Bylaws and Standing Rules Leadership Training

1. SOUTH CAROLINA Bylaws and Standing Rules Leadership Training

2. Bylaws: What are Bylaws? "bylaw - a law of local application adopted by an organization or assembly" • Every level of PTA has bylaws - the local units, the councils, districts, the state and even the National PTA operate within the guidelines of a bylaw document. • Bylaws represent the most important legal document of an association, establishing and protecting the rights of the membership. A unit's bylaws link the association to the South Carolina PTA and National PTA by which they are chartered. Bylaws represent the written contract between the general membership and their elected officials, specifying what duties and responsibilities are assigned to each respective group. www.scpta.org

3. Bylaws are the key to: • understanding the organization; • answering questions about nominations, elections, board vacancies, duties of officers, auditing the books, etc.; • and settling disputes and assisting with conflict resolution. www.scpta.org

4. Bylaws (cont.) • When your unit is having problems, remember to ask “What do the bylaws say?” • For these reasons, it is extremely important that all bylaws be current, clear in content, and accurately represent the way a local unit conducts the business of the association. www.scpta.org

5. Bylaws (cont.) • Bylaws must be revised every 3 years. All bylaws dated before 2011 are now due. All bylaws dated 2012 are due for revision in 2015. www.scpta.org

6. Standing Rules: • Standing Rules are the rules an organization uses to administer its affairs under the provisions of its bylaws. • A well-organized and efficient PTA should have a written set of procedures for putting its bylaws into effect. • Standing Rules are more flexible than bylaws. www.scpta.org

7. Standing Rules (cont.): • Standing rules serve as a guide and become a valuable tool for efficiently transacting the business of the association. • Good written standing rules ensure the orderly transfer of duties from one administration to the next. Bylaws supersede standing rules. www.scpta.org Information on this presentation has been adapted from NYPTA website

8. Standing Rules (cont.): Typical standing rules outline the specifics of how to hold meetings, duties and responsibilities of officers, board members and committees (including nominating and election committees), the handling of finances including fundraising, procedures for nominations and elections, attendance at and reimbursement for local, state and national trainings, meetings or events, procedures to be followed when turning over the books to the new board and anything else your PTA might need to include.

9. QUESTIONS? www.scpta.org Adapted from NYSPTA website

10. Contact Information: Susan Strohm SCPTA Bylaws Chair (843) 345-1539 bylaws@scpta.org www.scpta.org