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Sample Agenda and Meeting Planner

(Date of Meeting)
(Meeting Location/Time)

I. Call to Order (on time, quorum met)
The president stands, raps the gavel once and calls the meeting to order.

“The meeting will please come to order.”

The president will review the meeting’s ground rules.

II. Opening Ceremonies
Pledge of Allegiance (if held in public facility).

“___________ will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Will you please rise?”
“Thank you, ____________.”
Optional: Inspirational message, song, other.
“___________will present an inspirational song.”

III. Reading and Approval of Minutes – Action Items
The secretary addresses the chairman and reads the minutes.
(Or with the approval of the group, the minutes may be posted, distributed in advance or assigned to a committee of three or more for approval or correction, especially for the last association meeting.)

“The secretary will read the minutes of the __(date) meeting.”
OR “The minutes are posted at the entrance/were distributed at the door.”

“Are there any corrections?” (Note corrections.)

“The minutes stand approved as read/printed,”
OR “The minutes stand approved as corrected.”

IV. Financial Report. (Treasurer’s Report)
No motion is needed for adoption of the reports.

“___________ will present the Treasurer’s Report.”
“you have heard the report. Are there any questions?”
“The report will be filed for the audit.”

V. Audit Report (semi-annual) (Audit Report, Auditor’s Report) – Action Items
A motion is needed for adoption of this report.

“It has been moved and seconded that the audit report be adopted” Vote.
(Follow the steps of a motion, Parliamentary Procedure)

VI. Presentation of Bills
Since the approval of the budget does not authorize the expenditure of funds, bills must be presented, and their payment voted upon. Bills should be itemized as to amount, whom to pay, and what payment covers. Any association bills authorized and paid by the executive board must be ratified and recorded in the association minutes. Ratified bills should be itemized as to amount, who was paid, and what the payment covers (Payment Authorization/Request for Reimbursement).

“The treasurer (or the person assigned) will read the bills.”
“It has been moved and seconded that we pay the bills. Is there discussion?” Vote.
“It has been moved and seconded that we ratify payment of bills since last meeting” Vote. (Check Request System: Payment Authorization/Request for Reimbursement)
“It has been moved to authorize the Executive board to pay necessary Summer bills up to the budgeted amounts.” Vote.
(Check Request System: Payment Authorization/Request for Reimbursement)
(Follow the steps of a motion, Parliamentary Procedures)

VII. Reading of Communications
Communications are read by the (corresponding) secretary and may be acted upon as read, if action is required.

“The (corresponding) secretary will read the communications.”

VIII. Report of the Executive Board – Action Items
At association meetings a summary report (not the minutes) is read for the information of the members. Recommendations should be voted on one at a time, the secretary moving the adoption of each one.

“The secretary will present the report of the executive board.”
“You have heard the recommendations such as a motion to approve proposed programs (Preliminary Planning);”
to approve the budget (Approving the Budget; Budget Sample).”
to approve fundraising activities (Standards for PTA Fundraising).”
for the president and one additional elected officer to sign the following contract…” (Contracts).
(Follow the steps of a motion, Parliamentary Procedure)
A second is not required when a motion comes from a committee/board. Vote.

IX. Reports of Committees (Officers and chairmen, including the principal, faculty representatives, and student representatives on the secondary level) Bylaw Committee, Library Committee – Action Item, Convention Committee, Fundraising Committee – Action Item President calls for the report of the committee. The person making the report moves the adoption of any recommendations.

“__________ will present the report of the ___________committee.”
“Are there any questions regarding the report?”
“If not, the report will be filed,” or “You have heard the recommendation such as a motion to release funds up to the budgeted amount for programs through the next meeting (Preliminary Planning):”
(Follow the steps of a motion. Parliamentary Procedure.) Vote(s).

X. Unfinished Business
The president presents each item of unfinished business as indicated in the minutes. He/she should not ask “Is there any unfinished business?”

“The first item of unfinished business is _________.”
Report of school district acceptance of donated funds, goods, or materials.

XI. New Business
A motion is necessary before discussion and vote on any new business. All proposed business to be considered at the meeting must have been properly noticed to be acted upon. (See bylaws.)

“The first item of new business is ________.”

XII. Program (optional)
The president introduces the chairman to present the program.

“_________ will present the program.”
“Madame/Mister President, this concludes the program.”

XIII. Announcements
Date of the next meeting and important activities should be announced. If there is a social time following the meeting, this should be announced.

“The next meeting will be __________.”
“Please join us for refreshments.”

XIV. Adjournment
No motion is necessary to adjourn. President raps the gavel once.

“The meeting is adjourned.”

This agenda is a guide only, adaptable to meet unit’s needs. The agenda should be made in triplicate. Give copies to the (recording) secretary and to the parliamentarian. Distribute or post for the membership, the proposed budget and proposed annual programs with the agenda.

A newly-elected president may want to write everything out in detail. Check off each item as it is completed and nothing will be forgotten. The presiding officer stands while conducting business and sits (unless unable to be seen by the audience) while others are participating.

The Agenda

A PTA president is responsible for creating an agenda for an executive board or an association meeting. As a tool for managing meetings effectively, an agenda outlines the items scheduled for discussion and in what order they will be handled at a meeting. (See: Sample Agenda and Meeting Planner Fig. R-2).

To prepare an agenda, the president gets input from other officers and chairpersons on what reports, motions or items of business to include on the agenda for an upcoming meeting.

Along with the agenda, written notice of a meeting is sent to members at least ten days before a meeting. It includes the date, time, location and the proposed business to be considered.

For the election of officers and for proposed Bylaws amendments, written notice is given at least thirty days in advance as stated in the Bylaws.

Historian Report

Recommended Actions

Prepare a needs assessment worksheet including the name of the PTA, the school, and the identified concern in appropriate places (Needs Assessment Worksheet).

Determine who is to receive the needs assessment form, how it is to be distributed and the due date for the return. Determine method of follow-up.

Survey appropriate agencies to obtain statistics on the identified concern. This can be done by making personal contacts or by sending a cover letter and the needs assessment form to some or all of the people and agencies listed below.

School personnel;
Private and church-related programs;
Chamber of Commerce and major employers;
Local, county, state, federal departments of health, education, probation and social services;
Libraries;
Professional and volunteer agencies; and
Community organizations.

Obtain statistics reflecting the community’s ethnic and socioeconomic background. Information may be obtained from the school district office and will be necessary if the PTA will apply for a grant to fund this project.

Evaluate information received. Review all data and compile the responses to the questions on the needs assessment form. Determine whether the school and community concur with the identified concern and believe that a problem exists.

If it is determined that a problem exists, the information gathered will be a basis for the formulation of a community action plan. If it is determined that a problem does not exist or is not of concern to the school and community, it is best not to invest time and money in seeking solutions.

Prepare a final report that includes the following information:

Reason for the study;
Statistics that note the numbers by age, socio-economic status, ethnic background, or religious affiliation;
Community responses;
Professional resource people interviewed and their responses;
Other resources used, such as periodicals, books, films, and surveys; and
Findings that indicate whether a problem exists that requires further action.

As a courtesy, distribute the report to those who participated in the survey. It will compensate them for their cooperation and will raise the level of awareness within the community.

Use the report as a tool in developing and implementing a plan of action. A Sample Agenda for Needs Assessment (Fig. P-2) for a meeting to discuss the findings follows.

SAMPLE AGENDA FOR NEEDS ASSESSMENT

CHAIRMAN
Welcome
Introduction of facilitator, recorder, secretary, group members (invited participants)
Explain roles of those introduced

FACILITATOR
Facilitator conducts balance of meeting, and chairman becomes a group member.

Discuss needs assessment

Define the problem

brainstorm ideas
prioritize ideas
develop problem statement(s)

Develop solutions

brainstorm ideas
prioritize ideas
develop solution statement(s)

Develop a tentative action plan

brainstorm ideas
prioritize ideas
examine possible obstacles to plan implementation
develop ways to remove any obstacles OR develop alternative plans

Develop final action plan that includes

all components (parts of the plan)
individual assignments
time frame
budget needs
evaluation method
date for final evaluation

If unable to complete the agenda in the allotted time, set date, time and place for another meeting. At the next meeting, review any statements agreed to at the prior meeting and complete the rest of the agenda. Allow time for discussion of additional information obtained between meetings.

Figure P-2

Conducting PTA Meetings

When planning a meeting, consider the goal of the meeting and how the meeting can be structured to accomplish that goal. The president and the executive board plan the meeting ahead of time and:

Prepare the agenda and distribute written notice to members (See: Sample Agenda Fig. R-2).
Make the necessary preparations.
Attend the meeting to demonstrate their commitment.
Start and end the meeting on time.
Give members an opportunity to participate in the decision making at the meeting.
Streamline minutes and financial reports. Duplicate, distribute or post, wherever possible.
Use surveys to evaluate the meeting to improve future meetings.

A National PTA parent survey found the top three things parents say PTA does best.

• PTA is effective in improving my child’s education.

• PTA works to make schools safer for children.

• PTA has positive impact for all children, not just my own.

When conducting business at the meeting, be aware of which individuals are voting members. The privilege of making motions, debating, and voting is limited to eligible members. Eligible members are those whose dues are paid and have been members for at least the previous 30 days. Only eligible voting members count toward the quorum. It is the responsibility of the secretary to have an updated membership list.

It’s also important to be proactive in setting a welcoming and inclusive environment at association meetings for families from all neighborhoods. This might include organizing and providing:

Greeters at the door
Handouts/signs in home languages and translators
Name badges
Door prizes
Babysitting
Snacks and social time before or after the meeting
Board members scattered among participants
Time in the agenda for questions and discussion

You may consider study groups, grade-level gatherings, special information sessions, or work parties (e.g., to prepare materials). The most important consideration is whether or not the planned meeting will increase involvement in the organization and ultimately serve the goals of the PTA.

Meetings must be held to vote on issues. Voting by proxy is prohibited. This means no absentee voting: a member cannot vote on behalf of another member who is absent.Voting member: To be eligible to vote, a member must have paid annual per capita dues and been a member of the association for at least 30 days.

A quorum is specified in the bylaws and is the minimum number of qualified voting members that must be present at a meeting to legally conduct business.

Meetings

To create successful activities and manage the business needs of a PTA is a collaborative effort. And, much of the work involved takes place at unit meetings.

During the PTA term, board members participate in three types of meetings:

Executive Board Meetings:

Attended by officers, chairpersons of standing committees, the teacher representative and principal or a representative as outlined in a unit’s Bylaws
Tasked with overseeing and managing PTA business between association meetings
Scheduled monthly and at least two weeks prior to each association meeting
Chaired and run by the president

Association Meetings:

Attended by a unit’s members, executive board members and guests
Tasked with approving a unit’s programs, events and expenditures
Scheduled several times a year on meeting dates identified in a unit’s Bylaws
Chaired and run by the president

Committee Meetings:

Attended by committee members who are appointed by the president
Tasked with planning, promoting and implementing PTA activities
Scheduled as needed
Chaired and run by a committee chairperson

In this section, you will find tips, tools and strategies designed to empower both new and experienced PTA leaders to engage in and manage PTA meetings more effectively.

Executive Board Meetings

Association Meetings
Program Planning
Announcements and Materials
Conducting PTA Meetings
Parliamentary Procedure
Eight Steps to Making a Motion
Amendments
The Agenda and Meeting Notice

Attending Convention and Conferences
State Convention
National Convention
Outside Conferences

Figure
Sample Agenda and Meeting Planner

Communicate with Your Elected Officials

Promote legislative advocacy among fellow PTA members by encouraging them to build relationships with state and federal representatives. Begin by identifying the State Senator, Assembly member and Member of Congress who represent your area. Find out more about legislators and their particular areas of interest by visiting their websites; individual websites can be accessed at www.senate.ca.gov or www.assembly.ca.gov, www.house.gov or www.senate.gov.

For local issues, identify the appropriate school board members, city council members, county supervisors and/or county school board representatives that you will need to reach. Contact information may be found in your local telephone directory or on the websites for each local government body.

Visit Your Legislators

Make an appointment to visit your state and federal legislative representatives at least once per year. Call their district offices to find out when they will be available; many state legislators spend Fridays in their district offices. Arrange for a group of PTA members to visit and share information about what is important to students and parents in your area; include students when they are available.

When visiting your elected representative, take the following steps:

Schedule an appointment or, if the elected representative is unavailable, arrange a meeting with the aide handling the issue. When making the appointment, specify how much time will be needed.
Draft an agenda and be sure to list the issue(s) the PTA wants to discuss. If PTA members are visiting as a group, assign each person a role. For example, one person can open the meeting, another person can be the recorder, someone else can focus the conversation back to the PTA agenda when necessary, and another person can leave literature.
Arrive on time for the meeting. Have the group meet together immediately prior to the meeting and then go in together. Once in the meeting, immediately identify yourself and the PTA represented. During the introduction, state the issue(s) of concern. Keep the time frame in mind during the meeting.
Be prepared to educate the legislator or aide about PTA’s history and positions. Be open to questions. If you don’t know the answer, politely explain that you will do some additional research and get back to them. Never give false information or assumptions. Personal credibility and the credibility of PTA are on the line.
Ask how the legislator will vote on the issue. If the legislator is unable to make a commitment, tactfully state that you would like to know, and that you are willing to call at a later time to learn the decision. If the response is positive, respond, “We appreciate your support.” If the response is negative, ask, “What are your specific objections?”
Develop a positive relationship with elected representatives and their staff members. Communication should be a continuing exchange, not sporadic contact. A solid relationship with legislators and their staff members is an important step in building credibility and power for the PTA.

Write Letters

Letters alert elected representatives to PTA’s views. A letter-writing campaign also educates PTA members about the issues and publicizes the association. Begin the campaign by identifying a coordinator, perhaps the legislation chairman or PTA president.

Determine the message. Have sample messages available to members, as well as fact sheets with the PTA position on the issue. When authorized to write on behalf of the PTA, use PTA letterhead. State the case succinctly and accurately, citing the following:

Issue and background facts;
PTA’s position, and what PTA wants to happen (e.g., change in regulations, new legislation);
Number of PTA members the writer represents; and
Your involvement with the PTA and, when applicable, your PTA title (e.g., unit, council or district PTA president).
Address the letter with proper titles; and
Sign your full name and give your complete address, including telephone number.

Send copies of the letter to other contacts, such as key legislative committee and subcommittee members as well as the California State PTA director of legislation and, when writing about issues before Congress, to the National PTA Office of Governmental Relations.

It may also be helpful, in some cases, to send letters to the editors of local newspapers to communicate the PTA position on a particular issue to the broader community. The letter should be submitted on PTA letterhead and signed by the president or legislation chair of the unit, council or district PTA initiating the action.

Addresses of California’s State and National Elected Officials
The Honorable (name)
Governor, State of California
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814

The Honorable (name)
California State Senate
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814

The Honorable (name)
California State Assembly
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 95814

The Honorable (name)
United States Senator
Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable (name)
United States House of Representatives
House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

For more tips see Organizing a Letter-Writing Campaign, Fig. A-1

Faxes

For messages that are time sensitive, faxes are a quick, effective method for making a PTA position known in writing. Most legislative offices have publicly listed fax numbers. Refer to “Write Letters” when composing the fax.

Electronic Mail (email)

Email is another way to communicate PTA positions on legislation. Some elected representatives may not accept email attachments. Check with their offices about their email preferences before encouraging your members to email a particular representative. Refer to “Write Letters” when composing email.

Telephone

Phone calls are also an effective communication strategy, particularly when timing is critical. When an elected representative’s support or vote is needed within the next 48 hours, a phone call to the legislator may be the best method of communication. Use the phone to communicate PTA views. Phone the elected representative’s district or Capitol office and request to speak with the member or an aide. Be prepared to:

State your name and identify your PTA.
Identify the bill number or the issue.
State that you are from the legislator’s district, and explain the PTA position on the issue.
Ask how the legislator expects to vote.
Urge the legislator to vote for the PTA position.

Reaching Your Members

PTA members may receive the California State PTA Legislative Alerts by signing up to receive them at capta.org.

Email distribution lists and telephone trees are effective ways to mobilize many people on a particular issue. When the state president and/or the director of legislation receive information on an important issue, they may pass it on to local legislation chairmen who, in turn, can reach other PTA members in their communities.

Through the use of email distribution lists and telephone trees, within a few hours of a legislative alert or call to action, literally hundreds of letters, postcards, phone calls, faxes or email messages can be on their way to appropriate legislators.

Letters or faxes are best when time permits, but often we must react fast enough for legislators to feel the impact of the PTA lobby within hours.

PTA email distribution lists and telephone trees must only be used to share adopted PTA positions and must never be used in candidate elections.

Establishing an Email Distribution List or Telephone Tree

Email Distribution List – Collect email addresses from members within your PTA who are willing to act. Use these addresses to create an email distribution list. One message can be sent to the entire list, and members can forward it on accordingly. Provide a method for subscribers to unsubscribe from future email alerts if they choose. The legislation chairman and the PTA president are responsible for email accuracy and content. Email legislative alerts or calls to action sent by National PTA or California State PTA can be forwarded without local approval. PTA presidents must approve locally generated legislative emails before distribution to local members.

Telephone Tree – Create a list of names and phone numbers of PTA members within your local area who are willing to take action.

Establish the calling sequence. Select “lead” callers. A lead caller should make no more than five calls.

Last caller in sequence should return a call to a “lead” caller.

If there is no answer after several tries, the caller should go on to next in sequence.

Do not count on answering machines to deliver messages in a timely manner.

Distribute a copy of the entire telephone tree to all involved. Duplicate and distribute legislation materials from California State PTA, the council (if in council) and district PTA.

Tips on Effective Communication Using Email Distribution Lists and Telephone Trees

Have a system to check the effectiveness of email distribution list or telephone tree communications. Is the list or tree functioning efficiently? Are there problems needing adjustment?

Send emails or make your calls to legislators before using your email distribution list or activating the telephone tree. Your personal experience in communicating the message will alert you to any problems with the way you are presenting the message.

Make a list of “talking points,” messages you want your PTA members to communicate to their legislators. Include bill number, author, subject matter, location of bill in the legislative process and the PTA position.

It is important that the same message is delivered each time.

By using an email distribution list or activating a telephone tree, the PTA unit can dramatically increase the number of contacts with legislators. It is important they hear from PTA. Legislators need to be reminded about priority issues.

Update email distribution list addresses and telephone tree phone numbers frequently. Explore ways to expand your email list.

PTAs are encouraged to explore other media communication tools such as texting, social networking sites or blogging, considering PTA publication guidelines.

Follow-up

Following action on a bill, send the legislator your thanks via email, postal service or fax if the vote or action was favorable, or a polite expression of disappointment if the legislator voted against the PTA position. Appreciation can be expressed in other, more public ways as well, such as writing letters to the editor of the local paper. Keep the PTA name visible.

Job Description for Legislative Advocacy Chairman

Download the Legislative Advocacy Chairman Job Description

PTA is a child advocacy association. Its legislative mission is to speak on behalf of all children and youth at the local, state and federal levels. One of the Purposes of PTA is “to secure adequate laws for the care and protection of children and youth.” PTA promotes and encourages legislative advocacy for the education and welfare of all children and youth.

Role of PTA in Legislation

As local officers of the largest grassroots child advocacy organization in the state, PTA legislative advocacy chairs are responsible for demonstrating leadership on children’s issues at the local level by educating PTA members, community members and elected officials about PTA’s issues of concern and legislative priorities and goals.

California State PTA takes positions on issues/legislation based on position statements in the California State PTA Toolkit, California State PTA resolutions, California State PTA Legislation Platform and National PTA positions and resolutions.

The unit, council or district legislative chair provides PTA members with information about PTA positions on current legislation and issues.

What to Do

In order to ensure your success, regardless of your level of legislative experience, we have broken out the “What To Do” sections by “Newcomer” “Continuing” and “Advanced.” So, please go to the section that best fits you and remember to incorporate the Newcomer and Continuing actions even when you’re Advanced!

Remember: No amount of fundraising can have as much impact as a single piece of legislation.

Newcomers to Advocacy

Please obtain materials from your predecessor and/or unit/council/district president. If no materials are available, please begin a new procedure book.

If you are new to advocacy, we encourage you to do the following:

Request that advocacy is on the agenda of every meeting and give a legislative report. Share with PTA members about issues affecting the school and community as well as legislative activities at all levels of government. Remember we are a nonpartisan association, so please be objective and factual. Be sure to include PTA positions when appropriate. Circulate materials from council, district, State, and National PTA when available. Have copies at PTA meetings or information on websites or links where the information can be found.
Write articles for your PTA newsletter. Please observe Legislation Policy 11 (Legislative Policies and Procedures) which discusses guidelines for sending materials home with students.
Schedule at least one meeting per year with your elected representatives to discuss your PTA’s local issues of concern and legislative priorities of California State PTA. Take a few members from your PTA with you.
Participate in one of the following: a letter writing campaign, a postcard campaign, a rally to support a PTA position.
Attend some local school board meetings. Communicate advocacy positions as authorized by your PTA board.
Establish a method for sharing PTA Legislative Alerts and other important information with PTA members.
Take Action on Legislative Alerts from California State PTA and National PTA and encourage other PTA members to do the same.
Maintain current contact information for all elected representatives in your area: U.S. Senators, U.S. Congress member, State Senator, State Assembly member, Board of Supervisors members, city council members, and school board members.

Feel free to take advocacy actions from the other categories at any point that you feel ready.

Continuing Advocacy and Education Efforts

If you have served as the legislative advocacy chair for one to two years at the unit or council level, you will likely be ready to take your advocacy to the next level. Please continue with all your newcomer advocacy actions and also add as much of the following as possible:

Organize a voter registration drive annually. Remember to include new residents and high school seniors.
Organize a letter-writing, email or call-in campaign to communicate legislative priorities to legislators one to three times per year. Provide a sample letter, email or phone script.
Encourage PTA members to attend meetings with State Assembly and Senate representatives, meet with local government officials (e.g., school board and city council members, county supervisors), and know the local policies and ordinances affecting children and youth.
Schedule at least one public appearance of unit, council or district representatives to highlight California State PTA’s legislative priorities and local issues of concern. Some examples of appropriate forums are school board meetings, the local chamber of commerce, and meetings of local service clubs.
Submit at least one letter each year to the editors of local newspapers on behalf of your PTA highlighting California State PTA’s legislative priorities and local issues of concern (with signature of district, council or unit president).
Train your members to be advocates.
Visit Sacramento with other PTA members to meet with elected representatives and key education leaders.
Invite legislators/policymakers/elected officials to visit a local school.
Establish contacts with local individuals, groups, organizations and agencies to develop sources of information on local and statewide issues that affect the school, families and community.

Please consider advancing to the next level of PTA by volunteering to serve on your council advocacy team, or your district advocacy team.

Advanced Advocacy and Community Education Efforts

If you have been serving as an advocate for several years, you will be ready to go to the advanced level! Please continue with all your newcomer and continuing advocacy efforts and also add the following:

Meet with federal legislators, when they are in their local district offices.
Host a presentation on advocacy issues. Invite a council or district PTA counterpart to present.
Organize a rally to highlight a key PTA issue. Invite legislators and other speakers, as well as the press.
Invite the press to PTA advocacy events, and publicize PTA advocacy activities and positions.
Organize a candidates forum, working with PTA council and other local community organizations, such as the League of Women Voters, to sponsor nonpartisan candidates forums preceding elections. (See Toolkit, Election Campaigns and the Role of PTA; Nonpartisan Policy), see Fig. A-2.
Consider authoring a resolution on an issue of concern to your PTA to submit through appropriate channels to California State PTA or National PTA. (See Toolkit, Resolutions Process)
Provide leadership and support for PTA-approved local school bond and parcel tax campaigns. (See Toolkit, Election Campaigns and the Role of PTA)
Organize/participate in a legislation study group if a local issue arises (see Toolkit, How to Make a Study). Consult with a council or district PTA legislation chairman to coordinate efforts with other PTAs in the area. Forward findings to appropriate people, if study involves a district PTA or state issue.

How to Stay Informed

Sign up to receive regular email updates from:

Your school district
Your PTA council (if available)
Your PTA district
California State PTA – www.capta.org
National PTA – www.pta.org

Events to Attend

(Attend as many as your schedule allows.)

California State PTA Legislation Conference in Sacramento
California State PTA Convention
Council/district PTA-sponsored visits to Sacramento and other advocacy events.
EdSource Forum
National PTA Legislative Conference held in Washington D.C.

Helpful Websites/Resources

California State PTA – www.capta.org

Legislative Alerts (please sign up on the website to receive email updates)
PTA in California magazine
California State PTA Toolkit (Available in both English and Spanish online, in print or on CD). The Advocacy chapter includes: local advocacy, elections, legislative program, legislation platform, listing of resolutions, position statements, policies and procedures
Resolutions Book

National PTA – www.pta.org

PTA Takes Action Network (please sign up to receive e-mail updates on federal policy and PTA Action Alerts)
National PTA position statements and resolutions
Online Advocacy Toolkit, Federal public policy agenda and issue briefs
National PTA Quick-Reference Guide
Our Children – National PTA Magazine

California Budget project – www.cbp.org
California Department of Education – www.cde.ca.gov
California Secretary of State – www.sos.ca.gov
EdSource – www.edsource.org
Legislative Analyst’s Office – www.lao.ca.org
Official California Legislative Information – www.leginfo.ca.gov

For any assistance that you need to help you be successful, please contact your district legislative chair, your State PTA legislative liaison or the State director of legislation.

Job Description for Secretary

Download to print the Secretary Job Description

Key Role – Secretary

Takes minutes at board and association meetings
Co-signs formal papers with president: authorizations for payment, resolutions and formal letters
Handles PTA correspondence as directed by the president
Maintains and preserves PTA records and important documents to pass on at the end of the term

Getting Started

Preparation – Review files and procedure book from last term to better understand the scope of your new position. Materials should include:

Secretary’s minute book with minutes from board and association meetings
PTA records – Bylaws, membership list, charter, rosters and correspondence

If your PTA has a recording secretary and a corresponding secretary, discuss how you will work together.

Find out more about:

PTA policies, best practices and resources
Insurance Guide

It’s also worthwhile to talk to last term’s secretary to get advice and tips about your new role.

How Tos

Minutes – Quick Tips

As one of three required officers for a PTA, the secretary plays an important part in running a unit. One main task is to provide concise and complete minutes for board and association meetings.

Here are some tips on how to produce and handle meeting minutes to help you get started.

Recording – When taking minutes at a meeting, focus on noting:

Actions taken by group in the order they took place
What is done, not what is said

This means that any detailed discussion or personal opinion is not included in the minutes.

Whether you hand-write or use a laptop or device to take notes at a meeting to produce the minutes, remember to include the following information:

Meeting Details:

Name of your PTA
Date, place and type of meeting
Start time and end time of meeting
Attendance list
Name and title of presiding officer

Business Items:

Approval of previous meeting’s minutes ‘as written’ or ‘as corrected’ with a list of corrections
Summary of treasurer’s report listing date and balance on hand in the last report, income, expenses and date and balance on hand in the current report
Motions to adopt budget, financial reports, financial review reports and resolutions
List of payments authorized or expenditures ratified to pay bills
Motions to approve projects, fundraisers, contracts and bylaws changes, noting person’s name making a motion and vote’s result if adopted or defeated
For motions with a counted vote, record if a quorum or majority was needed and the number for and against the motion
For motions requiring a two/thirds vote, note that a two-thirds vote was required for approval after the outcome of the motion

Summaries of Reports/Presentations:

Summary of officer, chairmen and administrator reports with important, written reports attached
Election results with nominees’ name and the number of votes each nominee received
Brief reference to program presented at an association meeting, noting type of presentation, presenter, title and organization represented

In addition, at the end of the minutes, add your signature and title: e.g. ‘Maria Perez, Secretary’.

Distributing – It’s always best to complete the minutes soon after a meeting. Send a copy to the president to review before distributing minutes to the group that generated them.

There are several ways to share minutes with your members. For a smaller group, such as a board, you can email the minutes for review before the next meeting.

For association meetings, you can prepare hard copies of minutes as handouts or to post at a meeting. And, you can also publish minutes in a unit newsletter if it is sent only to PTA members.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that PTA minutes are produced only for members and are not for public distribution.

For this reason, they are not posted on any website, on social media or in a newsletter in their entirety.

Instead, for association meetings, provide only a summary of the minutes online and in school newsletters that highlights the main actions taken at the meeting.

SAMPLE – SUMMARY OF ASSOCIATION MEETING

ABC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PTA
ASSOCIATION MEETING
JULY 1, 2017

RECOGNITIONS – Tanya Brown was recognized for her efforts as a PTA volunteer.

REPORTS – Committee reports were given for Membership, Ways and Means and the Book Fair.

CONSENT ITEMS – Consideration and approval of:

Field trip to the Natural History Museum for Grades 4-5
Science Camp for Grades 4-5 in Sacramento, CA

ACTION ITEMS – Consideration and approval of:

2017-18 proposed budget
2017-18 fundraising project with Acme Gift Wrap, Inc., to raise funds for Science Camp
2017-18 fundraising project to provide guest speaker on family engagement in school

PLANNING ITEMS – Discussion on:

Organizing Reflections Arts Program in September
Organizing Red Ribbon Week in October

Approving – Minutes are presented for approval at the next meeting of the group as a standard agenda item. This action is recorded in two, different places in the master copies of the minutes:

Minutes of current meeting – Note that previous meeting’s minutes were approved ‘as written’ or ‘as corrected’ and list the corrections
Minutes of previous meeting – Write the word ‘Approved’ and the date after your signature and title

The president can also appoint a committee, ideally three people, to approve minutes during the term. This helps to save time at a meeting.

When using this method to approve minutes, committee members must be present at the meeting to:

Read the minutes on behalf of members
Report on corrections at the next meeting
Sign and date approval of the minutes after secretary’s signature on the master copy of the minutes

Correcting – Corrections to minutes are made when they are presented for approval at a meeting. They can also be made at any subsequent meeting when an error is discovered.

Only the group involved in the meeting – the board or the association – may correct minutes from one of their previous meetings.

To record a correction in the master copy of the minutes, use a red ink pen to:

Circle the incorrect words
Write, in the margin, the correction, the date and your initials

Preserving – Minutes are the legal, permanent records of a PTA as a nonprofit organization and are kept forever. At the end of the term, the master copy of the minutes, from board and association meetings, should be bound and passed on to your successor.

Beyond the Minutes

As secretary, you are assigned a few other tasks as indicated in your bylaws. At meetings, be prepared to refer to minutes of previous meetings, bylaws and the current membership list, if asked. You may also be asked to provide blank paper for voting by ballot and to help count a vote.

For an association meeting, the secretary presents a board report and moves the adoption of board recommendations.

In addition, some administrative tasks carried out by the secretary include:

Sending notices of board meetings
Preparing a list of unfinished business from meetings for the president to follow up on
Notifying officers and committee members of their election or appointment

Did you Know? … PTA Board Members

Adhere to PTA financial procedures as outlined in Bylaws and State and National PTA guidelines
Protect members’ privacy by utilizing member information for PTA work only
Attend PTA sponsored workshops or trainings
Maintain a current procedure book to pass on to a successor, in hard copy or electronic format
Work together as a team to improve the lives of all children and their families

Other Useful Information

Resources:

California State PTA – www.capta.org

PTA Leaders tab and more
California State PTA Toolkit
Running Your PTA Made Easy
Insurance Guide – Also mailed annually to PTA presidents

Online Services:

Officer Contact System – To enter officer and board member information and generate useful reports
e-Bylaws – To revise and update PTA unit Bylaws
Tax Filing Support Center – To help units meet Federal and State reporting requirements
MyPTEZ – To handle PTA accounting needs and generate financial reports
TOTEM – ELECTRONIC MEMBERSHIP SYSTEM – To join and renew membership and for PTAs to manage membership

National PTA – www.pta.org

Run Your PTA tab and more
E-Learning Workshops
One Voice Blog

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