a Co-Presidency, only one of the Presidents must have served on the Executive Committee / Board for at least one year.
B. Officers and their Election
1. The officers of this organization shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Under special circumstances to be addressed by the nominating committee, the office of President can be replaced with two (2) Co-Presidents.
2. Officers shall be elected by ballot at the April or May General Meeting. However, if there is but one nominee for any office, election for that office shall be by voice vote.
3. Officers shall assume their official duties following the end of the fiscal year July 31st and shall serve two years, or until a successor is elected. In the event that a two-year term is not possible, a one year term may be approved by the Hampden Principal. Ideally, No officer shall be eligible for the same office for more than two (2) consecutive years, unless there is no one else willing to serve.
C. Nominating Committee
1. Nominations for officers shall be solicited every two years, or as needed, by the nominating committee. Nominations must be submitted in writing prior to the General PTO meeting in which the election is to be held. The committee shall be chaired by the Vice-President and composed of: the Vice-President, 1 PTO Board Member, 1 PTO member at large, 1 currently employed Hampden Staff Representative, and the Hampden Principal.
2. The Nominating Committee shall report at the April or May General PTO meeting the name of at least one candidate for each office to be filled. At that time, if there is no candidate for a particular office, nominations will be taken from the floor for that office only. In either case, the consent of the candidate must have been obtained.
Article VI: Duties of the Officers
A. The President shall preside at all general membership, PTO Board, and Executive Committee meetings; shall appoint committee chairmen; shall be a member ex-officio of all committees; and shall perform all other duties pertaining to the office.
B. The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in his/her absence, shall chair the nominating committee, and shall perform such other duties as may be delegated to him/her.
C. The Secretary shall keep a correct record of all PTO General, Board, and Executive Committee meetings, and shall perform all such other duties as may be delegated to him/her.
D. The Treasurer shall receive all money of the organization; shall keep an accurate record of receipts and expenditures; and shall pay out funds only as authorized by the President, Principal, or a majority of the PTO Board. The Treasurer shall present a report at every PTO Board meeting and General meeting of the PTO.
E. All officers shall deliver to their successors all official materials by July 31st. Prior to the start of the next school, year there will be a meeting consisting of outgoing executive board members and new incoming executive board officers.
Article VII: Executive Committee
A. The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the PTO, and the Principal. The previous president will be available to the Executive Board “as needed.”
B. The duties of the Executive Committee shall be (a) to transact necessary business in the intervals between meetings and such other business that may be referred to it by the organization (b) to prepare and submit to the organization for adoption a budget for the year (c) to arrange for programs for the General Meetings and (d) to establish PTO Board Committees.
C. Special meetings f the Executive Committee may be called by the President or the majority of the committee.
D. The executive committee shall meet once a month unless notified by the President. The Date and Time will be determined by the executive board at the beginning of the school year.
Article VIII: Standing Committees
A. Standing Committees shall be created by the executive board, as may be required, to promote the object and interests of the PTO.
B. The chairperson of a standing committee shall be appointed for a one year term by the officers of the organization and the principal of the school.
C. These committees are open to volunteers from the general membership.
D. The chairpersons of all standing committees shall report monthly, verbally or in writing to the executive board. No new committee shall be formed without the approval of the executive board. Committee chairpersons shall present written reports at the end of the year to the executive board for safekeeping and historical purposes. This report is to include a budget for previous year’s expenses and a proposal for the upcoming school year.
E. The President and the Principal shall be members ex officio of all committees.
Article IX: General Meetings
A. At least two (2) general meetings of the Hampden PTO will be held during the school year. Dates of these meetings shall be determined by the Executive Committee.
B. Special meetings of the PTO may be called by the President or a majority of the Executive Committee.
C. A quorum shall consist of three non-executive board members.
Article X: Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Hampden PTO shall begin on August 1, and end on July 31.
Article XI: Parliamentary Order
Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the organization in all cases in which they are applicable.
Article XII: Amendments
A. These By-Laws may be amended at any General Meeting of the Hampden PTO by a 2/3 vote of the members present and voting, provided that notice of the proposed amendment be given at least 30 days prior to the meeting at which the amendment is voted.
B. A decision to revise the By-Laws requires a majority vote of the PTO Board. A special committee consisting of at least two officers shall be appointed to draft the revisions. The revisions shall be reviewed at a PTO Board meeting before submitting the revisions to the general meeting. The requirements for adopting a revised set of By-Laws shall be the same as in the case of an amendment.
Article XIII: Dissolution of the Organization
Upon the dissolution of the organization, the executive committee shall, after paying or making provisions for the payment of all organizational liabilities, dispose of all assets of the organization in such manner, or to such organization(s) organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization(s) under section 501(c ) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the executive committee or governing staff shall determine. Any such assets not so disposed of shall be disposed of by the Court of Common Pleas of the county in which the principal office of the organization is then located, exclusively for such purposes of said Court shall determine, which are organized and operated exclusively for such purposes.