Are monthly board of directors meetings open to the public?
Yes, all meetings should be open to the public unless a closed meeting is warranted and justified. Board members must always remember that PTA is a bottom up organization and although there is a governing board to facilitate and oversee the work of the organization, it is and should be entirely member driven. Although non-board members do not have a vote on matters that come before the board at these meetings, they should nevertheless be given the opportunity to provide input or to bring their concerns the table, if a request to be added to the agenda has been submitted and approved.

How long must meeting minutes be kept?
Meeting minutes are permanent records of motions, discussions and subsequent actions taken by the board of directors and general membership.They are perpetual in nature and should be kept indefinitely by the organization.The secretary is responsible for maintaining a binder containing original approved copies of all meeting minutes and related attachments.At the end of his/her term, the binder should be turned over to the successor secretary.

Can the president vote?
The president may vote on a pending question when the vote would change the outcome; that is, to make or break a tie. The president may vote in all cases where the voting is by ballot, but may vote only once.

We did not have quorum at a general meeting where officers were voted on. Was that a proper election?
No. Any business (including elections) to be conducted at a general meeting without a quorum must be postponed until the next general meeting or until a special meeting is called in accordance with the local unit bylaws.

What is the function of a nominating committee?
A nominating committee is responsible for identifying, recruiting, and nominating the best qualified candidate for each elected position. Clearly, it is an extremely important role since this committee is charged with recommending candidates who are qualified to lead the organization.All committee members should be searching constantly for qualified individuals to assume leadership roles within the organization.It is, most certainly, a year-round task and all committee members must be committed to PTA and be willing to fulfill the necessary time requirements.

It’s the start of a new year and our nominating committee was unable to fill all the vacancies. How should we proceed?
If the Nominating Committee can't fill a position, then nominations for that position are taken from the floor at the election meeting. If the positions are not filled at the election meeting, the executive board must fill the vacancy. We suggest you review your local unit bylaws for specific guidelines on filling vacant positions.

Have we answered your questions?
If not, please go to Contact Us to submit a request for information online or call us at:

Hawaii State PTSA
P. O. Box 22878
Honolulu, Hawaii  96823-2878
Phone (808) 593-2042
email:  info@hawaiiptsa.org