Parents Guild Bylaws
Revised September 13, 2004
The organization shall be known as the Boston Archdiocesan Choir School Parents Guild.
It shall be the purpose of this Guild to cooperate with the Headmaster, Music Director, Principal, and the faculty of the Boston Archdiocesan Choir School in the spiritual, social, and cultural welfare of the Choir School’s student body and to receive such spiritual and other benefits as shall accrue to the Guild for its work in the promotion and development of the Boston Archdiocesan Choir School.
Regular membership in this Guild shall include the parents and/or guardians of each Choir School student. Associate membership in this Guild shall include the following:
The officers of this Guild shall be known as, designated, and chosen as follows:
All officers shall be chosen from the regular membership of the Guild and shall be a parent or guardian of a child who is and will be an undergraduate in the Choir School during their one-year term in office. While all members of the Guild are expected to participate in its leadership, eligible officers may stand for re-election.
The Nominating Committee shall solicit nominations for each of the Guild officer positions for the following school year. Nominations may be submitted anonymously, if requested. Self-nominations are permitted. All members nominated shall be contacted by the Nominating Committee and may accept nomination for no more than two officer positions.
All nominations for officer positions shall be closed by the conclusion of the May Guild Meeting. Nominations may be offered from the floor during that meeting. Those accepting nominations(s) shall have their names placed on the ballot for consideration by the membership at the June Guild Meeting. The election of officers for the next school year shall be conducted at the June Guild meeting.
Election shall be made by secret ballot when there is more than one candidate for an elected office. All current dues paying regular members (see Article III) of the Guild who are present at the June meeting are eligible to vote.
When only one person is nominated for an office, the Recording Secretary shall, on motion, cast one ballot for that person and the person shall thereby be elected. When one or more regular members have been nominated for more than one office, the election shall be conducted on an office by office basis in the following order: President; Vice President; Treasurer; Recording Secretary. Once elected to an office, the member must withdraw his/her name from consideration for any other officer position for which he/she have been nominated.
Elected officers shall assume the duties of office for the period from July 1 of the current year to June 30 of the next.
Associate members (see Article III) of the Guild shall not be eligible for elected office and shall not be required to pay dues.
Membership dues shall be proposed by Guild Officers no later than the last meeting of the previous academic year. It shall be voted on by the regular membership at the next regular Guild Meeting. Membership dues are to be expended for the sole purpose of fulfilling the Guild’s mission to support the Choir School.
The Guild shall hold monthly meetings from September to June, inclusively, each school year. The Guild meetings will begin on the Monday night immediately following the commencement of the school year. All remaining monthly meetings shall be held as scheduled by the Guild. The meeting schedule will be provided to all Guild members.
All motions presented to the membership, when seconded, shall be determined by a simple majority vote of the membership.
Nine (9) Guild members shall constitute a quorum.
Unless waived in accordance with procedures specified herein, the Guild meetings shall include the following:
Meetings shall be conducted and disputes settled in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Procedure.
The President shall preside at all Guild meetings and perform all of the usual and customary duties of the office.
The President shall be empowered to appoint such committees as shall be deemed advisable for the proper and orderly conduct of the work of the Guild.
The President shall appoint a Nominating Committee at or before the April Guild Meeting.
The President shall have the power to call special meetings of the Guild as determined necessary or advisable. The membership shall be given a minimum of 24 hours notice prior to any such special meetings.
The President shall call a special meeting of the Guild whenever asked to, in writing or by email by three or more members in good standing of the Guild.
In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall preside at the meetings and shall perform the duties of the President.
Notwithstanding the provisions of the Bylaws, as outlined above, any Section may be waived for a specific instance upon motion duly made and seconded by a two-thirds vote of the eligible voting members present at a meeting convened with quorum (see Article VI, Section 3) present.