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Financial Reviewer Duties

Financially review the books and financial records of the association semiannually or as additionally specified in the bylaws.

Ensure the completed financial review is presented to a financial review committee, if required.

Prepare and present written reports for adoption by the association.

The outgoing financial reviewer is responsible for conducting the financial review at the end of the term of office. California State PTA recommends that if the financial review is not completed within two (2) weeks after the completion of the term of office, the president may appoint a committee to immediately review the books. The same time frame must be followed for the semiannual financial review.

Financially review the books upon resignation of the treasurer, financial secretary or any check signer, or at any time deemed necessary.

Review and sign monthly bank statements and reconciliations. (These duties may be assigned to any other non-check signing officer.)

Work with the treasurer to understand the record-keeping system.

For more information on Financial Reviewer’s Duties, see the Job Descriptions Chapter of the Toolkit.

Electing the Nominating Committee

Information about when and how a nominating committee is elected is found in your PTA Bylaws. For example, Bylaws provide details on who is eligible to serve as well as how many members and alternates are on the nominating committee.

Keep in mind that the election of the nominating committee takes place, each year, at least two months before the annual election meeting for board members.

Qualities of Nominating Committee Members

A member of the nominating committee is expected to understand and appreciate:

Duties and eligibility requirements of board positions
Skill sets and time commitment needed for each position
Consideration of potential nominees based on abilities as well as capacity for leadership growth
Selection of a slate of officers that reflects a school community
Importance of keeping all deliberations confidential

Responsibilities of the Committee

The nominating committee is tasked with choosing the best candidates to serve as officers to run your PTA next term.

Its meetings are scheduled to provide adequate time to consider all suggestions for potential nominees.

Setting aside time to create a balanced slate of experienced and new officers, representing the school community, is also part of the process.

Keep in mind that the nominating committee:

Elects its own chairperson at its first meeting
Receives information and advice from the parliamentarian on procedures and next steps
Reviews requirements for nominees and officers’ duties (See: Job Descriptions in Toolkit)
Engages in open discussion on potential nominees
Selects only eligible nominees who agree to serve
Operates until the annual election meeting

Remember, too, that a committee member is not excluded from consideration as a nominee for an elected board position.

If a nominating committee member is being considered, he/she is excused from the meeting during discussion on the position. And, the individual can rejoin the meeting to participate in the ballot vote, required in this instance, for determining the nominee for an office.

Responsibilities of Chairperson

The chairperson for a nominating committee has administrative duties to ensure that the committee runs smoothly and completes its work on time.

Additional responsibilities include arranging to:

Provide the agenda and schedule for meetings
Contact potential nominees and share the outcome with the committee (See: Contacting Nominees)
Advise nominees to attend the election meeting and the installation of officers
Submit a slate of nominees to the membership 28 days before the election meeting
Reconvene the committee if a nominee withdraws before the election

At the election meeting, the chairperson reads the nominating committee report with the slate of nominees and gives a written report, signed by the committee, to the secretary to include in the Minutes.

Alternates to the Nominating Committee

An alternate is elected by the membership and receives information about the date, time and place of the first meeting of the nominating committee.

However, he/she only participates in nominating committee meetings when there is a vacancy on the committee.

If an elected member is unable to attend the first meeting, the first alternate is asked to replace that person as a permanent member of the nominating committee.

The Role of the Parliamentarian

For the election process, the parliamentarian acts as a facilitator for elections and as a mentor to the nominating committee.

For example, at the association meeting that elects the nominating committee, the parliamentarian shares information on the election process by reading parts of Article V, Section 3 to 4 in Unit Bylaws.

Providing support for the nominating committee includes scheduling its first meeting. Notifying the first alternate, if an elected member cannot attend this meeting, is a task assigned to the parliamentarian.

At the first meeting of the nominating committee, the parliamentarian conducts the election of the chairperson and supplies advice and information on:

Nominating procedures and timelines
Committee responsibilities and chairperson duties
Unit Bylaws, Standing Rules and Membership List
Officer positions and Job Descriptions

For subsequent meetings, the parliamentarian only attends if elected to serve on the nominating committee.

Suggestions for Year-Round Schools

Include representatives from all tracks on the nominating committee.

Encourage the nominating committee to present a slate of officers representing all tracks.

Request that the president and first vice president be from different tracks.

Committee Member Selection

The president appoints the chairman and members of all committees, with the exception of the nominating committee. All appointments are subject to ratification by the executive board. The president should seek recommendations from the chairmen. Committees should be representative of the membership and include students at the secondary level, if possible. The president is an ex-officio member of all committees except the nominating committee.

The nominating committee is elected by the membership (Nominations and Elections).

Considerations for Member Selection
Do they have a special interest in the subject?
Do they have the background needed to address the issue?
Will they attend committee meetings and make a positive contribution?
Do they have access to special resources?
Would serving on the committee enhance their skills?
Would student input be appropriate and helpful?
Do they represent the needs of a diverse membership?
Are the members representative of the community?

The principal can be a valuable resource on a variety of issues and may be asked to serve in an advisory capacity on any committee.

Guidelines for Chairmen

The president should provide the chairmen with their respective job descriptions as soon as possible. The job descriptions for all recommended chairmen can be found under the Job Descriptions.

Committee Development and Guidelines
Committee Member Selection
Committee Meetings
Responsibilities of Officers and Chairman

Guidelines for Communications Leaders

An effective communications team may include one or more of the following:

Communications vice president or chairman
Website manager
Social media coordinator/administrator
Newsletter/e-newsletter editor
Distribution chairman

See Job Descriptions for Communications Leader.

A communications leader:

Works with the unit’s elected officers to develop an annual communications plan. The plan should complement the goals of the association and include internal messages for the school community as well as external communications for the public.
Serves as the chairman of the communications committee.
Assists the president and other officers in their preparation of remarks for media interviews.
Assists program and event chairmen in publicizing upcoming events/programs. Follows up with articles highlighting the event or program.
Attends training workshops, and makes reports during meetings, as requested.
Passes along all communications resources to a successor, including past communications and publications, website and publication information, distribution information, and schedules.

Recommended Officers and Chairpersons

All PTAs are required to have a president, secretary, and treasurer as a nonprofit organization. While the number and titles of officers may vary at the unit, council, and district levels, all officers are listed in the Bylaws for your PTA.

Recommended Officers
Vice President(s)
Financial Secretary
Corresponding Secretary
Historian
Financial Reviewer
Parliamentarian

Job Descriptions for Officers and Chairpersons

To maintain continuity in running a PTA, the president ensures that board members receive the relevant materials, job guidelines and Procedure Books for their respective positions before the start of the new PTA year.

Information, tips and strategies for handling board positions are available in the ‘Job Descriptions’ for Officers and Chairpersons in the California State PTA Toolkit, Job Descriptions Chapter.

These Job Descriptions were developed by California State PTA to be used and relied on by unit, council and district PTAs. They are meant to assist board members in carrying out their duties throughout the term.

The list includes more specifics on the scope of the positions including ones for the required president, secretary and treasurer as well as more than thirty other positions.

PTAs are also encouraged to develop their own checklists for routine tasks and activities carried out by board members for their positions. These are prepared by outgoing officers and chairpersons to share with their successors.

Procedure Book

Each officer and chairperson is responsible for providing information and materials to pass on to his/her successor at the end of the term. Supplying these resources helps ensure that a PTA can continue to thrive as an organization.

When organized and collated, all material related to a PTA office or committee is known as a Procedure Book. It contains items and details to paint a picture on the scope of the position, how work was done and what was achieved during the year.

These materials may be kept and passed on in a binder, on a flash drive, or as electronic files stored on the cloud to access and download.

Procedure books are labeled with the PTA position or committee name; the name of the unit, council, if in council, and PTA district; and, a list of previous officers/chairpersons with the dates served and contact information.

They should also contain the following statement:

“This procedure book is the property of _________ [name of unit] and is to be given to the incoming officer/chairperson at the end of the term.”

To start the year right, a Procedure Book contains:

Executive board roster
Job description (See: California State PTA Toolkit, Job Descriptions)
Current Unit Bylaws and Standing Rules
Agendas and Minutes from meetings
PTA calendar of events and/or monthly duties
Budget and financial information
Officer/Chairperson Reports
Information from conferences and workshops
Relevant communications and newsletters
Contact information for community and business partners

Providing a summary of what worked best and suggesting ways to make it even better are also useful items to add to a Procedure Book for your successor.

Please Note: Procedure Books belong to a PTA and are not to be regarded as the personal property of individual volunteers.

REQUIRED OFFICERS

President
Secretary
Treasurer

Additional officers/chairmen

Required Officers

Organizing a Local Candidates Forum

Form a committee. Participation on this committee falls within the Job Description for Legislative Advocacy Chair.
Determine whether PTA will sponsor the forum alone or with another nonpartisan organization, such as the League of Women Voters or a branch of the American Association of University Women.
Set the date, and obtain a facility that is centrally located, if possible. If it will accommodate the number of candidates, a school district board room is an excellent location, and the physical environment, including audience space is, in most cases, already set up.
Decide whether to videotape the forum. This can be done through a local cable TV station, a high school video production class, or by a volunteer. Video can be uploaded to an online videosharing site and the PTA website. Some local government TV channels are willing to work in partnership with the League of Women Voters and PTA to tape forums for replay. Note: The camera should focus only on the moderator and the candidates.
Draft invitations to candidates. Be sure to include:
a) Complete information on date, time, and place;
b) Guidelines and ground rules for the forum (e.g., there will be only written questions, amount of time allowed for candidates’ responses; topics of questions; forum format (including time for opening and closing statements, candidate order for statements and answers, etc.); rules prohibiting campaign literature distribution in the forum room; if the forum will be videotaped for replay on cable TV or displayed on a website; etc.;
c) A request for any information needed from the candidate for promotion of the forum; e.g., biography and photo;
d) Name, address, telephone number and e-mail address of forum committee’s contact person;
e) Due date for the candidate to respond.
Candidate schedules are often hectic. They may be contacted by many organizations with requests for information, personal appearances, and/or forums. Establishing a personal connection by calling all candidates or their campaigns to inform them about the forum, to extend an initial invitation, and to advise them to look for a more formal invitation in the mail can facilitate both the process of organizing the forum and communicating with the candidates.
Obtain home addresses and e-mail addresses of all official candidates from the Registrar of Voters, and send invitations by certified mail with a return receipt requested. The signed, returned receipts should be kept on file.
Determine physical arrangements:
a) Provide adequate accessible seating for attendees.
b) Seating for candidates should be in the form of a head table, preferably elevated so they are visible to the audience. Seating assignments should be done by lottery with each candidate drawing a seat number prior to the beginning of the forum. The table should also be draped and water provided for candidates and moderator.
c) The moderator is the forum facilitator and may either stand at a podium or be seated at the table with the candidates. If the former, the moderator should be provided with a chair. If the latter, the moderator must be seated in a location that allows for eye contact with all candidates and control over the forum process and decorum.
d) Provide an adequate sound system with microphones available to rotate among the candidates, with a separate microphone for the moderator.
e) Provide tables for any refreshments and for any literature pertaining to the forum, such as agendas, programs, packets of candidates’ biographies and questionnaire responses.
f) Follow facility use permit regulations concerning distribution of campaign literature. Note: If a table is provided outside the forum room for candidate literature, the opportunity must be offered to all candidates. The materials should not be made available until the conclusion of the forum to avoid having them brought into the forum room. It is generally a good idea to place a limit on the amount of literature any individual candidate can place on the table to maintain the nonpartisan nature of the overall forum environment.
g) Provide a table for question sorters toward the front of the room. Timers should be located in the middle of the front row and visible to all candidates.
Identify volunteer responsibilities:
a) Volunteers from PTA and co-sponsoring organizations that organize and/or staff the forum should have no personal ties to any candidacy, and shall not have publicly expressed support or opposition to any of the candidates.
b) The forum committee should arrange for the following: greeters for both candidates and attendees; hospitality; person to open the forum and lead the Pledge of Allegiance – may be the moderator or president of the sponsoring organization(s).
c) Secure a neutral moderator. Consider requesting a representative of the League of Women Voters or a respected political editor from the local media. The moderator or his/her organization cannot have casually or formally endorsed any of the candidates.
d) Question Sorters – Enlist one PTA representative with no personal ties to any candidate, and one representative from each of the co-sponsoring organizations.
e) Timers – one to keep track of time, and one to hold up signs to signal candidates.
f) Two or three volunteers to hand out blank index cards, pick up questions and deliver them to the sorters.
Publicity – articles for the newspaper, radio announcements, cable announcements, fliers for PTA newsletters, etc.
On the day of the forum:
a) Attendees enter, ushers provide blank index cards on which attendees may write questions for the candidates. Each index card should be used for only one question.
b) Begin with Pledge of Allegiance, welcome and a statement of the nonpartisan policies of the sponsoring groups.
c) Moderator should go over the basic forum guidelines and procedures that were distributed to all candidates, so the audience will also understand them and know what to expect. The moderator must specify the length of time allowed for opening and closing statements, if they are included, and must also specify the amount of time each candidate will be given to respond to each question. If the forum is televised, this statement will inform the home audience as well. The moderator will also include the following information:

i. The order of questions will be rotated among the candidates in random order.
ii. Whether all questions will be in writing or if questions from attendees will be permitted.
iii. All questions will be screened for relevance, to avoid duplication, and to assure adherence to the guidelines and ground rules. Personal questions or attacks on any candidate will not be acknowledged.
iv. If a question is directed to a specific candidate, it must be issue-focused. The candidate will have a set amount of time to respond. All other candidates may have an opportunity to respond, if they so desire.
If a question is directed to all candidates, each candidate will have up to one minute to respond.

d) Timers should hold up signs to signal speakers:

i. Green: start
ii. Yellow: 15 seconds left
iii. Red: stop

e) The moderator should state that verbal interaction between the audience and the candidates during the forum will not be permitted. The forum is neutral territory for a sharing of philosophy, ideas and information, not campaigning.
f) Begin forum. While candidates are giving their opening statements, screeners can begin sorting questions to be asked of the candidates. If questions have been received through outreach efforts prior to the forum, they should be included in the mix. After the opening statements, the moderator asks the candidates questions received from the question sorters. (Note: In the event attendance is small at the beginning of the forum, the moderator should have a few questions in hand that were collected prior to the forum. This is even more important when the forum is televised.)
g) Moderator or other designee should close and thank cosponsors, the TV station and home audience, if applicable, and everyone in the forum audience for attending, reminding them of the election date and encouraging them to study the candidates and cast their votes.

Figure A-3

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