St John's ::: Parents' Association ::: PA Constitution *

Membership

All parents of pupils and all members of staff at St John’s College School are automatically members of the St John’s College School Parents’ Association ("the PA"). Membership is free.
The Committee may elect to honorary membership for a period of ten years any member or former member of the PA who has, in the opinion of the Committee, rendered significant service to the PA. Honorary Members shall have the same status as members.

Officers and the Committee

The PA’s affairs shall be administered by a committee of current parents and staff (the "Committee").
The Headmaster, the Deputy Head, the Head of the Junior Department and the Bursar shall be ex officio members of the Committee.
Other members shall serve for a maximum of three years provided that the parent members remain current parents during that period.
The Committee shall fill vacancies in its membership – its number not to exceed thirteen (excluding ex officio members) – aiming to include:
- an equal number of mothers and fathers, or an inequality of not more than one
- at least one parent of a child in each of the categories: Byron House Girl, Byron House Boy, Senior House Girl, Senior House Boy, Girl Boarder, Boy Boarder, Chorister
- two members of staff: one from Byron House and the other from Senior House
The Committee shall elect from its number a Chairman, a Secretary and a Treasurer
The Chairman shall call a meeting of the Committee at least once a term. At that meeting, the minutes of the previous meeting, which the Secretary will have taken and circulated, shall be approved and a Treasurer’s statement shall be reviewed.

Finance

The PA shall charge for its functions and that charge should cover the cost of each function.
The staff and their partners shall be invited to pay half the charge for each function unless, in any particular case, the Committee determines otherwise.
The financial year shall end on 30 September and the Treasurer shall prepare an income and expenditure account (including any subsidiary accounts) as at that date for presentation to the Committee at the first subsequent meeting.

Aims and Objects

The aims and objects of the PA are as follows:

to provide a forum where parents and staff may meet to discuss matters of mutual interest
to provide opportunities for parents and staff to meet socially
to enlist the help of parents and friends of the School for the School’s benefit
to organise meetings, talks, concerts, balls, parties and entertainment
the PA’s funds, if more than enough for the proper running of its own affairs, may be applied to the benefit of the School and may also be applied, with the approval of the Committee, for charitable purposes. The Committee shall exercise its discretion in applying the funds in the most appropriate way in each year.

January 2012