Trafalgar Castle School
Parents' Guild
Excerpt from the Constitution and By-Laws (2002)

• Mission Statement
• Membership
• Fees
• Privileges and Responsibilities of Membership
• Executive Committee
• Duties of Officers
• Elections

Mission Statement
The Guild is committed to contribute to the continuing enrichment of the students and to promote a collegial relationship between students, staff, parents/guardians, and school community.

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Membership

There shall be three classes of memberships, namely, Active, Associate, and Honourary.

1. Active Membership - open to parents/guardians whose child is a student at the School.
2. Associate Membership - open to former active members or persons who have a continuing interest in the School.
3. Honourary Membership - granted by the Executive to the Principal, Principal's Spouse, Board of Governors, and Faculty of the School.

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Fees

1. Membership fees are built into the tuition of all enrolled students, thereby making all parents/guardians automatically active members of the Guild.
2. Associate members shall pay an annual fee as set by the Executive.
3. Honourary members shall be granted their membership.
4. The Guild year shall be the same as the School year.  (July 1^st to June 30^th).

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Privileges and Responsibilities of Membership

1. Active members shall have all the privileges of the Guild which include the right to vote, to make nominations, to hold office and to attend Guild meetings.
2. Associate members shall have all the privileges of the Guild except the right to hold office.  Notwithstanding the above, the Immediate Past President shall be allowed to hold office.
3. Honourary members shall have all the privileges of the Guild except the right to vote and to hold office.
4. The responsibility of the membership is to support the Mission of the Guild.
5. The Guild shall not interfere in any way in the administration or operation of the School.

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Executive Committee

1. The affairs of the Guild shall be managed by the Executive, elected each year at the AGM.
2. The Executive Committee shall include at least: 

a.)    Honourary President (Principal's spouse)

b.)    Immediate Past President

c.)    President

d.)    Vice President

e.)    Secretary

f.)      Treasurer

g.)    Boutique Administrator

h.)    Social Convenor

3. The Executive Committee shall: 

a.)    Meet, apart from the AGM, at least twice a year.  For a meeting of the Executive, a quorum shall consist of at least 2/3 of the Executive, one of whom must be a signing officer.

b.)    Establish goals and develop an annual operational plan of activities to implement said goals.  This plan will be shared with the membership.

c.)    Act on behalf of the Guild in conducting the day to day business of the organization.

d.)    Prepare an agenda for the AGM.

e.)    Nominate an auditor for the Guild, including the Boutique, for approval at the AGM.

f.)      Undertake all projects for the benefit of the School only with the approval of the Principal.

g.)    Hold office until the end of the Guild year.

h.)    Ensure that each member of the Executive provides a year-end report for presentation at the AGM.

i.)      Have three signing officers:  President, Boutique Administrator, Treasurer.  The School's financial officer shall also be a signing officer of the Guild.  Any cheque has to be signed by two officers.

j.)      Allow voting by proxy in special circumstances with due notice.

k.)    Bring to the membership any proposals for expenditures exceeding $1,000.00

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Duties of Officers

1. The Immediate Past President shall:

a.)    Serve on the Executive in an advisory capacity.

b.)    Chair the nominating committee.

2. The President shall:

a.)    Chair all Guild meetings, preserve order, and enforce the constitution.

b.)    Ensure that all officers perform their respective duties.

c.)    Decide all questions of order, subject to appeal by a member of the meeting.

d.)    Represent the Guild in official or public matters outside the Guild.

e.)    Prepare the agenda for all Guild meetings.

f.)      Assume a seat on the Board of Governors in accordance with the constitution of the Board.

g.)    Present a status report at least once a year to the Board of Governors.

h.)    Appoint committees as deemed necessary.

i.)      Be an ad hoc member of all committees.

j.)      Assume position of Immediate Past President at the completion of the term of office.

3. The Vice President shall:

a.)    Assume the President's role in the event the president vacates the role prior to the year end, for the remainder of that Guild year.

b.)    Have all the powers and perform all the duties of the President in the absence, disability or resignation of the President.

c.)    Be membership chairperson with responsibility for grade representatives with the option of replacement of the grade representative if more than two consecutive meetings are missed.

4. The Secretary shall:

a.)    Maintain full and accurate account of all Guild and Executive meetings and distribute minutes to respective members.

b.)    Maintain archives of the Guild, including an up-to-date constitution.

c.)    File a copy of all communications forwarded or received and send any correspondence as directed by the Executive.

d.)    Notify all members of Guild meetings.

e.)    Present an up-to-date constitution to the Principal of the School as required.

f.)      Ensure that a current copy of the constitution is on file at the Resource Center.'

g.)    Maintain a yearly phone tree list.

h.)    Compile web-site entries with the approval of the School representative.

5. The Treasurer shall:

a.)    Keep books showing receipts and expenditures in such form as required under generally accepted accounting principles.

b.)    Pay all accounts duly approved by the Executive, sign cheques, promissory notes, and other instruments involving the liabilities of the Guild.

c.)    Receive and have custody of all monies due the Guild, including those of the Castle Boutique, give proper receipts and deposit such monies in the name of the Guild in any Chartered Bank or Trust Company in Ontario in any account or investment approved by the Executive.

d.)    Prepare an annual budget and present the previous year's audited financial report for approval at the first Guild meeting.

e.)    Present quarterly financial reports to the Guild, a copy of which will be sent to the School's Director of Finance.

f.)      Keep a full and complete statement of accounts of the Guild, including the Boutique.

g.)    Ensure that the accounts of the Guild are audited annually.

h.)    Present a current financial statement for the AGM.

6. The Boutique Administrator shall:

a.)    Supervise the operation of the Castle Boutique.

b.)    Ensure that the Boutique is adequately staffed and stocked.

c.)    Work with a purchasing manager regarding purchases, sales, and inventory control.

d.)    Advise the Executive of any merchandising changes.

e.)    Work closely with the Treasurer to ensure the fiscal financial integrity of the Guild.

7. The Social Convenor shall:

a.)    Work with Executive to plan Guild events.

b.)    Liaise with staff regarding any event planned by the Guild or School which the Guild has agreed to support.

c.)    Be responsible for booking the rooms for all Guild meetings, Executive meetings and the AGM.

d.)    Be responsible for ensuring adequate refreshments at these meetings.

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Elections

At least three months prior to the May AGM, a Nominating Committee shall be constituted, composed of the Immediate Past President as Chairperson, the President, and two other members named by the Executive.

1. All active members in good standing shall be eligible to hold office.
2. The Nominating Committee shall prepare a final slate of prospective officers to be presented at the Guild meeting prior to the AGM and at the AGM.  As a traditional courtesy, this slate shall be presented to the Principal of the School prior to the AGM.  Any member may be nominated from the floor at the Guild meeting or the AGM by any two members present.  Election of Executive officers shall be by ballot if there is more than one candidate for any given office.  An officer shall be elected by obtaining the greatest number of votes from members present at the meetings.
3. Executive officers elected shall take office on July 1^st.
4. The term of office for each Executive position shall be for one year.  Re-election is permissible but no one person shall hold any one office for more that three consecutive years with the exception of the President who may be re-elected only once.
5. When an office become vacant during the year, the President shall appoint an officer to fill the vacancy until next AGM.
6. An Executive officer shall notify the Secretary if she/he is unable to attend a Guild and/or Executive meeting.  If more that three meetings are missed, the said position shall be reviewed by the Executive with the option of replacement.

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