Nominating Committee Guide for Local PTAs
February 2005
The nominating committee is
responsible to find the best possible team of officers to serve the PTA and
reflect the demographics of their community. As our local PTAs approach the time of year to begin the nomination process
for the 2005/06 school year, here a few reminders. Please be sure check your PTAs bylaws for the specifics for your chapter.
Many Nominating Committees are elected in February or March. Either the
membership or the Executive Board makes this election, see bylaws. As a
reminder, Nominating Committees are elected, not appointed.
Nominating Committees consist of an odd number between three and seven
people, again, see bylaws.
Please make the effort to see that Nominating Committees are a good
representation of your community. Try to cover grade levels as well as
geographic areas, and any other areas of inclusion for the PTA.
Encourage involvement from those not previously active in your PTA
When soliciting individuals be sure to indicate clearly what positions
will be filled and what is involved in filling this role.
Any PTA position is eligible to be filled, unless your specific
bylaws indicate a term for an office or committee of longer than one year. Most
officer positions can not be held for more than two successive terms, and a
nominee is found for each term of office.
Maryland PTA does not allow for PTA Co-Presidents. This ruling
takes precedence over any older bylaws still in effect that may still contain
that designation.
Person interested in a specific position may nominate themselves or be
nominated by another PTA member, but the committee is under no obligation to
submit any particular names.
Many nominating committees do help with find committee chairs, but the
true responsibility is to find the best possible team of officers to serve the
PTA and reflect the demographics of their community.
Be sure to indicate clearly if this will be a position on the Executive
Board of your PTA. Often committees are combined under central area
representative for Board purposes, so be sure the structure of the PTA is well
defined in advance.
If the nominating committee cannot find a person to be proposed for a
particular office, the nomination for that position may be made from the floor
at the election, and the nominating committee can continue to seek a prospect
even though the list of other nominees has been posted.
Review the bylaws, most require the proposed slate to be presented to
the Executive Board and to be published no less than ten (10) days prior to the
election meeting.
Nominations must have the consent of the nominees.
Nominations may also be taken from the floor, even at the election
meeting,
with some small exceptions. Please see that all Nominating Committee
announcements and requests, as well as the posting of the proposed slate,
include this important information.
Please
bear in mind that our PTAs are intended to represent all of our children with a
single voice. While retaining the interest and cooperation of our current
parents and leaders, we should each try to bring forward previously uninvolved
parents or those new to the school to help expand the reach of our PTA and
better serve our students.
SJ
Weiss, MCCPTA By_laws Chair, sjwassoc@att.net