FAMILY ENGAGEMENT NETWORK BY LAWS

FEN ByLaws
Garden City School Family Engagement Network - Parent Teacher Organization
ARTICLE I: NAME, MISSION & PURPOSE
Section 1: NAME- The name of this organization is Garden City School Family Engagement Network (FEN), or also referenced as Garden City School Parent Teacher Organization.

Section 2: MISSION- To strategically engage our students’ greatest source of influence (parents) with their greatest place of influence (school, teachers, faculty and staff).

Section 3: PURPOSE-The Family Engagement Network is organized to create community among us, impact the community around us and enhance the educational environment within us. We do this through volunteer and financial support.
ARTICLE II: BASIC POLICIES
FEN shall be a nonprofit, nonsectarian, and nonpartisan organization that will work in cooperation with the school administration and not interfere with school structure.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
Membership shall be automatically granted to all parents and guardians of Garden City School students, plus all teachers and staff at Garden City School. There are no membership dues. Members have voting privileges, one (1) per person.
ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS
Section 1: EXECUTIVE BOARD- The Executive Board shall consist of the following officers: President, Vice President, Secretary, Public Relations, Treasurer, Teacher Representative, Fundraising Chairperson. Each member has one (1) vote.

Section 2: TERM OF OFFICE- The term of office for all officers is one year, beginning July 1 and ending June 30 of the following year.

Section 3: QUALIFICATIONS- Any FEN member may become an officer of the FEN.

Section 4: NOMINATIONS- Nomination forms for the FEN officers for the upcoming fiscal year shall be sent out to the FEN membership (as defined in Article III) in March of each year. Nominations shall be presented at the General Membership meeting conducted in April each year. All nominees shall be present at the April General Membership meeting.


Section 5: ELECTIONS- Elections for the nominees shall be held at the General Membership meeting conducted in May each year. All nominees shall be present at the May General Membership meeting. All ballots shall be tallied at said meeting by at least two (2) members who are not nominees.




Section 6: DUTIES-
Executive Board: Develop FEN’s annual budget, establish and oversee committees to conduct
the work of the FEN, establish fundraising programs, set event and program calendar for the upcoming school year.

President: Create the agenda for General Membership and Executive Board meetings, presides over General Membership and Executive Board meetings, serve as the official representative of the FEN, retain all official records of the FEN.
Vice President: Responsible for overseeing the assembling and establishment of committees, assist the President, preside over meetings in the absence of the President.

Secretary: Record minutes of all General Membership and Executive Board meetings and distribute them to the Principal for distribution in his/her regular communication with Garden City School families, the administrator of the Garden City School website and the social media administrator. Keeps records of FEN communications.
Public Relations: Correspond with community resources such as businesses, law enforcement, elected officials and media outlets, publicize events and programs through local media and social media.
Treasurer: Serve as custodian of the FEN’s finances, receive all funds, keep an accurate record of receipts, expenditures and payout funds, present a financial statement at every General Membership and Executive Board meeting, submit financial statements as requested by Cranston Public Schools.
Fundraising Chairperson: Make recommendations to the Executive Board about fundraising opportunities, coordinate and execute agreed upon fundraisers, focus on raising the amount of money needed to support the approved budget.
Teacher Representative: Serve as a liaison between the teachers and staff of Garden City School and the members of the FEN, communicate the needs of the staff with the Executive Board and General Membership and the needs of the FEN with the teachers and staff.
Principal (ex officio): Provide a report at each General Membership meeting detailing information from the administration, both school-wide and district-wide, present important
dates on the school/district calendar at each General Membership meeting. The Principal shall act as an advisor to the Executive Board, but does not have voting rights at Executive Board meetings.

Section 7: BOARD MEETINGS- The Executive Board will meet as needed throughout the term year (July 1-June 30) at the discretion of the President, convening no less than six (6) times.

Section 8: REMOVAL, RESIGNATION & VACANCY-
Removal: An officer may be removed from office for failure to fulfill his/her duties or failure to comply with corrective action, by majority vote of the remaining Executive Board members.

Resignation: An officer may resign form his/her position at any time by delivering written notice to the Executive Board. The resignation shall become effective upon receipt by the board.













Vacancy: If a vacancy occurs by either removal, resignation relocation or death, the Executive
Board shall agree, by majority vote, on a FEN member to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the officer’s term.
ARTICLE V: COMMITTEE PROCEDURES
Section 1: APPOINTMENT- Committee Chairpersons for the upcoming academic year shall be appointed in May or June of each year, following a majority vote of the Executive Board and prior consent of the appointee. The Vice President shall notify candidates of their appointment.
Section 2: RESPONSIBILITIES- The Committee Chairperson is responsible to form and oversee the group of members who have agreed to execute the event or program he/she is appointed to and bring updates to the General Membership at the President’s request.

Section 3: REPORTING- The Committee Chairperson shall report directly to the Vice President for questions, clarifications, assistance and funds requests. In the absence of a Committee Chairperson for a specified event or program, the Vice President shall not oversee that committee, rather that event or program will cease to exist for that academic year.

Section 4: MID-YEAR APPOINTMENTS- A new Committee Chairperson shall be appointed, following a majority vote of the Executive Board and prior consent of the appointee, during the fiscal year if a new event or program is approved by the General Membership and a new committee is needed to execute it.
ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS
Section 1: GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS- FEN meetings will be held once a month. A meeting calendar will be set by the presiding Executive Board and submitted before the start of the academic year. Each meeting will have an allotted time for members to present new ideas. New ideas must be submitted to the President one (1) week before a scheduled meeting. An agenda for each meeting will be emailed to the school community 48 hours prior to the meeting.

Section 2: VOTING- Each member in attendance at a FEN meeting is eligible to vote, one (1) vote per person. Absentee votes are not permitted.

Section 3: QUORUM- Five (5) members of the FEN, not including Executive Board Officers, must be present in order to constitute a quorum for voting purposes. If the quorum is not met, the agenda item will be tabled until the next meeting.
ARTICLE VII: FINANCIAL POLICIES
Section 1: FISCAL YEAR- Fiscal year of the FEN shall run July 1- June 30 of following year.

Section 2: BANKING- All funds shall be kept in a banking account at a local financial
institution in the name of GARDEN CITY SCHOOL PTO requiring the signature of the Treasurer.
Section 3: REPORTING- The Treasurer shall keep accurate records of any disbursements, income, and bank account information. Any request for funds shall be submitted to the Treasurer, in writing. All books are open to all FEN members.




Section 4: FUNDS REQUESTS-
$0-$49: one (1) individual Executive Board Officer may agree to the disbursement.
$50-$499: a majority vote among Executive Board Officers must agree to the disbursement. $500+: the request shall be added to the agenda and shall be voted on at the following General Membership meeting, approved only by majority vote. The individual making the request
should be present at said meeting to present his/her request. In the requesting party’s
absence, the President will make the request on his/her behalf.

Section 5: PURCHASES- Any FEN member, with prior approval of an Executive Board member or designee, is permitted to make a purchase for a FEN-sponsored event, program or meeting and will be reimbursed within (7) days of submitting appropriate receipts.
Only Executive Board Officers are authorized to use the debit card associated with the GARDEN CITY SCHOOL PTO bank account.

Section 6: BUDGET APPROVAL- The FEN annual budget shall be developed by the Executive Board prior to the start of the academic year, it must be presented at the first General Membership Meeting of the academic year and its passage is subject to approval by majority vote. Any amendments to the approved budget throughout the academic year must be made through a majority vote of the General Membership.
ARTICLE VIII. BYLAWS AMENDMENTS
These by-laws may be amended at any FEN membership meeting by a two-thirds vote of
the members present and voting providing that notice of the proposed amendment was given in the agenda. The executive board may appoint a committee to submit a revised set of bylaws. The requirements for adoption of a revised set of bylaws shall be a majority vote of the Executive Board. The proposed amendments shall be provided to the FEN members 48 hours before a scheduled General Membership meeting.
ARTICLE VIIII: DISSOLUTION
Upon the dissolution of the organization, any remaining funds should be used to pay
any outstanding bills and, with the membership’s approval, spent for the benefit of the school.


Last Edit 10/2017 

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