Wow! According to your bylaws I guess someone had better get that written notice for a meeting out quick! Ten members being the quorum at that meeting being a majority vote being six. I am not saying it will be an easy task but the vacancies have occured. You may just want to choose to fill the vacancies instead of revisiting an election. You could just tell the membership you need to fill them any one interested please let us know etc... Even though it would be nice to go back and try to make right what had gone wrong (no nominating committee, odd election) just forge forward. Throw all the positions out there unless the one left wants to stay. I see no requirements about calling a meeting (no # of days of notification, or time of year) just written notice. In your letter to parents and staff just simply state your intent and sight Article V Section 4. word for word. I wish you the best with this and hope you get your principals help!

Wow! According to your bylaws I guess someone had better get that written notice for a meeting out quick! Ten members being the quorum at that meeting being a majority vote being six. I am not saying it will be an easy task but the vacancies have occured. You may just want to choose to fill the vacancies instead of revisiting an election. You could just tell the membership you need to fill them any one interested please let us know etc... Even though it would be nice to go back and try to make right what had gone wrong (no nominating committee, odd election) just forge forward. Throw all the positions out there unless the one left wants to stay. I see no requirements about calling a meeting (no # of days of notification, or time of year) In your letter to parents and staff just simply state your intent and sight Article V Section 4. word for word. I wish you the best with this and hope you get your principals help!

Unfortunately they are not online... yet.
Here they are though. I just re-typed them recently, but these are word for word our "current" bylaws that are at least ten years old. I know this because the original copies I have are printed on an old dot-matrix type printer and there was a copy in our 1990 PTO book!
I have a phone call in to the principal to ask permission to access a mailing list. I think he will be helpful. I don't know about the committe chair situation... The former Pres. was pretty much the "chair" of everything! It was HER way or NO way!
Here are the bylaws... sorry, but this is gonna make it kinda long, but not as long as it should be!


Oxford Parent-Teacher Organization
BYLAWS


Article I: Name
The name of the organization shall be the Oxford Parent-Teacher Organization.
Article II: Purpose
To promote parental interest and participation in providing for quality education for all children,
To develp between educators, parents, and the general public, such united efforts as will secure for all children and youth the highest advantages in physical, mental, social, and moral education.

Article lll: Policies
Section 1. This organization shall be one that supports a well rounded education. Its program shall be developed through committees and projects.
Section 2. This organization shall be non-sectarian, non-partisan, and not for profit. Neither the name nor the names of its officers in their official capacities shall be used in any connection with a commercial concern or with any partisan interest or for any purpose other than established in the goals of the organization.

Article lV: Membership and Dues
Section 1. All parents and teachers will be considered members
Section 2. There will be no dues collected for membership.

Article V: Officers and Their Election
Section 1. The officers shall be a president, vice president, secretary, and a treasurer. The officers shall assume their duties beginning with the May meeting and shall continue until their successors are elected. New officers will be elected every year.
Section 2. Nominations for officers shall be made by a nominating committee appointed in February. A report of the committee will be given during the March meeting. Additional nominations may be made from the floor at that time. At least one person shall be nominated for each office and in all cases the consent of each candidate shall be secured before each nomination is made.
Section 3. Duties: See attached job descriptions.
Section 4. A vacancy occurring in any office shall be filled by vote of the organization within one month of the vacancy.

Article VI: Committees
Section 1. Annual goals will be decided upon by the organization during the May meeting. Committees will also be established and chairpersons appointed at this time.
Section 2. All committee work will be subject to the approval of the majority of the organization.

Article VII: Meetings
Section 1. The meeting date will be decided upon by the officers and the principal. This date will be consistent throughought the school year.
Section 2. A quorum of ten members will be needed to vote on the business of the organization. A majority vote will consist of 50% plus one of at least a quorum of members.
Section 3. The fiscal year of the organization shall be from July 1st to June 30th .
Section 4. Written notification of all meetings will be given in advance.

Article VIII: Amendments
The bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the organization by a quorum vote providing the proposed amendment has been announced one month prior to the vote and has been made available to members.

Glad you registered! Just a shot in the dark... Are your bylaws posted on line? I would feel more helpful if I saw them. I certainly think you could send out a letter announcing new elections. I imagine at this point you could get your principals support. I know ours would in a minute if the PTA was at stake.
There is a new RRO 2000 edition I believe just available in bookstores.
I don't think you will be able to pull off an organizational meeting with one officer. Are there committee chairs in place? Can they be instrumental in the elections?

[This message has been edited by plw (edited 07-03-2001).]

NEWS FLASH!!
As of this morning, our Secretary is resigning. She spoke with the former Pres. and has decided to resign! Now what do we do?? Can the Treasurer announce that we are re-organizing and just go from there?? I can't imagine getting a nominating committee together at this point. Is it appropriate to get a mailing together and send out to all families of the school, announcing that the Pres. and Sec. have resigned and that we are accepting nominations for ALL offices and elections will be held on Aug. 3rd? If they are interested in Pres. VP, Sec, or Treasurer, please sign up at the PTO booth at registration? How do you go about a re-orginazational meeting with only one officer left? Do we just pretend we are starting from scratch and start all over? There are so many conflicts with our current bylaws that I don't know where to start!
HELP!!!

OEPTOMOM, See if your bylaws allows the calling of a meeting. Ours just requires a 30 day notice. If you have your memberships addresses I would call a meeting (or at least 30 days before the first week of school). Let everyone know that this board intends to stay with their bylaws and that you will be accepting nominations for all positions stated in your bylaws and that at this meeting a nominating committee will be put in place (according to your bylaws this may be necessary because the nominating committee may need to be elected)and that they will be notified of the their report with an election to be held 30 days later. (Most bylaws let you notify members of the proposed slate recommended by the nominating committee by mail given 30 days notice of an election.) When you send out the slate make sure you let them know when the election will be and that further nominations will be accepted from the floor at that time.
Until then, according to your bylaws, have the next in line serve as interum president. I still do not see the harm in calling that first meeting in mid August so that you can have your election by late September. (If everything moves along quickly) Our bylaws just address calling an unscheduled meeting and makes no reference that it cannot be done in the summer. Besides you really do not need that many in attendance just to elect a nominating committee. (At least a quorum though) If you need info on nominating committees or elections let me know.
I would let the bylaws go until after the election. Let us know!
Disclaimer: These are just suggestions and I have no idea if it is proper procedure.

[This message has been edited by plw (edited 07-02-2001).]