Dear PTA Leaders,
Please help us in ensuring that we have enough delegates to the Virginia PTA Annual Meeting to have a quorum to conduct business. This is absolutely vital to the future of the Virginia PTA and its constituent units.
As the Virginia PTA Bylaws Director, I will be providing an online information session regarding the business items on the 18th, during which members can ask questions or express concerns.
Here is a brief summary of the decisions to be made during that business meeting:
1. Whether to adopt new articles of incorporation. These were last amended in 1956 and do not meet modern standards. Adoption by ballot with debate will be requested.
2. Whether to ratify the council and local unit bylaws, which, among other things, explicitly allow for electronic business meetings of units. One unit has already been sued by someone arguing that the uniform bylaws did not go into effect at a local PTA, and that decisions made in electronic meetings were invalid. The attempt failed for procedural reasons, but formal ratification will clear up potential confusion and reduce the risk of legal action. Ratification by voice vote w/o debate will be requested.
3. Whether to adopt major changes to the Virginia PTA Bylaws, which include provisions for eliminating Districts, creating new elected positions in the Virginia PTA, providing the proper framework for the use of uniform bylaws, etc. Adoption by voice vote w/o debate will be requested.
4. Whether to adopt additional changes, to the Virginia PTA Bylaws, and the local/council uniform bylaws. Adoption of these additional changes by voice vote w/o debate will be requested. These changes are intended to
- modernize, simplify, and unify the processes for complying with Standards of Affiliation
- simplify business meetings by allowing for applicable changes to the Virginia PTA Bylaws to be incorporated into uniform bylaws
- clarify that coordination with other PTAs only applies to financial multi-reviews
- clarify the processes for removal of local/council leaders (elected or appointed)
- sync the dues submission process to match up with the State submission to National
- clarify grounds for which State may revoke a unit’s charter
- enable discipline of members, including removal,
- remove principals from executive committees
- clarify the role of principals or other school officials on executive boards of PTAs/PTSAs
- set forth the process for units to modify organizational structure forms (a bit of an oversight in the uniform bylaws)
- reduce the size of the Virginia PTA executive committee
- clarify when a member’s rights expire
- require an in-person meeting and a 2/3ds vote for a unit to decide to dissolve
- expand who is eligible to run for an elected Virginia PTA office
5. Several changes to nominations committee efforts will be proposed, with some debate anticipated (i.e., the motions will be moved in the standard manner, opening the floor to debate without further action). These changes would:
- allow a nominations committee to declare a position VACANT if it is unable to recruit a candidate it deems qualified
- allow a nominations committee to nominate multiple qualified candidates
- provide a 60-day window to fill vacancies
- allow executive boards to have members elect replacement officers
- remove principals from having guaranteed vote at councils
Note that requests to approve items without debate are not binding on the delegates. Any delegate who wants to have debate on an item of business can object to adoption without debate. Also, looking at the motions that were authorized, it looks like debate on the motion to amend the articles of incorporation will be opened up without further action by the delegates. My hope is that asking for unanimous consent on a number of the less controversial items will help streamline business so that there is more time to have meaningful debate on matters where there may be some controversy.
It is a lot to go through, but I anticipate that we will be able to get through it in 45 minutes, especially given the information session I will host the Wednesday before the meeting will allow for those most interested to ask questions and air concerns. This may be the veggies portion of the Annual Meeting, not the dessert. But getting through the governance issues, with a quorum present, is the main reason an organization has an Annual Meeting.
As we are all part of the Virginia PTA, we really need to do our part to make sure a there are enough individuals registered to meet quorum. Thus, please take a moment to get delegates registered from your council (the president or an alternate, plus three additional delegates). Also, please call the presidents at your local units. Those PTAs/PTSAs that are in good standing can send at least three people to the annual meeting (the president or an alternate, plus two additional delegates), with larger PTAs/PTAs potentially entitled to additional delegates.
Thank you all for your service, your leadership, and your dedication.
