Parent Association | Parent Representatives | By-Laws | Rules and Regulations | Handbook | Links for Parents | Seminars
Rules of Procedure
Rules of Procedure of the Parents’ Association of
the German School Washington D.C.
(as of May 27, 2009)
1. Offices
1.1. The Parents’ Association shall elect a chairman and a deputy chairman in two separate ballots. The election modalities are regulated in the bylaws.
1.2. In addition, during its first meeting the SEBR shall elect a secretary and a deputy secretary, a treasurer and a deputy treasurer as well as the SEBR’s delegates to the school board’s committees and to the school’s subcommittees for the term of one school year. The election modalities are regulated in the bylaws.
2. Meetings of the Parents’ Association
2.1. The Parents’ Association’s meetings are convened and chaired by the chair or in case of the chair’s absence by the vice chair in accordance with the bylaws.
2.2. As a rule the Parents’ Association’s meetings are not open to the public. If needed the Parent’s Association can also invite other individuals to non-public meetings than those entitled to participate pursuant to the bylaws.
3. Agenda
3.1. The chair shall propose an agenda and send it out along with the invitation to the meeting. Regular members can file written proposals to the agenda with the chairman anytime before the meeting. Proposals which are received after the distribution of the invitation can be included into the agenda by agreement at the beginning of the meeting.
3.2. Statements under the point Other Business shall be limited to information, questions and inquiries.
3.3. The chair shall give the floor to members in the order of their requests to speak.
3.4. Speakers can be restricted by agreement. Each speaker shall refer to the subject at hand. The chairman has the right to order speakers to discontinue their speech.
4. Votes
4.1. The Parents’ Association has established a quorum when more than half of its members are present. Elected parent representatives can vote in the Parents’ Association’s meetings. If a parent representative is not present at the meeting, his/her deputy shall cast a vote.
4.2. As a principle votes are conducted by open ballot. Votes shall be conducted by closed ballot if requested by a member.
4.3. Votes are won by simple majority. In the event of a tie, the proposal shall be deemed denied. Abstentions and invalid votes shall not be counted toward the determination of majorities.
4.4. Proposals which are brought to a vote shall be added to the minutes and shall be read out by the appointed secretary in their exact wording before the vote.
4.5. If several proposals regarding the same matter are present, the more comprehensive proposal shall be voted on first.
4.6. Members shall be granted sufficient time to discuss a proposal.
4.7. Each member has a right to petition the end of a debate. Such petition shall be voted on immediately upon the reading of the list of speakers.
4.8. During the voting procedure, no additional motion shall be brought forward regarding the issues at hand. Requests to speak with regard to the bylaws shall be allowed.
4.9. In each case, the most recent decision on a given issue shall be applied.
5. Committees and Commissions
5.1. The Parents’ Association can appoint committees and commissions to work on specific issues.
5.2. The committees’ and commissions’ members shall be elected by the parents’ association.
5.3. Committees and commissions can elect chairmen.
5.4. Committees and commissions shall report their progress to the Parents’ Association on a regular basis.
6. Minutes
6.1. Minutes documenting decisions as well as voting and election results shall be kept for each meeting.
6.2. Minorities have the right to have their dissenting opinions noted in the minutes.
6.3. The minutes shall be approved during the following meeting. The Parents’ Association can correct the minutes upon majority vote. Corrections shall only be applied to the form and the correctness of the minutes. Changes to decisions reported in the minutes shall not be permissible.
7. Amendments to the bylaws
7.1. A two third majority is required to approve amendments to these bylaws.
8. Language
The bylaws shall be issued in the German and the English Language. The German language version shall serve a default version in cases of doubt.
Resolution of the Parents’ Association as of 27 May 27, 2009.