ST. PATRICK'S NATIONAL SCHOOL PARENTS ASSOCIATION

CONSTITUTION

THE ASSOCIATION: -

1. The Association will be known as St. Patrick's National School Parents Association.
   
   
2. Membership will comprise of the Parents/Guardians of every child attending the school.
   
   
3. An Annual General Meeting of the Association (AGM) will take place each year in September/October, to report on its work for the previous year. A member of the Association will have one vote at the AGM of the Association. All decisions of General Meetings, including Committee election will be by majority vote.
   
   
4. The membership will be notified of the date of the AGM at least 14 days prior to the meeting. Items for inclusion on the Agenda of the AGM must be submitted to the Secretary at least 7 days prior to the AGM. Members will be sent an Agenda with any motions at least 3 days in advance.
   
   
5. A Special General Meeting may be requisitioned by written request to the Committee, of not less than 25 parents, or at the discretion of the Committee.
   
   
6. An amendment to this Constitution must be notified in writing to the Committee at least seven days before the AGM or a Special General Meeting to be approved by not less than two thirds of the parents present and eligible to vote.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

1. Support: The Parents' Association Committee will work together in consultation with the Principal, Staff and Board of Management of the School as a forum to give voice to and promote the views and interests of all parents relating to the best possible education of their children.
   
   
2. Foster: The Committee will welcome suggestions from parents on the organisation of functions and informal activities throughout the year to both i) encourage parental involvement in the School and ii) promote and foster a healthy feeling of well being and belonging within the establishment.
   
   
3. Fund Raise: The Committee will organise fund raising activities with the support and backing of the school and parents to provide funds for equipment, materials, events and any activity that will be of direct benefit to the children of the school.
   
   
4. Affiliate: The Parent Association will affiliate to the National Parents Council Primary annually and as such will abide by guidelines outlined by same.
   
   
5. Communicate: The committee will inform members of all news worthy items and activities to be held through the distribution of regular Newsletters and will seek the view of parents.

THE COMMITTEE

1. The Committee will consist of not more than 22 members. Membership of the Committee shall be confined to members of the Association, as defined above. Parent representatives elected to the Board of Management are automatically members of the Committee, but will not hold an officer post. Those elected to the committee shall be prepared to serve for two consecutive years. Members may go forward for election for a further two years, providing they have a child in the school. The Association would deem it desirable that each school year should be represented on the Committee by at least one parent/member.
   
   
2. Electing Committee Members: The Committee is elected at the Annual General Meeting, to which all parents and guardians of children of the school are invited. All committee members whose term of office is finished, stand down. If they are willing to go forward for the next two years, they should seek nomination again.
   
   
3. Nomination forms will be forwarded to all parents, with the notification of the AGM, at least 14 days prior to the meeting. Nominees must be proposed and seconded by two other parents/guardians. Forms must be returned to the Secretary 7 days prior to the AGM. If there are 22 or less nominations, the nominees will be deemed to be elected at the AGM. In the event that they are in excess of 22 nominations for membership of the committee, a ballot will be held at the AGM. Two parents (tellers) will be nominated to count the votes - these should be counted in public. All parents/guardians should be notified in writing of the names of the committee members elected.
   
   
4. Three (3) places or 20% of the membership will be reserved for new members each year. The new member places apply to all committee member places, including present committee member whose term has been completed and opt for re-election.
   
   
5. The Committee members will elect the Officers of the Committee i.e. Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer at the first meeting of the Association following the AGM. Officers tenure is two (2) years and may be re-elected for a maximum of two (2) further year. A member must have at least a three (3) year break before returning to the same officer role.
   
   
6. The Chairperson will ensure regular meetings of the Committee are held and this should be at least once a month during the school year. The proceedings of each meeting will be kept by the Secretary and will include the names of the Committee members present. The first business of each meeting will be the reading, consideration and signing of the Minutes of the previous meeting.
   
   
7. The Treasurer will maintain proper records of the finances of the Association - details of income/expenditure will be provided at each meeting. An Income and Expenditure Account for the preceding year will be produced for the AGM - these records will be independently audited.
   
   
8. Any Committee member not attending three consecutive meetings, without notifying the committee, and having reasonable cause, will be deemed to have resigned. The committee must ratify by vote (80% of committee must approve) this situation to confirm that three (3) meetings have been missed with no reasonable cause. In this event, the committee will have the power to co-opt. Vacancies on the Committee may be filled by co-option after due notice has been given to each member of the existing Committee.
   
   
9. The Committee may co-opt a parent/member onto the committee to assist in their work. Subcommittees can be set up for particular tasks. The subcommittees may also co-opt parents/members to assist in their work. The subcommittees must present any proposals they wish to make to the Parents Association committee for approval.

THE FUNDS

1. Fund raising for the school by the Parent Association will be done with the prior agreement of the Board of Management. The Committee will agree with the Principal as to the specific school projects for which funds are to be raised by the Parent Association.
   
   
2. Decisions about the use of the Association's Funds must be made by majority vote of the Committee. A quorum of members must be in attendance to make such decisions, i.e. half of the membership, plus one. The Chairperson has the casting vote when a tie occurs.
   
   
3. The funds of the Association will be lodged in such Bank as is approved by the Committee and be in the name of St. Patrick's National School Parent Association. Two signatures must be used on all cheques drawn on behalf of the Association, the treasurer's signature must be one of these signatures.
   
   
4. The financial affairs of the Association will be conducted so as to be clearly in surplus at all times.