REVIEWED 2025
BY-LAWS OF MAUREEN M. WELCH PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Maureen M. Welch (MMW) Parent Teacher Organization, Churchville, PA (hereafter referred to as the PTO or This Organization).
ARTICLE II: OBJECTIVE
The objective of the Maureen M. Welch Parent Teacher Organization shall be:
1. To foster the continued cooperation and communication between home, school, parents, and teachers for the growth, education and overall welfare of the children and community.
2. To develop programs and projects which support the goals of the school.
3. To develop a relationship between the educators and the general public to promote physical, mental and social growth for all children.
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ARTICLE III: BASIC POLICIES
Definitions:
Executive Board Members: President, Vice President, Accounts Receivable Treasurer, Accounts Payable Treasurer, Secretary, Webmaster and. The number of Presidents and Treasurers will be determined at the Executive Board’s discretion.
General Board Members: All Committee Chairpersons, the Principal, and Teacher Representatives.
General PTO Meetings: PTO Meetings are open to current parents / guardians of an enrolled student at the MMW Elementary School, Principal and Teachers of MMW students, and guests invited by the Executive Board to promote the business of the PTO. A minimum of six (6) General PTO Meetings should be held during the school year (September - May). Additional meetings may be called by the Executive Board as necessary.
PTO Member: Any person who has paid the required PTO membership dues and is a member of the MMW school community. PTO members are entitled to participate in the voting process at PTO meetings, and are eligible to hold a Committee Chair or Executive Board Member position, within the defined criteria for said positions.
Section 1: The PTO shall operate in a manner that shall promote the policies and objectives set forth herein, including the guidelines contained in the Policy Manual that is attached hereto and incorporated herein.
Section 2: This organization (PTO) shall be non-commercial, non-sectarian and non-partisan. It shall not endorse a commercial enterprise or a candidate. The name of the organization or the names of any members in their official capacities shall not be used in any connection with a commercial concern or with any partisan interest, or for any other purpose than the regular business of the organization.
Section 3: This organization (PTO) shall not,directly or indirectly, participate or intervene (in any way, including the publishing or distribution of statements) in any political campaign on behalf of or in opposition to any candidate for public office.
Section 4: This organization (PTO) shall work with the school to support educational opportunities for all children; it shall seek to participate in the decision-making process establishing school policy, recognizing that the legal responsibility to make decisions has been delegated to the people elected and/or appointed to the Board of School Directors.
Section 5: This organization (PTO) may cooperate with other organizations and agencies active in child welfare and education, provided its representatives make no commitments that bind this organization.
Section 6: This organization (PTO) is perpetual. However, in the event of dissolution of this organization, the assets of the organization shall be distributed at the discretion of the existing Executive Board. This will be in accordance with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or corresponding section of any future Federal tax code.
Section 7: PTO funds shall always be used to the benefit of the school and its students and shall not be diverted to other organizations and/or charities of any kind except as defined in the Policy Manual.
Section 8: BEHAVIOR CLAUSE - All PTO sponsored events should contain the MMW PTO Behavior Clause as stated in the MMW PTO Policy Manual on any and all marketing materials.
Section 9: The Basic Policies shall be supplemented by the Parliamentarian as needed. Said supplements shall be prepared in writing and submitted to the Executive Board Members for review and approval as required herein.
Section 10: The PTO reserves the right to offer discounted fees for members to all paid events. Furthermore, any event which has a cut-off date for enrollment shall also have an option for late registration with a $5.00 per person fee.
ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP AND DUES
Section 1: Membership in the PTO shall be open to parents and legal guardians of students attending MMW Elementary School, as well as faculty and staff of said school.
Section 2: The amount of the annual dues shall be reviewed and voted upon each May at the Annual Meeting. The total amount shall be made available for the exclusive use and benefit of this organization.
Section 3: Any PTO member in good standing shall receive discounted fees for events when such discounts are made available by the event committee. The Committee Chairs may charge up to a $5.00 premium per ticket for Non-PTO Members.
Section 4: The Chairperson of the Membership/Directory Committee shall keep a record of the members. A record of members is available through our online membership directory.
Section 5: An annual enrollment of PTO members shall be conducted. Additional members shall be accepted at any time. PTO membership shall be valid through June 30th of the current school year.
Section 6: Only members of this organization shall be eligible to vote in its meetings or to serve in elective or appointed positions. Any and all PTO members in good standing who submit their names for nomination as a Committee Chair, and/or Executive Board Member shall be placed on the ballot in accordance with the guidelines provided for each position in these Bylaws and the Policy Manual.
(a) Any person elected in the previous school year for positions in the current school year, including Executive Board Members, General Board Members, and Homeroom Parents, must pay the current PTO dues by September 30th or they may be asked to step down from their positions.
(b) If any Maureen M. Welch Family is unable to pay their PTO dues because of financial difficulty or hardship, they may request exemption from the Executive Board for the current school year.
(c) To be eligible for nomination or to run for an Executive Board or Chairperson Position in a subsequent year, a candidate's dues must be paid by January 31st of the current school year and have no outstanding balance from any PTO fundraiser or event.
ARTICLE V: ELECTION OF OFFICERS I COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS AND TERMS OF OFFICE
Section 1:
(a) EXECUTIVE BOARD - The Executive Officers of this organization shall consist of President, Vice President, Accounts Payable Treasurer, Accounts Receivable Treasurer, Secretary, Webmaster,.
(b) GENERAL BOARD - The General Board shall consist of the Officers and the chairperson(s) of all Standing Committees, the principal of Maureen M. Welch and all teacher representatives. The principal and teacher representatives shall be non-voting members of the PTO, except as stated in Article V, Section 4.
(c) Officers shall be elected annually in the month of April. Officers shall assume their official duties on July 1st and shall serve for a term of two years or until their successors are elected.
(d) Committee Chairpersons shall be elected annually in May.
(e) No person shall be eligible to serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office unless no other qualified member, as set forth in these by-laws, is nominated for that office.
Section 2:
(a) There shall be a Nominating Committee composed of at least 2 people, and up to 5 people, with one person serving as Chairperson.
(b) Nominating Procedure
(1) Announcement of the forming of the Nominating Committee and the acceptance of nominations for each Executive Board Position and Committee Chairperson shall commence in the beginning of March. The selection shall be accomplished by distributing a notice announcing nominations and criteria to all PTO Members by email.
(2) All names submitted shall be included as nominees, provided that the nominee is in compliance with the requirements for the relevant position as set forth herein. If no names are submitted, the Nominating Committee shall seek volunteers by word of mouth.
(3) All names submitted shall be compared to the membership list to ensure that the nominee is a PTO member with no outstanding balance from any paid PTO event.
(4) If the Nomination Committee determines that a nominee is ineligible, the Nomination Committee shall notify the Executive Board Members and the respective nominee in writing. The notification shall indicate the reason for which the nominee is ineligible and shall be provided to the Executive Board and the respective nominee within one week of having received said nomination.
(5) All nominations shall be submitted no later than the posted deadline; however, if a Committee Chair position is vacant, a nomination may be accepted at the election prior to the distribution of ballots.
(6) A minimum of two notices announcing the election shall be sent to the general membership. They shall include the deadline for nominations.
(7) Once the nominees have been selected, their names shall be published and made available to the PTO membership at least one week prior to the election by written notice and by email (as available).
(c) Nominees for Executive Board Member positions shall have served as other elected officers or as a chairperson of a standing committee for at least one year and shall have attended at least 1 regular meeting during the current school year prior to election.
(d) Committee chair positions do not have any prerequisite requirements, except to pay membership dues as noted above. However, due to the extensive scope of the position of 6th grade committee chair, it is strongly suggested that at least one of the two-person committee has previous experience as a committee chairperson.
(e) An election shall be conducted at the April PTO meeting for Executive Board Members and at the May Meeting for Chairpersons by anonymous ballot. Only the names of those persons who have consented to serve if elected and who meet the eligibility requirements shall be placed in nomination by the Committee.
(f) Nominations cannot and shall not contain any contingencies. Nominations shall be accepted from the floor for Committee Chairperson Positions. Floor nominations for Executive Board Positions can only be accepted if no qualified candidate has been found prior to the official election. A floor nomination for an Executive Board position shall be accepted only after a 2/3 vote (quorum of 10) of the PTO membership. Any floor nominations for Executive Board positions must meet the eligibility requirements as set forth in
(c) above. In the event that no qualified candidates can be found, the Executive Board may seek to identify, and may nominate, by majority vote, a PTO member, who is not otherwise qualified, to fill the vacancy on the Board. The nominee will then be put forward for approval, by a majority vote, of the General Board.
(g) In order for a vote to occur for Executive Board Member Positions in April, there must be a quorum of at least 10 PTO members. If no quorum is present, then the election will be postponed until May.
(h) In the event of a tie for Committee Chairperson Positions, the deciding vote shall be cast by the Executive Board Members present at the May meeting. In the event of a tie for Executive Board Positions, the current General Board will vote to elect the tied Executive Board Position prior to the May meeting. A 2/3 quorum of General Board members must be present to conduct the vote.
(i) Newly-appointed or newly-elected positions shall be approved at the April and May meetings so that they may work in conjunction with the current year’s elected members to gain experience and ensure smooth transition.
Section 3: A vacancy occurring in an office shall be filled by a majority vote of the members of the Executive Board and the General Board, due notice of such election occurring with 7 days notice of such election having been given to the general membership. In case a vacancy occurs in the Office of the President, the order of succession is as follows: the Vice President, Accounts Payable Treasurer, Accounts Receivable Treasurer, Secretary, and Webmaster. The replacement for an Executive Board member shall serve until the completion of the original member's term. However, in the instance of a single vacated or vacant position, the Board may, by unanimous consent, after adhering to the provisions herein governing the succession of officers, assign the duties and responsibilities of the vacant or vacated position to a current Board member, until the next scheduled election, provided that the duties associated with that position can, and will, be responsibly discharged.
Section 4: An Executive Board Member or Committee Chairperson, elected or appointed, may be removed from office for failure to perform and discharge the duties and responsibilities of said position or office, by a majority vote of the Executive Board and the General Board. A General Board member may be removed from office for failure to perform and discharge the duties and responsibilities of said position by a majority vote of the Executive Board. Any vacancy shall be filled in accordance with the requirements set forth herein. This is the only instance by which the Principal and Teacher Representatives may cast a vote.
ARTICLE VI: DUTIES OF OFFICERS
Section 1:
(a) The President shall preside at all meetings of the Organization and of the Executive Committee and shall be a member ex officio of all committees, except the Nominating Committee and shall perform all other duties usually pertaining to the office.
(b) The Vice President shall act as aide to the President and shall perform the duties of the (President in the absence, request, or inability of that officer to serve.
(c) The duties of the Secretary shall be to keep an accurate record of all meetings of the Organization, handle all correspondence as directed by the Executive Board to the General Membership and shall perform such other duties as may be delegated to him/her.
(d) The Webmaster shall maintain the PTO website. This includes updating and organizing the website. The webmaster shall create and maintain the online event registrations.
(e) The Accounts Payable Treasurer shall:
(f) The Accounts Receivable Treasurer shall:
ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS
Section 1:
(a) Regular meetings of this Organization shall be held at least six (6) times during the school year, September - May. Announcement of all PTO meetings will be posted to the school's PTO webpage, sent to the membership by email (as available).
(b) Special meetings may be called by the Executive Board Members, five days notice having been given.
(c) The Annual Executive Board Meeting shall be in May.
(d) Only members whose current dues are paid in full shall have the privilege of holding office, introducing motions, debating, and voting.
(e) The Executive Board shall hold Executive Board Meetings on a quarterly basis during the school year. At a working meeting of the Executive Board, a majority shall constitute a quorum. The President or a majority of the Members of the Executive Board may call special meetings of the Executive Board. The Executive Board may hold a vote on Executive Board issues via email as long as the final result is printed out and placed with the Executive Board meeting minutes. Minutes of the Executive and General Board meetings will be maintained by the PTO Secretary and kept in a binder in the school office for anyone to review.
(f) Ten active PTO members shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business requiring a vote at any meeting of the PTO. In the event that a quorum is not present, or cannot be raised, the Executive Board may poll absent members of the Board and the General Board by email to obtain their vote or table the motion until the next meeting. All polled votes shall be recorded and entered into the minutes.
ARTICLE VIII: EXECUTIVE BOARD DUTIES
Section 1:
(a) The Executive Board's duties shall be to transact necessary business between Organization meetings and such other business as may be referred to by the Organization.
(b) To create Standing and Special Committees.
(c) To present reports at the regular meetings of the Organization.
(d) To approve a budget for the fiscal year and to approve routine bills within the limit of the budget.
ARTICLE IX: STANDING AND SPECIAL COMMITTEES
Section 1:
(a) Such standing committees shall be created by the Executive Board as may be necessary to promote the objectives and interests of the PTO.
(b) The Chairperson and co-chairperson(s) of the Standing Committees shall be selected by the Executive Board Members, unless provided otherwise within By-Laws and attached Rules and Procedures. The Executive Board shall select a person to fill any vacancy that might occur.
Section 2:
(a) Chairpersons of Standing Committees shall communicate regularly with the Executive Board regarding details of their event. No work shall be undertaken, or funds encumbered in any manner by any Standing Committee without the prior review and approval of the Executive Board.
(b) One committee member from each committee must attend a minimum of two PTO meetings, typically the meeting before and after their event has occurred. Officers and committee chairs must notify either the President or the Vice President prior to a regular meeting if unable to attend. A detailed report should be emailed to the President/Vice President in their absence.
Section 3:
The power to form special committees and appoint their members rests with the Organization. Since a special committee is created and appointed for a specific purpose, it automatically disbands upon completion of work and final acceptance or adoption of its report.
Section 4: Nominating Committee - The objectives and obligations of said committee are set forth herein in Article V Section 2.
Section 5: By-Laws Revision/Committee - A By-Laws Committee consisting of the Parliamentarian and Executive Board Members shall be formed yearly or at the request of the Parliamentarian and/or the Executive Board Members to review the By-Laws of the PTO. The Executive Board and General Board shall vote and approve the revisions/amendments prior to submission at the aforementioned PTO meeting. Any and all amendments/revisions must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board and General Board. In the event of a tie, the Principal and Teacher representatives will be the tie-breaking vote. The By-Laws Committee shall submit any amendments and revisions to the general PTO membership for presentation upon the completion of revisions at the first available PTO meeting.
ARTICLE X: PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY
Robert's Rules of Order (most current edition) shall govern this Organization in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not in conflict with these By-Laws.
ARTICLE XI: ARTICLES OF ORGANIZATION
Section 1:
(a) If the necessity arises during the course of the school year, a committee may be appointed by the Parliamentarian or Executive Board to submit a revised set of amendments.
Section 2:
(a) No part of the net earnings of the Organization shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to its members, trustees, directors, officers or other private persons, except the Organization shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of Section 501 (c)(3) purposes. No member, trustee or officer of the organization or any private individual shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the organization's assets upon dissolution of said organization.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provisions of these articles, the Organization shall not carry on other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an organization exempt from federal income tax under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code or corresponding section of any future federal tax code or (b) by an organization, contributions to which are deductible under Section 170 (c) (2) of the Internal Code or corresponding section of any future federal tax code.
(c) In any taxable year in which the corporations a private foundation as described in IRC Section 509(a), the corporation shall distribute its income for said period at such time and manner as not to subject it to tax under IRC Section 4942, and the corporation shall not (a) engage in any act of self dealing as defined in IRC Section 4941 (d), retain any excess business holdings as defined in IRC Section 4943(c), (b) make any investments in such manner as to subject the corporation to tax under IRC Section 4944, or(c) make any taxable expenditures as defined in IRC Section 4945 (d), or corresponding provisions of any subsequent federal tax laws.
(d) Any funds raised during the fiscal year that are not otherwise allocated to or stipulated for a budget category shall be voted on by the PTO. The PTO agenda shall state the intention of a discussion on what the PTO members feel the funds should be spent on. A vote of the PTO shall be taken before any funds can be allocated to such an expense. Reference Article VII Section e. regarding the taking of the vote.