By Laws
Unity Christian School
Revised By-laws of the Lion’s Pride
Effective date: January 24, 2012
Article I: Name
For the purpose of this document, Unity Christian School, will be referred to herein as “UCS” or “the School”.
The School’s official volunteer organization of parents and/or legal guardians of students enrolled at UCS in a given year shall be called the Lion’s Pride.
Article II: Mission
The Lion's Pride is a volunteer organization dedicated to the purpose of supporting the programs and services of UCS and its students.
The Lion's Pride will strive to:
Section 1: Promote, build and sustain an effective working partnership between the parents and the School for the benefit of students and well-being of the school community.
Section 2: Provide the occasion and the framework for constructive communication between parents and the School regarding activities, opportunities and issues of mutual interest and concern.
Section 3: Help the School to achieve its mission and goals for the future by encouraging parents’ voluntary contributions of financial support, time, effort and ideas.
Article III: Membership
Section 1: Qualification
The Lion’s Pride membership is open to all parents and legal guardians of students enrolled at UCS in a given academic year.
Section 2: Dues
A. Currently, there are no membership dues required for participation in the Lion's Pride.
B. In the event that dues are required for Lion’s Pride membership, they will be directed into the general Lion’s Pride account for the express purpose of supporting the organizations operational expenses.
Article IV: Finances
Section 1: Accounting of Funds
A. As a volunteer organization, the Lion’s Pride will develop an annual budget from which it will manage all revenue and expenses. The Lion's Pride will maintain a formal Lion’s Pride account for the deposit and withdrawal of funds collected and spent throughout the course of a given fiscal year. This account was established and is monitored by the UCS business manager or business office designee, pursuant to detailed and clear, monthly financial statements submitted by the Lion’s Pride Treasurer. When necessary, the UCS Chief Financial Officer (CFO) may intervene with assistance or questions.
B. The Lion's Pride financial practices will be included in the annual financial review/audit contracted by the UCS Board of Directors.
C. The UCS Headmaster, UCS Administrative Liaison, UCS CFO, or the Lion’s Pride Treasurer are authorized designees to sign checks associated with the Lion’s Pride account.
a. All checks over $1000.00 must have 2 signatures.
D. The fiscal year is July 1 through June 30 of any given year.
E. The treasurer will follow all Lion's Pride financial accounting policies and procedures.
Section 2: Disbursement of Funds
A. All monies raised by the Lion’s Pride will be held in the Lion’s Pride account. Funds will be allocated according to the annual budget (as approved by the UCS Headmaster and the Lion’s Pride Executive Board).
B. Any Lion’s Pride endeavor and/or related purchase (including orders, pre-orders, pricing, etc) must be approved by the Lion’s Pride Executive Board in consultation with the UCS Headmaster, or his or her designee, prior to being initiated or communicated to the UCS community.
a. Major funding initiatives/projects totaling more than $5000.00 would additionally require a vote of the simple majority of Lion's Pride members in attendance at a called Lion's Pride meeting.
C. The School’s annual fundraisers will be Lion’s Pride organized functions supported and facilitated by the Lion’s Pride Executive Board. The annual need for money raised by the fundraisers will be determined in advance by the Lion's Pride Executive Board, UCS Headmaster and/or their designees. No individual fundraiser will be held to raise monies for any individual School program or entity.
D. No Lion’s Pride member shall have any proprietary or beneficial interest in the property or assets of the association, nor shall any member be entitled to receive any distribution of surplus funds.
Article V: The Lion’s Pride Board
Section 1: Composition
The Lion’s Pride Executive Board shall consist of the officers named, President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Past-President (Ex-officio).
The Lion’s Pride Executive Board also consists of at least one member of the UCS Administration. This role will function in an oversight capacity to ensure Lion’s Pride project compatibility with other UCS activities and events.
Section 2: Officer Selection
A. Nominations for officers will begin in September each year.
B. Nominations may be provided by members in good standing.
C. Nominations must be position specific.
D. Current officers and/or the UCS Headmaster have the authority to dismiss a nomination at their discretion.
E. Officers would be elected as a slate of officers unless there are several individuals nominated for a specific position. At that point the election process would leverage a secret ballot for the position in question.
F. Officers are elected by a simple majority of the total votes cast.
G. Officers will be elected per the term of office schedule.
Section 3: Taking Office
A. All new officers shall officially take office after the annual orientation/training day each January and the official vote at a general meeting.
B. All officers will serve as a mentor for 6 months following their term in order to insure a smooth transition in leadership.
Section 4: Officer Records
A. With the exception of the treasurer, each Lion’s Pride officer shall provide all instructions, books and records belonging to said office to the newly elected officer of that position no later than the annual January orientation/training day.
B. The treasurer will work with the Business office to ensure the timely close out of expenditures, etc. per fiscal year parameters and provide such records to the newly elected treasurer as soon as practical.
Section 5: May Planning Period
A. The Lion’s Pride board members shall conduct a May Planning Period in consultation with the UCS Headmaster for the upcoming school year.
B. The purpose of the May planning period is to determine an agenda, budget, and committee leadership for the upcoming school year.
Section 6: Mid-term Officer Vacancies
Should the office of the President be vacated before the term has expired, the Vice-President will assume the office of President. All other Officer or committee chair vacancies shall be filled by appointment of the President.
Section 7: Removal
The Lion’s Pride board may remove any officer, or committee chairperson, by a 2/3 – majority vote for failing to perform the duties of office.
Section 8: Term of Service
With the exception of the year 2012, each executive officer shall serve a two year term on the Executive Committee (provided they continue to meet the requirements to serve as such). In the year 2012, the Treasurer and President will serve only a one year term. This will enable a rotation of new Executive Committee members and will alleviate voting in all new Executive Committee members at once. Beginning in 2012, the member serving as President will only be President for one-term (this will be the second year of the member’s term). A new Vice-President will be elected each year. “Attachment 1” depicts this in graph form for better understanding.
Article VI: Duties of the Lion’s Pride Board
Section 1: President
A. Barring extraordinary circumstances, the President shall preside at all meetings.
B. The Lion’s Pride President establishes and discontinues committees and appoints all committee chairpersons per consultation with the other officers and the UCS Headmaster.
C. The Lion’s Pride President provides leadership and coordination to the officers and committees to ensure that the activities and expenditures of the Lion’s Pride are consistent with its mission and bylaws. The Lion's Pride President shall serve as an ex-officio member of all Lion’s Pride committees.
D. During his or her term, the Lion’s Pride President shall present a brief written report at each scheduled School Board Meeting.
E. The President is assumed to serve as the Lion’s Pride Past President the following year, provided he/she meets the requirements to serve as a Lion’s Pride officer.
Section 2: Vice-President
A. The Vice-President shall assume the duties of the Lion’s Pride President in absence of the Lion’s Pride President or at the request of the Lion’s Pride President and/or UCS Headmaster.
B. The office of the Vice-President is intended to provide year-to-year continuity in achieving the mission of the Lion’s Pride.
C. The Vice-President is presumed to serve as the Lion’s Pride President after the Presidents term is over.
Section 3: Secretary
A. The Lion’s Pride Secretary shall record the minutes of all Lion’s Pride meetings.
B. The Lion’s Pride Secretary shall ensure timely communication and correspondence.
C. The Lion’s Pride Secretary is responsible for keeping all records, reports and files of the Pride in an orderly and accessible manner.
Section 4: Treasurer
A. In accordance with Article IV, the Lion’s Pride Treasurer shall organize and keep a full and accurate account of all receipts, allocations and expenditures pertaining to the Lion’s Pride.
B. The Treasurer shall present a financial report at each Lion’s Pride meeting.
C. The Treasurer will follow the Lion’s Pride Financial Policy and Procedure (agreed upon by the UCS Headmaster, Executive Committee and CFO). See “Attachment 2”.
Section 5: Past President
A. The office of the past President is intended to provide year-to year continuity for the Lion’s Pride Board.
B. The Past President shall provide historical knowledge and guidance for the Lion’s Pride Board as and when necessary.
Article VII: Meetings
Section 1: General Membership Meetings
A. The general membership of the Lion’s Pride shall meet a minimum of twice a year, per the discretion of the President, in consultation with the Lion’s Pride Board and the UCS Headmaster.
B. The Lion’s Pride Secretary shall announce the date, time and topic of the meeting at least ten days in advance of any given meeting
C. A simple majority is required on any issue requiring a vote.
D. Each member shall be entitled to one vote at meetings of the Lion's Pride, but without the right to vote or act by proxy.
E. A quorum shall be the number of parents present at any meeting.
F. Special meetings of the members of the Lion's Pride may be called at any time by the President or by two officers, and must be called by the President upon receipt of the written request of twenty-five members of the association.
G. The Lion’s Pride Board has the authority to transact necessary Lion’s Pride business between general membership meetings.
Section 2: Board Meetings
A. The Lion’s Pride Board shall meet regularly during the School year at a reasonable time and place determined by the President.
B. A simple majority of the Lion’s Pride Board constitutes a quorum for conducting business at any Lion’s Pride Board meeting.
Article VIII: Committees and Activities/Projects
Section 1: Committees and Chairs
A. Lion's Pride committees include standing committees and Ad Hoc committees.
B. Chairpersons of all committees are appointed by the Lion’s Pride Board.
Section 2: Major Projects/Activities
A. Major projects/activities for the School year shall be determined by the Lion’s Pride Executive Committee per the guidelines found in Article IV.
B. Major projects/activities shall be calendared with UCS Administration per approval by the UCS Headmaster (who oversees Master calendar).
C. All major purchases must be approved by the UCS Administration per consultation with the UCS Headmaster and, when necessary, the UCS Board per the guidelines found in Article III, section 3 and 4.
Section 3: Minor Projects/Activities
Additional projects/activities/purchases that occur throughout the School year must be approved by the UCS Headmaster and/or whomever the UCS Headmaster deems appropriate.
Article IX: Amendments
The By-laws may be altered, amended or repealed at any meeting of the members of the Lion’s Pride at which a quorum is present by a majority vote, provided that notice of substance of such proposed changes be included in the notice of the meeting, and further provided that any such change be accepted by the UCS Headmaster.