BYLAWS OF KANELAND JOHN STEWART PARENT TEACHER NETWORK, AN ILLINOIS NOT FOR PROFIT CORPORATION ARTICLE ONE NAME This corporation, as incorporated and existing under and by virtue of the Illinois General Not for Profit Corporation Act of 1986, as amended, shall be named Kaneland John Stewart Parent Teacher Network, which shall be referred to as Kaneland John Stewart PTN, unless otherwise stated, throughout the remainder of these bylaws. ARTICLE TWO OFFICES The principal office of this corporation will be located at Kaneland John Stewart Elementary School, 817 Prairie Valley, Elburn, Kane County, Illinois. The corporation may have other offices designated by its members or its executive board. ARTICLE THREE OBJECTIVES To enhance our children s educational environment by fostering a sense of support, pride, and enthusiasm through the cooperative efforts of parents, students, faculty, and administrators. To provide resources that will stimulate the growth of our children and secure the highest advantages in physical, mental, and social education. The Kaneland John Stewart PTN exists to accomplish these goals by serving as a communication liaison, and through fund raising endeavors. ARTICLE FOUR POLICIES Section 1.Kaneland John Stewart PTN shall be non-commercial, non-sectarian, non-partisan and not-for-profit. It shall not endorse a commercial enterprise or a political candidate. Section 2. The name of Kaneland John Stewart PTN and the names of its officers in their official capacities shall not be used in any connection with a commercial concern or with any partisan interest or for any purpose other than the objectives of Kaneland John Stewart PTN.
Section 3. Kaneland John Stewart PTN shall not seek to direct the administrative activities of the school, the school board or their policies. ARTICLE FIVE MEMBERSHIP Section 1. Qualifications and Dues. All parents/legal guardians, administration, faculty and staff of Kaneland John Stewart Elementary School are PTN members with voting rights. There will be no fees or dues collected from a Kaneland John Stewart PTN member. Section 2. Property Rights. No member will have any right, title, or interest in any of the property or assets, including any earnings or investment income of this corporation, nor will any of the property or assets be distributed to any member on its dissolution or winding up. Section 3. Liability of Member. No member of this corporation will be personally liable for any of its debts, liabilities, or obligations, nor will any member be subject to any assessment. ARTICLE SIX DIRECTORS Section 1. Number. The authorized number of directors of this corporation is seven five. Section 2. Qualifications of Directors. Directors must be members of the corporation. Section 3. Term of Office. The directors named in the Articles of Incorporation as the first board of directors will hold office until the first annual meeting of the directors, when an election of directors will be held. After that, the term of office of each director will be one year, until the next annual meeting of members following the director s election and until the qualification of a successor in office. Section 4. Powers. Except as otherwise provided in the Articles of Incorporation, or Bylaws, the powers of the corporation will be exercised, its properties controlled, and its affairs conducted by the board of directors, which may, however, delegate the performance of any duties or the exercise of any powers to officers and agents which the board, by resolution, designates. The Directors will report such activity and decisions at the next PTN meeting to be recorded in the Minutes. Section 5. Replacement of Directors. (a) Whenever a vacancy exists on the board of directors, whether by death, resignation, or otherwise, the vacancy will be filled by appointment of a new director by the president of the corporation, and if that power is not exercised within fourteen (14) days after the president receives notice of the vacancy, by appointment by a majority of the remaining directors at a regular or special meeting of the board. Any person appointed or elected to fill the vacancy of a
director will have the same qualifications as were required of the director whose office was vacated. Any person appointed or elected to fill a vacancy in the board of directors will hold office for the unexpired term of his or her predecessor in office. Section 6. Compensation. No member of the board of directors will receive compensation from the corporation. Section 7. Liability of Directors. The directors of this corporation will not be personally liable for its debts, liabilities, or other obligations. ARTICLE SEVEN CONTRACTS, CHECKS, DEPOSITS, AND FUNDS Section 1. Contracts. The board of directors may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents of the corporation, in addition to the officers so authorized by these bylaws, to enter into any contract or to execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the corporation. This authority may be general, or confined to specific instances. The authorization should be passed by resolution. Section 2. Gifts and Contributions. The board of directors or the executive board may: Accept on the behalf of the corporation any contribution, gift, bequest, or devise of any type of property ( donations ), for the general and special charitable purposes of the corporation,, on terms approved by the board or committee; Collect and receive the income from funds or property; Devote the principal or and income from donations to charitable purposes designated by the board(s); and Section 3. Deposits. All funds of the corporation must be deposited to the credit of the corporation in banks or other depositaries selected by the board of directors. Section 4. Checks, Drafts, Orders for Payment. All check, drafts, or orders for the payment of money, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the corporation will be signed by the officer or officers, agent or agents of the corporation and in the manner determined by resolution of the board of directors. In the absence of such determination, these instruments will be signed by the treasurer or an assistant treasurer, and countersigned by the president or a vice-president another Executive Board Member of the corporation. Expenditures over $1,000 (One thousand dollars) must be approved by a vote of the board at a meeting of the Kaneland John Stewart PTN Board.
Proper documentation for all expenses including the completion of the expense reimbursement form. All receipts must be attached. In performing bank reconciliations, all outstanding deposits and checks should be listed. Such a listing allows the person or auditor to review the bank reconciliation and determine that items have not cleared in the subsequent month. The Treasurer of the Kaneland John Stewart PTN should not perform the bank reconciliation. One use of a bank reconciliation is to review the work of the treasurer and insurer that checks and deposits are appropriately written and match the amount and item indicated in the appropriate account or fund. Allowing the treasurer to perform the bank reconciliation is letting the treasurer review their own work. There are a multitude of examples of treasurer s being able to embezzle funds from an organization because they performed the reconciliation of the account and there were no other review procedures. Many of these cases involve churches and other not-for-profit organizations and involve individuals that the boards felt were exemplary, honest, pillars of the community. Minimally, t The Vice President of the board shall perform a thorough review of the bank reconciliation at least once a quarter. ARTICLE EIGHT BOARD OF DIRECTORS, OFFICERS AND ELECTIONS Section 1. The Board of Directors shall consist of the Kaneland John Stewart PTN Officers, and Principal, and Faculty Advisor(s). Section 2. Officers shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. The Officers shall be known as the Executive Board. Section 3. Nominations for Officers shall be called for at the February and /or March meetings. Section 4. Elections shall be held by ballot in April for the office of President, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary to serve a one-year term. To become eligible for the elected position of Kaneland John Stewart PTN President or Vice-President, an individual must be an active Kaneland John Stewart PTN member and have attended at least fifty percent of the monthly meetings. Newly - elected officers shall assume their duties at the end of the present school year with the exception of Treasurer who will assume his/her new position on June 15 th, or at the time the books are reconciled with the May bank statement, whichever comes first. Section 5. The Board of Directors shall appoint vacancies between elections in any special committees, as deemed necessary, throughout the school year. ARTICLE NINE DUTIES OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. The President shall preside over all Kaneland John Stewart PTN and Executive Board meetings. Emergency financial decisions (not to exceed ($500.00) prior to a board meeting must be approved with the consensus of the Executive Officers. Section 2. The Vice-President shall preside over all Kaneland John Stewart PTN and Executive Board meetings in the absence of the President and take accurate minutes in the absence of the Secretary. In addition, t In addition, the Vice-President shall conduct any/all cost comparisons and complete monthly information for the PTN newsletter. The Vice-President shall perform the bank reconciliations at least once quarterly. Section 3. The Secretary shall keep accurate minutes of all Kaneland John Stewart PTN and Executive Board meetings and shall be responsible for taking nominations during election season. The Secretary shall maintain the Bylaws and have them available at each meeting. The Secretary shall distribute the Kaneland John Stewart PTN minutes to all active board members at least one week prior to the next Kaneland John Stewart PTN meeting with the exception of the May minutes, which must be distributed before the last day of school. The Secretary shall read the minutes (or motion to waive the reading) at the beginning of each meeting. Section 4. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the immediate deposit of all Kaneland John Stewart PTN monies and keep accurate records of receipts and expenditures including, a ledger listing checks and Deposits, fees and interest for each budgeted account. The Treasurer shall pay out any funds authorized by the Kaneland John Stewart PTN Board as indicated in Article Ten, Section 4 of these Bylaws. Blank checks will not be issued without prior Kaneland John Stewart PTN Board approval with the exception of Fun Lunch. The Treasurer shall present an accurate itemized report from accounts reconciled monthly at each Kaneland John Stewart PTN meeting and shall present the books for audit no later than June 15 th in a timely fashion for preparing and filing of year-end taxes or as specified in Article Eight, Section 4, with the fiscal year being August 1 st through July 31 st. In addition, a member of the Board shall review quarterly the work of the Treasurer to ensure that checks and deposits are appropriately written and match the amount and item indicated in the appropriate account or fund. Section 5. Principal. The Principal is faculty at the elementary school and shall attend Kaneland John Stewart PTN meetings. Section 6. Faculty Advisor(s). The Faculty Advisor(s) is a member of the teaching staff who shall attend Kaneland John Stewart PTN meetings and be liaison between Kaneland John Stewart PTN and Kaneland John Stewart Elementary School Staff. ARTICLE TEN MANAGEMENT Section 1. Kaneland John Stewart PTN Board of Directors shall meet as deemed necessary. These meetings shall remain open to the public with the Board of Directors having all voting rights.
Section 2. Kaneland John Stewart PTN meeting times and agendas shall be set accordingly. Special meetings shall be called at any time by the President or at the request of any Board member with no less than three (3) days notice. Section 3. Kaneland John Stewart PTN shall meet in August or September to set a budget and to discuss Bylaws, committees and events for the fiscal year. Section 4. Faculty Advisor(s). The Faculty Advisor(s) is a member of the teaching staff who shall attend Kaneland John Stewart PTN meetings and be liaison between Kaneland John Stewart PTN and Kaneland John Stewart Elementary School Staff. The Faculty Advisor(s) may rotate and differ at each meeting. Section 4. Reimbursement Request Forms accompanied with receipt(s) shall be submitted to the Treasurer. Expenditure item(s) shall must be listed and approved by a board member. If the Treasurer has an expenditure, an officer other than the Treasurer shall sign the approval. Tax Exempt forms must be used for Kaneland John Stewart PTN purchases. In the event a committee member chooses not to utilize this form, Kaneland John Stewart PTN will not reimburse sales tax. All receipts must be turned in prior to the last day of school. Section 5. All items purchased with Kaneland John Stewart PTN funds must be stored in the designated area at the school. Section 6. Committees shall submit reports to the Kaneland John Stewart PTN Board prior to, and after their scheduled events and provide information to the Kaneland John Stewart PTN newsletter editor for monthly publication. Section 7. Kaneland John Stewart PTN shall file all financial reports with Federal, State and local government agencies as follows: with the fiscal year August 1 st July 31 st, Kaneland John Stewart PTN must file Federal and State 990 forms by December 15 th. In addition, and annual State report (with filing fee) and Federal 1099 forms (for non- individuals given $600.00 or more) are to be filed in January. Originals of all State and federal filings, as well as tax certificates and other legal documents shall be maintained in Kaneland John Stewart Elementary School s Safe. Section 8. Kaneland John Stewart PTN will abide by the Bylaws set forth and any issues not stated within said Bylaws shall be executed according to Roberts Rules of Order, including any published revisions of those rules. ARTICLE ELEVEN COMMITTEES Section 1. The structure and formation of committees will vary and will be based upon needs and budget availability.
ARTICLE TWELVE MISCELLANEOUS Section 1. Books and Records. The corporation must prepare and maintain correct and complete books and records of account. The corporation must also keep minutes of the meetings of its members, board of directors, and committees, and keep them at the registered or principal office. All books and records of the corporation may be inspected by any director, or member, or the agent or attorney of either, or any proper person, at any reasonable time. Section 2. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the corporation will begin on the first day of August and end on the last day of July in each year. Section 3. Waiver of Notice. Whenever any notice is required to be given under the provisions of the General Not for Earning Corporation Act of Illinois or under the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation or the Bylaws of this corporation, a written waiver of notice signed by the person entitled to notice, whether before or after the time stated, will be deemed equivalent to the giving of notice. ARTICLE THIRTEEN AMENDMENTS Section 1. Power of Directors to Amend Bylaws. Subject to the limitations of the Articles of Incorporation, these bylaws, and the General Not-For-Profit Corporation Act of Illinois. Concerning corporate action that must be authorized or approved by the members of the corporation, the bylaws of this corporation may be amended, repealed, or added to, or new bylaws may be adopted, by a resolution of the board of directors, with input from the general Kaneland John Stewart PTN meeting, by a resolution of a two-thirds majority vote. Section 2. These amended Bylaws, as written above, have been adopted by the Executive Board on November 2, 2004. Copyright 2008 Kaneland John