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Lexington Home and School Club By-Laws

Updated May 2016

 

ARTICLE I: NAME

 

The name of this organization is the Lexington Home and School Club. It is the Home and School Club of the Lexington Elementary School in Los Gatos Union School District, Santa Clara County, California.  The Lexington Home and School Club is a designated 501c3 organization (Tax ID # 94-6172102).

 

ARTICLE II: PURPOSES   

 

The purposes of this organization are:

 

  • To build a relationship between the home, school and community.

 

  • To assist in the general welfare of the students and the school.

 

  • To supplement educational teachings/equipment and International Baccalaureate dues not covered by state, county or district allowances.

 

  • To provide volunteers for various school programs and events.

 

  • To raise funds through various fundraising activities.

 

 

ARTICLE III: POLICIES

 

The policies of this organization are:

 

  • This organization is educational, non-sectarian, and non-partisan.

 

  • This organization will neither direct the administrative activities of the school nor control its policies.

 

  • The name of the organization and the names of any members is their official capacities will not be used in partisan political interests, or for any purpose not related to the purpose of the organization.

 

  • All money collected, except that needed for operating expenses, will be used for projects to directly benefit the school and students. All such projects will be approved by the Board.

 

  • No money will be spent beyond the approved budget without the approval of the Board.

 

  • Any member of the Board may request an audit of the financial records of the organization.

 

  • Any money left in the Home and School Club treasury at the end of the school year will carry forward to the next consecutive school year.

 

  • Upon termination of the charter of this organization, any money in the treasury would revert to either the school, or to the organization that would be set up to take the place of the Lexington Home and School Club. Disposition of this money would be determined by the Board.

 

 

ARTICLE IV: MEMBERSHIP/MEETINGS

 

  • Membership:

There shall not be any discrimination based on race, gender, religion, political views, nationality, sexual orientation or disability. There are two classes of membership: General membership and faculty membership.

  • General membership is open only to parents or guardians of students attending Lexington School. Each family has one (1) membership, regardless of number of children attending the school. If parents are divorced, each parent is eligible to be a member. To become a general member, a membership form along with annual dues must be submitted.

  • Faculty members are not required to pay dues. Only persons who are currently employed as faculty at Lexington Elementary School shall qualify as faculty member.

 

Memberships are for the term of one school year.

  • Membership Voting:

Members are entitled to vote for:

  • The election of officers of the Home and School Club

  • Matters of importance as determined by the Board should be submitted to a vote of the members as set forth in Section 3 below.

  • Such other matters as may be required by these By-Laws or California Law.

Each member (one per family, unless divorced) shall be entitled to one (1) vote on those matters submitted to a vote of the members. Only those persons who qualify as members will be entitled to act as officers of the Home and School Club or exercise the rights of members under these By-Laws.

 

  • Proxies of Matters of Importance

 

Members can vote either in person (i.e., orally or by written ballot) or by written proxy.  The process of proxy voting shall be decided by the current Board.

 

  • Notice of Meeting

 

The place and time of meetings will be designated by the Board.  Announcements of meetings will be posted two (2) days prior to specific meetings.  Meetings will also be announced by (1) posting to the Lex Link and to the Home and School Club website of location, day, time and agenda of the meeting, (2) a sign which specifies the location, day, time and agenda of the meeting.

 

  • The President will have the ability to call a Board meeting. A Board meeting must have a quorum of at least two-thirds of the Board present.

  • All meetings will be conducted according to Robert’s Rules of Order.

 

 

ARTICLE V:  BOARD

 

The Board consists of:

  • President

  • Vice President

  • Second Vice President (Principal)

  • Volunteer Coordinator

  • Secretary

  • Treasurer 

  • Parliamentarian

  • Hospitality

  • Communication

 

 

  • (a)  Qualifications of Board Members: Each Board Member of the Club must be a current General Member of the Club in good standing and must have a child enrolled as a student at Lexington School.

 

(b) In addition to their specific duties, members of the Board are:

  • To be current with membership dues;

  • To attend all meetings;

  • To prepare reports before each meeting;

  • To notify the President if they cannot attend a meeting;

  • To assist in coordinating and executing all fundraisers as determined by the Home and School Club event calendar.

  • In addition to the duties below, please refer to other duties on the annual calendar found in the corresponding binder.

 

  • The Duties of the Board are as follows: 

 

  • President:  The President will schedule, attend and lead all Home and School Club meetings. The President will be responsible for setting the Home and School Club goals, budget, and calendar for the year.  She/he will attend and report on the Los Gatos Union School District Meetings and the Resource Council Meetings. The President will act as liaison between the Home and School Club and the Principal. The President can appoint alternate Board members and committee chairs subject to approval of the Board. He/she will exercise voting rights in the event of a tie.

 

  • Vice-President:  The Vice-President will assume the duties of the President in her/his absence. She/he will assist the President when requested. The Vice-President will be responsible for the production of the Buzz Book and will help the President set the budget and calendar for the following year. She/he will be responsible for membership development and the membership drive. She/he will attend and report on the Resource Council Meetings.

 

  • Second Vice-President:  The Second Vice-President is the school Principal and will serve in an advisory capacity to the Board.

 

  •  Volunteer Coordinator:  The Volunteer Coordinator will be responsible for obtaining and maintaining a list of volunteers from the school community to assist with school functions. She/he will be responsible for identifying the persons to chair each event and the volunteers.  She/he will maintain the Volunteer Database and identify special event volunteers. She/he will be a liaison between the committee chairs and the Board.

 

  • Secretary: The Secretary will take attendance at each Home and School Club meeting. She/he will record the minutes of each Home and School Club meeting. Before each meeting, she/he will email the minutes from the previous meeting to all Home and School Club members. After approval of the minutes, the Secretary will make sure the minutes are posted on the school website and a live link be put in the weekly Lex Link.

 

  • Treasurer: The Treasurer is responsible for the payment of approved Home and School Club bills and teacher grants. She/he will keep an accurate record of itemized financial records, receipts, and expenditures. The Treasurer will be responsible for the maintenance of the Home and School Club checking account and the reconciliation of statements. She/he will submit a monthly treasurer’s report.  The Treasurer will be responsible for turning over financial records of the organization for an audit to be performed by a person appointed by the Board.  She/he will publish the current budget before each Home and School Club meeting. The Treasurer will be responsible for preparing and submitting annual information and/or tax returns to comply with federal and state laws and maintain the organization’s tax-exempt status.

 

  • Parliamentarian: She/he will act as Parliamentarian at all meetings, give advice on parliamentary procedures (using Robert’s Rules of Order as a guide) and update and maintain the Lexington Home and School Club By-Laws. She/he will act as timekeeper during the meetings. She/he will serve as chair of the Nominating Committee and will conduct the General Election meeting. He/she will be on the board of LGEF as a Home and School Club representative and liaison. The term is April of the previous year through March.

 

  • Hospitality:  She/he is responsible for refreshment coordination for various Home and School Club activities. This position coordinates the back to school welcome social (Ice-cream social), refreshments for membership drives, teacher luncheons, and other occasions (Book-fair, etc.).  She/he will be in charge of food for Fun Day.

 

  • Communications:  She/he will be responsible for maintaining the Home and School Club website content and design.  She/he is responsible for the scheduling, messaging, placement, production and management of overall Home and School Club parent/staff communications which include emails, texts, forms, signs, and banners, social media and weekly HSC section in The Link. She/he will coordinate the promotion of HSC events and fundraising efforts in local media, signs and web articles as well as publicize school information and programs. She/he can appoint a webmaster, writer or other people with specialized skills to help with these tasks, subject to approval by the Board.

 

 

  • All Board positions, with the exception of Second Vice-President, may be shared. No more than (2) two people shall share a Board position.  When two members share a position, their vote will count as one.

 

  • The Board will appoint a Financial Advisory Committee (FAC) representative that may be part of the Home and School Home and School Club or parent community. The duties of this person are described in the FAC By-Laws.

  • All Board members shall be available to help with Lexington’s annual adult fundraiser, Food, Wine and Song. If a Board member cannot fulfill their required duties for FWS as described above then she/he shall find a replacement to do the job.

  • The Vice President shall become President for the year following the expiration of the term of office. The President shall become Parliamentarian for the year following the expiration of the term of office. If these people are unwilling or unable to make this commitment they shall give notice to the board 30 days prior to the start of the nomination process.

  • Board Voting:

 Motions cannot be passed at a meeting without the presence of a quorum. In order for a meeting to take place, the following requirements must be met to satisfy a quorum:

(1) Either the President or the Vice President must be present;

(2) Either the School Principal or a teacher representing the Principal must be present;

(3) At least half of the remaining Board must be present.

(4) Vote is passed by a simple majority.

  • The Board (a) shall have the authority to manage the affairs of the Home and School Club, and all powers and actions of the Home and School Club will be exercised by or under the direction of the Board.  By way of example, the Board will have authority to manage the affairs, funds and property of the Home and School Club. (b)  Shall create committees as it deems necessary.  (c)  Shall approve any unbudgeted expenditures of the Home and School Club greater than $500.  Unbudgeted expenditures of under $500 shall be approved by the President.

  • Removal of Board Members: Any board member may be removed “for cause” by a vote of two-thirds of the remaining board members. “For Cause” shall include, but not be limited to, the following: i) that a board member shall have missed three consecutive board meetings; ii) in the event of a conflict of interest that reasonably prevents or limits such member from objectively fulfilling their obligations and duties; or iii) a board member fails to reasonably support the purposes and objectives of the Home and School Club.

 

ARTICLE VI: COMMUNICATIONS

 

  • The Home and School Club produces the following communications:

 

  • Home and School Club Calendar

  • Buzz Book

  • Home and School Club Newsletter publicized in the Lex Link  (optional)

  • Monthly Meeting Minutes

  • Home and School Club website

 

  • The Home and School Club Logo, determined by the Board, is used on all Home and School Club communications.

 

  • All Home and School Club communications denote the author.

 

  • Home and School Club newsletters are the responsibility of the Communications Chair.   All submissions are submitted to the Communications Chair (2) two days prior to the denoted due date.  All submissions are forwarded to the President at least (1) one day prior to the denoted due date. The Communications Chair will consolidate all inputs into one Home and School Club newsletter, to be posted to the Lex Link and the Home and School Club website.

 

 

ARTICLE VII: NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS 

 

  • The Nominating Committee will consist of two members nominated from the floor of the March Home and School Club meeting and the parliamentarian who will be the chairperson.

 

  • The Nominating Committee will present a slate of nominees for the elective positions at the April Home and School Club meeting. At that time, nominations may also be made from the floor providing the nominees are present.

 

  • A vote will be taken of the Nominating Slate of all Home and School Club Board members present at the April Home and School Club meeting.

  • Home and School Club Board members and members from the Home and School Club may vote by written, email or online absentee ballot to be turned in to the Nominations Chair prior to the May meeting.

 

  • It shall be discouraged to hold two offices position at once, but is allowed. No person will serve more than two consecutive years in the same office, unless there is a Board approval by the majority.

 

  • Incoming officers will be installed at the May meeting.

 

  • Each Board serves office from July through to the following June.

 

  • In the event of a resignation of a Board member, which must be in writing and presented to the Board, the position may be filled by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Board.

 

 

ARTICLE VIII:  COMMITTEES

 

  • Committee Chairs work closely with the Volunteer Coordinator to secure their committee volunteers.

 

  • All Committee Chairs will submit reports in writing to the Board when the committee is active. When the committee has completed its work, or at the last meeting of the year, the committee will submit its final report to include final accounting, suggestions for the next year, and the final committee list.

 

ARTICLE IX:  AMENDMENTS TO BY-LAWS (Operating Guidelines)

 

  • These By-Laws (Operating Guidelines) will be reviewed every year and updated as necessary.

 

  • These By-Laws (Operating Guidelines) may be amended by a majority vote of those attending a meeting or at a Board meeting, provided notice has been given at the previous meeting.

 

  • Copies of the proposed amendments will be made available to all members prior to the scheduled vote.

 

ARTICLE X:  LIABILITY & INDEMNITY

  • No Personal Liability –No Board member of the Home and School Club will be personally liable for the debts, liabilities or obligations of the Home and School Club.

  • Covered Persons Not Liable -No Board member of the Home and School Club (collectively, the “Covered Persons”) will be liable to the Home and School Club or any other person who has an interest in or claim against the Home and School Club for any loss, damage or claim incurred by reason of any act or omission performed or omitted by such Covered Person in good faith on behalf of the Home and School Club and in a manner reasonably believed to be within the scope of the authority conferred on such Covered Person by these By-Laws, the Home and School Club’s Articles of Incorporation, or applicable law.

  • Indemnity- To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Home and School Club shall indemnify its directors, officers and other persons described in California Clubs Code Section 5238(a), including persons formerly occupying any such positions, against all expenses, judgments, fines, settlements, and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred by them in connection with any “proceeding,” as that term is used in that section, and including an action by or in the right of the Home and School Club, by reason of the fact that the person is or was a person described in that section. “Expenses,” as used in these bylaws, shall have the same meaning as in that section of the California Corporation Code.