Question: Revise Bylaws Due To Membership Dues Increase

I have posed this question to my MPTSA office, but while I wait for a response, I thought I'd see what advice I could find here. My PTA bylaws state specific amounts of membership dues that are to be paid to MPTSA and National PTA as well as state our membership dues are $5. In June (I received the information just recently as a forward), PTA announced that the portions paid to MPTSA and National are being increased to a total of $5.50. Clearly, the bylaws will need to be revised, preferably to contain wording without specific dollar amounts. Here's the problem: Our school year starts after Labor Day. Our membership drive happens during Meet the Teacher night on August 31. We will not have a public meeting until Mid September. I imagine it is illegal for us to collect a $6 membership fee in August when our bylaws clearly say membership is $5. Can I call a special meeting via email of the Executive Board vote on it the first week of August, submit the document to the appropriate office, then collect the increased fee while the document revisions are still being reviewed? We all know I won't have an approval back in a matter of 2-3 weeks. My bylaws say that a group of 5 members constitutes a quarum for the transaction of business. We are having a planning board meeting (there are 5 of us on the board) on 8/3 to set our budget, ect. If I send an email notice now (that gives 8 days notice) stating this business will be reviewed and voted on during that meeting, does that suffice to approve the change or do I need to have a public notice/meeting? My previous experience in PTA was attending 3 meetings last year during my one and only child's 1st year of school. Now I'm Co President, clueless and let's just say the board transition this summer has been rocky with unreliable communication between the old board and the new board. Any advice is welcome!

Asked by Cmarrie

Answers:

Community Advice

Parttimeparli writes:
When your state PTA or National PTA votes to have a change in dues amount, there are provisions already in place to allow your PTA to collect the increased amount without having to amend your Local PTA's bylaws. If your LOCAL PTA wanted to change its dues, you would need a bylaw amendment. As of June 12, delegates at the National PTA convention voted to increase dues by .50 to $2.25 effective immediately. You must collect state, National and your local portions of dues. ANY time a PTA wants to change its (local) portion of dues, the membership must vote on it and approve it- not the board. Your members need to be given previous notice of upcoming motion.