MINUTES OF THE MCCPTA EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING

Thursday, December 1, 2005 at the Carver Educational Services Center

 

 

ATTENDANCE:

Officers: Victor Salazar, Liz Wheeler, Juan Johnson, Shirley Brandman, April Keyes

 

Area Vice Presidents and Cluster Coordinators: Ted Willard, Jim Keenan, Jane deWinter, Lilo Mitz, Suzanne Weiss, Carley Lee, Deborah DeMille Wagman, Linda Kuserk, Karen Smith, Deborah Steven Panni, Steve Crowley, Susan Joyce Thomas, Mark Rother, Kristen Trible, Alies Muskin, Ellen Paul, Sally Taber, Chris Barclay, Deanne Marino, Victoria Campbell Carter, Allison Morrison, Pam Moomau

 

Committee Chairs: Kay Romero, Marney Jacobs, Michelle Yu, Diane McHale, Vicki Rafel, Meredith Walters, and Patti Twigg

 

OPENNING BUSINESS:

Call to Order: MCCPTA Vice President Shirley Brandman called the meeting to order at 7:37 PM.

 

Agenda: A requested addition to the agenda by Michelle Yu, Community Outreach chair, to discuss a proposal to purchase a table for the Martin Luther King celebration was approved.

                Patti Twigg made a motion to approve the agenda as amended. It was seconded and passed on a voice vote.

 

Meeting Minutes: The November 3, 2005 executive board meeting minutes were distributed.

Linda Kuserk made a motion to approve the minutes as written. It was seconded and passed on a voice vote.         

The minutes were approved as submitted.

 

Treasurer’s Report:

Juan Johnson said that nothing much had changed since he distributed the MCCPTA’s, Inc. Treasurer’s Reports of September 27, 2005 through October 24, 2005 and October 25 through November 2, 2005 at the last delegate assembly last week. He distributed a list of MCCPTA dues received for 2005-2006. As of November 30, 64 schools had cards mailed. Juan is calculating the insurance payment. A request was made for a written statement to instruct PTAs to not pay directly to schools, but instead to vendors by using invoices. Juan stated that these instructions are found in “Cash Encounters” which treasurers should have. Juan met with the auditor last Wednesday. The auditor is in the testing phase. Juan will meet with him again next week and the audit should be done in the next week or two. The treasurer’s report will be filed for audit.

 

OFFICERS’ REPORTS:

Reports were not given tonight to allow for time for the review and vote on the bylaws and additional agenda items.

 

AGENDA ITEMS:

2005/2006 Blue Books: Blue books (MCCPTA Directories) can be picked up tonight. Please sign for your copy.  Please initial if you are picking up a copy (or copies) for others.

 

November Delegate Assembly resolutions and motions: (3 listed below were distributed in writing)

 

Motion to move business items to the beginning of the Delegate Assembly:

Blair Wilson made a motion to amend the agenda from this day forward to always have business conducted prior to any and all visitors and other speakers. It was seconded. It passed on a standing vote.

Discussion of this action, what it means and how it affects our programs (including speakers) and business included: the understanding of the proposal by officers that we open business with action items, therefore, the program could be at 7:30 (as already scheduled) with business following at 8 PM starting with voting items; the previous understanding was not shared by all executive board members;  how to deal with programs already scheduled; should we schedule additional meetings specifically for programs; keeping  programs shorter, tighter and limiting presentations; cutting program questions isn’t fair to speakers and interested attendees; moving meetings to 7 PM was voted down at the Delegate Assembly, so could it be a voluntary 7 PM start; why do we have programs;  if only 7 Delegate Assemblies and average of only 6 hours to conduct business; take these issues back to delegates and let them decide if they want no programs at all or to start programs at 9; and cutting short programs. The January program with Shelley Johnson (MCPS) is already confirmed at 7:30 for career and technology and academies. The question of moving it to 6:30 or 7 PM was supported by a show of hands for starting the January informational program at 6:30 and the Delegate Assembly at 7:30 as a compromise. This decision will be brought back to Sharon St. Pierre (Vice President – Programs) with the message to delegates being that we’re trying to work it through and we’ll bring it back to Delegate Assembly.

 

Proposed amendment on the resolution on a new magnet high school (from David Lechner):

Whereas in-school programs are generally more cost-effective and can be made open to all students willing to meet entrance requirements and pursue the more rigorous curriculum, and

Whereas there appears to be no “very large grants from the Federal Government” available to create a new upcounty program (like there was for the Blair program when originally created), and

Whereas retention of highly capable High School students in their own home schools will help to ensure that the home schools have better MSA Test Scores to meet Adequate Yearly Progress goals per NCLB Act, and

Whereas an International Baccalaureate (IB) program provides a standards based and world-wide recognized curriculum in a challenging program for highly motivated and capable student using a criterion referenced grading system, and

Whereas program opportunities in upcounty High Schools will open up additional program “slots” at the Blair Magnet program for all MCPS students to apply towards;

Therefore:

Be it Further Resolved:

1)       That MCPS should alternatively consider creation of IB programs at all upcounty high schools, and

2)       That MCPS shall additionally create or maintain complementary program components that focus on Science,

Computers, and Mathematics at these High Schools, and

3)       That such new programs shall be open to students at those schools and from any other MCPS  High School who are

able to meet the program entrance criteria and provide their own transportation to the school or one of the bus stops supporting those schools.

The resolution was seconded. It will be referred to the January meeting and David Lechner agreed that the operating budget committee will work with him for factual accuracy.

 

Discussion of this action to put IB programs in all upcounty high schools included: why should MCCPTA support putting IB in schools that aren’t asking for them; need to hear from specific PTAs, not a blanket proposal; recommendation that our Gifted Child committee survey schools; comment that this proposal doesn’t necessarily represent the local PTAs or the cluster; that the maker of motion did not notify the locals of this proposal; and that it will brought back to delegates in January.

Executive board interim steps discussed included: executive board going on record against this because of not having the grass roots support; support and options of IB programs; upcounty magnet resolution and how does this proposal jives with that if we oppose it; this is in opposition to the Gifted Child committee resolution; Gifted Child supports expand access; Gifted Child committee will work with maker on proposal; did it come from local PTA or individual?; take it to CIP and Operating committees, too, but probably say don’t throw programs around without consulting the individual schools; and to include other higher education programs – not just IB.

Vicki Rafel made a motion that MCCPTA executive board express its opposition to this resolution for the reasons as stated by Jane de Winter. (See above). It was seconded and passed on a show of hands.

The executive board would like for Diane McHale to work with David Lechner to discuss our concerns. In addition, Operating Budget and CIP committees will share their concerns at the next Delegate Assembly.

 

Proposed amendment to the resolution: (from Paul Wechstein)

WHEREAS: The teaching methodologies used in magnet programs, and in particular the use of sustained student inquiry into real-world matters, would benefit all students and have been shown to result in major boosts in achievement across all student groups and to correspond to both adult intellectual achievement and the way the human brain builds new knowledge.

MCCPTA RESOLVES That MCPS should establish and begin to implement a plan for ensuring that the pervasive use of sustained student inquiry into real-world matters through projects and other methodologies used in magnet programs for the highly gifted not be limited to the students selected for the limited seats in those programs but instead be provided to all students in MCPS.

The curriculum committee has agreed to work with Paul on this. We are not acting on this now. It will be on the agenda for the January executive board meeting and the Delegate Assembly.

 

 

 

Council Bylaws review and vote: (color coded copies distributed)

Shirley Brandman thanked Vicki Rafel and her committee for their work. Additional color coded copies were distributed to aid in differentiating between mandatory, new or recommended language.

                Vicki Rafel, on behalf of the bylaws committee, moved that these bylaws come to the executive board for

                review and approval for referral to the delegate assembly for action.

The color coded copy left out 1 article (article 10 from our current bylaws stays the same as it is in the book now), so the black and white October 26, 2005 is the actual official document that Vicki moved. Review was done Article by Article:

I. Name – put it in as is because it’s our name; text refers to “the council” because that’s language in the state PTA’s template; recommendation was to make the name consistent, so the last sentence in this Article will read; “The organization may be referred to in these bylaws as MCCPTA.”

II. Purposes - original mandatory language

III. Basic Policies – mandatory; sections H and I have been dropped from this format although they previously have been mandatory for both state and national; they’re included until we have clarification because it’s important language

IV. Relationship with National PTA and Maryland PTA – mix of newly required and previously required items

                Section 6 – explicitly exclude electronic and absentee voting

Section 10 –“A PTA member shall not serve as a voting member of this PTA council’s board while serving as a paid employee of, or under contract to, this PTA council.” This was in previous bylaws. This is an IRS regulation.

                V. Purposes of MCCPTA –

Section 1 b –everything black is language that was under purposes and everything blue is highly recommended language

Section 2 – mandatory for what MCCPTA can’t do with regard to locals

VI. Officers and their election – more new recommended (blue) language from the state

Section 4 c - the green is new from the bylaws committee changing the treasurer’s term from five to three consecutive terms

Ted Willard made a motion for Article 6 section 4 c to change the treasurer’s term from three to five consecutive terms. It was seconded and failed on a vote by a show of hands.

Discussion included the recommendation being prudent from a financial standpoint, the organization being better served, and it being easier to detect fraud.

Section 4 b – “All officers shall have served at least one (1) full year as a local PTA officer or full year on the PTA council board of directors.” It’s recommended, but not required, so discussion included not previously having this requirement, and the state wanting this language for qualifications. Vicki thought that if the organization wants to change it later then it would be easier to sell the amendment to the state.  Delegates are not considered officers, so that needs to be clarified since some locals elect delegates rather than appointing them.

 

Ted Willard made a motion to amend Article 6 Section 4 b by adding “or one (1) full year as a delegate” to the second sentence in Article VI Section 4 b, so that it reads -“All officers shall have served at least one (1) full year as a local PTA officer or delegate, or one full year on the PTA council board of directors.” It was seconded. The motion failed on a show of hands.

 

MD PTA local bylaws don’t have anything to do with council bylaws. There’s a new state person for bylaws chair. Vicki stated, that the directions we’ve been given are to stick as closely to that template as we possibly can. Victor added that our charge is to advise and train local officers, so we need to have that experience. Jane’s suggestion of clarification of an officer is a good one.  Cluster coordinator would be eligible because they sit on the board of directors.

 

Karen Smith made a motion to strike the entire sentence (“All officers shall have served at least one (1) full year as a local PTA officer or one full year on the PTA council board of directors.”) because we don’t need it. It was seconded. The motion failed by a show of hands.

 

Discussion spoke to the difficulty of recruiting volunteers to serve. This sentence isn’t mandatory, but is recommended language.

 

Board of directors is the term that is used for what we now refer to as the executive board. It has the same function as executive board now. Non-profits use the term board of directors.

 

VII. Duties of Officers –

Section 3 – Ted Willard’s recommendation to amend section 3 to replace recording and corresponding secretary with delegate assembly secretary and executive board secretary will be held until the end of the draft since it significantly changes the draft; bylaws committee addressed this issue, too

Section 4 – “#have checks or vouchers signed by two people, the treasurer and one other authorized officer;” but Article 16 Section 4 states,  “…any two of three MCCPTA officers so appointed as authorized signatories on the deposit accounts of MCCPTA.” It’s not contradictory because you need to have three people who can sign and one is a back up. Article 7 says the treasurer. Juan said that you can actually have up to four signatures on an account. For Article 16 Juan would like to amend that to read “any two, one being the treasurer.” Consistency

Biggest change for the treasurer in Article VII is submitting annual report to MD PTA. Locals do that now anyway, but it’s new for us.

Section 1 President – “…shall review banks statements monthly with the treasurer;”

Section 4 Treasurer – “…review bank statements monthly with the president;” Is this a restrictive requirement of the president’s job? MD PTA wants it.

Suzanne Weiss made a motion to change the wording from “monthly” to “periodically” in both the president’s and treasurer’s job descriptions. (“…shall review bank statements periodically with the treasurer;” and “... review bank statements periodically with the president ;”) It was seconded. The motion failed.

 

Discussion included electronic review, initialing and passing on the bank statements.

 

                VIII. Board of Directors –

Section 8 – Removal from Office – “The board of directors shall notify, by certified mail at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting of determination, the member of their right to appear before the board of directors.” Please, change “their” to “his or her right” instead of “their” to make it grammatically correct. Please, do this consistently for correct grammar.

Section 3 – “immediate past president of the council” added because long standing practice that occurred from an error no one had bothered to correct; benefit of experience;

Section 3 – “…subject to approval by the executive committee” Why is the approval from the executive committee and not from the body? Executive committee approves committee chairs. Parliamentarian is usually appointed by the president in recommended language. We can appointment a non-voting parliamentarian because Robert’s Rules allows it. Removal from office can be done by the board of directors under Robert’s Rules now. Congress can remove members.

                IX. Executive Committee – all new language, with some required and some recommended

                                Section 1 – executive committee is what we refer to now as our elected officers;

Elected officers have always met once a month to set agenda, plan meetings, (but no business) etc., but it was never in writing, so now it is codified;

Area Vice Presidents and Cluster Coordinators are not elected county wide, so they aren’t members of the executive committee according to the law. National PTA faced the same issue with Vice Presidents.

Section 5 – Duties of the executive committee shall be to:

                b. elect standing committee chairmen;

It’s no longer an appointment by the president, but is approved by the larger executive board. The executive committee instead would vote on committee chairs.

The executive committee should know who has skills, would make a good team and if chairs are geographically distributed.  

The executive committee quorum is 5.

The executive committee should divide and delegate responsibilities.

This eliminates Area Vice Presidents and Cluster Coordinators from voting on the committee chairs.

Marilyn Ryan from MD PTA stated that you are a committee chair until you are replaced.

Plans for committees should focus on time and responsibilities.

There is an open process for recommending or nominating or self nominating for committee chairs. The designation of open meetings was discussed.  

Suzanne Weiss made a motion to add the same section to the executive committee that’s in the board of directors, so that a new section 7 Article IX will read, “Regular meetings of the executive committee shall be open to all members of local PTAs.” It was seconded. The motion failed by a show of hands.

Section 6 – “The executive committee shall take no action in conflict with any action taken by the board of directors.”

Suzanne Weiss made a motion to amend Article IX Section 6 to read, “The executive committee shall take no action in conflict with any action taken by the board of directors or the general membership.” It was seconded. The motion failed by a show of hands.

Discussion included not looking at this retroactively,

 

X. Area Vice Presidents, Cluster Coordinators, and their Election – unchanged from our current bylaws where it is article 12

 

XI. Committees – state PTA recommended language doesn’t change much about how the committees work

Section 2 – “The board of directors may establish such committees as it may deem necessary to promote the purposes of MCCPTA and to carry out the work of MCCPTA.”

There was clarification that the board of directors is the larger body, not the executive committee.

Section 6 – “The chairman of each committee shall present a plan of work to the board of directors for approval. No committee work shall be undertaken without the consent of the board of directors.”

Committee chairs don’t have to ask for everything; they make general plan for approval.

Discussion of testifying or taking up advocacy concluded that committee chairs should bring it back to the board of directors.

Section 1 – # “Only members of this PTA council or of the local PTAs constituting this council shall be eligible to serve in any elected or appointed positions.”

This excludes state or national PTA members unless they join a local PTA.

Robert’s Rules suggests using “chairman”, but MD PTA passed a motion to use “chair”, so we’ll change it all to chair.

                               

                XII. General Membership (Voting Body)

                                Section 1 – “…the president of each member local PTA or their alternate”

                                Alternate is defined by each local PTA

                                How do we designate alternates? Each school has 3 votes and gets only 3 delegate cards

                                Bring cards each time

                XIII. Meetings –

Section 6 – “Delegates from local PTAs whose dues to MCCPTA are in arrears shall not participate in the business meetings of MCCPTA.”

MD PTA wants us to do this as a council

Post list of those in arrears

Juan Johnson made a motion to amend Article XIII Section 6 to read, “Delegates from local PTAs whose dues or assessments to MCCPTA are in arrears shall not participate in the business meetings of MCCPTA.” It was seconded. The motion passed by a show of hands.

 

Discussion included most of locals who don’t pay insurance may not have the money; special schools are covered by all PTAs; 3 left from last year who haven’t paid dues and 1 more wasn’t hardship

We could make a motion to forgive a debt if there was a hardship.

Section 4 – “A quorum for the transaction of business of any meeting of MCCPTA shall consist of at least thirty-five (35) of its members, representing at least fifteen (15) local PTAs.”

This article refers to delegate assembly meetings.

                                Steve Crowley made a motion that it be changed to read any general membership meeting. It was not seconded.

Confusion between general membership and executive board meetings needs to be clarified.

Article XIII will be changed to “General Membership Meetings” to take care of Steve’s concerns.

 

                XIV. Council Membership –

                                Section 2 – “The annual dues for membership in MCCPTA for the following fiscal year

                                shall be established by MCCPTA at the Annual Meeting.”

                                The Annual Meeting is defined in Article XIII section 2 as the April meeting.

                               

 XV. Fiscal Year – The state wanted that to be free standing.

XVI. Financial Management – this is from our current bylaws

                Only change is taking out NCBA insurance from current bylaws

Section 4 – “Funds may be withdrawn from these accounts over the signatures of any two of three MCCPTA officers as appointed as authorized signatories on the deposit accounts of MCCPTA.”

Juan Johnson made a motion to amend Article XVI Section 4 to read, “Funds may be withdrawn from these accounts over the signatories of any two of any three MCCPTA officers, one being the treasurer, as appointed as authorized signatories on the deposit accounts of MCCPTA.” It was seconded. The motion passed by a show of hands.

                Article XVII. Parliamentary Authority – new mandatory language

                                “… special rules of order or the Articles of Incorporation.”

The special rules are the standing rules or some state laws.

                                This isn’t changed from what we have now.

                Article XVIII. Amendments – new mandatory language

 

A vote to adopt these bylaws as presented to us by the bylaws committee as amended pursuant to our discussion was taken and was passed by a show of hands.

 

Some actions were referred to the committee. Discussion on Article X and XII outlined that what is currently Article XII in our bylaws becomes Article X. A request was made for the committee to define and clarify the role of the Area Vice President, and the allocation of work with the cluster coordinators.

Additional comments or information along these lines can be shared with the bylaws committee, and the committee will bring it back to us.

 

The role of the secretary was discussed with regard to the change in the corresponding secretary role.

Ted Willard made a motion that we change Article VII Section 3 and replace both a and b so that it reads, “a. The Delegate Recording Secretary shall record and maintain the minutes of all Delegate Assembly meetings; and shall act as Board of Directors Recording Secretary in the absence of the Board of Directors Recording Secretary; and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned.” and “b. The Board of Directors Recording Secretary shall record and maintain the minutes of all Board of Directors’ Meetings; shall act as Delegate Recording Secretary in the absence of the Delegate Recording Secretary; and shall perform other duties as may be assigned.” It was seconded. The motion passed by a show of hands.

The bylaws committee discussed the issues brought in this motion. Differentiating the secretaries is awkward because it doesn’t come up in our parliamentary process. Positions labeled secretary and assistant secretary were also mentioned. This designation could define duties of who could share that role and team to share responsibilities. A recommendation against the labels in the motion was made because it further separates the way the two people work.  The current corresponding secretary spoke in favor of the motion.

Local PTAs may handle this differently. It should be stated that both secretaries attend Delegate Assembly and Board of Directors meetings. The change could take effect next year by a proviso; otherwise it would take effect when the bylaws are passed.

The bylaws committee will be asked to make the changes passed in this motion.

 

The nominating committee chair asked that the bylaws committee make the changes what we’re looking for clear to the delegates before the delegates make a decision. Changing the nominating committee election by a month, from the second to the third delegate assembly, was discussed.  The process to make changes is that these bylaws will now be sent out to the delegates for the January Delegate Assembly. We will go through the bylaws article by article. The delegates can put motions out at that time.

Jane de Winter made a motion that we amend Article VI Section 5 c to change the language back to what is in the current bylaws, so that it reads, “This nominating committee shall be elected by ballot at the second delegate assembly of the school year.” It was seconded. A vote to call the question was passed by a show of hands. The motion passed by a show of hands.

The committee will make the change for the nominating committee to be elected at the second delegate assembly.

 

Proposed Resolution from the MCCPTA Grading and Reporting Committee 11/22/05: (distributed in writing)

WHEREAS MCPS has specifically adopted grading and reporting procedures for grades 6-12 which govern reteaching/reassessment, homework and grading; and

WHEREAS these procedures indicate that they “will be applied consistently within and among schools”; and

WHEREAS the MCCPTA Grading and Reporting Committee is aware that there have been several instances where these procedures were incorrectly applied in a secondary class such as, for example, where students were only permitted to take a reassessment if they earned below a 70% on the original task or where student’s grades on a reassessment were capped at 85%; and

WHEREAS we cannot equate the small number of complaints that MCPS has received from parents with a conclusion that the grading and reporting policy has been implemented successfully; and

WHEREAS the MCCPTA Grading and Reporting Committee believes that in the interest of fairness to all students, MCPS needs to be more proactive in monitoring compliance with the grading and reporting procedures;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that MCCPTA requests that Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) immediately require that Community Superintendents working with local school principals review school wide, department wide and course specific grading practices to ensure the immediate correction of any practices that contradict the stated procedures.

 

Discussion included if the executive board wants to vote on this motion now to provide testimony since the Board of Education will meet in December and January before the Delegate Assembly is held again. The committee had a concern about monitoring how it is being implemented.  The community superintendents need to work with the principals to review what their policies are to achieve a standard of fairness in all schools.

Suzanne Weiss made a motion that the executive board approves the resolution as submitted. It was seconded. It passed by a show of hands.

Comments included that most parents don’t know enough to know if it is working well, and that criticisms are deflected. This resolution will be presented to the Board of Education as soon as possible.

 

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

CIP: CIP/Policy FAA Update:

Marney Jacobs reported that the CIP testimony had been distributed to be read. The committee is working on FAA-RA with reports sent out identifying places where comments should be made.

Operating Budget: Operating Budget Update:

Jane de Winter reported that the Operating Budget will be presented by the superintendent on December 14 at 7:30 PM at Rockville High School. Please pay attention to our summaries. Each cluster will have five minutes for testimony. Victor will send out the schedule. Make testimony interesting and relevant. Jane will try to coordinate areas testimony. The testimony writing workshop will be on Saturday, January 7 at Gaithersburg High School at 9:30 AM in the media center. Monday, January 9 at 7:30 PM is the Operating Budget Forum at Carver in the auditorium. The county council members will be present for the forum, but it is not a delegate assembly. We do ask the delegates to vote on approval of the operating budget compact. The point is to inform the delegates. Discussion regarding if the executive board should act tonight or make a statement to share with the delegates concluded that Jane as chair will put out a notice to the delegates to specifically outline how the forum will run and explain procedural issues.  Presentations by the politicians are to inform your vote, not as a program. The consensus was for the notice to say that this format is run by the operating budget committee. The time of the business will start at 9 PM.

Legislation:

Suzanne Weiss reminded us MCCPTA executive board members will meet and greet with the Montgomery County delegation to Annapolis will be December 15 from 7:30 to 9 PM in the auditorium at Carver. Only 2 of the 32 officials won’t be able to join us. A list for RSVPs from the executive board was circulated. Urge locals to participate. Comments about strategies and talking points included that this was done last year. The legislative committee will share talking points. We should come back to our advocacy priorities. Thornton Commission and the Geographic Cost of Education Index were covered by an MCCPTA position letter last year, and it was suggested to the committee that this be covered again this year.

 

List Serves:

Patti Twigg said since the executive board has control over the executive board list serve rules, guidelines or issues that should be brought to her now so she can bring them to the executive board for a vote. Juan suggested that the response to only go to one person not to the entire board. In the past this was discussed and the majority wanted it to be left as respond to all.     

Juan Johnson made a motion to change the executive board list serve, so that the reply is to the sender, not the executive board list. It was seconded.

Questions of clarification of the issues involved that if the reply only goes to the sender then there is no discussion because no one else will read your reply. Hitting reply all will vary depend on what mail you are using. Yahoo groups let you pick how to respond. It is set only to go to the sender, if in addition you want to send to the whole group, you can add in multiple e-mail addresses. Comments indicated the obvious need more information and clarification. Juan was asked to hold his motion until Patti can bring more information since there is a desire to provide more alternatives to the executive board list serve.

 

Community Outreach:

Michelle Yu, chair of the Community Outreach committee distributed 4 written pages for the executive board to review: a letter from Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast and Sponsorship Package; “Keep the Dream Alive” flyer and a motion from Jinhee Wilde and herself. Michelle provided background information on the event. The third Monday of January Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, sponsors this annual county celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. MCCPTA should show its support and embrace the vision of this event. The sponsorship form shows that of the $675 for the table, $100 goes to fund raising for the National Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Building. If a table is purchased then MCCPTA is recognized from the podium. Families and officials attend this event.

Michelle Yu made a motion on behalf of the Community Outreach Committee: For MCCPTA Executive Board to authorize an annual budget of $675 for MCCPTA leadership to participate in the Annual Martin Luther King Memorial Breakfast.              No second is needed since the motion came from the committee. The motion passed by a show of hands.

Discussion included: $575 going to the fraternity and where to find the funds in the budget since we’re obligated to spend $600 for the Committee for Montgomery and have spent $150 for the leader forum held on November 5. Since $200 is left we would have to amend the budget. Comments indicated that the committees were given money in broad categories, not for specific committees, such as the safety committee. So, what’s the budget left under committees? Juan will check. We need to be seen and heard by parents who don’t traditionally attend PTA meetings, so first vote on the spirit of the motion.

Suzanne Weiss made an amendment to the motion to add more money on the understanding that we make MCCPTA visible in more than just this one place.

This amendment was held until after the vote on the motion to attend this event. Budget issues were raised. Discussion concluded that we need to do more than attend this one event. Permission to vote was taken to decide whether or not to attend the MLK event this year rather than an obligation for every year. In the future we will think about other community events we want to attend and the total cost involved for the committee and the events. Consensus is participation. Juan will work out where the allocation of funds will come from. He and Michelle will work together to complete this. We will need to work out attendance for this event. For example, in the past the elected officers and the legislative committee chairs attended the Committee for Montgomery Breakfast. NAACP representatives and local PTAs should be made aware of this event. Michelle will put this out on the list serve. Michelle added that she is soliciting ideas for outreach.

 

ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 10:06 PM.