Bylaws

By-Laws

Of

Martin Luther King Intermediate School

Parent Teacher Organization

Piscataway, New Jersey

Article I – Name

The name of this Organization shall be the Martin Luther King Intermediate School Parent Teacher Organization (the “Organization”).

Article II – Purpose & Policy

SECTION 1. PURPOSE. The Martin Luther King Intermediate School Parent Teacher Organization, operating as a non-profit organization under the umbrella and following the guidelines of the Piscataway Board of Education and, specifically Martin Luther King Intermediate School, shall have as its objectives the following:

a. To bring into closer relationship the home and the school so that parents and teachers may cooperate in the educational, moral and physical development of each child.

b. To promote the welfare of the children in the school and the community.

c. To help provide the enrichment materials and experiences necessary for a satisfactory educational environment for each child.

d. To use various methods of fundraising to attend the above purposes.

SECTION 2. POLICY.

a. This Organization shall neither seek nor direct the administrative activities of the school nor to control its policies, but the Organization or its individual members shall feel free to offer the Principal or the Board of Education such constructive suggestions as will promote the interest of each child.

b. This Organization shall be non-partisan in nature.

ARTICLE III – Membership & Dues

SECTION 1. ELIGIBILITY. Any adult resident living in the Martin Luther King Intermdiate School District with a child attending the school, and any faculty member or other individual working within Martin Luther King Intermediate School, shall be eligible for membership upon payment of annual dues.

SECTION 2. DUES. The amount of money to be paid in annual dues per adult in a family, or per entire family, will be decided upon by the Executive Board at the beginning of each school year. Each adult member shall be entitled to attend the General Membership meetings and vote at these meetings.

ARTICLE IV – Officers

SECTION 1. OFFICERS. The officers of the Organization shall be President or Co-President(s), Vice-President or Co-Vice-President(s), Treasurer and Recording/Corresponding Secretary.

SECTION 2. ELECTIONS. The officers shall be elected at the annual meeting. The officers shall be elected to serve for one year or until their successors are elected. Their term of office shall begin at the June Executive Board Meeting at which time new officers shall receive all books, records and job descriptions, except for the Treasurer. The Treasurers’ term of office shall begin at the completion of the previous school years’ June Treasurer’s report.

SECTION 3. TERM OF OFFICE. No officer shall hold more than one office at a time and no member shall be eligible to serve more than two consecutive years in the same office, except, in the event that no new member wishes to serve in an executive office. Then the individual holding that office may serve for an additional consecutive year if agreed upon by a majority of the other Executive Board officers and the person currently holding the position.

ARTICLE V – Duties of Officers

SECTION 1. THE CO-PRESIDENT(s). The President/Co-President(s) shall preside at all meetings of the Organization and the Executive Board and shall be the official representative of the Organization. He/She shall have such usual powers of supervision and management, as may pertain to the office of the President/Co-President and perform such other duties as may be designated by the Executive Board.

SECTION 2. THE CO-VICE PRESIDENT(s). The Co-Vice President(s) shall perform the duties of the President/Co-President(s) in the absence of that officer. The Co-Vice President(s) shall perform such other duties as Chair of Family Fun and support any other committees that require assistance.

SECTION 3. THE RECORDING/CORRESPONDING SECRETARY. The Secretary shall keep minutes and attendance at all the meetings and shall handle all correspondence of the Organization and the Executive Board. He/She shall sign, with the President/Co-President(s), all contracts and other instruments when so authorized by the Executive Board and shall perform such other functions as may be incident to his/her office. The Secretary will be responsible for giving a copy of the minutes to each Board Member either before or at the next Executive Board Meeting.

SECTION 4. THE TREASURER/FINANCIAL SECRETARY. The Treasurer and Financial Secretary will be responsible for the timely receipt and deposit of all funds for the Organization and disbursement of funds as directed, preparation of bank reconciliations on a monthly basis, and preparation of financial reports for presentation to the general membership. The Treasurer and/or Financial Secretary must make available the books at anytime for review by one of the Co-Presidents. It is the responsibility of the Treasurer to issue to the incoming Executive Board a yearly budget. A Co-President shall be authorized to sign for disbursement of funds, which is a joint account for the Treasurer, Financial Secretary and a Co-President. Prior to the books being transferred to the in-coming Treasurer the Co-President must review the books.

ARTICLE VI – Meetings

SECTION 1. GENERAL MEMBERSHIP. A minimum of three (3) General Membership meetings of the Organization shall be held during the school year unless otherwise ordered by the President/Co-President(s), Executive Board or Organization.

SECTION2. ANNUAL MEETINGS. The last meeting of the year will be known as the Annual Meeting.

ARTICLE VII – The Executive Board

SECTION 1. EXECUTIVE BOARD. The officers of the Organization and the Administration Representative shall constitute the Executive Board.

SECTION 2. ADMINISTRATIVE REPRESENTATIVE. The Administrative Representative shall be the Principal of Martin Luther King Intermediate School.

SECTION 3. DUTIES. The Executive Board shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Organization, make recommendations to the Organization, and shall plan and direct the work necessary to carry out the purposes of the Organization.

SECTION 4. MEETINGS. Unless otherwise ordered by the Board, regular meetings of the Executive Board shall be held at least one week prior to the General Meetings. The President/Co-President (s) can call special meetings of the Board.

SECTION 5. VACANCIES. Any vacancy occurring in the Executive Board may be filled by majority vote of the remaining members of the Executive Board.

ARTICLE VIII – COMMITTEES

SECTION 1. TERM. Organization activities shall be centered in Standing Committees.Committee Chairpeople shall be appointed by the Executive Board to serve for a one-year term with the option of serving a second year if agreed upon by the Executive Board and the person currently holding the position.

SECTION 2. SELECTION OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS. Committee Chairpeople shall select as many members for their committees as they deem necessary.

SECTION 3. STANDING COMMITTEES. The Standing Committees shall be as follows:

a. Budget - A Budget Committee consisting of the incoming Executive Board and the prior Treasurer shall prepare the annual budget. The budget shall be presented to the members of the Organization at a General Membership meeting. A majority vote of the members present and voting shall be sufficient for adoption of the annual budget.

b. Teacher Liaison - The liaison shall bring to the Teacher/Staff meetings any information from the Executive Board meetings. He/She shall be responsible for making the teachers aware of the Organization’s upcoming events and monthly meetings. The Teacher Liaison will be responsible for handling the Teacher membership and trying to achieve 100% participation.

c. Parent Membership

d. Book Fair

e. Family Fun

f. Spirit wear Sale

g. Teacher Appreciation

h. Cultural Arts

i. Newsletter

j. Field Day

k. Yearbook

SECTION 4. SPECIAL COMMITTEES. Special committees or additional Standing Committees may be approved by the President/Co-President (s) with the consent of the Executive Board or may be appointed by the President/Co-President(s) as the Organization or Executive Board shall direct.

SECTION 5. DUTIES; SUCCESSION. Chairpeople shall keep job descriptions and records of committee activities; which shall be given to their successors at the end of their appointed terms.

ARTICLE IX – Nominations and Elections

SECTION1. THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE. The Nominating Committee shall consist of the Executive Board. It shall be the duty of this committee to nominate one (1) candidate for each office to be filled at the Annual Meeting. Before the election at the Annual Meeting, additional nominations from the floor shall be permitted.

SECTION 2. ELECTIONS. When there is more than one nominee for an Executive Board position, a majority vote of the members present and voting shall constitute an election. If no one receives a majority of the votes cast, the name receiving the lowest number of votes on each ballot shall be excluded in further balloting. Absentee or proxy voting shall not be permitted.

ARTICLE X – Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order Revised shall govern the Organization in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with these By-Laws or the special rules of order of this Organization.

ARTICLE XI – Amendment of By-Laws

The Executive Board of the Organization can amend these By-Laws. The amended By-Laws will be submitted to the Administrative Representative.

REVISED 6/07