Nominations & Elections S.O.U.P. Presented by

Donald Barringer and Sarah Martin,

NCPTA Board of Directors

www.tinyurl.com/NCPTASOUP

Workshop Objectives – S.O.U.P.

• S ummary of roles and responsibilities

• O pportunities for everyone

• U nderstanding “the Process”

• P assing the Torch

Presentation and Resources www.tinyurl.com/NCPTASOUP

How do I fit in?

A- Why you got involved with PTA?

B – Why you became a leader in PTA?

S.OUP

Summary of Roles and Responsibilities

Understand the roles and responsibilities of every member of your team – your PTA Board

What Roles Do Nominating Committees Seek to Fill?

• President

• Vice President(s)

• Secretary

• Treasurer

Some units ask more of their Nominating Committee in helping to also secure Committee Chairs/other Board members.

See Standing Rules for information about your requirements.

Uniform Bylaws will guide you on Roles and Responsibilities

• You’d be shocked by what you can learn from reading your unit’s Uniform Bylaws

• All PTA units in the state use the same bylaws

• You should have a copy readily available from your current PTA president. If not, contact office@ncpta.org for a copy.

Article 6 - Officers Section 6.1 Officers

Section 6.2 Election

Section 6.3 Term

Section 6.4 Vacancies

Section 6.5 Removal from office

Section 6.6 General duties

Section 6.7 President

Section 6.8 Vice President(s)

Section 6.9 Secretary

Section 6.10 Treasurer

Section 6.7 - President • Shall preside at all meetings of the general membership

and the board of directors at which he/she may be present, and shall designate another officer to preside when he/she will not be present (in the absence of such designation, the board may elect any board member to preside at any meeting);

• Shall coordinate the work of the officers, the board and the committees of this local PTA;

• Shall perform such other duties as may be provided for by these bylaws or assigned to him/her by this local PTA or by the board of directors;

• Shall sign all contracts of this local PTA that have been approved by the board; and

• Shall be an ex officio voting member of all committees except the nominating committee.

Section 6.8 – Vice President(s)

The vice president(s) shall perform duties requested by the president and

the board of directors. In the event of a vacancy in the office of president, the vice president, or the vice presidents acting together if there is more than one, shall assume the duties of the president until a new president is

elected pursuant to Section 6.4 of these bylaws.

Section 6.9 - Secretary The secretary shall record the minutes of all meetings of the general membership and the board of directors and shall perform such other delegated duties as may be assigned by the board of directors, and shall maintain a file of important documents related to that local PTA, including but not limited to:

• articles of incorporation of this local PTA;

• the current uniform local bylaws approved by NCPTA and adopted by this local PTA,

• the current standing rules of this local PTA, if standing rules have been adopted by the board;

• minutes of past meetings of the general membership and board of directors;

• a copy of the official membership roster provided for in Section 5.3 of these bylaws;

• a current roster of board members;

• a current roster of all committee members and chairs;

• legal documents, including but not limited to insurance policies and contracts;

• current and past tax returns; and

• current and past audit reports;

At the end of his/her term, the secretary shall transfer this file of important documents to his/her successor as secretary.

Section 6.10 - Treasurer The Treasurer shall: • Collect, deposit and maintain all funds of this local PTA in approved depositories

(including, but not limited to, all monies collected as local dues, raised in PTA activities, received as contributions, or otherwise acquired);

• Disburse funds in accordance with the annual budget adopted by this local PTA, and maintain records identifying the purpose and payee of all disbursements;

• Maintain a current record of income, expenditures, assets and liabilities of this local PTA, and make all financial records available for inspection and review by the audit committee;

• Present a financial report of income and expenses at each meeting of the general membership and the board of directors, which report shall compare current income and expenditures to the approved budget;

• Remit dues to NCPTA in accordance with Article 5 of these bylaws and the current NCPTA good standing requirements;

• Prepare a year-end financial report by June 30 showing the total income and expenditures for the fiscal year, comparing those figures with the budget approved at the beginning of the fiscal year, and the assets and liabilities of the local PTA, and submit that report to the incoming president, treasurer and audit committee;

• File all required tax forms and reports in a timely manner, including but not limited to tax returns for the previous fiscal year, and submit copies of all such filings to the secretary of this local PTA;

• At the end of his/her term, transfer all financial records to the audit committee by July 1; and provide assistance to the audit committee upon request.

SO.UP

Opportunity for Everyone

Offer leadership experiences to future leaders so that they want to get involved and understand what this means

Tip from a Parent Leader

“If parents are to feel valued and respected, the culture of the organization must allow their ideas to be seriously considered. Without this, they will know parent leadership is not a genuine opportunity for them and they will lose interest. It can sometimes seem like parents come up with “off the wall” ideas, or in strengths‐based language, they think “out of the box.” Everyone’s careful consideration of new and fresh ideas creates a positive flow of energy and may lead to changes in an original idea that satisfy everyone. The atmosphere of the conversation must be

supportive for all members of the partnership.” • Source: Meaningful Parent Leadership: A Guide for Success FRIENDS

National Resource Center for CBCAP

Signs that Parent’s Want to Be involved What are some signs that parents want to be involved?

There are a number of signs that a parent may be ready for a leadership role in helping to develop and

improve the organization and services. Look for parents who:

Show initiative and don’t shy away from asking for help

Ask questions about the mission, policies, and/or operation of the PTA

Volunteer to take on more tasks or responsibilities

Ask about other parents or families involved in the PTA

Voice another family’s concerns and/or goals

Notice and encourage progress and growth within themselves and others

Share ideas for activities, fundraisers, or other projects

Share information and resources with others in their family or community

Encourage other parents to take advantage of opportunities

Respect and model the rules or policies of the program

Take on leadership roles in the community or at other programs or agencies

How to Recruit Parent Leaders?

Some parents may take the first step in seeking a leadership role in your organization.

For others, you may need to initiate the relationship by recruiting them into

partnering with you. Once you have identified individuals who demonstrate qualities that set

them apart as potential parent leaders.

Strategies to Encourage Parent Participation:

• Give parents compelling reasons to become involved and to believe their involvement will be effective and personally rewarding.

• Provide a written job description or explanation to give parents an idea of what is expected of parent leaders in your organization.

• Prepare parents in advance of the first meeting by briefing them on who will be there, what will happen at the meeting, and what their role will be.

• Give parents a written explanation of acronyms and plain language definitions of words used at the meetings or within the system.

Strategies Continued

• Spend one-on-one time with parents to define their individual interests. Ask what drives them to want to become more deeply involved. Understand what they are passionate about.

• Whenever possible, approach parent leaders at the initiation of a project or as a new policy or procedure is being considered. Avoid recruiting parents to simply “rubber stamp” decisions already made.

• Provide parents with information about the culture of the organization and discuss openly with them the similarities to and differences in their own family culture.

• Provide a mentor who can provide an informal orientation and training about the process of meeting and tasks to be accomplished by the group.

• Invite at least two parents to become parent leaders in any setting or group to avoid a lone parent feeling outnumbered or being perceived as the “token” parent.

Something to Think About? • What do my members/officers think of my leadership

abilities?

• What do my kids think of my parenting abilities?

• What overlapping areas of leadership and parenting have I not previously recognized?

• What areas do I need to work on?

• What do I need to do to make my skills more transferable?

Source: The Columbia Consultancy: Integrated Leadership http://www.columbiaconsult.com/v34_jun03.html

LEADERSHIP AND PARENTING: THE SAME SKILL SET

• Both parenting and leadership require vision. • Both parenting and leadership require passion, determination

and commitment. • Both parenting and leadership require the ability to motivate

and inspire children and employees to accomplish their goals. • Both parenting and leadership require being directive and

collaborative • Both parenting and leadership require trust and integrity. • Both parenting and leadership require clear, consistent, two-

way communication. • Both parenting and leadership require emotional intelligence. • Both parenting and leadership require a positive attitude as well

as flexibility. • Both parenting and leadership require authenticity. Source: The Columbia Consultancy: Integrated Leadership http://www.columbiaconsult.com/v34_jun03.html

SOU.P

Understand the Process

• When do you begin the process?

• Who is eligible?

• How do you conduct the annual election?

Section 8.3 Nominating Committee

Composition of the Nominating Committee:

• The nominating committee shall be comprised of an odd number and no fewer than three members;

• at least two of the committee members shall be board members and at least one committee member shall be a member of the local PTA who does not serve on the board.

• Neither the president nor the principal shall be a member of the nominating committee.

Section 8.3 Nominating Committee

When Should the Nominating Committee Start Its Work?

• “Throughout the year, the nominating committee is tasked with identifying talented, motivated, and responsible individuals to serve as officers of this local PTA.”

• Waiting until the second semester will handicap you in adequately offering training opportunities to folks seeking to learn about the jobs available.

Section 8.3 Nominating Committee

Prior to the last general membership meeting each fiscal year:

• The nominating committee shall prepare a slate of nominees for officers of this local PTA for the coming year,

• The president shall include that slate in the notice for the last general membership meeting

• The chair of the nominating committee shall place such names in nomination at that meeting.

Section 6.2 Election.

• Officers who will serve for the coming fiscal year shall be elected at the last general membership meeting of the fiscal year;

• These officers will assume office on July 1 and serve until the following June 30.

Section 6.2 Election.

• The president shall give notice of the election of officers to the general membership at least ten (10) days before the last general membership meeting of the fiscal year, and the notice will include the nominating committee’s slate of nominees.

Section 6.2 Election.

• In addition to the individuals nominated by the nominating committee, nominations from the floor will be allowed.

• When there is only one nominee for an office, that election may be held by voice vote. If there is more than one nominee for any office, election for that office must be by ballot.

Section 6.2 Election.

Only those individuals who are PTA members and who have signified their consent to serve if elected may be nominated by the nominating committee or by floor nomination or elected to such office.

SOUP.

Passing the Torch

How to prepare for a successful transition of officers from one year to the next.

What’s Next!

• You were just elected to your new role (President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer)

• What are the first five things you will do in your new role?

– (make a list of the five)

Fish Philosophy

Preparing For A Successful Transition

• Maintain organizational momentum, continuity, and credibility through the transition.

– Build Trust

– Get To Know One Another

– Provide bios of the new leaders with some neat facts about people that they can see that relate to them. (Make a list of things you would like to know about your PTA leaders in your school that would help you to connect to them)

– Host a meet and greet session

• Avoid fighting, rumors, accusations, and the common mistakes that derail nonprofit leadership transitions

– Never shoot down the previous administration

– Focus on the positives

– Have a confidant outside of the PTA that you trust that you can release tension or your thoughts

– The meeting after a meeting in the parking lot – take them somewhere else. They are bad business even if the conversations are good. Perception is everything.

Preparing For A Successful Transition Continued

• Build a sturdy bridge between departing and incoming leaders.

– Have a sharing retreat with the old officers and the new officers

• Focus on the Good things and how they can become great

• Reflect on the positive things and things that could be changed (with solutions)

• Set short term and long term goals using the SMART System for your organization.

– Encourage or require committees to adopt the same SMART Goals system.

– Have a mid-year retreat to evaluate where you are and what you have left

– Have an end of year reflection

• Set appropriate expectations for both boards and leaders, and guide them to complement each other successfully.

– Create a guide (or use training from PTA e learning or NC State Office Staff)

Does Your Board Include People Who Exhibit….

• Ability to inspire

• Ability to listen

• Ability to think analytically

• Acceptance

• Caring

• Commitment to excellence

• Competence

• Confidence

• Enthusiasm

• Willingness to help others

Leadership Resources

Use These Books For: Self Development Book Discussions

Leadership Retreat

CONTACT: office@ncpta.org

Donald Barringer

donaldbarringer@gmail.com

Sarah Martin sbmmom@gmail.com

Presentation and Resources www.tinyurl.com/NCPTASOUP