MADISON COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL

PARENT GUILD BY- LAWS

Revised and Adopted May 2006

Goals and Purpose

The MCDS Parent Guild is a volunteer organization whose mission is to build community spirit, support our children, the MCDS faculty, staff and administration, and the broader school community.  The Guild is here to serve our growing community of families and staff. 

Parent Guild events 1) benefit the children, 2) support community spirit, and 3) promote the school in the wider community.

The Parent Guild promotes a sense of community among families and school faculty, staff and administration through its social events and fundraising activities.  Close communication with the MCDS Administration and Board ensure that the Guild adheres to school principles and practices. 

Meetings

There will be a fall meeting held at the beginning of the school year to welcome all families and to present projects, programs and volunteer opportunities.  A spring meeting will be held to deliver the annual report, present the Nominating Committee’s slate of officers for the upcoming year, and to address other business as necessary.  Other meetings may be held throughout the year, and such dates, as determined by the Executive Committee, will be announced to the school community by the first day of school. 

Membership

All MCDS Parents/Guardians are automatically members of the Parent Guild. 

Financial Policies

The Parent Guild is a self-funded organization which generates money from events and fundraisers.  The Parent Guild holds its own funds in a bank account separate from the school.  Any member wishing to see such bank statement should request a copy from the Treasurer.  The Parent Guild treasury carries a small balance from year to year as a seed fund for the following years’ events.  The amount carried over will be determined with the input of the schools’ business manager.  Excess funds generated by Parent Guild events will be used to fund capital and other projects as identified by the Fundraising/Allocations Committee (information below).  

The Parent Guild Treasurer will review and respond to all requests for payment and/or reimbursement arising from Parent Guild events and activities.  Forms for these requests must be filled out with receipts attached.  Requests for reimbursement must be turned in to the Treasurer within 45 days of the event or date of purchase.  The Treasurer will respond to requests for reimbursement in a timely fashion. Sales tax is not a reimbursable expense because of the school’s tax-exempt status.  All checks shall be signed by two Parent Guild Executive Committee members: the Treasurer and the President.  Requests may not be made for donations to other organizations.  No loans shall be made by the Parent Guild to its Officers or members.  

Structure

              Executive Committee

The Officers of the Executive Committee of the Parent Guild shall consist of a President, President-Elect, Secretary, Volunteer Coordinator, and Treasurer.  Only persons with a child attending MCDS shall be eligible to hold office.  No person shall hold two offices at the same time.  Moral integrity and the desire to fulfill and uphold the mission and spirit of MCDS and are essential characteristics for holding an Executive Committee position. 

The Executive Committee will hold meetings as necessary throughout the school year to address the business of the Parent Guild, prepare for general parent Guild meetings, and monitor on-going projects of the Parent Guild.

              Duties

PRESIDENT

• Shall serve a one year term following a one year term as President-Elect.
• Presides at all meetings and prepare agendas for the meeting.
• Acts as a liaison between Guild members and school Administration.
• Signs Parent Guild checks.

PRESIDENT-ELECT

• Shall serve a one year term before assuming the role of President in the following year.
• Attends all Guild meetings and makes presentations as required.
• The President-Elect is the president in training and shall work closely with the President and will share the duties of President as determined by the current President.

SECREATARY

• Shall serve a one year term.
• Attends all Guild meetings, and if unable to attend should notify the President or President-Elect.
• Records the Minutes at each Guild meeting and provides the school Administrative Assistant with a copy of such minutes to post on the web site.  A hard copy of such Minutes shall also be kept in the Parent Guild binder. 
• Maintains the Parent Guild Bulletin Board and the Parent Guild web site pages.
• Oversees all Guild events through close communication with committee chairs and obtains reports for all events for the Guild’s permanent file, ensuring that all event files are continually updated.

TREASURER

• Shall serve a two year term, but shall not serve two consecutive terms as Treasurer.
• Attends all Guild meetings and if unable to attend should notify the President or President-Elect.
• Reconciles the check book monthly (including the summer months), files the bank statements in order, and keeps records of all transactions breaking them down into categories.
• Prepares a monthly report of all transactions to be shared with the Executive Committee.
• Prepares a report before each Parent Guild meeting explaining the impact of expenditures and income on the budget.
• Responds to requests for reimbursement and prepares checks in a timely manner. 
• Ensures that bank account signature cards are maintained yearly.

VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

• Shall serve a one year term.
• Creates/revises the volunteer sheet each year to reflect the needs of the Parent Guild and the school.
• Complies a data base of such volunteers and contacts them as needs arise or passes the names along to the correct person to be contacted for each event.
• Ensures that volunteer groups continue their duties throughout the year.

              Terms of Service

The Executive Committee members shall assume their offices at the end of the school year.  An officer may be re-nominated for the same or another office, not to exceed four consecutive terms.  Any vacancy will be filled by the Nominating Committee.  Resignation from office shall be made in writing and submitted to the President.  Dismissal from office shall be made by a majority vote of the nominating committee less the Head of School.  Basis for dismissal shall be failure to perform or unacceptable performance.  Unprofessional conduct by any officer shall be addressed by the members of the Executive Committee.

Standing Committees

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee shall consist of the Executive Committee, the Head of School or the Head’s designee, the Parent Guild past President, and the Fundraising/Allocations Committee Chairperson.  The Nominating Committee shall present the slate of incoming Executive Committee Officers for approval at the end of the year annual spring meeting and fill vacancies as necessary during the school year.  When choosing Officers, every effort shall be made to represent the entire school (Early Childhood, Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School) and to consider parents of both boys and girls. 

Anyone wishing to serve on the Executive Committee or anyone wishing to recommend another person to the Committee need only contact a member of the Nominating Committee.  If an individual knows of any reason that a proposed candidate is not the best choice for office they are encouraged to approach the Nominating Committee.

Fund-Raising/Allocations Committee

This Committee, in consultation with the Board of Trustee’s Development Committee and the Head of School, or the Heads designee, shall consider all proposed requests for fund-raising brought to the Parent Guild.  It shall determine which are most beneficial and can be successfully implemented.  The Committee shall ensure that all groups and grade levels are fairly represented, that there are not too many requests made by any specific group or in duplicative fashion, and that there are not too many on-going fund-raising efforts at one time.  No fund-raising projects, events or activities may be undertaken without the express approval of the Fundraising/Allocations Committee. 

The Fundraising/Allocations Committee shall consider the list of capital and other projects requested by school faculty, staff, and administration and recommend to the Parent Guild Executive Committee how the funds raised shall be spent.  The Committee will endeavor to support the projects placed at the highest priority level by the school administration.  The Committee is charged to allocate funds as equitably as possible to all divisions of the school over time.  Decisions are based on the best interests of the school and all decisions shall take into account the school’s overriding global welfare. 

The Fundraising/Allocations Committee shall be comprised of the Parent Guild President, President-Elect, and Parent Guild Treasurer.  Additional members shall be nominated by the Nominating Committee to assure representation of each school division (Early Childhood, Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools).  Also on this Committee will sit the school’s Business Manger, and the Head of School or the Head’s designee.  Care shall be taken to nominate persons who are open minded to the entire school or persons who are committed to the overall needs of the school and will endeavor to promote the spirit of MCDS.  The committee shall elect its own chairperson to preside over meetings and to coordinate communication between the Committee, the Parent Guild and the Development Committee.  The chairperson shall submit a report to the Parent Guild Executive Committee. 

Revision of by-laws

These by-laws shall be reviewed and changes shall be made as necessary in the year following an ISACS review (every seven years).  These by-laws may be revised at any time if circumstances warrant. 

The procedure to change these by-laws shall be as follows:  meetings will be scheduled which are open to the general Parent Guild community; at the meetings those in attendance shall review the current by-laws and determine changes as necessary.  The proposed changes shall be made available to all Parent Guild members to review and comment on before they are voted at a general Parent Guild meeting.

Dissolution

In the event of the closure of the school, any and all funds remaining in the Parent Guild account will be directly deposited into the Madison Country Day School account.