CT PTA President's Letter
March, 2001

Welcome Spring! Days lengthen, bulbs bloom, and the usual Spring PTA Hot Topics emerge. Consider this a little spring tune-up for typical seasonal maladies.

If your PTA has not already done so, pull out your bylaws and check on when a nominating committee is to be formed. Many PTAs ELECT their nominating committees in the early spring. The important word here, in case the caps didn't give it away, is elect. A nominating committees is a committees of the whole organization-and it is elected. 

Please look at your bylaws to find out the composition and be sure to follow your unit's guidelines for electing a committee. Remember that a current president has absolutely nothing to do with a nominating committee. This is the one and only committee where the president remains hands-off.

While we are on bylaws, let's take a minute... I know this is boring stuff for most of you-but bylaws are the working blueprint of your organization, the vehicle used by your general membership to decide how your organization runs. If those bylaws look nothing at all like how you are currently operating, fix the bylaws. The directions to amend the bylaws are located in… you guessed it…the bylaws.

When and how elections are held is delineated in your bylaws as well. Check them out. Do you need to give 30 days' notice, 60 days', two meetings. Now is the right time to check out what your unit's bylaws require. No one wants to be holding a special meeting in July to elect officers. Make sure you get your elections done on time.

Another annual spring event is the school gift. What if your local unit finds itself with a surplus of funds and decides to do something for your school. Since a PTA unit is not a profit-making venture, most PTAs attempt to spend down their treasuries at the end of the year. Yes, I am going to tell you to check your bylaws again-just to see who has the power to spend the excess funds. In most instances, since this spending is really an amendment to the year's budget, the general membership has this power. Is a gift appropriate? Consider the following and make your own decision. 

If you have any further questions, please contact the CTPTA office.

Finally, the last big spring pitfall is the Referendum/Election/Ballot. Remember that no PTA can support a candidate for office - we are an IRS-recognized non-partisan organization. PTAs can take positions on issues-but the entire organization takes the position, not the president or executive board. Special meetings to hold votes require due notice. Check your bylaws. Also, PTAs must comply with state election and referendum laws, as well as with local school board policies. Since many PTAs communicate with parents via a notice in a child's backpack, it is very important that you understand state and local regulations. There are stiff fines attached to violating these regulations.

If any of the above caused questions or concern, please contact us. We are ready to help. In the meantime, enjoy the beginnings of spring, and thanks for doing all you do for Connecticut's children.

Deborah Walsh
President, Connecticut PTA

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