I hereby give notice of the first AGM of the Heavers Farm PTA, to be held on 21stSeptember 2018. The meeting will commence at 3:30pm with the Heavers Farm PTA Annual General Meeting. We anticipate that the AGM should last approximately 20 minutes.
The PTA is being set up by the school, and will play a vital part in the school community and all parents and staff, are invited to support the AGM. The AGM is also an opportunity for you to elect the PTA Committee, to represent the association throughout the forthcoming academic year. Nominations should be sent in advance of the AGM, using the attached template for the following roles of Office and Committee Member:
- Chair
- Treasurer
- Secretary
- Class/Year Group Representative Committee Member
If you would like any further information about what is involved in being a Committee Member, please speak to Robert Askey.
The details of each role are as follows:
Role of Chair
The Chair should ensure that issues are properly debated and an agreement is reached. Some committee members will be better at expressing themselves than others; it is important that the Chair welcomes contributions from all members of the committee so that everyone feels involved. New members of the committee may feel nervous at first. The Chair should welcome all new members, introduce them to the other members and encourage them to play an active part in the discussions.
Occasionally, disagreements arise. The Chair should remain impartial, call the meeting to order without upsetting the parties involved, and make sure that the committee’s decisions are not hindered in any way.
The Chair needs to work closely with the Treasurer and Secretary to ensure that the association is run effectively. The Chair can be a signatory for the association’s bank account, along with either the Treasurer, Secretary or other elected committee member.
Key responsibilities:
- provide leadership; ensure the Committee fulfils its role in respect of governance of the association
- set the agenda for meetings, liaising with the Secretary
- ensure the agenda is followed and that all business is covered
- call the meeting to order when it is time
- welcome and involve new members
- ask for apologies for absence
- sign the approved minutes of the last meeting
- agree a date for the next meeting
- close the meeting
- write the annual report, liaising with the Secretary
- sign cheques for the PTA with one other elected committee member
- get to know committee members
Role of Secretary
The Secretary is responsible for ensuring that there are effective communication links between committee members and between the association and the school. The Secretary deals with all the correspondence that the association receives and helps the Chair ensure that committee meetings run smoothly. Building up a good relationship with the school Secretary will help ensure that any correspondence that is sent to the school is passed onto your association promptly. With the agreement of the Headteacher, the Secretary can usually arrange to leave PTA notices with the school Secretary for distribution with school mailings to parents or for distribution via ‘pupil mail’.
As well as dealing with correspondence following a committee meeting, the Secretary will need to make bookings and other arrangements for forthcoming events, confirming arrangements made by telephone in writing (by letter or e-mail). The Secretary will make arrangements for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and help the Chair prepare the annual report. The Secretary may also co-sign cheques on behalf of the association, along with the Treasurer, Chair or other elected committee member.
Key responsibilities:
- deal with correspondence
- prepare agendas
- call meetings – giving plenty of notice
- keep a record of attendance at meetings
- take notes during meetings
- ensure that enough committee members are present to make the meeting quorate (this number is defined in the constitution)
- write up the minutes of meetings
- distribute minutes to all the committee
- make meeting & event arrangements
- co-sign cheques as required
- write the annual report with the Chair
Role of Treasurer
A key responsibility for all committee members is to manage and control the funds the association raises. Although all the committee members have equal responsibility for the control and management of funds the Treasurer plays an important part in helping the committee carry out these duties properly.
The Treasurer should maintain a record of all income and expenditure. This can be done in a simple accounts book or using a computer based package. The Treasurer is responsible for handling the money raised at events, making approved payments and making arrangements for counting of money at events,
The Treasurer should report on the current financial position at each committee meeting and this should be recorded in the minutes. The report should include an update on any income and expenditure since the last meeting and the current balance. If the Treasurer is unable to attend a committee meeting, a written report should be sent to the Chair in advance of the meeting. All financial decisions taken should be recorded in the minutes of the meeting.
The Treasurer operates the bank account, reconciles the bank statements and liaises with the bank regarding changes to the bank mandate and list of authorised signatories. The Treasurer should retain the cheque book and arrange for all payments to be authorised by a second signatory ensuring regular payments, for example, PTA UK membership, are made on time to guarantee benefits and take advantage of any discounts. The person co-signing must see what is being paid for before signing and once processed the original invoices should be kept by the Treasurer.
At each event, two people, the Treasurer and another committee member should take charge of monies received and count the proceeds before they leave the event venue. Once both parties agree the total, it should be recorded and then banked or placed in a safe overnight. We recommend that funds raised should not be kept at home. PTA UK insurance provides cover for cash to specified limits. Please refer to the PTA UK Policy Insurance Summary for further details.
The Treasurer should also be involved in pursuing charitable status and Gift Aid. Before the AGM, the Accounts will have to be drawn up in collaboration with the Chair and either audited or independently examined as specified in your constitution.
Key responsibilities:
- maintain accurate and detailed financial records
- present a financial report at each meeting
- liaise with the bank
- make approved payments
- consults with the bank or building society regarding the availability of higher rate interest accounts
- count and bank monies
- prepare and co-sign cheques as required
- provide and account for cash floats at events
- charity registration and Gift Aid
- pay agreed expenses
- prepare annual accounts and liaise with the independent examiner of accounts
- ensure the committee has agreed appropriate procedures for the handling of financial matters
Accounting system
Depending on the experience of your Treasurer your accounts can be produced in several ways:
- in an analysed cashbook
- using a spreadsheet application
- using an accounting program
Any of these systems can be used to record information throughout the year and will allow your association to produce periodic and end of year reports. Simple computer software is a good option. A lack of knowledge of such packages should not preclude anyone from being the Treasurer as it is acceptable for the committee to arrange for appropriate training for the Treasurer.
Member of Parentkind
