LIfe for your organization -- and for all the members --will be so much easier with a good, solid, approved set of bylaws. Although some people might dismiss them as "too formal" or unnecessary for a small organization, bylaws will save you gobs of aggrevation. Any group who elects officers and raises money should have bylaws. I would feel very uncomfortable being active in an organization without them. They don't need to be complicated, but they need to be in place. Check out the next posting that has websites for sample bylaws. If that doesn't work out, I might be able to email you our from our Gr 2-5 school. jsut send me an email (see profile for address).
If you've never adopted by-laws, then I don't see how you can try to enforce them. At best, decisions would probably just be simple "majority vote", but even defining the majority might be tough in a contentious situation.
Whereas our PTO is a separate legal entity and not 'controlled' in any way by the Principal or district, we would be hard pressed to exist if they wouldn't recognize us and work with us.
Your situtation isn't entirely clear. Would it be possible for the key people in the dispute and the Principal to sit down with an impartial party to sort out the problem? Perhaps, as a start, this core group could agree on some basic processes and the need for by-laws. Once you get this particular problem cleared up, you could work on getting by-laws voted in and processes implemented.
From where I stand a "sample" set of by-laws that has not been approved by the membership has no bearing what so ever on the organization. Are you saying that you group has no bylaws? This would be a terrible way to run things. If this is the case I don't believe that "Robert's Rules" would have any bearing either. In our bylaws it specifically states that we will follow the "rules". The first thing on your agenda should be to get bylaws, without them it is basically "no holds barred". Also, at our school the Principal or Superindendant would have the right goes as far as eliminate the PTO altogether. I'm confused as to what is exactly going at at your school(your not real clear) but I think you must remember that it is the principal and the super who have the real authority here not the pto.
If there are no PTO By-laws in place [subject & sample brought up at a meeting, but not voted in], and there is a "situation", what are the governing laws? Do the sample by-laws which were mentioned at a meeting belong to the pto or the member who brought them forward if they are not going to be used/were not voted in by the pto members? Is a member required to hand over their "own" sample of example" by-laws to school personal if they are not a voted-in set??
Would it be the Robert's rules of order??
Would the "example" of a set of by-laws not voted in hold any governing capacity??
Also; does a principal or the superintendant hold any status of governing over the "situation" in the PTO?? Such as going over/around the lead officer; chair/pres or vp, in demanding the ptos papers and stating that an officer would be terminated from officership if they do not hand them over to the principal without even informing at least the executive committee, pres or vp, but they have no problem handing them over to the lead officer for inspection?
Shouldn't the pres or vp know of any accusations being made by a member, principal or superintendant, as well as have a vote to issue a letter of demand to another officer?
Should an officer have the right to know if they are being accused of something and what it is?? Who should ; how do you inform them??
Thank you.
