Parents Association Bylaws (Revised March 2004)

NAME AND PURPOSE

The name of the organization shall be The Bullis School Parents Association (hereinafter called “The Association”). The purpose of The Association is to promote the partnership between the parents and The Bullis School, acting as a forum for communication, school spirit and community awareness. The Association does not participate in School policy making. The Association was established in the year 1975, and the following Bylaws were revised and approved by The Association in 2004.

ARTICLE I - MEMBERSHIP

The membership of The Association shall include any parents or legal guardians of a student attending The Bullis School.

ARTICLE II - POWERS AND DUTIES

Section A. Powers and Duties of The Board

  1. All administrative powers granted herein shall be vested in a Board (hereinafter called “The Board”). The members of The Board shall consist of a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer, and the Chairperson(s) of each Standing Committee and Grade Level Coordinators.
  2. When vacancies occur on The Board, their successors to complete the term shall be appointed by the President with the approval of The Board except that the Vice President will automatically fill any vacancy in the office of the President.
  3. It shall be the duty of The Board to recommend policies and procedures to The Association, and to interpret and enforce the Bylaws of The Association.
  4. The Board shall coordinate and present its recommendations to the appropriate school representative(s) concerning matters of interest to The Association.
  5. The Board shall approve an annual budget for the expenditure of all Association funds and may amend the same.
  6. The Board shall have the power to approve or authorize use of The Association’s name by individuals or others for fundraising promotion, publicity or other purposes. The Association name shall not be used without Board approval.
  7. The term of office for the officers and chairpersons or coordinators of the standing committees shall be from the first of July through the thirtieth of June, a period of one year.
  8. At the first meeting, the Board shall adopt the code of conduct which will guide the discussions and activities for that term.

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Section B. Powers and Duties of Officers

The Officers of The Association, as enumerated in Article II, Section A.1., above, shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. No officer may serve in the same position for more than two consecutive terms. Officers who seek to serve a second term in the same position shall notify the Board at the December meeting of their intention to seek nomination for a second term. Prior to serving as an officer of the Board, an individual shall have served on the Board for a period of at least one year.

The powers and duties of the President shall be as follows:

  1. To act as the spokesperson for The Association.
  2. To preside over all meetings.
  3. To supervise the functions of other officers.
  4. To coordinate the content of the agenda of each meeting.
  5. To maintain communication with, and report to, the Administration.
  6. To serve as an ex-officio member of The Bullis School Board of Trustees.
  7. To call special meetings of The Association as required.
  8. To appoint special committees.
  9. To appoint Committee Chairpersons and fill vacancies as needed.
  10. To serve as an ex-officio member of all standing committees.

The powers and duties of the Vice President shall be as follows:

  1. To assist and to undertake other such duties as are assigned by the President.
  2. To coordinate Parent Association and school event calendars. The Vice President shall approve all Parent Association event dates after consultation with the school. The Vice President shall act as the parent liaison to the Development Office.
  3. To assume any or all the responsibilities of the President in the event the President is unable to do so.
  4. In the event of a vacancy occurring in the office of the President, the Vice President shall automatically become the President of The Association. He/She shall serve for the remainder of the term of the President which, if longer than six (6) months, shall constitute one term under Article II, Section B.1.

The powers and duties of the Secretary shall be as follows:

  1. To keep files of all Association committee reports and meeting handouts.
  2. To handle correspondence for The Board.
  3. To maintain a current list of Association members.
  4. To contribute and maintain an archive of all Parent Association Board files.
  5. To undertake such other duties as are assigned by the President.

The powers and duties of the Treasurer shall be as follows:

  1. To receive all monies.
  2. To keep an exact account of all receipts and expenditures of money and of all monies on hand.
  3. To assure that all checks in an amount greater than $1,000.00 that are written on The Association's account are signed by the Treasurer and one other officer of The Association.
  4. To give an accurate and current Treasurer’s Report at each Association and Board meeting.
  5. To develop an annual budget in conjunction with Board members, to be presented at the first Board meeting of the school year.
  6. To undertake other such fiscal duties as are necessary to fulfill the Treasurer’s responsibilities and/or as assigned by the President.

Section C. Powers and Duties of the Executive Committee

  1. The members of the Executive Committee include the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer of The Association.
  2. The Executive Committee acts on behalf of The Board to address specific issues that require attention between Board meetings.
  3. The President will call Executive Committee meetings when it is deemed necessary. Two other members of the Executive Committee may also request a meeting.

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Section D. Powers and Duties of Standing Committees

  1. As indicated in Article II, Section A.1., there shall be Standing Committees, and the Chairperson of each shall serve on The Board
  2. Within the limitations of their respective budgets and powers, the Standing Committees and the duties of each shall be as follows:

    1. Bulldog Committee — The Bulldog Committee supports and promotes school spirit through athletics at Bullis.
    2. Community Service Committee — The Community Service Committee provides planning and logistical support to the Bullis Community. The Committee works closely with the school, faculty, administration and community to plan and carry out meaningful and age-appropriate community service activities.
    3. Diversity Committee — The Diversity Committee recognizes and celebrates the cultural diversity of the Bullis community and strives to develop an understanding and appreciation of different cultures.
    4. Faculty and Staff Appreciation — The Faculty and Staff Appreciation Committee coordinates the faculty/staff appreciation days and plans special treats in the faculty lounges, reception area at Founders’ Hall, Kitchen, Motor Pool and Gym.
    5. Fathers Committee — The Fathers Committee creates activities and events in which fathers (and/or significant males) and students can participate together.
    6. Fine Arts Committee — The Fine Arts Committee promotes and supports cultural activities at Bullis in conjunction with the Fine Arts Department. Activities range from sponsoring performances by musicians, storytellers, choral/theater groups, dance troupes and illustrations/demonstrations by visual artists. This Committee may also be called upon to assist the Fine Arts Department with student theater, music productions and art shows.
    7. GALA Committee — The Gala Committee plans and manages Bullis’s largest annual fundraiser, which raises monies for the school.
    8. Library Committee — The Library Committee works to support the Library in a number of ways including book fairs and the Fund-A-Book Program; and by coordinating Library Aides, when the librarians are absent for short periods during the day.
    9. Parent Education Committee — The Parent Education Committee plans educational programs that address current issues of interest to parents.
    10. New Parents Committee — The New Parents Committee supports the Administration during the recruitment and enrollment process; and welcomes and helps orient new families to the Bullis community.
    11. Newsletter Editor — The Editor is responsible for the publication of the monthly Bullis Parents Association Newsletter.
    12. Parents Council Representative — The Bullis School is one of fifty independent schools in the metropolitan area belonging to the Parents Council of Washington. Member schools appoint parent representatives to attend Council meetings. The Council strives to foster communication among parents, students and school communities through its programs and publications.
    13. Volunteer/Special Events Coordinator — This coordinator shall organize special events and activities which shall occur during a school year, and to organize and assign volunteers for those events. This position shall maintain and distribute a database of volunteers.

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Section E. Powers and Duties of Grade Level Coordinators

Grade level coordinators serve as the liaison to the appropriate grade level principal and work with room representatives to plan and implement class activities and special events.

ARTICLE III - MEETING

Section A. Meeting of the General Membership

At least two annual meetings shall be held that will be open to the full membership, one of which will be the April Meeting.

Section B. Board Meetings

  1. The President shall call and hold monthly meetings of The Board as appropriate and additional meetings as the need arises.
  2. Business transacted at any meeting of The Board shall be limited to the purposes stated in the notice of such meeting.
  3. Votes taken during Board Meetings shall require a simple majority unless stated elsewhere in the Bylaws.

Section C. Notice of Meetings

  1. Notice of all General Membership meetings shall be in writing (Newsletter, e-train, and/or letter) and distributed at least ten days, excluding school holidays, prior to the meeting.
  2. Notice of regular Board meetings shall be posted on the school calendar.
  3. Notice of additional Board meetings under Article III, Section B, may be oral but shall be at least five days, excluding school holidays, prior to the meeting.

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Section D. Quorum Requirements

  1. A quorum for a properly called General Membership meeting shall consist of those present.
  2. A quorum for The Board meetings shall consist of a simple majority of The Board members.

ARTICLE IV - SELECTION OF BOARD MEMBERS

Section A. Nomination of Officers

  1. The Nominating Committee is responsible for recommending a slate of officers for President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. The Committee shall consist of five current members of the Board, who do not seek nomination or have not served on the previous year's committee. The Committee shall select a Chair.
  2. At the January Board Meeting, Board members interested in serving as a member of the Nominating Committee for that year shall so indicate by raise of hand. If there are more than five candidates interested in serving, the Board will vote on the candidates at the January meeting. The five candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall constitute the Nominating Committee. In the case of tie votes, the Board will vote until the ties have been broken. If fewer than five candidates are interested, the most senior member of the Executive Board who is not seeking nomination shall appoint Board members to the vacant positions. If all current members of the Executive Committee seek nomination, the President shall appoint Board members to the vacant positions.
  3. The slate shall be presented to the Board at a March Board meeting. The Board shall vote to forward the slate for a General Membership vote at the April Parent Association Meeting.
  4. Notices of the election and the proposed slate of officers shall be distributed to the General Membership through The Bullis School e-mail distribution list referred to as e-train and/or the issue of the Parents Association Newsletter prior to the April General Membership meeting. The notice shall outline the slate of officers approved at a March Board meeting, and state that the slate shall be presented to the General Membership for formal approval at the April Parent Association Meeting.

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Section B. Appointment of Committee Chairpersons and Grade Level Coordinators

In addition to the Officers, The Board is composed of the Chairpersons of the Standing Committees and Grade Level Coordinators as specified in Article II, Sections C and D, hereof, as appointed by the President.

ARTICLE V - USE OF ASSETS

Upon the dissolution of The Association, The Board shall pay the liabilities of The Association and dispose of assets exclusively for the purpose for which The Association was organized. No part of the net earnings of The Association shall inure to the benefit of its members, officers or other private persons. In the event that a significant lifecycle event occurs to a member(s) of the Bullis Community, the Board may, at its discretion, vote to disburse monies to acknowledge such event. The total amount available for this disbursement will be included as a line item in the Annual Budget, agreed to at the beginning of each school year. Guidelines for the amount for each event will also be agreed to at that time. Exceptions due to specific circumstances may be approved by the Board, or at the discretion of the Executive Committee.

No part of the activities of The Association shall be carried on to influence legislation, participate or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.

The Association shall not engage in other activities prohibited to an organization exempt from Federal Income Tax under the Internal Revenue Code.

ARTICLE VI - AMENDMENTS

A Bylaws Committee will be appointed by the President, as needed, to recommend changes to the Bylaws. The Board shall consider the Bylaws Committee recommendations and vote on whether to bring them for consideration to the General Membership. The Bylaws may be amended and/or repealed or rescinded by two-thirds (2/3) vote at a General Membership meeting held in accordance with Article III.

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