PAC Constitution – Approved 13/06/17

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CONSTITUTION OF LYNNMOUR PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL (LPAC)

 

Section I Name

 

The name of the Association shall be the Lynnmour Parent Advisory Council (LPAC).

 

The Council will operate as a non-profit organization with no personal financial benefit.

 

The business of the Council shall be unbiased towards race, religion, gender or politics.

 

 

Section II Purposes of LPAC

 

The purpose of the Council is to support, encourage and improve the quality of education and the well being of students in Lynnmour Elementary School.

 

  1. To inform the Principal and staff on parents’ views on any matter relating to the school programs, policies, plans, and activities, to offer suggestions and ask questions.
  2. To contribute to a sense of community within the school and between the school, home, and neighbourhood.
  3. To contribute to the effectiveness of the school by encouraging parents to stay informed, stay involved and advocate for themselves or their children through proper channels and by providing support when requested and as appropriate.
  4. To organize LPAC activities and events and to support programs that promote parent involvement.
  5. To provide parent education and professional development, and a forum for discussion of educational issues.
  6. To fundraise in support of the school to help make improvements to programming, learning opportunities, safety and out-of-school activities.

 

 

 

Section III Dissolution

 

  1. ln the event of dissolution or winding up of the Council, and after payment of all debts and costs of dissolution or winding up, the assets and remaining funds of the Council shall be distributed to another Parent Advisory Council or Councils in School District No. 44 (North Vancouver) with purposes and objectives similar to those of LPAC and which meet all of the requirements of the British Columbia Gaming Commission, as the members of the Council may determine at the time of dissolution or winding up.
  2. ln the event of dissolution of the Council, all records of the organization shall be placed under the jurisdiction of School District No. 44 in the person of the Principal of the school and/or the person of the Secretary-Treasurer of the School District.

 

 

Section IV Interpretation of Terms

 

Parents – the parent(s) or guardian(s) of the child or children in School District No. 44.

 

Parent Advisory Council – any organized group of parents recognized under the British Columbia School Act.

 

School – any public elementary or secondary education institution within School District No. 44.

 

District – School District No. 44.

 

Community Organizations – groups which demonstrate an interest in education and are not already included in the scope of this Constitution.

 

 

 

BYLAWS

 

Section V Membership in LPAC

 

  1. All parents and guardians of students registered at Lynnmour Elementary School are voting members of the Lynnmour Parent Advisory Council.
  2. Administration and staff (teaching and non-teaching.) of Lynnmour Elementary School may be non-voting members of the Council.
  3. Members of the school community who are not parents of students currently enrolled in the system may be invited to become non-voting members of the Council.
  4. At no time shall the Council have more non-voting than voting members.

 

 

Section VI Meetings

 

  1. Meetings will be conducted efficiently and with fairness to the members present.
  2. There shall be an Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the purpose of election of officers held in June of each year.
  3. General meetings shall be held not less than eight times per year, one of those being the AGM.
  4. Executive meetings may be held anytime or place as deemed necessary. The purpose of executive meetings is to carry on business between general meetings.
  5. lf procedural problems arise on an issue not covered in these bylaws, Robert’s Rules of Order (as attached as Appendix A) shall be used to resolve the issue.
  6. A Council meeting shall not be a forum for the discussion of individual school personnel, students, parents, or other individual members of the school community.

 

 

 

Section VII Quorum and Voting

 

  1. QUORUM
  1. The voting members present at any duly called general meeting shall constitute a quorum.

 

  1. VOTING
  1. Unless otherwise provided, questions arising at any meeting shall be decided by a simple majority vote (50% plus 1).
  2. ln the case of a tie vote, the motion is defeated.
  3. Members must vote personally on all matters; voting by proxy shall not be permitted.
  4. Voting shall be done by a show of hands, with the exception of the election of officers, which may be done by secret ballot. A vote shall be taken to destroy the ballots after the election.

 

Section VIII Election of Executive Officers

 

  1. Executive officers shall be elected from the voting members at the Annual General Meeting. No employee or elected official of the school district or Ministry of Education shall hold an executive position.
  2. Call for nominations shall be made at the two meetings before of the Annual General Meeting. Nominations shall come from LPAC.
  3. ln the event of a vacancy on the executive during the year, the executive shall appoint a new officer (an individual who has been nominated by LPAC) who shall hold office until the next election.
  4. The Nominations Committee Chair, Past LPAC Chair or substitute LPAC member shall conduct elections.

 

Section IX Term of Office

 

  1. The term of office shall commence immediately following election at the AGM and shall be for two years.
  2. No person may hold any one position for more than two consecutive years unless the position is uncontested and that person is re-elected.
  3. No person may hold more than one elected executive position at any one time with the exception of the District Parent Advisory Council Representative.
  4. The past chair shall hold that office for one year.

 

Section X Executive Officers

 

  1. The affairs of the Council shall be managed by a board of elected officers and the immediate Past Chair.
  2. The Executive Officers may be as follows:
    1. Chair
    2. Vice-Chair
    3. Treasurer
    4. Secretary
    5. District Parent Advisory Council Representative
    6. Two or more Members at Large
    7. Past Chair

 

Section XI Duties of Officers

 

The Chair shall:

  1. convene and preside at membership, special, and executive meetings
  2. ensure that an agenda is prepared (in consultation with the Principal) and presented at meetings
  3. know the constitution and bylaws and meeting rules
  4. submit a report at each meeting outlining contacts made, concerns identified, status of action items and upcoming agenda items
  5. know the Constitution, Bylaws and meeting rules
  6. know where to find resources to assist members
  7. appoint committees where authorized to do so by the executive or membership
  8. consult LPAC members regularly
  9. ensure that the LPAC is represented in school and school district activities
  10. be the official spokesperson for the organization
  11. be a signing officer
  12. submit an annual report
  13. on occasion, delegate the responsibility of chairing a meeting or other duties to the Vice-Chair to gain experience for the Chair role

 

The Vice-Chair shall:

  1. assume the responsibilities of the Chair in the Chair’s absence or upon request
  2. assist the Chair in the performance of his/her duties
  3. accept extra duties as required
  4. be a signing officer
  5. contribute to the annual report

The Secretary shall:

  1. ensure that members are notified of meetings
  2. record the minutes of general meetings, special events and executive meetings
  3. keep an accurate and up-to-date copy of the Constitution and Bylaws and have copies available for members upon request
  4. issue and receive correspondence on behalf of the Council
  5. safely keep all records of the Council
  6. contribute and compile an annual report
  7. be a signing officer when required

 

The Treasurer shall:

  1. be a signing officer
  2. receive all funds for the Council
  3. disburse funds authorized by the executive or members
  4. maintain an accurate record of all expenditures of the Council
  5. give a report of all receipts and expenditures at all general meetings
  6. deposit all funds collected on behalf of the Council in an account at a recognized financial institution approved by the LPAC
  7. make books available for viewing by members upon request
  8. have the books ready for inspection or audit annually
  9. with the assistance of the executive, draft a budget and tentative plan of expenditures as per Section XIV
  10. ensure that another signing officer has access to the books in the event of his/her absence
  11. contribute annual financial statement/report for the annual report
  12. submit a preliminary annual financial statement at the Annual General Meeting of the Council
  13. submit final annual financial statement to the members at the First General Meeting of the following year

The District Parent Advisory Council (DPAC) representative shall:

  1. attend LPAC and DPAC meetings
  2. seek and give input on behalf of the LPAC to the DPAC
  3. report back to the LPAC
  4. contribute to the LPAC annual report

 

The Past Chair shall:

  1. help smooth the transition between Chairs
  2. assist, advise and support the Council
  3. provide information about resources, contacts, and other essential information to the Council
  4. act as a consultant for the Chair
  5. if necessary, chair the nominating committee
  6. contribute to the LPAC annual report

 

Members-at-Large shall serve in a capacity to be determined by the Council at the time of election and at

other times as the Council requires.

 

Section XII Code of Ethics

A parent who accepts a position as an LPAC/DPAC Executive Member shall:

  1. uphold the Constitution and Bylaws, policies and procedures of the electing body
  2. perform his/her duties with honesty and integrity
  3. work to ensure that the well being of students is the primary focus of all decisions
  4. respect the rights of all individuals
  5. takes direction from the members, ensuring representation processes are in place
  6. encourage and support parents and students with individual concerns to act on their own behalf and provide information on the process for taking forward concerns
  7. work to ensure those issues are resolved through due process.
  8. strive to be informed and only pass on information that is reliable
  9. respects all confidential information
  10. support public education

 

 

STATEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING

 

I, the undersigned, in accepting the position of ________________________________ on the Lynnmour Parent Advisory Council (LPAC) Executive, have read, understand and agree to abide by the Code of Ethics set out in the Constitution. I also agree to participate in the dispute resolution process that has been outlined in the Constitution and Bylaws, should there be any concerns about my work.

 

Name of Executive Member ___________________________________

Signature _______________________________

Date ________________________   Telephone ________________________ Email ____________________________

 

Section XIII Committees

 

  1. Standing and ad hoc committees shall be formed when necessary.
  2. If necessary, a Nominating Committee shall be appointed annually before the Annual General Meeting.
  3. Committees are responsible to the executive and members.
  4. The LPAC executive may appoint members to committees annually or on an as-need basis.

 

 

Section XIV Finances

  1. General Guidelines
  1. A budget and tentative plan of expenditures will be drawn up by the executive and presented for approval before the current budget expires.
  2. The executive will present, for approval at a general meeting, all proposed expenditures above and beyond the budget.
  3. The executive may approve additional funds to be spent on an as-need basis and where the urgency prevents a lengthy approval process.
  4. All funds of the Council will be kept on deposit in a bank or financial institution registered under the Bank Act.
  5. The executive shall name at least two signing officers for banking and legal documents. Two signatures will be required for such documents.
  6. A Treasurer’s report shall be presented at each general meeting.
  7. Members at a general meeting may appoint an auditor.
  1. Money Handling Procedures
  1. It is the sole responsibility of the LPAC Treasurer to oversee any funds that arrive at Lynnmour School. The Treasurer is the custodian of LPAC funds.
  2. funds which arrive at Lynnmour School will be handled or counted in the presence of more than one person. Subsequently, funds will be counted by the Treasurer and one other witness. If the Treasurer is absent, LPAC funds will be counted by the Chair, Vice Chair or appointed volunteer.
  3. All LPAC funds which arrive at Lynnmour School shall be placed in a secure location (such as the LPAC secured box or school safe) until it can be deposited.
  4. Funds collected on behalf of the LPAC will be written up in the LPAC accounting book and deposited into the LPAC bank account by the Treasurer or Chair in a timely manner.

 

Section XV Constitution and Bylaw Amendments

  1. Except as provided in the constitution, the members may, by a majority of not less than 75% of the votes cast, amend the Constitution and Bylaws of the organization.
  2. When a meeting shall discuss amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws, members shall be provided with current documents at least 14 prior to the meeting.
  3. The notice of the meeting shall include the proposed amendments.
  4. A Constitution or Bylaw amendment shall be dated, signed, and forwarded to the School Board Office for safekeeping.

 

Section XVI Removal of an Executive Member

  1. The members may, by a majority of not less than 75% of the votes cast, remove an executive member before the expiration of his or her term of office, and may elect a successor to complete the term.
  2. When a meeting shall make a motion to remove an executive member, members shall be provided with the intention at least 14 days prior to the meeting.
  3. A notice of the meeting shall include proposed amendment(s)

 

 

Section XVII Property in Documents

All documents, records, minutes, correspondence or other papers kept by a member, executive member or committee member in connection with the Council shall be deemed to be property of the Council and shall be turned over to the Chair when the member ceases to perform the task to which the papers relate.

 

Adopted by Lynnmour Parent Advisory Council at North Vancouver, British Columbia, on June 12, 2017.

 

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