It’s that time of year again, time to elect your Nomination Committees to begin the process of the annual elections. If this is your first year participating in Parent Organizations or you simply want a refresher on how your nominations and elections should be running, don’t fret. We’ve written it all down for you.
Electing the Nominating Committee
Are you wondering how Nominating Committee members get their positions? They’re elected! That’s right, even the Nominating Committee must go through an evaluation and then an election.
- The members of the current Nominating Committee can make candidate suggestions or members can self-elect.
- Nominations committee members are elected by class annually by the voting body of the annual meeting
- Nominations committee members can serve a term of three years or until a successor is elected
- Any member of your group may be nominated, excluding the current president
The National PTA bylaws state that a Nominating Committee should consist of seven members. If your Parent Teacher Group isn’t part of the PTA, your bylaws should have this specified.
Your Nominating Committee Duties
Being on any committee in your PTA, PTO, or Booster Club is a big deal, but holding a place on the Nominating Committee is a particularly special position. Nominations Committee members are elected to find the best possible candidates for your Parent Teacher Group officer positions.
What does that entail? The Nominating Committee’s duties are as follows:
- Identify individual members who have the characteristics and skill sets needed for a Parent Teacher Group leader
- Screen and evaluate individuals as possible candidates
- Nominate one eligible candidate for each position
- Provide potential candidates to the president for consideration
It’s important to remember that Nominating Committees are not directly filling the positions, only making candidate suggestions. These candidates, should they choose to accept, will have to be elected at your annual meeting.
Writing the Nominations Committee Report
Once you have chosen your suggested candidates the Nominations Committee creates a written report to turn in. What does your written report need?
- Name of your PTO
- Date your report was final
- A list of the candidates’ names aside their suggested positions
- The signature of all the Nominating Committee members that agreed upon the list
- Members that do not agree with the list will not sign the report and are the only ones that can nominate from the floor
The National PTA bylaws state that Nominating Committees submit their reports no later than March. Once the chair has read your report at the election meeting, your committee is dissolved.
Insuring Your New Officers
After your elections, your Parent Teacher Group will have plenty of new directors and officers. It takes time to learn the ins and outs of running a position. However, any officer, new to the position or experienced, can make a mistake from time to time. It’s a good idea to protect your Directors and Officers with insurance before mishaps occur.
AIM is here to help your organization succeed. Check out our other blogs for fundraising inspiration, tips, PTA, PTO, or Booster Club guidance, and more!