PTA Constitution

RULES OF THE ST JOSEPH’S INSTITUTION JUNIOR SCHOOL PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATION

1. Name: The name of the Association shall be the St Joseph’s Institution Junior Parent- Teacher Association (hereinafter referred to as the Association).

2. Place of Business: The place of business of the Association shall be at St Joseph’s Institution Junior, 3 Essex Road, Singapore 309331.

3. Object: The Object of the Association is to promote the general welfare and well-being of the pupils of the School by

a) Affording opportunities for discussion and explanation in matters relating to the education of the pupils;

b) Promoting close co-operation and understanding between parents (the term parents in these rules includes guardians) the Principal and teachers;

c) Encouraging social activities and relationship among parents and teachers.

4. Limitations

a) The Association shall not at any time encroach on the normal running and policy of the school.

b) Questions of difficulty between pupils and members of the staff, questions of discipline and other such matters shall not be brought up for discussion at meetings of the Association; they may be referred to Principal by the parent concerned in the usual manner.

c) The Association shall not indulge in any unlawful activity or allow its funds and/or premises to be used for unlawful purposes.

d) The funds of the Association shall not be used to pay the fines of members who have been convicted in court.

e) The Association shall not attempt to restrict or in any other manner interfere with trade or prices or engage in any Trade Union activities.

f) The Association shall not hold any lottery, whether confined to its members or not, in the name of the Association or office-bearers, Committee or members.

g) The Association shall not indulge in any political activity or allow its funds and/or premises to be used for political purposes.

5. Constitution and Administration

a) The Association shall be managed by a Management Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) comprising;

I. a President (elected from amongst the parents)

II. three Vice-Presidents (two of whom shall be the Principal and Vice-Principal respectively and the other to be elected from amongst the parents).

III. an Hon. Secretary (elected from amongst the teachers).

IV. an Asst. Hon. Secretary(elected from amongst the parents).

V. an Hon. Treasurer (elected from amongst the parents).

VI. an Asst.Hon. Treasurer (elected from amongst the teachers).

VII. an Hon.Editor (elected from amongst the teachers).

VIII. six committee members (elected from amongst the parents).

IX. four committee members (elected from amongst the teachers).

X. Two ex-officio members (appointed by the President, from the parents of existing students, or former students or old boys of the School)

b) The Committee shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting and shall continue in office until the next Annual Meeting at which all Committee members will automatically retire but shall be eligible for re-election except for the post of Hon. Treasurer.

c) Any vacancy in the Committee occurring during the year shall be filled by a resolution on the Committee at a meeting. If the vacant position is that of a key role, e.g. President or Vicepresident, the vacant position is to be filled firstly from the existing Committee members. In the event the committee is unable to find a replacement from the existing committee members, and or if there are 2 or more positions that remain vacant (regardless of the post of the vacancy), and EOGM is to be convened within the time frame stipulated at Clause 8 (c) of the Constitution, to elect replacement members.

d) The Committee has the power to authorise the expenditure from the Association’s funds for the purpose of the Association.

e) The President shall be empowered to co-opt up to two parents into the Management Committee during his electoral term of office.

6. Powers and Functions of the Committee

The committee shall have the following powers and functions

a) To decide all matters concerning the policy, management and working of the Association;

b) To be the sole authority for the interpretation of the constitution and the rules of the Association;

c) To delegate and refer such of its powers and duties to any Sub-Committee or person which it shall appoint for any specified purpose as it shall deem necessary, provided, however, that any decision or action of such Sub-Committee or person shall have no force or effect unless and until it is confirmed by the Committee by a majority vote.

7. Meetings of the Committee

a) The Committee shall meet at least once a term.

b) Other meetings may be convened whenever it may be considered necessary by the President or upon a requisition in writing signed by at least four Committee members stating the business to be transacted.

c) Notices of all meetings of the Committee with the agenda shall be sent to each Committee member at least seven days prior to the date of the meeting.

d) The President shall take the Chair at all meetings and in the event of his being absent one of the Vice- Presidents shall take the Chair. In the event of the President and all Vice-Presidents being absent the members shall elect one of their members to preside over the meeting.

e) The quorum for a meeting of the Committee shall be eight.

f) Each member of the Committee shall be entitled to one vote but in the event of there being an equality of votes the Chairman of the meeting shall have an additional or casting vote.

g) Any member of the Committee absenting himself from three consecutive meetings without explanation satisfactory to the Committee shall ipso facto cease to be a member thereof.

8. Annual General Meetings

a) The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held in the month of January of each year or as soon as thereafter as is practicable on the date, time and place fixed by the Committee.

b) The Annual General Meeting shall:

I. receive and, if approved, adopt the report of the Committee prepared by the Hon.Secretary.

II. receive and, if approved, adopt the statement of accounts of the Association.

III. elect the members of the Committee.

IV. elect two Hon.Auditors who shall not be members of the Committee and not eligible for the re-election to the same post for a second consecutive term.

V. Transact any other business which the Committee has agreed to place on the agenda.

c) The quorum at any Annual General Meeting shall not be less than one-eight of the total membership or fifty members whichever is the lesser. If a quorum shall not be present within 30 minutes after the time appointed, the President shall adjourn the meeting for a period of not less than one week and not more than one month and shall fix the date, time and place of such adjourned meeting. At such adjourned Annual General Meeting those members who are present shall constitute a quorum, but they shall have no power to alter, amend or make additions to these rules if the stipulated quorum is not present.

d) Notice of every General Meeting together with the agenda, Annual report and statement of Accounts shall be sent to each member at least seven days before the date of the meeting.

9. Extraordinary General Meeting

a) Extraordinary General Meetings may be called by the Committee or on a requisition in writing by

at least fifty members stating the reason for the meeting.

b) The period of notice and quorums for extraordinary general meetings shall be the same as that for

the Annual General Meetings and subject matter for discussion shall be limited to that for which

the extraordinary general meeting is being called.

10. Hon. Treasurer and Finance

a) The Hon.Treasurer shall receive, and disburse and keep accurate accounts of the money of the Association. The Hon.Treasurer’s books shall be opened at any time for inspection or auditing after seven days’ notice given to the Committee. The Hon.Treasurer shall make such statements of accounts as shall be required of him.

b) The Asst.Hon.Treasurer shall assist the Hon. Treasurer in the discharge of his duties.

c) The work of the Association shall be financed by subscriptions and other sources of income acceptable to the Committee.

d) The funds of the Association shall be deposited in a bank selected by the Committee. The Hon.Treasurer shall keep a sum not exceeding $100 for current expenses.

e) All cheques shall be signed by the Hon. Treasurer or Assistant Hon. Treasurer and by any of the following – the President, or the Vice-President (Principal of the School)

f) The Accounts of the Association shall be audited annually at the end of the financial year by two Hon.Auditors before the Annual General Meeting.

g) The Financial year of the Association is from 1st January to 31st December of the same year.

11. Hon. Secretary and Correspondence

a) The Hon.Secretary shall keep a Register of Members, and a record of the minutes of the Association.

b) The Hon.Secretary shall prepare an Annual report for the Annual General Meeting.

c) The Hon. Secretary shall be in charge of all the correspondence of the Association and shall carry out such other duties as are normal to the post of Hon.Secretary.

12. Membership

a) Membership of the Association shall be opened to:

I. Parents of current pupils of St Joseph’s Institution Junior School.

II. The Principal and current teachers of the School.

b) I – Enrolment of Membership is automatic upon the admission of the student into the school but only takes effect upon the payment of the one-time subscription fee.

II – The Principal and current teachers of the school are not required to make payment of subscription fees. However, in the event a child of a teacher who is currently teaching in the school is admitted into the school as a student, the payment of subscription fees is applicable as if he/she were not a teacher of the school.

c) Definitions

12(c)(1)         Member:         Parents or Guardians of a pupil currently in the school.

12(c)(2)         Parent:            Refers to both father and mother as one entity.

12(c)(3)         Guardian:        Refers to a person or persons appointed as Guardian/s under an Order of Court. In the event more than one guardian is appointed

for a child, the collective guardians will be considered as one entity.

13. Subscription

13(a)(i)     The subscription shall be the prevailing sum stipulated by the school as at the date of admission of the student into the school.

13(a)(ii)    Subscription shall be based on a “per student” basis and is regardless of the number of years the student remains in the school.”

13(a)(iii)   In the event a student’s annual household income falls below the average mean monthly income for the national lower income households, the Committee retains the unfettered discretion to investigate and give consideration to waive the payment of the subscription fee for that student. The Committee’s decision (once made) in this regard shall be absolute and not subject to scrutiny. In such an event, the students’ parent(s)/guardian(s) will be entitled to one vote as if the subscription had been paid.

13(b) The subscription is payable by the first day of school or as soon as practicable.

13(A) – Voting Rights

(a) Each member shall be entitled to one vote per child currently in the school.

(b) Each teacher shall be entitled to one vote. In the event a teacher has a child enrolled in the school, that teacher is entitled to an additional vote provided that teacher has made payment of the subscription as required. A member shall not be entitled to stand for office in The Association by proxy.

(c) Voting by Proxy

(i) In the event a member is unable to attend the AGM or EOGM or such meeting as would require a vote to be cast, the member may appoint a proxy through a signed document. The appointment must be exercised by the parents or guardians jointly.

(ii) The document appointing the proxy must stipulate the following:-

a. the name(s) and identification numbers of the member making the appointment;

b. the name(s) of the student(s) currently in the school and the class;

c. the name and identification number of the appointed proxy.

(iii) The document must be signed by all parties and witnessed by an individual above 21 years of age.

(iv) The document is to be submitted no less than 5 working days (Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays excluded) prior to the appointed / scheduled AGM/EOGM to the Honorary Secretary by hand or AR Registered Mail.

13(B) A member shall not be entitled to stand for office in The Association by proxy.

14. Amendments

All amendments to the Rules of the Association shall be made at any Annual General Meeting or extraordinary general meeting by a majority vote of not less than two-thirds of those present. Such amendments should be submitted in writing to the Hon. Secretary at least two weeks before the date of the meeting. However, such amendments to the Rules shall not become effective without the approval of the Registrar of Societies.

15. Dissolution

a) The Association shall not be dissolved, except with the consent of not less than three fifths of the members of the Association expressed, either in person or by proxy at a general meeting convened for the purpose, or by postal vote.

b) In the event, of the Association being dissolved all debts and liabilities legally incurred on behalf of the Association shall be fully discharged and the remaining funds will be given to a movement of the School as agreed upon by members at the meeting called for the purpose.

c) Notice of the dissolution shall be given to the registrar of Societies within 7 days of the dissolution of the Association.