ROSE TREE MEDIA SCHOOL DISTRICT
MEDIA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
PARENT TEACHER GROUP
BY-LAWS
Revised and submitted for approval May 21, 2013.
This document may be amended as needed according to Article XI.
A complete review and revision shall be made by May 2018.
ARTICLE 1 – NAME
The name of this organization shall be the MEDIA ELEMENTARY PARENT TEACHER
GROUP, hereafter referred to as “PTG”.
ARTICLE II - OBJECTIVES
The purpose of the PTG shall be to provide a cooperative relationship among parents,
teachers, administrators and the community in order to enhance the social, cultural and
instructional opportunities for all students.
ARTICLE III – BASIC POLICIES
Section 1 The organization shall provide a forum for the expression and exchange of
ideas and concerns pertinent to the school and it’s policies.
Section 2 Membership shall include all parents and guardians of students, and teachers
and administrators of Media Elementary School (“MES”). All members may attend
meetings and vote on issues and in elections.
Section 3 The PTG shall be led by an Executive Board made up of the officers of the
organization and including the MES Principal as an ex-officio member.
Section 4 The organization shall be voluntary, non-commercial, non-sectarian, nonpartisan, non-discriminatory, and non-political, and shall not endorse any special interest
groups.
ARTICLE IV – MEETINGS
Section 1 A minimum of three general membership meetings shall be held during each
fiscal year to conduct business and discuss relevant topics. All members may attend and
are eligible to vote and all business shall be documented in minutes of the meeting.
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Section 2 A minimum of five Executive Board meetings shall be held during each fiscal
year to conduct the business of the PTG. The general membership may attend Executive
Board meetings but may not vote. All business shall be documented in minutes of the
meeting.
Section 3 Robert's Rules of Order Revised shall govern the PTG in all cases in which
they are applicable.
ARTICLE V – OFFICERS
Section 1 The elected officers of the PTG shall be President, Executive Vice-President,
Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer.
Section 2 These officers shall be elected in accordance with Article VI and shall assume
their duties at the beginning of the next fiscal year.
Section 3 Officers will serve a term of one year with the exception of the Treasurer who
will serve a term of two years. Officers may serve up to 4 consecutive years in the same
office and up to 6 consecutive years as a member of the Executive Board. For continuity
and to build a strong knowledge base, all officers are encouraged to serve more than one
term on the Executive Board.
Section 4 If the President is unable to complete their term of office, it shall be filled by
the Executive Vice-President for the remainder of the term. A vacancy occurring in any
other office shall be filled immediately by a majority vote of the remaining members of the
Executive Board.
Section 5 Officers may be removed from office with or without cause by a two-thirds vote
of those present at a general meeting of the PTG. A minimum of seven days notice must
be given to the PTG membership of this vote.
ARTICLE VI – ELECTION PROCESS
Section 1 The Executive Board shall appoint a nominating committee consisting of four
members including one member of the Executive Board who shall be committee
chairperson, two members from the PTG general membership, and one member from the
MES teaching staff. The committee shall be formed at least 30 days prior to the election.
No member of the nominating committee may be a candidate for office.
Section 2 The nominating committee shall be in charge of all facets of the election
process including recruitment of candidates, administration of the election, and adherence
to the rules outlined in these by-laws.
Section 3 Candidates may be nominated by the nominating committee, another member,
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or themselves. Nominations shall be closed 30 days prior to the election unless an office
has no candidates in which case nominations for that office will remain open until the
election.
Section 4 Elections shall take place at a spring PTG meeting, not later than May 31.
Voting shall be done by written secret ballot of members present at the meeting. Voting
shall be administered by the nominating committee and documented in the minutes of the
meeting.
ARTICLE VII - OFFICERS’ DUTIES
Section 1 All officers are expected to attend Executive Board meetings and PTG general
membership meetings, uphold the By-Laws of the organization, and contribute to its
welfare. All officers must maintain a valid criminal background clearance for the duration
of their term of office, at the expense of the PTG. At the end of their term, officers shall
deliver all official materials to their successor.
Section 2 The President shall preside at all meetings of the PTG and the Executive
Board, appoint all committee chairpersons and oversee those committees, coordinate the
annual PTG calendar of events, enforce the PTG by-laws, and be responsible for
communication to the membership. The president shall perform other duties as
prescribed in these by-laws or assigned by the Executive Board. In case of a tie vote of
the Executive Board, the President shall cast the deciding vote.
Section 3 The Executive Vice-President shall be in charge of PTG events and shall serve
as a liaison to all event chairs, providing support and recruiting new chair people and
volunteers where needed. The Executive Vice-President shall act as an aide to the
President and shall perform duties of the President whenever necessary.
Section 4 The Vice-President shall be in charge of classroom support and will serve as
liaison between the Homeroom Parents and the Executive Board. The Vice President will
administer support and recognition efforts for the teachers and staff. The Vice-President
shall also perform any duties assigned by the President or the Executive Board and as
prescribed in these by-laws.
Section 5 The Secretary shall be responsible for all official documentation including
minutes of Executive Board and general memberhip meetings, and the By-Laws. The
Secretary shall maintain the PTG web site and correspondence to the general PTG email
account. The Secretary shall perform any additional duties as assigned by the President
or the Executive Board.
Section 6 The Treasurer shall be responsible for all financial transactions of the
organization including keeping accurate records of receipts and expenditures, banking
and bank reconciliation, filing annual tax forms, and making disbursements of funds in
accordance with the approved budget or as authorized by the Executive Board. The
Treasurer shall present a financial statement at every meeting of the PTG and at other
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times when requested by the Executive Board or general membership. The Treasurer
shall be responsible for enforcing the Financial Policies as set forth in Article IX. The
Treasurer shall perform any other duties as required by the President or the Executive
Board.
Section 7 The duties of the officers may be redistributed as needed within the Board
based on the time, interests, and talents of the individual officers.
ARTICLE VIII - COMMITTEES
Section 1 Committees may be created by the Executive Board as deemed necessary to
promote the objectives of the PTG. Committee Chairpersons shall be appointed and
serve for one year.
Section 2 The Chairperson of each committee shall present its plans to the Executive
Board for approval and consult with the Tresurer to understand budget requirements prior
to any function involving financial transactions. No committee work shall be undertaken
without the consent of the Executive Board. The Committee Chair shall ensure
compliance by their committee with PTG By-Laws and budget.
Section 3 Committee Chairpersons shall maintain a written record of procedures and
committee related documents. This information shall be passed on to the Chairperson’s
successor and to the Executive Vice President.
Section 4 The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees except the
nominating committee.
ARTICLE IX - FINANCIAL POLICIES
Section 1 The fiscal year of the PTG shall be from August 1 to July 31.
Section 2 A budget shall be established by the Executive Board at the beginning of the
fiscal year and approved by a vote of the general membership at the first PTG meeting of
the school year. All expenses shall adhere to this budget. Additional expenditures may be
approved up to $250 at the discretion of the President, up to $500 by the President plus
two additional members of the Executive Board, up to $1000 by a majority vote of the
Executive Board, and over $1000 by a vote of the general membership.
Section 3 Dues shall be established by the Executive Board of the PTG and collected
annually on a voluntary basis.
Section 4 All checks shall be signed by the President or Executive Vice President and
checks over $250 require signatures of both the President and Executive Vice President.
Section 5 The PTG accounts shall be examined at the end of the Treasurer’s term of
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office by an independent paid auditor within 30 days of the end of the fiscal year. If
satisfied that the financial documentation is correct and complete, the auditor shall provide
a statement of that fact. This report shall be presented at the first general membership
meeting of the fiscal year.
Section 6 In order to protect the assets of the organization and the exposure of its
volunteers, collection of cash shall be done in accordance with sound cash management
practices. Cash boxes at events shall always be staffed by two individuals with at least
one being a PTG officer, teachers, committee chair or their designee. At the end of a
cash event, all money should be counted on premises when possible by two unrelated
individuals; these individuals and the total cash collected shall be documented before
submitting the money to the Treasurer for deposit.
Section 7 To ensure adequate start-up funds for the following year, the closing balance of
the PTG accounts at the end of the fiscal year shall not be less than $3000.
Section 8 The PTG is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, and
qualifies as exempt organizations under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code,
or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code. As such, no part of the
earnings of the organization shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributed to its members,
trustees, officers, or other private persons. No substantial part of the activities of the
corporation shall be the carrying on of propaganda, or otherwise attempting to influence
legislation, and the corporation shall not participate in, or intervene in (including the
publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition
to any candidate for public office. The PTG shall not carry on any other activities not
permitted for a organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the
Internal Revenue Code, or the corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
Section 9 In the event of the dissolution of this organization, its assets shall be donated
to MES. Should MES be closed, the Executive Board shall exercise its discretion in
distributing the assets of the PTG for the benefit of the children, to a non-profit fund,
foundation, or corporation which is organized and operated exclusively for charitable,
educational, religious, and/or scientific purposes and which has established its tax exempt
status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
ARTICLE X -
INDEMNIFICATION
In order to encourage the participation of persons in the PTG, the PTG agrees, to the
extent of its assets and insurance, to indemnify and hold harmless any individual who,
acting in good faith, is conducting an authorized business or activity of the PTG and is
subject of a claim or lawsuit. This indemnification is the fullest that may be granted under
the law and extends to the cost of defending against claim or lawsuit. This
indemnification does not extend to criminal acts or acts by persons who are members of
the PTG but are acting other than as a representatives of the PTG or in an approved PTG
activity.
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ARTICLE XI -
AMENDMENTS AND REVISIONS
Section 1 A By-laws Committee shall be appointed every five years to review and make
recommendations for revision of the by-laws. The By-laws Committee shall be appointed
by the President and shall consist of one member of the Executive Board and at least two
members of the PTG membership.
Section 2 These by-laws may be amended at any time. A proposed amendment shall
first be approved by a majority of the Executive Board prior to a vote by the general
membership meeting.
Section 3 Notice of the proposed amendment or revision shall be given to the general
membership at least seven days prior to the general meeting at which time it will be put to
a vote. The proposed amendment or revision will be approved with a two-thirds majority
of the PTG members present and voting at that meeting.
Section 4 Amendments and revisions are effective immediately upon approval.
Section 5 A copy of the current by-laws is to be posted on the PTG website, kept on file
with the PTG Secretary and made available to any member of the PTG for their perusal.
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