1. Name
The association shall be called “The St. Luke’s School Douglas Parents’ Association” (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Association’).
2. Purpose
The purpose of the Association is to provide a structure to which parents/guardians of children attending St. Luke’s School, Douglas (hereinafter called “the School”) can work together for the best possible education of their children. The Association will work with the Principal, staff and Board of Management to build an effective partnership between home and school.
3. Aims
The aims of the Association shall be as follows:
(a) To enable parents to play their part in ensuring the best possible education for their children through the Association’s programme of activities.
(b) To run activities of educational and social value for parents/guardians and pupils.
(c) To promote the general interest in the welfare of the School on the part of parents.
(d) To organise functions which provide finance to improve facilities in the School.
(e) To organise and provide extra-circular activities for the benefit of pupils of the School.
(f) To promote the interest of students in cooperation with the board, Principal, Teachers and students in accordance with the provisions of the Educational Act 1998 (as amended).
4. Membership
(a) The Membership of the Association shall be open to all parents/guardians of children enrolled in the School.
(b) There shall be no membership fee though a voluntary contribution may be requested.
(c) Only individuals with children attending the School shall be entitled to be members of the Association and in the event of a child ceasing to attend the School, for whatever reason, the member shall be deemed to have left the Association as and from the date the child ceased to attend the School.
5. Committee of the Association
(a) The Association shall form a Committee called St. Luke’s School, Douglas Parents’ Association Committee (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Committee’) to promote the aims of the Association.
(b) Members of the Association shall elect eight members, as hereinafter provided, of which preferably at least two will be men but this is not binding.
The school Principal or representative and the BOM chairperson or representative shall be entitled to attend any committee meeting but is required to provide five days’ notice of such intention.
(c) No husband and wife shall serve on the Committee at the same time.
(d) The Committee members shall serve on the Committee for two years and no more than two years in any three year period.
(e) Membership of the Committee shall be filled by nomination or election by those present at the Annual General Meeting (hereinafter called “the AGM”) as hereinafter provided. If the total number nominated exceeds the number of vacancies there shall be an election amongst those present at the AGM. to fill the balance of places vacated by the outgoing members of the Committee.
(f) Those members of the Committee who have served one year will be deemed to be re-elected automatically to serve their second year.
(g) If membership of the Committee falls below eight at any time the Committee shall have the power to co-opt a replacement member to fill the remaining years.
(h) A quorum for Committee meetings shall be five Committee members present excluding any non-voting consultative members.
(i) The new Committee shall have its first meeting at the earliest opportunity following the AGM. and in any event not later than two weeks from the date thereof, and thereafter at least every five weeks during the school year.
(j) The Committee shall have the right to remove any member of the Committee who has failed to attend three consecutive meetings.
(k) Only members of the Association may be elected to the Committee and in the event of a Committee member ceasing to be a member of the Association they shall be deemed to have resigned from the Committee simultaneously with the date of ceasing to be a member of the Association.
(l) In respect of persons nominated to join the Committee in accordance with clause (g) above then they shall be deemed, for the purposes of the period of time served, to have served the period of the Committee member they are replacing, save in the event of the Committee member who has resigned being in the last year of their term this shall not prevent the person nominated in their place from seeking election or nomination for a further period of two years within a three year period. In the event of this person being so elected or nominated they shall be deemed to be treated a Committee member starting afresh.
6. Election of Officers
(a) The Committee shall, from its own membership, at its first meeting following the AGM., elect a chairperson who shall be responsible for chairing meetings of the Committee and in the event of the absence of the Chairperson from any meeting, the members present at the meeting may nominate a Committee member to chair the meeting.
(b) A Treasurer shall be appointed from amongst the Committee members who shall be responsible for keeping the Accounts of the Association finances. The Treasurer shall give a statement of income and expenditure at each Committee meeting.
(c) The Committee shall, from its own membership, at its first meeting following the AGM, appoint a Secretary for the purpose of keeping minutes and dealing with correspondence for and on behalf of the Association.
7. General Meetings
(a) The AGM. of the Association shall be held in early June of each year and shall be open to all parents/guardians of any child enrolled in the School, each of whom will be entitled to one vote.
(b) The school Principal should, if at all possible, attend the AGM. The Chairperson of the Board of Management of the School may attend the meeting, should they so desire.
(c) At the AGM. the Chairperson shall read a report of the year’s activities.
(d) The Treasurer shall submit a financial report to the AGM., to include a statement of income and expenditure for the previous year.
(e) Reports shall be given to the AGM. by the Representatives of various sporting activities, as nominated by the Committee, and other extra circular activities in respect of the previous year.
(f) An Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) may be called, on not less than seven days’ notice by delivery of notice to each parent/guardian of a child enrolled in the School so far as is reasonably practicable at the request of the majority of the Committee or on a written request of at least 25 members of the Association.
(g) Members of the Association may remove any or all members of the Committee at an AGM. or EGM. By a majority vote of all those present at any such meeting, notwithstanding that some members of the Committee shall have served less than the two year period provided for.
8. Changes in the Constitution
(a) This constitution may only be changed by two thirds of members present and voting in favour of a change at the AGM. of the Association or EGM called for that purpose.
(b) This constitution may also be changed by a postal ballot with a two thirds majority of ballots returned carrying the proposed changes. The choice of meeting or postal ballot is at the discretion of the Committee.
(c) All proposed motions to change the constitution must be submitted in writing to the Committee at least fourteen days prior to any AGM. or EGM. The Committee will then circulate these motions/proposals to all members before the AGM./EGM., in any event not less than five days before such meeting.
9. Co-Options & Sub-Committees
(a) The committee may form a Sub-Committee for particular tasks, whose members may comprise people not members of the Committee or the Association. The Sub-Committee may also co-opt people to assist in their work. Any Sub-Committee so appointed shall be accountable to the Committee and may not make decisions, without reference to the main Committee.
10. Activity Representatives
(a) Activity representatives do not necessarily have to be committee members. They may be parents willing to assist the committee in the running of activities and may not make financial decisions without reference to the committee.