THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
BY-LAWS
Article I Name
The name of this organization
shall be: The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools Parents’ Association
(herein known as “The PA”).
Article II Purpose
and Philosophy
The purpose of
The PA is to: (i) promote understanding and communication between the home and
the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (herein known as “The Schools”), (ii) provide open
forums for discussion among parents,
faculty, administration, staff, students and The Schools’ appointed Board of
Directors; and (iii) encourage and facilitate parent participation in programs
that support the educational, social and
fundraising initiatives of The Schools.
The operating philosophy of The PA is to engage as many parents as
possible in meaningful roles to achieve the goals of diversity, inclusion and
continuity.
A.
Members of
The PA shall be current parents and legal guardians of all registered students
(herein known as “The Members”).
B. Membership
dues provide the core funds necessary to operate The PA.
C. The PA Board
determines the dues which are automatically billed as a separate line item on
the first semester’s tuition invoice, and are payable before October 15.
D. The PA Board is empowered to raise
additional funds for any purpose deemed consistent with the goals The PA. All The PA fundraising activities require
review and recommendation by the Finance Committee prior PA Board approval.
E. The fiscal year of The PA shall be September
1 through August 31.
Article IV Governing
Board
A. The Governing Board
(herein known as “The PA Board”) is the executive arm of The PA. It ensures
that The PA fulfills its purpose and adheres to its philosophy by adapting
structurally and procedurally to current issues and needs.
B. This By-Laws document
is the outline of how The PA works. The PA Structure and Procedure Document
supplies the details.
C. The following
individuals, having been elected by
The Members of The PA, shall be voting Members of The PA Board:
1. Officers
2. School Council Co-Chairpersons
D. Each Officer and
School Council Co-Chairperson has a single vote except the President who has no
vote unless it is needed as a tiebreaker.
Article V Officers
A.
All Officers are elected by The Members of The PA at the Elections
Meeting.
B. The Officers shall include:
President and President-Elect
Secretary and
Secretary-Elect
Treasurer
and Treasurer-Elect
Communications Coordinator and Communications Coordinator-Elect
Fundraising Coordinator and Fundraising
Coordinator-Elect
Volunteer Coordinator and Volunteer
Coordinator-Elect
Programs
Coordinator and Programs Coordinator-Elect
C. All Officers of The PA Board shall complete their two-year term and may not be elected to succeed themselves
in the same positions unless they were appointed to complete an unfulfilled
term.
D.
All Officers of The PA Board
shall be limited to holding one voting PA Board position at a time.
E.
The President shall (i) serve
as Chairperson of The PA Board, (ii) preside at all The PA Board meetings and
(iii) act as Parliamentarian.
F. The President-Elect shall be elected at the Elections Meeting by
The Members to serve a two (2) year term. The first year will be served as President-Elect and the second
year as President. The President-Elect
shall (i) work with the administration to oversee the publication of the Parents'
Association School Directory and Resource Guide, (ii) assist the
President and (iii) serve as Chairperson of the Community Life Committee (as
herein after defined).
G. The
Secretary shall (i) take and prepare minutes of The PA Board meetings and
shall (ii) keep all records of The PA, including records of activities as
submitted by committees and The PA School Councils.
H. The Secretary-Elect
shall be elected at the Elections Meeting by The Members to serve a two (2)
year term. The first year will be
served as Secretary-Elect and the second year as Secretary. The Secretary-Elect shall (i) assist the Secretary and (ii) serve as Chairperson of the
Nominations Committee (as herein after defined).
I. The Treasurer shall
(i) be the primary liaison between the Finance Committee and The PA Board, (ii)
present monthly financial statements to The PA Board (iii) oversee the annual
budget process and (iv) chair the Finance Committee.
J.
The Treasurer-Elect shall be
elected at the Elections Meeting by The Members to serve a two (2) year
term. The first year will be served as
Treasurer-Elect and the second year as Treasurer. The Treasurer-Elect shall (i) maintain the financial records of
The PA (cash receipts, cash disbursements), (ii) prepare the monthly PA
financial statements and issue financial reports and (iii) take minutes at
Finance Committee meetings.
K. The Communications Coordinator shall (i) be responsible for
overseeing all PA Communications, (ii) be responsible for The PA
Website, (iii) be responsible for The PA Newsletter, (iv) work closely with the Communications Committees of The
School Councils and (v) serve a Chairperson of the Communications Committee (as
herein after defined).
L. The Communications Coordinator-Elect shall be elected at the
Elections Meeting by The Members to serve a two (2) year term. The first year will be served as
Communications Coordinator-Elect and the second year as the Communications
Coordinator. The Communications Coordinator-Elect shall (i) be responsible for
coordinating all internal PA communications (including notices of all
The PA Programs/Events/Committee/Board Meetings) through the Website, The PA
Bulletin Board, school notices, (ii) be responsible for an all
school e-mail list,
(iii) assist the Communications Coordinator and (iv) take
minutes at Communications Committee meetings.
M. The
Fundraising Coordinator shall (i) work closely with the Finance and
Volunteer/Programs Committee regarding all The PA fundraising activities (ii)
serve as the liaison between The PA and The Schools regarding all PA
fundraising activities, (iii) monitor and report to The PA Board the status of
proposed fundraising initiatives, (iv) serve as a member of the
Volunteer/Programs Committee and (v) serve as Chairperson of the Fundraising
Committee (as herein after defined).
N. The
Fundraising Coordinator-Elect shall be elected at the Elections Meeting by
The Members to serve a two (2) year term.
The first year will be served as Fundraising Coordinator-Elect and the
second year as the Fundraising Coordinator.
The Fundraising Coordinator-Elect shall (i) assist in the implementation
of fundraising efforts sponsored by The PA (Connections, Rites of May, Used
Book Sale, Innesbrook, etc…..) in conjunction with Event Chairs, (ii) assist
the Fundraising Coordinator and (iii) take minutes at the Fundraising Committee
meetings.
O. The
Volunteer Coordinator shall (i) be responsible for identifying, soliciting,
procuring volunteers for all The PA events, (ii) be responsible for the annual
volunteer survey, (iii) work closely with the Volunteer Committees of The
School Councils and all Events and Project Chairs (iv) be responsible for the
creation and maintenance of the volunteer grid book as described in the
Volunteer/Programs Committee description and, (iv) Co-Chair the
Volunteer/Program Committee (as herein after defined.
P. The Volunteer Coordinator-Elect shall be elected by at the
Elections Meeting by The Members to serve a two (2) year term. The first year will be served as Volunteer
Coordinator-Elect and the second year as Volunteer Coordinator. The Volunteer
Coordinator-Elect shall (i) staff and organize The PA Office, (ii) be
responsible for coordinating volunteer database management and reporting, (iii)
receive the written reports from Annual Events and Project Chairs and organize
them in The PA Office for archival and reference purposes, (iv) assist the
Volunteer Coordinator and, (v) serve on the Volunteer/Programs Committee.
Q. The Programs Coordinator shall (i) ensure that each of The PA events
has a Chairperson, (ii) be responsible for the reporting on the status of all
events and projects at each PA Meeting, (iii) assist the Chairpersons in the
promotion of all events and projects and (iv) Co-Chair the Volunteer/Programs
Committee (as herein after defined).
R. The Programs Coordinator–Elect shall be elected at the Elections
Meeting by The Members to serve a two (2) year term. The first year will be
served as Program Coordinator-Elect and the second year as Program
Coordinator. The Program
Coordinator-Elect shall (i) solicit Chairs for event committees, (ii) help the
event and project Chairpersons work and communicate with the administration and
faculty, (iii) assist the Programs Coordinator and (iv) serve on the
Volunteer/Programs Committee.
Article VI School
Councils
A. There shall be four
PA School Councils:
Nursery/Kindergarten (“N/K”) – Nursery and Kindergarten
Lower School (“LS”) – Grades 1 through 4
Middle School (“MS”) – Grades 5 through 8
High School (“HS”) – Grades 9 through 12
B. Leadership of The PA
School Councils shall rest with three (3) Co-Chairpersons
(herein known as “Co-Chairs”).
C.
All The PA School Council Co-Chairs are elected by The Members of The PA
at the Elections Meeting.
D. All The PA School Council Co-Chairs
of The PA Board shall complete their two-year term and may not be elected to
succeed themselves in the same positions unless they were appointed to complete
an unfulfilled term.
E.
All The PA School Council Co-Chairs of The PA Board shall be limited to
holding one voting PA Board position at a time.
F. The purpose of having
four separate PA School Councils is to facilitate school-specific
decision-making and locate communication closer to relevant constituents.
G. Terms of office shall be staggered so that
each year The Members shall elect at
least one, but no more than two (2) new Co-Chairs and so shall have at least one returning Co-Chair.
H. The structure of The
PA School Councils and responsibilities of their officers and committees shall
be determined by The PA Board.
I. The PA School
Councils are required to assign one representative to each of the six (6)
standing Board Committees. The
representatives are required to regularly attend their assigned committee’s
meetings.
J. At least one Co-Chair from each of The PA School Councils
must be in attendance at every PA Board meeting.
K. The PA School Councils are required to submit a budget to the
Treasurer for review and recommendation by the Finance committee prior to The PA Board vote for approval. This budget must be submitted by June 30th. Funds allocated The PA School Councils for a
fiscal year but not committed during that year shall revert to The PA General
Operations account.
L. The PA School
Councils shall submit a written summary of its school year activities and
recommendations to the Secretary by the end of the fiscal year.
A. There shall be six (6) standing
committees. They are as follows:
Communications
Fundraising
Community
Life
Nominating
Finance
Volunteer/Programs
B.
The function of a Standing Committee is to provide detailed
investigations and research on issues that have been referred to them by The PA
Board or concerned others. No issue may
be brought before The PA Board for consideration and/or a vote without review
and recommendation by a standing Committee.
C.
The responsibilities and leadership
shall be as follows:
Communications
Committee: Coordinate all
communications within The PA,
including those of The PA School
Councils and all communications between The PA
and its Members, including the Website
and PA PAGES. Work closely with the
Chairs
of Annual Events and Projects to help coordinate their communication needs
and efforts. Chaired by The
Communications Coordinator, this committee includes the Communications
Coordinator-Elect, a representative from each of the School Councils and any
other interested members.
Community
Life: Monitor the social climate of
The Schools, develop and initiate proactive solutions to issues brought forward
by The Members or concerned others
through discussion, research, education and communication. Chaired
by President-Elect, this committee includes a representative from each of the
School Councils and any other interested members.
Finance
Committee: Ensure that The PA’s financial assets are
protected, review and prioritize funding requests, oversee all Projects,
Programs, Events, Standing Committee and PA School Councils budgets and
spending; initiate The PA Grant process each fall and provide a grant review
forum, monitor and update The PA’s long-term financial plan. Chaired by the Treasurer, this committee
includes the Treasurer-Elect, the President-Elect, a representative from each
of the School Councils and any other interested members.
Fundraising
Committee: Find proactive ways to
implement The PA’s long-term financial plan, obtain and review business plans
for any new events prior to presentation for obtaining approval from the
Finance Committee. This is a requisite to any new ventures being presented at a
PA Board Meeting for a vote of approval.
Obtain and review marketing plans for all events and work with the
Communications Committee and the Volunteer/Programs Committee to implement
these plans. Help improve parental involvement in the financial well being of
The Schools. Chaired by Fundraising Coordinator, this committee includes the
Fundraising Coordinator-Elect, a representative from each of the School
Councils and any other interested members.
Nominating Committee: Carry out the election and appointment
processes in accordance with these By-Laws. Chaired
by Secretary-Elect, this committee includes a representative from each of the
School Councils and any other interested members.
Volunteer/Programs
Committee: Identify, solicit,
organize and coordinate volunteers, monitor ongoing programs and events,
coordinate and maintain the Volunteer Grid Book (detailing all volunteer jobs),
and propose and evaluate new program ideas. Co-Chaired
by the Volunteer Coordinator and the Programs Coordinator, this committee
includes the Volunteer Coordinator-Elect, the Program Coordinator-Elect, the
Fundraising Coordinator, a representative from each of the School Councils and
any other interested members.
D. Each Standing Committee shall meet at least
once per quarter (excluding
summer quarter) and
at the end of each quarter shall submit a written report to the
Secretary for
inclusion in the minutes. Reports
offered at regularly scheduled PA
Board meetings
fulfill this obligation.
E. Each Standing
Committee may submit a budget by June 30th to the Treasurer for
review and recommendation by the Finance Committee prior to PA Board
approval. If approved, the Committee
must then submit budget reports quarterly to the Treasurer-Elect.
Article
VIII Executive Committee
A. The Executive Committee of The PA Board
exists to deal with special issues that may not fall under the purview of any
other committee.
B. This Committee includes the President,
President-Elect, Treasurer and Secretary.
Article IX Annual
Event and Ad Hoc Committees
A. The Board, at its
discretion, may create, modify and dissolve Annual Event and other Ad Hoc
Committees.
B. Chairpersons of
Annual Event Committees shall each be appointed for a one (1) year term by The
PA Board as early as the last meeting of the year, but no later than the first
meeting in September. Chairpersons of
all other Ad Hoc Committees shall be appointed as needed and for terms as
deemed appropriate by The PA Board.
C. Each Committee
Chairperson shall: (i) oversee all details relating to the event, (ii) work
closely with the Volunteer/Programs Committee and report to the Programs
Coordinator before each meeting of The PA Board, (iii) appoint a Treasurer for
the event who will submit a budget to the Treasurer for Finance Committee
review and recommendation prior to PA Board approval (regular financial reports
to the Treasurer are required), (iv) maintain a file of planning and other
documents, and (v) submit a written report of the committee’s activities,
members, volunteers at a Volunteer/Programs meeting. The report/document will be placed in The PA Office by the
Volunteer Coordinator-Elect for archival and reference purposes.
Article X Meetings
A. Every Member is
invited and encouraged to attend any and all meetings of The PA Board, PA Board
Committees, School Councils, or any other PA affiliated committees or
groups.
B. Regular PA Board
Meetings shall be held during the school year at such time, date and place as
the Board may designate.
C. The Annual Meeting
shall be held in September to orient the Members to the PA Board and its goals.
D. The Elections Meeting
shall be held in May. It shall be the
second to last regular meeting of the school year, and shall be for the purpose
of certifying elections and conducting other Regular Meeting business.
E. Special Meetings of The PA may be called by
The PA Board or by petition of twenty-five (25) Members.
F. Notice of all Regular, Annual and Elections
Meetings shall be posted in the School calendar that is mailed to all parents
in August. Changes to these dates and
Special Meetings, Committee and School Council Meeting dates shall be posted to
The PA website and on The PA bulletin board in the vestibule behind the Blaine
security desk at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting date. If a Special Meeting is called, the posting
shall also state the purpose(s) of the meeting.
G. All meetings shall be held at the School
unless otherwise determined.
Article XI Quorums,
Amendments and Other Actions of The PA
A. These By-Laws may be
amended, revised, or repealed at any regular meeting of The PA Board by a
simple majority of the Members who cast their votes. Votes shall be cast by ballot; ballots may be submitted either in
advance of, or at, the meeting. Ballots
shall be collected and tabulated by the Secretary-Elect. Written notice of the
intention to amend these By-Laws and the substance of the proposed amendment(s)
shall be issued at least one (1) month before the meeting.
B. Except as otherwise
required by these By-Laws, one-half of the members of any committee, council or
The PA Board shall constitute a quorum.
A vote taken of the majority of such quorum shall constitute the action
of such committee, council or The PA Board.
In the case of a tie in a vote of The PA Board, the President’s vote
shall be the tiebreaker.
C. The PArliamentary
authority of The PA shall be the latest edition of Robert’s Revised Rules of
Order.
Article XII Nominations,
Elections and Appointments
A. Nomination
1. A call for
nominations shall be made in February for
the following positions:
a. Annually elected positions: President-Elect,
Secretary-Elect, Treasurer-Elect, Communications Coordinator-Elect, Fundraising
Coordinator-Elect, Volunteer Coordinator-Elect, and Programs Coordinator-Elect
and at least one PA School Council Co-Chair
(per council),
b. Annually appointed positions: Annual Event Chairpersons
2. The nomination
period shall last at least six (6) weeks
3. Any Member may be
nominated, and Members may nominate each other or themselves.
4.
Nominations shall be submitted in writing (e-mail, snail mail, handwritten notes) to the Nominating
Committee in care of the Secretary-Elect with a copy to the President, and
shall include: (i) the candidate’s name, current phone number and email
address, (ii) the position for which the candidate is being nominated, and
(iii) one or two sentences in support of the nomination.
5. The Nominating Committee shall contact each
candidate to: (i) confirm
interest in the available position, (ii) review the
responsibilities of the position,
(iii) require the candidate to submit a short statement
(80 words or less) about themselves or supporting their candidacy.
6.
The Nominating Committee shall compile relevant information on each
nominee, and shall prepare a ballot for the elected positions and a
candidate statement.
7.
No current PA Board member shall resign a position before his or her
term is concluded in order to run for (or be appointed to) another position.
8. The Secretary-Elect
shall present the ballot to The PA Board for approval prior to mailing.
B. Elections
1.
Ballots
shall be mailed to all Members no less than four (4) weeks before the Elections meeting.
2.
Each
Member household shall be entitled to vote for each Officer position, and for
The PA School Council Co-Chair(s) who matches the respective grade(s) of their
child(ren) for the next school year.
3.
The
Secretary-Elect shall receive ballots until the start of the Elections Meeting.
4.
The
Secretary-Elect shall verify the ballots, tally the votes and announce the
voting results at the Elections Meeting.
C. Appointments
1. The Nominating Committee shall produce a
slate of candidates for appointed
positions as identified in the call for nominations.
2. The PA Board shall
make its appointments from the slate at the last meeting of the year.
3. In the event of
multiple candidates for a single appointed position, the appointee shall be
determined following a discussion and vote by The PA Board.
D. Vacant / Unfilled Positions
If a
position is unfilled or becomes vacant for any reason, nominations shall be
solicited for two (2) weeks, via
postings on The PA website and The PA bulletin board in Blaine Lobby, and The
PA Board shall vote on the nominations. If there were no candidates, The PA
Board may appoint a replacement to complete the term.
2/1/03 ratified 6/03