Mercer County Council of PTAs

1. Mercer County Council of PTAs ABCs of PTA Monday, June 3, 2013 7PM Reynolds Middle School

3. The Big Things(Things your General Members Need to Know About)

4. $ Money = Audit, Budget, Fundraising

5. Audit • First things first • Conduct your audit at the end of your fiscal year, before your new treasurer takes over while your current president and treasurer are still around. Check your Bylaws to determine your fiscal year. • Purpose of an audit: • To ascertain the accuracy of the books and financial records • To detect errors and recommend corrections • To protect the financial officer. It is the only means of assuring the membership that the accounts are accurate, and it relieves the treasurer of responsibility, except in the case of fraud. • Stephanie Bowe – Mercer County Council of PTAs president is conducting the treasurers’ workshop tonight and is an EXCELLENT resource for all things PTA and all things financial. (mercercountypta@yahoo.com )

6. Be able to get to this information fairly quickly: • Local PTA Unit Number and Official PTA name • Fiscal year • Federal EIN Number • State of NJ Charitable Registration CH Number • Your PTA website • Your Bylaws Review Date • The cell phone numbers of your officers and committee chairs • Your calendar of events for your year

7. Budget GET A GOOD TREASURER Get a committee together in June, July or August and knock this out. Include as many people as you can. Present it to your General Membership for Approval when school starts.

8. Fundraising • NJ PTA Position Statement On Fundraising • While the official mission of the PTA bears no mention of fundraising, funds are needed to carry-out the local PTA’s yearly activities as listed in their budgets. • PTAs should begin each year with specific goals in mind before determining the dollar amount needed from a fundraising event. • Once a fundraising project has been thoroughly considered, it must be presented to the members at a general membership meeting for a vote to approve the event.

9. NJPTA Position on Fundraising • Children and Youth should not be exploited. • Children and Youth should not sell or go door-to-door for PTA. • Children and Youth should not be used to collect money for PTA. • Children and Youth should not be offered prize incentives, which have been known to cause needless competition among students and encourage inappropriate unsafe selling tactics.

10. The PTA’s 3 to 1 Rule • There should be at least 3non-fundraising projects aimed at helping parents and children, or advocating for improvements for the school, to every 1 fundraising event. • PTA funds should always be used for PTA work. It is not appropriate to raise money for PTA activities and then donate it to another organization (NJPTA Bylaws, Article III d.) • PTAs should provide service, not material items, to the school.

11. Program Ideas

12. 6 National PTA Standards

13. A PTA’s Real Working Capital lies in its Members, not its Treasury.

14. Bylaws

15. Your BYLAWS don’t BITE

16. Bylaws Amendments • The following steps must be taken: • Form a Bylaw Review Committee to look over your bylaws and recommend changes. • Provide 1st Reading access to the changes to your General Membership 25 days prior to action. You should clearly present the original wording, the new wording and a rationale or reason for the change. • Get the approval of the changes by your General Membership at a General Membership Meeting • Submit 4 copies of Bylaws Change form (Available on www.njpta.org) to your County Bylaws Chair Doris Harris mcptapresdah@optonline.net • Even if there are no changes, you must submit a Bylaws form every 3 years.

17. Officers

18. Standing Rules • Standing rules are the rules an organization uses to administer its affairs under the provisions of its Bylaws. A well-organized and efficient PTA should have a written set of procedures for putting its Bylaws into effect. Standing rules are more flexible than Bylaws and may be changed at any executive board meeting by a majority vote if previous notice was given or 2/3 vote without previous notice. • Taken from www.njpta.org – Guide for Preparing Standing Rules.

19. Questions Your Standing Rules Should Answer • Who prepares the calendar of PTA events? • Who approves the calendar? • How are committee members selected? Refer to Local PTA Bylaws Article X. • What are each chair's and each officer’s responsibilities? • How are notices prepared to send home? • Who prepares notices? • Who approves notices? • Who or how many attend dinners? • What and when are all of the PTA deadlines?

20. Steps to create standing rules • Using the Bylaws as an outline, the Standing Rules committee should consider each article and formulate instructions for applying the article. Local PTA functions may also be outlined in the standing rules. • There should be complete job descriptions for each officer and chair. • It is in standing rules, not Bylaws, that items such as the specific responsibilities of vice presidents should appear. Standing rules do not have to go to the general membership for approval. • After the committee has finalized the procedures, they are presented to the executive board for approval by a majority vote (half plus one of those present). NOTE: A quorum, as established in Local PTA Bylaws, must be present. • After approval, standing rules should be made available to each board member. • Standing rules can be amended at any executive board meeting with a majority (half plus one of those present) provided a quorum has been met.

21. Your Nominating Committee must be approved by your General Members at least 2 months before your officers are elected.

22. Nominations and Elections There shall be a nominating committee composed of _____ (at least three and always an uneven number) who shall be elected at a regular general membership meeting, at least two months prior to the election of officers. The president is not a member of this committee and, therefore, does not attend its meeting(s) in any capacity. The president should ensure that the nominating committee has: • Copies of the most current bylaws procedures • The NJPTA Nominations and Elections guide • The membership roster .

23. Nominations and Elections • At the election meeting: • Your Nominating Committee will present their recommendations for officers. • You will determine if there are any nominations from the floor. (Anyone presenting a nomination from the floor should have already notified you that it was coming) • Nominees from the floor shall have given (see Article of Bylaws) ____days notice before the election meeting of their intent to run. Notification must be in writing to the Local PTA President, Recording Secretary and Nominating Committee Chair. • There are easy and specific guidelines for conducting your election in the NJPTA Nominations and Elections Guide.

24. Officers and Meetings • There are easy to follow instructions for preparing agendas and conducting meetings in the NJPTA President’s Guide. • Parliamentary Procedure using Robert’s Rules of Order should be used as a guideline to ensure your meetings are fair and orderly. • Presidents should, at least, be familiar with Robert’s Rules.

25. Robert’s Rules in a Nutshell: Stick to the issue at hand. Respect differences of opinion. Be kind, courteous, and professional. See the NJPTA President’s Guide for a simple breakdown of Parliamentary Procedure and motions.

26. Committees • The National PTA in the Annual Resources for PTAs states, “Committees are the working machinery of a PTA/PTSA; it is committees that plan and promote the activities of the PTA. • Each committee consists of three or more persons for the committee’s field of work. • Each committee has a definite purpose or purposes and is at all times subject to the control and direction of the association… • Try to recruit your Committee Chairs before you break for the summer. Ask them to be present at your summer budget meeting and also to report their plans at your September Executive Board Meeting.

27. COMMITTEE CHAIR • The chair’s primary responsibility is to give leadership to the members of the group and to stimulate them to their highest capabilities. The chair is someone who has the ability to organize the individual members into a working group. The chair is not necessarily the one who has the most knowledge about the topic at hand, or who does all of the work. • See NJPTA Guide for Committees at www.njpta.org Good Procedure Books are VERY HELPFUL.

28. I REPEAT: NO YES The chair does not do ALL the work

29. A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. —Lao Tzu YES! NO!

30. COMMITTEE VOLUNTEERS • Some “facts” according to Barb:

31. Example – Distributing Testing Snacks

32. Contents of a Procedure Book • Name, address, telephone number, and period served • Your plan of work and calendar • All information from the State and National PTA that pertains to your job • Directory of all PTA board members, your committee, State and National counterparts, and other contacts • Association bylaws, current budget, standing rules, newsletters, minutes, and bulletins • All correspondence pertaining to your position • Copy of any reports given to the local association • Notes from workshops, conferences, and conventions that you have attended • Pages or sections of the State Handbook, or policies that are pertinent to your responsibilities • At the end of your PTA fiscal year, you may wish to reduce the bulk of the procedure book, but until that time, keep everything in order and together. • Any other resource materials you have found to be helpful • Evaluation of the year’s work with specific suggestions and recommendations for improvement or future goals.

33. YOU ARE NOT ALONE

34. How the National PTA Serves the Local PTA Resources All presidents receive free of charge: • Quick Reference Guides – Information about all phases of parent-teacher work. Our Children – National PTA’s magazine focusing on issues to keep leaders abreast of current issues. • Many other publications on specific subjects designed to help PTA board members. • Publications can also be accessed on the National PTA website at www.pta.org. • E-Learning, a computer-based training program available at www.pta.org • E-Newsletter Taken from the NJPTA Presient’s Guide.

35. • National PTA provides a voice in Washington representing PTA positions before Congress and government agencies. • National PTA, through its annual resolutions, provides the PTA with a vehicle by which concerns that are national in scope can be addressed throughout the nation. • National PTA represents you on many committees, commissions and boards of directors. • State presidents serve on the all-volunteer National PTA Council of States providing an avenue for two-way communication between State PTAs and the National PTA. Taken from the NJPTA President’s Guide.

36. How New Jersey PTA Serves the Local PTA Resources All local PTA presidents receive free of charge: • New Jersey State PTA Handbook – A guide prepared specifically for PTA leaders • New Jersey Parent-Teacher – The official bulletin of New Jersey PTA, which focuses on the work of, and ideas for, PTAs and PTA people • NJPTA Website – www.njpta.org – an excellent source of information on what’s going on in NJPTA and a source for all NJPTA references, such as state handbooks and guidebooks and information on how to contact your state and county board members. • Publications – Guides and brochures of specific topics and issues • Leadership Packets – Special packets prepared for the leaders of local PTAs E-Newsletter • Mailings on timely issues • Materials that are prepared to provide ready answers • State PTA representatives who are available to answer questions and to provide guidance on specific subjects • New Jersey PTA maintains an office in Mercerville to provide service to its local PTAs and councils. • Local PTAs may purchase liability insurance and bonding coverage at NJPTA’s group rate (see NJPTA Handbook – “Statement on Insurance”).

37. How A County Council Serves the Local PTA Resources Most counties publish a directory containing the names, addresses, emails and phone numbers of all county council board members. County council presidents are available to provide assistance when requested. County chairs are available to answer questions about specific topics and to provide resources. A county council newsletter is published to provide information about county conferences and other important information. County councils offer a variety of conferences and workshops for local PTAs to provide an opportunity for leadership training and a chance to explore the functions of PTA beyond the local level.

38. What Is A Local PTA President? A local PTA president is a leader who: • Knows that board members are working with, not for, him/her. • Knows that board members are partners in the work and share in the successes. • Builds leaders and helps board members to develop and grow. • Recognizes that the more leaders an organization has, the stronger it is. • Is a self-starter, creates plans, and sets them in motion. • Has a sense of humor.

39. • Wants the best way, not his/her own way. • Assigns jobs and lets people do them. • Knows that doing it all himself/herself trains no one, involves no one, and makes everyone lose interest. • Knows that his/her job is being sure that everyone’s job is done and believes that confidence in board members gives them confidence in themselves. • Has the courage to tackle difficult issues, making sure that the board has first voted to support their actions. • Is supportive of board members’ ideas and encourages them to carry them through. • Checks with his/her county council president or region director if unsure of PTA policy. Taken from NJPTA President’s Guide.

40. Sample of President duties in the Standing Rules. The President shall: 1. Call meetings to order on time and proceed with the business. 2. Maintain a fair and impartial position at all times. 3. Prepare an agenda for each meeting with the minutes previously provided by the recording secretary and give copy of proposed agenda to Recording Secretary. 4. Have a copy of the current NJPTA-approved, Local PTA Bylaws with him/her at every meeting. 5. Vote when voting is by ballot. In other cases, the president may vote to create or break a tie. (Do not reflect or show your vote if by voice or hand, just include your vote in the count.) 6. File his/her signature at the bank at which the funds are deposited. 7. Sign all checks with the treasurer. 8. Represent the PTA at all district or state functions when invited, or assign an alternate. 9. Appoint chairs of standing committees (if bylaw directed), or have agenda time to do so at executive meeting. 10. Coordinate the work of officers and committees so that the goals of the PTA are realized. 11. Prepare a calendar for the year with the executive committee. 12. Share all National PTA, NJPTA, and County PTA mailings and other information with all Local PTA members, especially the chairs. 13. Notify the County PTA and NJPTA of any change of address. 14. Complete the report forms from NJPTA or County PTA in a timely fashion. Return the NJPTA form for change of officers immediately following elections, or ensure that the secretary does so. 15. Sign all contracts for the association as President.

41. Speaking of PTA • When you refer to PTA, it is always PTA • NOT…Pta ..or… pta… or P.T.A.

42. Resources and Websites • www.pta.org – NATIONAL PTA • www.njpta.org – NEW JERSEY STATE PTA • All guides and handbooks available here • www.mercercountycouncilpta.org – MCCPTA • All the latest County PTA news and events • Contact information for all county officers and committee chairs

43. Guidebooks available at NJPTA • 2011-2013 Handbook - revised 7/2012 • 2011-2013 President's Guidebook - revised 7/2012 • 2011-2013 Treasurer's Guidebook - revised 7/2012 • 2011-2013 Recording/Corresponding Secretary's Guidebook • 2011-2013 Membership Guidebook - revised 7/2012 • 2011-2013 Installations Guidebook • 2011-2013 Nominations and Elections Guidebook • 2011-2013 Guide for Preparing Standing Rules • 2011-2013 Founder's Day, Candlelighting Guide • 2011-2013 Guide for Committees

44. More Resources from NJPTA • For the Treasurer: • Audit Forms: • 2010-2011 Report of the Annual Audit • 2011-2012 Report of the Annual Audit • 2012-2013 Report of the Annual Audit • For the Membership Chair: • Overview Guide on Membership • 2011-2012 Membership Year Forms: • 2011-2012 Membership Dues Form • 2011-2012 Membership Breakdown form (for end of year reporting) • 2012-2013 Membership Year Forms: • 2012-2013 Report of PTA Officers form • 2012-2013 Membership Dues Remittance Form • 2012-2013 Request for More Membership Cards • 2012-2013 Membership Breakdown Form • 2013-2014 Membership Year Forms: • 2013-2014 Report of PTA Officers Form The current NJPTA Membership Chair is our very own former Mercer County President Donna Hackett . She is here tonight conducting the Membership Workshop.

45. Don’t Forget Your Social Media • National PTA has a Facebook Page • There are New Jersey PTA and NJPTA Legislative Activities Facebook Pages • There is a Mercer County Council of PTAs Facebook page • Twitter.com/mccptas • +googlemccptas • feedback line where you can call or text to our Google Voice Number 608 MCC-PTAS

46. Words of Wisdom Don’tever, ever speak ill of your predecessor. She/he did the best she could at the time . Do - Recognize and praise your volunteers heartily and often. Do – Get a Good Treasurer! Do - Delegate, delegate, delegate. You can’t do everything yourself. Figure out who is good at what and let them run with it. Don’t let your ego get in your way. • Do - Have FUN!!! If it’s not fun, you will be miserable and so will your volunteers! • Don’t be afraid to change the way things are done.