THE BISHOPS COLLEGE PARENTS' ASSOCIATION

THE CONSTITUTION OF THE BISHOPS PARENTS' ASSOCIATION

(As agreed at a Special General Meeting of Parents on Wednesday 24th October 2001)

1.  PREAMBLE AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The Bishops College Council is empowered by an act of parliament to govern the Bishops College. The Council is therefore the custodian of the school and is responsible for sustaining it. The Principal is appointed by the Council to run the school in terms of authority delegated by it for this purpose. The Council and Principal actively support and promote the role of parents in the education process. This partnership aims to improve the educational opportunities for all boys at the College and should not be used to gain preference for any particular boy or groups of boys. The College, therefore, encourages the existence of the Parents' Association, ratifies its constitution and its operation on the following guiding principles:

1. The deliberations of the Association should encourage a spirit of openness, trust and honesty, with the aim of building a united family of parents, staff and boys.
2. The work of parents in the College should focus primarily on improving the atmosphere of the Houses and the general well being of the boys in the College.
3. The management and the day-to-day running of the College are the responsibility of the College Executive Committee. Individual concerns of boys and parents should be referred directly to the Tutor, Housemaster, Deputy Principals or Principal.
4. Open, constructive communication with all College committees is encouraged, as is the clear definition of roles of each.
5. The Houses are the cornerstones of the school family structure and the Parents' Association should evolve to a structure based on houses.

2.  NAME

The Association shall be named THE BISHOPS COLLEGE PARENTS' ASSOCIATION.

3.  MEMBERSHIP

As part of the conditions of acceptance to the school, all parents of present students at Bishops College (i.e. the senior school) are automatically members of the Association.

4.  AIMS AND OBJECTS

1. To bring parents together and to promote communication and involvement with the school.
2. To promote equality, respect and understanding of all people in the school.
3. To support the Principal and the Council in upholding the values, vision, mission and public image of the school.
4. To promote a shared understanding of the vision and the challenges faced by the school.
5. To discuss with the Principal those issues deemed important by parents.
6. To raise funds from time to time for special projects and purposes, which the Association and the Principal consider to be in the best interests of the School.
7. To establish House Parent Committees in each house with the following objectives;
   1. to promote the positive and loyal support of the House and School
   2. to create a strong House and School spirit
   3. to increase the involvement of Parents in the activities of the House and School
   4. to promote good communication between Parents, Housemaster and Tutors
   5. to promote a sound culture of learning in the House
   6. to promote the respect and care of House and School property
   7. to improve the facilities in the House

5.  MANAGEMENT

1. There shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting of the Association from the members, an Executive Committee of fifteen (15) persons, eight of whom should be nominated to the Committee by the parents in each house. These elected members shall at their first meeting appoint a Chair, a Deputy Chair, a Secretary, a Treasurer and such other officers, as they shall deem necessary. A member with a vested interest in any matter under discussion must declare that interest and recuse him/herself from the discussion of that matter.
2. Council members or college staff or their spouses who are parents, will not be eligible to be members of the Executive Committee.
3. The Principal of the school and the Senior Vice-principal shall be ex-officio additional members of the executive committee. The Principal and Senior Vice-principal will each have a vote.
4. Committee members shall be elected for a period of one (1) year (unless re-elected). A retiring member shall be eligible for re-election.
5. The Chair shall be elected for a period of two years (2). A retiring Chair shall be eligible for re-election.
6. The Chair, or in his/her absence, his/her nominee, is invited as an ex-officio observer member of the Bishops College Council.
7. The College Council will appoint a member of Council to be an invited observer member of the Executive Committee.
8. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt any willing member to the Executive Committee should a vacancy arise between Annual General Meetings or should the Committee need the skills of the particular person for a specific task.
9. The Committee may appoint sub-committees for special purposes.
10. The Committee shall have the power to co-opt members of the Association to sub-committees, provided such a sub-committee is convened by a member of the Executive Committee.
11. There shall not be less than one Executive Committee meeting each term.
12. The quorum for any Executive Committee meeting shall be seven (7) members excluding the ex-officio members and shall be presided over by the Chair or his designated delegate. In the event of no quorum being present any decisions taken shall have no force or effect until ratified by a meeting at which a quorum is present.
13. The Committee shall have the power to levy a small fee on members to cover disbursements.

6.  ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

1. The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held on an appropriate date preferably during the first term of the year, notice of which should be sent to each member at least fourteen (14) days before such a meeting.
2. Business at the Annual General Meeting shall be as follows:
   1. Annual Report of the Chair.
   2. Treasurer's report.
   3. Election of Committee members.
   4. Consideration of motions of notice, which must be received by the committee at least seven (7) days before the Annual General Meeting.
   5. Any other motions or business appropriate to an Annual General Meeting at the discretion of the Chair.
3. At the Annual General Meetings twenty members (20) shall form a quorum.

7.  SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

1. A special General Meeting of members may at any time be called by the Committee and shall be called at such a time and place as the Committee may decide, or on the receipt of a written request to the Committee signed by at least 10% (ten per cent) of the members. Such written request shall state specifically the reason for such a meeting and the matters to be discussed. If no quorum is present, the matter shall fall away.
2. No other business than that for which the special meeting is called shall be transacted.

8.  CHANGE IN CONSTITUTION

Notice of a motion for the change of the constitution must reach the Committee at least twenty-one (21) days before the meeting at which it is to be discussed.

Such a motion may only be discussed at an Annual General Meeting or a special General Meeting. To be passed, such a motion must receive two thirds of the votes cast by the members present and be ratified by the College Council.