ST. PATRICK’S EPISCOPAL DAY SCHOOL
PARENTS ASSOCIATION BYLAWS
ARTICLE I. NAME
This association shall be known as the St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School Parents Association (hereinafter called “the Parents Association” or “the Association”).
ARTICLE II. MISSION
The Parents Association of St. Patrick's Episcopal Day School strives to involve all of our families in nurturing our diverse and welcoming community, supporting excellence in the education of all of our children, and creating a spirit of volunteerism and generosity that contributes to the life and vitality of the Day School. Guided by our Executive Committee, and in partnership with the broader Day School community, the Parents Association leads community-building and fundraising initiatives. These efforts enable us to support the professional development and recognition of our faculty and staff, to serve as a resource to Day School families, and to enhance the spirit and character of St. Patrick’s.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Membership – Membership in the Parents Association shall be conferred automatically to the parents of all Day School students upon enrollment.
Section 2. Rights and Obligations of Membership – Each member has the right to participate in programs of the Parents Association and is eligible to hold office. Members are expected to support the endeavors and activities of the Parents Association and of the Day School.
ARTICLE IV. DUES AND CHARGES
Section 1. Dues – Annual dues shall be established by the Executive Committee of the Association, in consultation with the Day School Business Office, and shall be levied on a per-family basis at the time of billing or tuition.
ARTICLE V. OFFICERS
Section 1. Officers – Officers of the Association shall comprise the Executive Committee and shall consist of a President, Vice President for Room Parents, Vice President for Volunteers, Vice President for Faculty and Staff Recognition, Vice President for Parents Association Sales, Vice President for Service and Sustainability, Vice President for Equity, Vice President for Communications, Vice President for Fundraising, Vice President for Horizons Greater Washington, Treasurer, and Recording Secretary. Other Officer positions may also be created at the discretion of the Executive Committee. Officers shall be asked to serve two-year terms and shall each be a member of the Executive Committee. When possible, the two-year terms shall be staggered so that roughly half of the Officers are up for election in any given year. The Officers shall be chosen from among the members of the Parents Association.
Section 2. Nomination of Officers – The President shall seek recommendations from the Executive Committee of the Parents Association and the broader Day School community. The President shall contact candidates. In consultation with the Executive Committee, the President shall create a slate listing the name and qualifications of at least one candidate for each office to be filled. All nominations must have the prior consent of the nominee.
Section 3. Election of Officers – A slate shall be distributed to members of the Parents Association along with a ballot via HoundsTruth or other schoolwide communication no later than the first Thursday in May of each year. Officers shall be elected by a majority of votes cast. The Executive Committee shall establish the date that ballots must be returned to the Day School and notify the Parents Association of the due date and the method for casting votes at the time the ballots are distributed. Newly elected Officers shall assume their duties on July 1 of the year in which they are elected.
Section 4. Vacancies – Any vacancy in an Officer’s position shall be filled by the Parents Association’s presiding officer, from recommendations made by the Executive Committee, to serve until the next election of Officers.
Section 5. Duties of Officers – The duties and powers of the Officers shall be as follows:
President – The President shall be the Executive Officer of the Association and shall call and preside at meetings of the Parents Association and its Executive Committee. The President, with the approval of the Executive Committee, may create Committees not provided for in these Bylaws. The President shall be a voting member of the Day School Board of Trustees and shall be responsible for communicating the Association’s policies and activities to the Board of Trustees. The President shall serve as liaison between the Day School and the Association. At the request of the President or in the event of his/her absence or disability, the Vice President may perform all of the duties of the President.
Vice President for Room Parents – The Vice President for Room Parents shall assist the President and may be asked to perform the duties of the President in his/her absence. S/he shall be responsible for the selection of Room Parents and the coordination of their duties. S/he shall also oversee any revisions to the Room Parent Handbook. S/he shall be the primary contact for communications to the Room Parents with regard to Day School events and the needs of various Day School committees and other Association officers.
Vice President for Volunteers – The Vice President for Volunteers shall oversee volunteer recruitment at the Day School. S/he shall establish procedures for identifying volunteers including, but not limited to, a schoolwide communication over the summer. In coordination with the chairs of Association-sponsored events, including Family Fun Day and Book Fair, activities, and programs, s/he shall help ensure appropriate volunteer recruitment.
Vice President for Faculty and Staff Recognition – The Vice President for Faculty and Staff Recognition shall be responsible for activities and events recognizing faculty and staff contributions to the Day School that include, but are not limited to, a Fall Welcome-Back Gift, a holiday charitable donation on behalf of faculty and staff, the Faculty and Staff Breakfast, Appreciation Luncheon, and gifts in recognition of those individuals celebrating special anniversaries with St. Patrick’s.
Vice President for Parents Association Sales – The Vice President for Parents Association Sales shall be responsible for the purchase, sale, and inventory of St. Patrick’s logo items purchased by the Parents Association and sold to members of the community.
Vice President for Service and Sustainability – The Vice President for Service and Sustainability shall work in conjunction with the Day School’s Director of Community Service to support community service activities. S/he shall also work in coordination with the Day School’s Director of Sustainability to support sustainability efforts. S/he shall serve on the Day School’s Parent Environmental Action Team to coordinate initiatives with the Parents Association.
Vice President for Equity – The Vice President for Equity shall present equity-related initiatives to the Executive Committee for support and/or approval including, but not limited to, Day School Equity Forums and Salons. S/he shall also ensure that all Parents Association programs fully consider equity- and diversity-related concerns and shall promote the understanding of equity- and diversity-related issues among all Day School constituencies. The Vice President for Equity may be designated by the President to serve on the Board of Trustees Equity Committee.
Vice President for Communications – The Vice President for Communications shall assist the Parents Association in communicating about its activities and programs to the broader Day School community as well as participate with the Day School’s social-media initiatives, when applicable. S/he shall also be responsible for coordinating the recruitment of the Wolfhound Grade Representatives and be the primary contact for communications with the Grade Representatives. S/he shall serve as the liaison with the Office of Enrollment Management regarding Parents Association communications to new families.
Vice President at Large – The Vice President at Large shall be responsible for the Family Bingo Night, the Community Skating Party, and any other Parents Association schoolwide initiatives as presented and assigned, including organizing outside speakers sponsored by the Parents Association. S/he shall coordinate the Parents Association donation to the Auction to Benefit the Financial Aid Program.
Treasurer – The Treasurer, in conjunction with the Day School Business Office, shall oversee the allocation and use of the Association’s funds. The Treasurer shall prepare an annual budget to be approved by the Executive Committee, ensure the keeping of complete and accurate accounts, and present written financial statements at Association meetings. The Treasurer shall ensure that accurate financial statements are presented to the Board of Trustees prior to the annual Day School audit, for review with the Day School’s financial statements.
Vice President for Fundraising –The Vice President for Fundraising shall handle the administrative aspects of school photographs and the coordination of any affiliate programs in which the Parents Association participates. The Vice President for Fundraising shall also manage the Holiday Greenery sales. With the assistance of the Executive Committee, s/he shall regularly investigate ways to diversify the Parents Association’s revenue streams.
Recording Secretary – The Recording Secretary shall keep and distribute the minutes of the meetings of the Association and the Executive Committee in coordination with the Development Office staff. S/he will also help maintain, in coordination with the Development Office, the Bylaws and minutes, which are available online on the Day School website.
Vice President for Horizons Greater Washington – The Vice President for Horizons Greater Washington shall be responsible for activities and events related to St. Patrick's partnership with Horizons Greater Washington that include, but are not limited to, the Horizons Volunteer Council and Horizons Annual Spring Splash, for which s/he shall serve as a chair. S/he shall work with the Day School's Director of Community Service to represent Horizons Greater Washington at Gifts for Good and other activities and events. S/he shall be responsible for building and maintaining awareness in the Day School community about Horizons Greater Washington.
Development Office Liaison: The Development Office Liaison is a non-voting member of the Parents Association Executive Committee. The Development Office Liaison shall support the Parents Association Executive Committee in all events in an ad hoc manner.
ARTICLE VI. PROCEDURES
Section 1. Meetings – The Executive Committee of the Association shall meet monthly during the school year. Additional meetings shall be called as needed.
Section 2. Voting – Voting shall be done either at an Executive Committee meeting, at a meeting of the Association, or by printed ballot in HoundsTruth or other schoolwide communication. In the normal course of business, voting shall be conducted by the Executive Committee on behalf of the Parents Association, except as provided herein, and shall require a majority vote of members voting. If a tie vote occurs, the President, or the Presiding Officer, shall vote to break the tie.
Section 3. Changes in Bylaws – All proposed changes in the Bylaws shall be reviewed and voted upon by the Executive Committee. All changes approved by the Executive Committee shall be published in HoundsTruth or by other schoolwide communication at least two weeks prior to a vote thereon. All changes in the Bylaws shall require approval by a two-thirds majority of those Parents Association members who vote.
Section 4. Election of Officers – As previously provided for in Article V, Section 3, Officers of the Parents Association shall be elected by a majority of Parents Association members who vote.
ARTICLE VII. FISCAL POLICIES
Section 1. Fiscal Year and Audit – The Parents Association’s fiscal year shall be the same as that of the Day School, and the books and accounts of the Parents Association shall be kept in accordance with generally accepted accounting practices.
Section 2. Budget – The budget will be derived from individual budgets presented to the Treasurer by Event Chairs and by Officers of the Executive Committee. Each event sponsored by the Association shall have a budget prepared by the Chair or his/her designee or the Executive Committee member, as appropriate. The budget shall show projected income and expenses by category, total projected profit, and advance cash requirements.
The Association’s budget will then be prepared by the Treasurer in coordination with the Day School Business Office and shall be approved by the Executive Committee, acting on behalf of the Day School parent body. Budget resolutions approved by the Executive Committee will form part of the minutes for that meeting. Any item not approved during the budgeting process as an income or expense item will be discussed and approved by the Executive Committee on a case-by-case basis. Income shall be disbursed for the benefit of the Day School in accordance with the annual budget approved by a majority of Officers voting.
ARTICLE VIII. DISSOLUTION
A two-thirds vote of all members shall be required to dissolve the Association. In the event of dissolution, all of the Association’s assets shall be distributed to the Day School.
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