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Highcrest Middle School
Parent Teacher Organization
Bylaws
Revised April, 2009
Article I
The name of this organization is the Highcrest
Middle School Parent Teacher Organization (hereinafter referred to as the
“PTO”).
Article
II- OBJECTIVES
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Section
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1.
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The Objectives of the PTO
are:
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a.
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To enrich our children’s
educational environment at Highcrest Middle School (hereinafter referred to
as “HMS,” or the “School”) and offer support to the School, its programs and
activities and its personnel.
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b.
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To provide a communication
link among all elements of the HMS community, including families with
children in the school, the teachers at HMS, and the Wilmette District 39
staff.
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c.
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To cooperate with other
parents and/or groups to enrich and support the children of District 39.
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Section
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2.
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The objectives of this PTO
are developed through conferences, committees, projects and programs in
conjunction with parents, teachers, the administration, and the general public;
and are governed by the basic policies set forth in Article III.
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Article
III-Basic Policies
And
IRS 501 (c) (3) Tax exemption provisions
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Section
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1.
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The following are the
basic policies of the PTO:
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a.
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The PTO shall be
noncommercial, nonsectarian and nonpartisan.
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b.
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The name of the PTO or the
names of any members in their official capacity shall not be used in
connection with a commercial concern or with any partisan interest or for any
purpose not appropriately related to the promotion of the Objectives of this
PTO.
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c.
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The PTO shall work with
the School to provide quality education for all children, and shall seek to
participate in the decision-making process establishing school policy while
recognizing that the legal responsibility to make decisions has been given to
the Board of Education of District 39.
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d.
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The PTO may cooperate with
other organizations and agencies concerned with child welfare, but persons
representing the PTO in such matters shall make no commitments that bind the
PTO without prior approval of the Executive Board.
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e.
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The PTO shall not,
directly or indirectly, participate or intervene (in any way, including the
publishing and distribution of statements) in any political campaign or
devote more than an insubstantial part of its activities to attempting to
influence legislation by propaganda or otherwise.
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f.
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No part of the net
earnings of the PTO shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its
members, officers or other private persons except that the PTO shall be
authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for the services
rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the
purposes of this PTO.
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g.
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Notwithstanding any other
provisions of these articles, the PTO shall not carry on any other activities
not permitted to be carried on by an organization exempt from Federal Income
Tax under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code or by
organizational contributions which are deductible under Section 170 (c) (2)
of the Internal Revenue Code.
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h.
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In the event of the
dissolution of the PTO, the Executive Board shall, after paying all
liabilities of the PTO, dispose of all remaining assets of the PTO to another
organization that qualifies under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue
Code or such remaining assets shall be distributed to the federal government,
or to a state or local government, for a public purpose. Such distribution shall be made in
accordance with all applicable provisions of the laws of the State of
Illinois.
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ARTICLE IV-MEMBERSHIP AND DUES
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Section
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1.
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Any individual who
subscribes to the Objectives and basic policies of this PTO and is a current
guardian of an HMS student, or a teacher or administrator of HMS may become a
member subject only to compliance with the provisions of the Bylaws. Membership in this PTO shall be
available without regard to race, color, creed or national origin.
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Section
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2.
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This PTO shall conduct an
annual enrollment of members but any eligible person may join and become a
member of the PTO at any time during the year.
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Section
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3.
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The membership year shall
run from September 1 to August 31 inclusive. Persons who join during the membership year shall pay dues
for that year.
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Section
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4.
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The privilege of holding
office, introducing motions, debating and voting shall be limited to members
of the PTO whose current dues are paid. Only a dues-paying member of the PTO
shall be eligible to serve in any of its elective or appointed positions.
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Section
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5.
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The annual dues shall be
determined by the Executive Board of this PTO.
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Article
V-OFFICERS
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Section
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1.
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a.
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The officers of this PTO
shall be two Co-Presidents or one President, seven (7) Vice Presidents, a
Secretary and a Treasurer. The
officers will be elected at the final General Board meeting of the school
year and will be members of the Executive Board.
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b.
c.
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Other than as noted in c
below, the officers shall hold office for a term of one year and shall be
eligible for only two consecutive terms in the same office.
The President or one Co-president
shall be nominated and elected for a two-year term so that, when possible, at
least one of those individuals shall continue as President or Co-president
for the subsequent school year for transition purposes.
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d.
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Service on the Executive
Board is limited to three (3) consecutive years; the member will then be
eligible to serve again after a lapse of one year. Service in a standing committee may be of unlimited
duration.
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e.
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Any guardian of a child in
HMS, who is a member of this PTO, is eligible to hold an office.
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f.
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The newly elected officers
and appointed chairs will assume their duties following their election.
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g.
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Voting for the election of
officers shall be by voice vote, show of hands, or written ballot, whichever
shall be determined by the presiding officer(s).
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Article
VI-Officers’ Duties
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Section
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1.
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The Co-PRESIDENTS or PRESIDENT shall
supervise and control the affairs of the PTO. He or she shall perform all duties incident to his/her
office as may be required by these Bylaws. The President or at least one of the Co-Presidents shall
preside at all meetings of the General Board and the Executive Board; shall
be a member ex-officio of all committees; may sign all checks; shall have
sole authority to sign contracts on behalf of the PTO; shall attend and
report on the meetings of the Village-Wide PTO and District 39’s PTA/PTO
monthly Presidents’ Council meetings.
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Section
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2.
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The numbered Vice
Presidents shall, in their order in the event of the absence of the
Co-Presidents/President, assume the duties of that office.
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a.
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The FIRST VICE PRESIDENT,
Legislation, shall keep the Bylaws and shall advise on parliamentary
procedure when requested: and, with a committee, review the Bylaws every two
years.
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b.
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The Second Vice President, Ways and Means, shall be concerned with the
raising of funds for this PTO to carry out its goals, and shall serve as
liaison to the designated related standing committees
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c.
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The THIRD VICE President, Enrichment, shall
arrange and provide programs designed to supplement or enrich the curriculum
for the students, and shall serve as liaison to the designated related
standing committees.
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d.
e.
f.
g.
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The FOURTH Vice President, Room Parent/Volunteer
Coordinator is responsible for securing and coordinating volunteers as needed
for programs and activities, and shall serve as liaison to the designated
related standing committees
The FIFTH Vice President, Special Events, is
responsible for planning and organizing events that build community spirit
and/or team building within the school, and shall serve as liaison to the
designated related standing committees.
These events will not be primarily for fund raising purposes.
The SIXTH VICE PRESIDENT,
Communications: Oversees and liaison for all communications and publicity for
the PTO including weekly columns and other articles to the Wilmette Life
highlighting programs and events at the School; production and distribution
of the yearbook, HMS Headlines and HMS Hawk; and, coordination with the PTO
website manager.
The SEVENTH VICE
PRESIDENT, Administration, is a liaison to the designated related standing
committees, including Civics and Safety, CRC, Directory, District 39
Educational Foundation, FAN, Family to Family, Hospitality, Landscaping,
Membership and Youth Connection.
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Section
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3.
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The Secretary shall keep copies of the
Bylaws and membership list, and record minutes of all meetings of the PTO’s
Executive Board and General Board and shall be responsible for all official
correspondence.
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Section
Section
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4.
5.
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The
Treasurer shall oversee all
monies of the PTO, shall keep accurate records of receipts and expenditures,
shall pay out funds in accordance with the approved budget, and will be
responsible for maintaining and presenting to the Executive and General
Boards the PTO budget. The
Treasurer may be assisted by an assistant treasurer, who is a member of the
General Board. The books of the Treasurer are to be audited in a timely fashion
by July 15 of each year, by three individuals appointed by the
President. Thereafter, all books
and accounts shall be turned over to the Treasurer’s successor. This officer
is responsible for completing any necessary tax filings, which may, at the discretion
of the Executive Board, be completed by an outside source. The Treasurer and
Co-Presidents/President will communicate as necessary to ensure that all
taxes are filed within the governmental deadlines.
The immediate Past PTO CO-PRESIDENT/President shall
serve as an advisor to the Co-Presidents/President and will be a non-voting
member of the Executive Board.
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Article
VII-NOMINATIONS OF Officers
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Section
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1.
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a.
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A Nominating Committee
shall be appointed by the President, with the approval of the Executive
Board, at the January meeting of the Executive Board. The chairman of the Nominating
Committee, to be designated by the Executive Board, shall be either a 5th
or 6th grade parent who is currently on the Executive Board but
does not wish to serve on the Executive Board the following year.
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b.
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The Nominating Committee
will consist of ten (10) voting members comprised as follows: one (1) member
from the Executive Board (who shall be the Chairperson), eight (8) fourth
grade parents, two from each sender school, and one (1) regular PTO
member. The outgoing
Co-Presidents/President will also sit on the Nominating Committee but shall
serve only in an advisory capacity.
Service on the Nominating Committee shall preclude a nomination on the
Executive Board. This Committee
shall meet at least one (1) time to discuss and slate officers and compile a
list of committee members/chairs.
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c.
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The Nominating Committee
shall prepare a slate of candidates for officers and a list of committee
members and chairs that will include nominees from each sender school. The
Committee will present the officer slate and committee list by email and on
the PTO website by the end of March. The officer slate will be voted upon by
the entire General Board membership in good standing present at the final
General Board meeting of the school year.
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d.
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Upon petition of twenty
(20) PTO members, other candidates shall be included on the ballot, provided
that such petition has been delivered to the presiding chairman of the
Nominating Committee at least seven days before the election.
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Section
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2.
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The Executive Board will
nominate and appoint candidates for any vacancy on the Executive Board that
occurs during its term.
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Section
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3.
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Only those PTO members who
have consented to serve, if elected, shall be eligible for nomination.
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Article
VIII- EXECUTIVE Board
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Section
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1.
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The Executive Board shall
consist of elected officers and the HMS Principal and Vice Principal.
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a
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The Executive Board shall
create and dissolve standing committees and shall appoint said committee
chairpersons.
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b
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The Executive Board,
together with the Treasurer, shall prepare the annual budget for the PTO and
present it for approval at the final General Board meeting of the school
year.
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c
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Meetings shall be held at
the call of the Co-Presidents/President or by a majority of the Executive
Board members.
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d
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Five Executive Board
members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
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e
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The Executive Board may transact
business in an emergency; however, no action taken shall be in conflict with
the General Board.
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f
g
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Any Executive Board member
with unexcused absences for two (2) consecutive meetings shall automatically
forfeit their place on the Executive Board and will so be notified.
The Executive Board will
undertake to approve the plans of work of the standing committees
The power to form special committees and
appoint their members rests with the Executive Board. Special committees shall be created
for a specific time and/or task and shall cease to exist when that time or
task has been completed. The Executive Board may
authorize the payment of other unbudgeted association bills not to exceed a
cumulative total of $1000 between meetings of the General Board. Ratification
of payment of these bills must occur at the next General Board meeting and
must be recorded in the PTO minutes.
At the beginning of his/her
term of office, each member of the Executive Board shall be given a copy of
these Bylaws and shall be responsible for making a thorough study of them. A
copy of these Bylaws shall be made available to any member of the association
upon request.
When a
recommendation for an item of business or an announcement that has not had
prior consideration by the Executive Board is brought to a General or
Executive Board meeting, it may be referred to a committee and/or the
Executive Board for study.
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ARTICLE IX-Standing Committees
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Section
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1.
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Standing Committees shall
be created and dissolved by the Executive Board as required to promote the
objectives and interests of the PTO.
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Section
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2.
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Each standing committee
shall choose its own chairperson(s) by the end of May for the following
school year. If a committee is
unable to choose its chair(s), the Executive Board shall appoint the
chair(s), whose terms will be one (1) year. Their duties will continue until the close of the school
year. A chairman will be
eligible for only two (2) consecutive terms as chairman of the same
committee; however, exceptions may be made by the Executive Board in the
event of an unfilled position.
Committee chairs of all standing committees that have corresponding
committees on the Village Wide PTO are members of these corresponding Village
Wide PTO standing committees.
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Section
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3.
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a.
b.
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The
Co-Presidents/President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees.
The
Chairman of each standing or special committee shall present a written plan
of work for the following school year to the Executive Board for approval at
its May meeting, and shall update his/her VP liaison of any changes or
additions in a timely manner. No
committee work shall be undertaken without the consent of the Executive Board. Chairmen are responsible for
providing a written report to the Treasurer for all funds received or
disbursed within two weeks following the committee’s event.
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ARTICLE X-GENERAL BOARD
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Section
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1.
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a.
b.
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The General Board shall
consist of the elected officers, the chairmen of all standing committees, the
Principal of the School, the Assistant Principal, two teacher representatives
and the PTO members at large.
The teacher
representatives are representing the faculty of HMS and shall attend the
General Board meetings and report on faculty news. Following these meetings, they shall report PTO
information back to the faculty.
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Section
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2.
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Each member of the General
Board who is an officer or committee chair will maintain a file of material
and information on their job and shall transfer that file to their successor
at the last meeting of the General Board. However, the Treasurer will not
turn the books over until the audit has been complete.
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Section
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3.
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Twenty members of the
General Board will constitute a quorum.
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Section
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4.
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General Board members are
strongly encouraged to attend all the General Board meetings.
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ARTICLE XI-Meetings
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Section
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1.
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Regular meetings of the
General Board shall be held during the school year. The dates of such meetings shall be fixed by the Executive
Board at its last meeting of the prior school year.
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Section
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2.
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The Executive Board shall
determine the number and kind of meetings for itself at its last meeting of
the prior school year.
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ARTICLE XII-Finances and Dissolution
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Section
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1.
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The Treasurer, with
assistance from the assistant treasurer, shall keep such permanent books of
accounts as shall be sufficient to establish the items of gross income,
receipts and disbursements, including the total number of its members and the
dues received from its members.
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Section
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2.
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This PTO may dissolve and
terminate its existence in the following manner:
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a.
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Upon receipt of a petition
signed by twenty-five (25) or more members in good standing of this PTO, the
Executive Board shall give all members 60 days notice and shall put the
question of dissolution to its membership at a regularly scheduled meeting.
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b.
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Approval of dissolution of
this PTO shall require the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the total
membership, as recorded by the Secretary.
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Section
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3.
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Upon dissolution of this
PTO, its assets shall be distributed in accordance with Article III,
Section1.h, of these Bylaws, to such organization or governmental unit to be
chosen by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Executive Board.
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ARTICLE XIII—Construction and Terms
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All reference in these
Bylaws to a section or sections of the Internal Revenue Code shall be to such
sections of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time,
or to corresponding provisions of any future federal tax code.
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ARTICLE XIV--Parliamentary
Authority
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Robert’s Rules of Order
Newly Revised shall govern the PTO
in all cases in which they are applicable and in which they are not in
conflict with the Bylaws.
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ARTICLE XV-Amendments
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Section
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1.
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These Bylaws may be
amended at any General Board meeting by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the
members present and voting, provided that thirty (30) days prior notice of
proposed amendments has been given to its membership.
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Section
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2.
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The Executive Board, by a
two-thirds vote, may appoint a committee to review the Bylaws and submit a
revised set of Bylaws. The
requirements for adoption of a revised set of Bylaws shall be the same as in
the case of amendments.
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