Parent Association 2008-09

By-Laws

Article I

Name

This organization shall be known as The Potomac School Parent Association (the “Parent Association”).

Article II

Purpose

The purpose of the Parent Association is to foster community involvement by encouraging and promoting volunteerism, welcoming new families into the Potomac School community, facilitating communication between The Potomac School and its parents, assisting with fundraising initiatives, and supporting The Potomac School’s educational programs.

Article III

Membership and Meetings

All parents and guardians of students currently enrolled in The Potomac School (the “School”) shall be members of the Parent Association.

 Article IV

Executive Committee

The Parent Association shall be governed by an executive committee (the “Executive Committee”) which shall consist of the following ten members: the Chair, Chair-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, Chair of Room Representatives, Communications Chair, and four At-Large Members. The Nominating Committee will meet each spring to fill the vacancies on the Executive Committee for the following year.

A. Executive Committee Members

Chair : The Chair is responsible for setting the goals for the year and for general management of the Parent Association. The Chair shall preside at all Parent Association membership meetings. Prior to each Board of Trustees meeting, the Chair will provide the Board with a letter to be included under the “consent agenda.”

Chair-Elect: The Chair-Elect assists the Chair and assumes the role of Chair in his/her absence. The Chair-Elect is responsible for planning the Parent Association leadership retreat in May.

Secretary: The Secretary is responsible for taking notes, keeping records, handling correspondence, and drafting and overseeing the

distribution of materials as requested by the Executive Committee. The Secretary shall work with the Communications Chair (i) to keep the School’s web site up to date and (ii) to ensure that the minutes from each Executive Committee meeting are posted on CampusNET.

Treasurer: The Treasurer is responsible for maintaining the Parent Association’s financial records and for interfacing with the Business Office as requested by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall work with the Executive Committee to create an annual budget for the Parent Association.

Chair of Room Representatives: The Chair of Room Representatives will also serve as the Upper School Head Room Representative and will work with the Room Reps from each division to coordinate the School’s activities.

Communications Chair : The Communications Chair will work with the Secretary and the Parent Association Committee Chairs to ensure that information on CampusNET is up-to-date. The Communications Chair will also coordinate the distribution of materials to the Potomac Community.

At-Large Members : Each of the School’s four divisions shall be represented by one of the four At-Large Members. The At-Large Members shall assist the Executive Committee with the activities of the Parent Association.

B. Terms of Office

The Chair and the Chair–Elect shall each serve a one-year term. The Chair-Elect becomes the Chair when the term of the current Chair expires.

The Treasurer and the Secretary shall each serve two-year terms that are staggered so that the term of only one of these positions expires in any given year.

At-Large Members of the Executive Committee shall each serve two-year terms that are staggered so that the terms of no more than three of the At-Large Member positions expire in a given year.

In the event of a mid-term vacancy on the Executive Committee, a majority of the Executive Committee may appoint a replacement to serve the balance of the vacating member’s term.

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee shall consist of the past Chair of the Parent Association, two representatives from the School’s administration, and two members of the School’s community that have been chosen by the Executive Committee. Any member of the Potomac School community that desires to serve on the Nominating Committee may nominate himself or herself by completing a Parent Association volunteer form or a substantially similar form. The Chair will select names by lottery to fill any vacancy on the Nominating Committee.

Parent Association Committees

Individuals interested in establishing a new Parent Association Committee are to contact the Chair of the Executive Committee. The Chair shall prepare a detailed report on the proposed committee, including (but not limited to) a complete description of activities, membership and budget requirements. If approved by a majority of the Executive Committee, the proposal shall be submitted to the Head of School for final approval.

Parent Association Committee chairs and Head Room Reps will be appointed on an annual basis and shall serve no more than two consecutive one-year terms.

Article V

 Budget

The Parent Association shall be provided operating funds from the School’s budget. The Executive Committee shall prepare and submit a proposed budget request to the Head of School for consideration during the annual budget process.