These By-Laws will be voted on at a PTO meeting. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the Beattie PTO President.
Beattie PTO Bylaws
Adopted February 7, 2005
ARTICLE I
Name
The name of this unincorporated organization shall be Merle Beattie Parent
Teacher Organization (Beattie P.T.O.) of Lincoln, Nebraska.
ARTICLE II
Object
The object of the Beattie P.T.O. shall be to enrich and enhance the education of the students; to strengthen communication between parents and staff; to promote school spirit; and to host activities of Merle Beattie School.
ARTICLE III
Members; Fiscal Year
Section 1. Classes of membership shall be single and/or family with one vote per membership.
Section 2. Any person interested in Beattie P.T.O. shall become a member upon payment of annual dues. Members who have paid their dues are considered in good standing. Only members in good standing of this organization shall be eligible to participate in its business by voting.
Section 3. Annual dues shall be payable at the annual enrollment of members, but persons may be admitted to membership at any time.
Section 4. The fiscal year shall be July 1 through June 30.
ARTICLE IV
Election of Officers; Vacancies
Section 1. The officers of the Beattie P.T.O. shall be a President, First Vice-President (president-elect), Second Vice-President, Third Vice-President (faculty representative), Secretary, and Treasurer.
Section 2. The Nominating Committee shall be composed of the President, the First Vice-President (president-elect), and the Beattie Principal. It shall be the duty of this committee to present at the April meeting, a single slate of nominees, listing one member per office. Only those members who have signified their consent to serve if elected shall be nominated for or elected to such office.
Section 3. At the April meeting, additional nominations will be accepted from the members in attendance. If there are no further nominations, the slate of officers will be elected by acclamation. If additional nominations are made for any office, then a vote shall be taken by written secret ballot for any office in which there is more than one nominee. A majority of members present and voting shall elect. Should the ballot fail to produce a vote in which any nominee receives a majority, then the nominee’s name with the fewest number of votes shall removed, and the vote repeated until a nominee receives a majority. The First Vice- President shall automatically succeed to President. Officers shall begin their duties at the annual meeting in May, the last of the school year.
Section 4. No member shall hold more than one office at a time, and no member shall be eligible to serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office; provided however, that the Treasurer shall be elected to a two-year term with a maximum tenure of four years in that office.
Section 5. Any vacancy which may occur in an office may be filled by a member, appointed by the President for the balance of the term of that office.
ARTICLE V
Duties of Officers
Section 1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the organization; sit as a non-voting member on all committees; consult with the committees and advise them of their duties; make other committee appointments as are needed in order to engage in the goals and objects of the Beattie P.T.O; and generally oversee the business of the Beattie P.T.O.
Section 2. The First Vice-President shall assist the President in the general supervision of the organization and shall perform the duties that may be assigned by the President. She/he shall assume the duties of the President in her/his absence. The First Vice-President shall further serve as volunteer coordinator for the organization, recruiting and keeping a list of volunteers, as well as referring volunteers to Beattie P.T.O. projects in which volunteer assistance is needed.
Section 3. The Second Vice-President shall serve as chairperson of the Open House Committee, coordinating such activities as are determined necessary to a successful open-house event. She/he shall perform such duties as may be assigned by the President or Board of Directors.
Section 4. Third Vice-President shall serve as a liaison between faculty/staff and the Beattie P.T.O.
Section 5. The Secretary shall maintain a written record of the proceedings of the organization; maintain a file of essential records and transfer them to her/his successor in office; keep a copy of the Bylaws available at all times; and perform such other duties as they may commonly pertain to the office.
Section 6. The Treasurer shall collect and deposit all dues and other income; make payments in accordance with the budget approved by the membership; maintain the fiscal records of the organization; and present a financial statement at every regular meeting. At the annual meeting, the Treasurer shall present a full financial report and propose a budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
ARTICLE VI
Meetings; Quorum
Section 1. The regular membership meetings shall be held once in each month of September, October, November, January, February, March and April.
Section 2. The annual meeting shall be held in May for the purpose of approving the next fiscal year’s budget, presentation of new officers, receiving reports of officers and committees, transferring committee notebooks and for any other business that may arise.
Section 3. Special meetings may be called by the President or upon the
written request of five members of the organization. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the notice, which shall be delivered through any written communication regularly sent home with Merle Beattie School’s students, e.g. Friday folders or weekly newsletter. The notice shall be given no less than two weeks prior to the scheduled meeting.
Section 4. Ten members of the organization shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE VII
Executive and Other Committees
Section 1. By one or more resolutions adopted by the membership attending a meeting of the Beattie P.T.O., the organization may designate from among its members an executive committee and one or more other committees, each of which, to the extent provided in the resolution establishing such committee, shall have and may exercise any or all of the authority of the organization, including the ability to contract or expend funds, to the extent such delegated authority is specifically set forth in the resolution.
Section 2. In addition to the committees described above, the President may from time to time make such appointments and establish one or more committees for the purposes of carrying out the activities and projects deemed by the Beattie P.T.O. to further its objects. The Beattie P.T.O., by resolution, may delegate to these activity/project committees such authority as is reasonably necessary to successfully achieve its goals. The President may dissolve any such committee, as she/he deems appropriate as the needs and projects of the Beattie P.T.O. change and evolve. Such committees may include, but are not required nor limited to:
Auditing Committee: Conducts a regular audit of the organization’s financial records.
Arts Are Basic: This committee will coordinate fund-raising and artists’ visits within
the context of the Arts Are Basic program.
Bike Rodeo: Coordinates biennial student bike rodeo.
Book Fair: Coordinates the annual Book Fair normally held during the second set of parent/teacher
conferences, usually covering four days and two evenings.
Class Pictures/Yearbook/Photographer: Responsible for ordering risers, scheduling classrooms and assisting in lining up the students and identifying the students and teachers in the pictures. The photographer is responsible for taking pictures of Beattie students, staff and teachers in various activities and classroom settings.
Courtesy/Hospitality: Provides refreshments as needed, purchases appropriate gifts when necessary for Beattie
staff and families, and extends similar courtesies.
Directory: Publishes student directory.
Foreign Language: Coordinates after-school foreign language program.
Fun-d-night: Coordinates annual school carnival.
Grandparents* Day (Elder*s Day): Coordinates grandparents/elder visitation day.
Individual Pictures: Coordinates student school pictures,
usually in the early fall.
Popcorn Committee: Coordinates Friday popcorn sales to students ( $.25 per bag).
Recycling: Coordinates the recycling program, including toner cartridges.
Room Parents: Coordinates room parent volunteers, who act as liaisons between teachers and other class parents, and assist on field trips, at class parties, and as otherwise requested.
Safety Committee: Promotes safety at Beattie’s pedestrian crosswalks and the traffic pattern around Beattie.
Science Committee: Coordinates with teachers in promoting the Science Fair and the Science Club.
Sports Day/Fun Run: Coordinates with the Physical Education teacher in conducting the All Sports Day and the Fun Runs.
Staff Appreciation: Organizes “Appreciation Day” for staff.
T-shirts: Organizes sales of T-shirts and sweatshirts with the Beattie logo.
Welcoming Committee: Organizes a welcoming event or activity for families new to Beattie.
ARTICLE VIII
Dissolution
Section 1. This organization may be dissolved by a two-thirds vote of members present and voting, provided all members on record have been notified of the proposed dissolution at least forty-five days prior to the meeting at which the vote will be taken.
Section 2. In the event of the dissolution of this organization, after paying all authorized debts, all remaining assets of the Beattie P.T.O. shall be distributed to an organization which qualifies for tax exemption under §501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of the United State of America. None of the assets shall be distributed to, nor inure to the benefit of, any individual member.
ARTICLE IX
Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert*s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the organization in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the organization may adopt.
ARTICLE XI
Amendment of Bylaws
These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting or an annual meeting of the organization by a majority vote, provided that the amendments have been published in the school newsletter or otherwise made available to all members no less than two weeks prior to the meeting.
STANDING RULES
ARTICLE I. PURPOSE
These Standing Rules serve as an addendum to the Bylaws of the Merle Beattie Parent Teacher Organization and shall govern the manner in which the following items of business are conducted.
ARTICLE II. MEMBERSHIP/MEETINGS
A. DUES: Each member of this organization shall pay annual dues of $5.00 to the organization.
B. MEETING TIME: This organization shall hold regular meetings on the third Monday of September, October and November, and the second Monday of January, February, March, April and May. Meetings shall begin at 7:00 p.m.
ARTICLE III. FINANCE
A. Committee chairpersons and officers shall submit to the Treasurer budget requests by March 1 for any expenditure to be included in the following fiscal year’s budget. The Treasurer shall prepare a draft budget for the new fiscal year to be presented at the regular April meeting. The final budget shall be presented for approval by the PTO at the annual membership meeting in May.
B. Requests for expenditures, not appearing in the budget or in excess of the budget shall be made to the President and the Treasurer. Expenditures not budgeted or in excess of the budget may be made if in the reasonable judgment of both the President and Treasurer, the expenditure must be made prior to the next scheduled meeting of the Beattie PTO and it is necessary to facilitate the goals or projects of the Beattie PTO; provided however, that such expenditures shall not exceed $500 in any given month. All other non-budgeted expenditures must receive the approval of the PTO at a regular or special meeting of the organization. Budgeted expenditures may be made by the Treasurer without further action on the part of the officers or members of the Beattie PTO.
ARTICLE IV. COMMITTEES
Responsibilities of Chairperson
A. All committee chairs shall keep records and reports of all pertinent
information, which shall be transferred to their successors.
B. Committee chairs shall keep the PTO informed of committee work either
by personal reports presented at the meetings or committee minutes sent to the President.
ARTICLE IV. AMENDMENTS TO STANDING RULES
Standing rules may be amended by a majority vote at any regular or special meeting.