Parents & Friends Association St Joseph s School, Narrandera CONSTITUTION 1 Name The name of the Association shall be St Joseph s School Narrandera Parents & Friends Association. 2 Definitions Association means the Association created by this Constitution in respect of St Joseph s School Narrandera. School Community means the community of parents served by the School and other persons, interested in or sharing responsibility for the welfare of the School. Parent shall mean and include any person for the time being having the legal responsibility for the proper care and custody of any child who attends the School as a full-time student and in respect of whom that person is liable for the payment of fees. This Constitution acknowledges that the body is acting as a Sub-Committee for the School. 3 Aims 3.1 To promote the interest of the School Community by providing liaison between Parish, Parents, Teachers, Pupils and Friends of the School. 3.2 To raise funds for the provision of material support for the School. 3.3 To provide a means of meeting socially for all associated with the School. 3.4 To promote a knowledge of the Catholic Church s teaching on education, a wider interest in the principles and methods of education in general, and Catholic education in particular. 3.5 To affiliate with and support official Catholic Parent Associations which may be formed at Regional, State and Federal levels. 3.6 To provide a forum to discuss matters affecting Catholic Education. 4 Membership Membership of the Association shall be open to parents of pupils attending the School and to Friends of the School who are interested in furthering the aims of the Association. 5 Management 5.1 Management of the Association shall be vested in the Executive Committee comprised of the following Executive Committee Members: Page 1 of 8
President Vice-President Secretary Treasurer 5.2 The Parish Priest or his representative and the Principal shall be ex-officio members of the Executive Committee. 5.3 The following General Committee positions may be appointed: Canteen Co-ordinator/s Publicity Officer Parish Council Representative and other Sub-Committee positions as deemed necessary. 5.4 The Executive Committee shall have the power to establish Sub-Committees comprised of Executive Committee Members and/or Association Members for the purpose of carrying out the aims of the Association. The President shall be an ex-officio member of any such Sub-Committees and may exercise full voting rights. 5.5 Casual vacancies that may occur on Executive, General or Sub-Committees shall be filled until the next Annual General Meeting by Association Members selected at the next General or Special Meeting. 5.6 The numbers for a quorum for: 5.6.1 The Annual General Meeting shall be ten (10); 5.6.2 General Meetings shall be six (6) comprising of at least three (3) Executive Committee Members. 5.6.3 Executive Meetings shall be three (3) Executive Committee Members. 5.7 No person shall remain a member of the Executive Committee in the same position for more than three (3) consecutive years. 6 Conduct of Election 6.1 The Returning Officer of any election shall be elected by the meeting and shall conduct the election and declare the result. 6.2 Any candidate for the Executive Committee shall be nominated and seconded and, if required, the election shall be decided by ballot. 7 Meetings 7.1 The Annual General Meeting and election of Executive Committee Members shall be held once each calendar year. The Annual General Meeting shall be held at a time appropriate to the School Community which shall be agreed by the Association at the first meeting of the year. 7.2 The Association shall hold a minimum of seven (7) General Meetings during the school year. 7.3 Special General Meetings shall be held as often as deemed necessary and may be called at any time by written request of six (6) members or on the authority of the Executive Committee. Special General Meetings must have a clearly stated purpose and written notice must be circulated to all Members at least seven (7) days in advance. Such due notice shall be circulated to members of the Association by the normally accepted method. Page 2 of 8
8 Executive Committee 8.1 Members of the Executive Committee shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting. 8.2 Executive Committee Members shall commit themselves to giving the necessary time, thought and effort to the work of the Association and, in particular, to regularly attending Association Meetings. 8.3 The President shall occupy the chair at Annual General, General and Executive Meetings. 8.4 The Vice-President shall assist the President and deputise in his/her absence. 8.5 The Secretary shall be responsible for the minutes of the meetings and shall conduct correspondence on behalf of the Association. 8.6 The Treasurer shall keep the accounts of the Association and shall present monthly and annual statements to the meetings. 9 Finance 9.1 Funds of the Association shall be placed in an account at a bank or building society. 9.2 The monies shall be used for the benefit of the School and Pupils as agreed by the P&F, Principal and School Council. 9.3 Signatories to the account shall be the following Members: President, Treasurer, Secretary, Canteen Co-ordinator. 9.4 The books of the Association shall be audited annually prior to the Annual General Meeting. 10 Alteration of Constitution 10.1 The Constitution may be altered, amended, or added to, by way of a special resolution with the support of not less than two-thirds of members present at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting, providing that written notice of the proposed alteration has been given at least fourteen (14) days in advance. Such due notice shall be circulated to members of the Association by the normally accepted method. 10.2 Any amendments to this Constitution shall be forwarded to the School Council for approval. 11 Dissolution of Association 11.1 The Association shall be dissolved upon the vote of a three-quarters majority of the Members present at a Special General Meeting convened to consider such an issue. 11.2 Upon dissolution, assets and funds on hand shall be passed to the School Council after payment of all expenses and liabilities. 12 Member Conduct 12.1 No Member shall made an offensive or personal reflection upon or impute improper motives to any other Member of the Association. 12.2 Any offending Member shall be immediately requested by the Chairperson to withdraw and retract, and make an apology acceptable to the Chairperson. 12.3 Any member refusing to apologise and withdraw shall immediately be suspended until such time as the Chairperson s directions have been met. Page 3 of 8
Appendix One: Duties of Office Bearers President The President shall: a. Chair all General Meetings. In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall Chair all General Meetings. In the absence of both, the Members present shall elect a Chairperson from those in attendance. b. Conduct Meetings in accordance with the Constitution. c. Sign Meeting Minutes as correct when they have been confirmed. d. Ensure correct functioning of all Executive Committee Members and Sub-Committees. e. Perform customary courtesies such as welcoming new members, thanking Executive Committee Members and other helpers. f. Not become involved in activities which could undermine the President s reputation for impartiality. g. As Chairperson, have a casting vote in addition to a deliberate vote at all Meetings, except at an Annual General Meeting when voting entitlements are that of a normal Association Member. h. Prepare and submit to the Annual General Meeting a report of activities during their current term as President. Secretary The Secretary shall: a. Assist/support the President in the running of the Meeting. b. Maintain a record of all Association proceedings via Meeting Minutes. c. Follow-up any outstanding matters well before the next Meeting. d. Notify members of meetings and provide an Agenda of matters for consideration. e. Attend to correspondence of the Association. f. Administer the affairs of the Association as directed by Members at General Meetings or by the Executive Committee. g. Have normal voting entitlements at all meetings. Treasurer The Treasurer shall: a. Receive all monies on behalf of the Association. b. Deposit all monies received into an account at an approved bank or building society in the name of the Association. c. Present details of all accounts requiring payment for approval by the Meeting. d. Present details of all routine accounts paid between Meetings for approval by the Meeting. Page 4 of 8
e. Pay all Association accounts passed by a General Meeting. f. Maintain a correct record of all of the Association s financial transactions. g. Submit a financial statement to each General Meeting. h. Prepare and submit to the Annual General Meeting of the Association a duly audited balance sheet for their current term as Treasurer. i. Have custody of passbook, receipt book and cheque book. j. Have all cheques and other negotiable instruments drawn for or on behalf of the Association to be signed by any two from President, Treasurer, Secretary or Canteen Co-Ordinator. k. Have normal voting entitlement at all Meetings. Vice-President The Vice-President shall: a. In the absence of the President, chair the meeting in accordance with the Constitution. b. Assist the President by attending official functions which he/she may be unable to attend. c. The role of the Vice-President may be viewed as a learning experience and for succession planning for the President s role. It may also be seen as a position for an ex-president whose time is now more limited. Page 5 of 8
Appendix Two: Meeting Procedures for General Meetings OVERVIEW Essential characteristics a. The equality of all members is respected. b. A strong Chairperson who maintains orders and keeps the meeting moving. c. Following commonly accepted meeting procedures and rules. Purpose of meeting procedures d. To ensure that every person at the meeting has an equal right to be heard and to have his/her point of view considered. e. To ensure that every person at the meeting has an equal right to vote on any issue. f. To ensure that any business that needs to be attended to or decisions that need to be made are handled efficiently and fairly. AGENDA ITEMS & PROCEDURES 1. Opening prayer and welcome The Chairperson declares the meeting open, welcomes members and leads the group in prayer. It is important to commence the meeting at the advertised starting time. 2. Apologies The Chairperson calls for any apologies that are to be noted in the Minutes. 3. Confirmation of minutes of the last meeting These need to be formally accepted by the meeting. This can be done by either: a. The Secretary reading the minutes aloud to the meeting; b. If the Minutes have been circulated beforehand, the Chairperson may ask that someone move that the Minutes be taken as read, then calls for a seconder and a vote. Note: If any error exists in the Minutes, it must be now brought to the attention of the Meeting. The Secretary is to make the correction and the Chairperson is to initial it on the original copy. When any/all corrections have been made, the Chairperson then asks: Would someone move that these Minutes be accepted as a true record of the last meeting? Would someone second this? Those in favour? Those against? Motion carried. Note: The mover and seconder must have been present at the last meeting. The Chairperson then allows for any business arising from the Minutes. Any minor matters are dealt with here, but those requiring further discussion are best held over to General Business at the discretion of the Chairperson. Page 6 of 8
4. Correspondence Inward: The Secretary may read aloud all letters received or simply list the correspondence and give a brief summary of content. Letters which require some attention are best listed for discussion in General Business. Outward: The Secretary lists the correspondence and a brief summary of content. 5. Reports The person presenting the report will conclude by moving a motion that their report be accepted. The Chairperson shall call for a someone to second the motion? Those in favour? Those against? Motion carried. 6. General business a. Advised in advance: as listed on the agenda. b. Raised at the meeting: matters raised 7. Date of next meeting Should be confirmed. 8. Thanks and closing The Chairperson should thank all those attending. Declare the meeting closed. NOTES Motions should confirm a decision taken by the Meeting. For example: That we hold the Spring Fair on Saturday, 24 October 2009 between 10am and 2pm. A motion requires a mover and a seconder before the Chairperson can put it to the Meeting for a vote. An Amendment slightly alters the wording of the motion. For example: That we hold the Spring Fair on Saturday, 30 October 2009 between 10am and 2pm. A Rescission Motion is moved to overturn a resolution that has already been accepted by Members. It cannot be moved at the same meeting which passed the original motion. Page 7 of 8
Appendix Three: Meeting Procedures for Annual General Meetings 1. The Chairperson welcomes all Members and special guests. 2. Calls for apologies. 3. The Minutes of the last Annual General Meeting are read/taken as read and accepted. 4. Business arising (if any) is dealt with. 5. Correspondence: matters dealing with aspects of the AGM specifically are mentioned. 6. The outgoing President presents the annual report which makes mention of the activities of the Association during their term; makes recommendations for further directions; acknowledges those who have assisted in the work of the Association. The President moves that the report be accepted. 7. The outgoing Treasurer presents the annual financial report and moves that it be accepted. 8. Any standing Sub-Committees, for example: Canteen, Fundraising, etc, present their annual reports. 9. President asks that all reports be accepted. 10. The President asks the Meeting to appoint a Returning Officer for the election of Executive Committee Members. 11. The President leaves the Chair and the Returning Officer declares all positions vacant. 12. The elections begin with the Returning Officer: calling for nominations for the position of President; then calling for a seconder for each nomination; asking whether the nominee will accept the nomination. 13. In the event of: only one person being nominated, the Returning Officer declares the position filled and offers congratulations to the successful candidate. more than one nomination, a secret ballot is held. The Returning Officer counts the votes and announces the successful candidate. 14. The process is repeated for all other Executive Committee Members and Sub-Committee positions. 15. Once all positions are filled, the returning officer asks the newly elected President to take the chair. 16. The President thanks the returning officer. 17. The Meeting then addresses any matters of General Business, Notices of Motion, etc. 18. The President thanks those in attendance and declares the meeting closed. 19. The President then opens the General Meeting. Note: It is important that matters for the General Meeting are not confused with those for the AGM. Page 8 of 8