Tag: meeting agendas

Plan and Prepare for Your First Association Meeting of the Term

Posted on by Ray Kinyon

by Leadership Services Commission

Kicking off your PTA year with an association meeting is important and is an opportunity for all your members to be involved.  Your association meeting is the membership meeting and all members should be invited. 

Throughout the year Executive Board members and committee chairs should attend the association meetings to show their support for PTA, respond to questions, and engage members and future leaders. 

Association meetings are different in specific ways from the smaller monthly board meetings that provide, first and foremost, the opportunity for your executive board to plan programs and manage the basic business of your association.

Why Hold PTA Association Meetings?

These meetings are an opportunity to engage PTA members and at these meetings members vote on and make decisions about the programs and budget for the PTA year. 

PTA bylaws require that association meetings be held at least twice per year.  Check your bylaws and standing rules to confirm what is required for your PTA. 

  • PTA bylaws provide guidance regarding the quorum, association, and executive board business. 
  • Standing rules specify current meeting months and days of the week, meeting notice requirements, and when items are referred back to the executive board for a study before association action. 

Meeting and Agenda Planning Tips

Effective association meetings are well planned, welcome everyone’s opinions, abide by majority rule, and foremost, keep the business of the association brief. The president, with the help of Executive Board members, plans and presides at association meetings. Executive Board members provide reports and present motions as recommended by the Executive Board and agreed upon in advance.

At the first association meeting of the year, items to notice and include on the agenda are:

  • Welcome, certify quorum, appoint interim parliamentarian if needed, introductions
  • Minutes (action) of the previous association meeting
  • Financial Reports
    • Treasurer’s Report (presentation) and payment ratifications (action) from the previous meeting to June 30th.
    • Annual Financial Report (presentation) for the previous term.
    • Treasurer’s Report (presentation) and payment ratifications (action) from July 1 to the first meeting
    •  Year End Financial Review (action) for the previous term (1/1-6/30)
  • Calendar and Programs (action) for the upcoming year
  • Budget Adoption and Related Actions
    • Budget Adoption (action), even when approved at the previous association meeting
    •  Release of Budgeted Funds (action) for upcoming expenses
    • Authorizations for upcoming payments (action)
  • If your PTA has only two meetings a year, the nominating committee is elected at this first meeting
  • Welcome and report from Principal or site administrator
  • Vice president and chair reports on upcoming activities, e.g., Annual Historian Report or Reflections promotion
  • Optional – plan for a guest speaker or special program that would be interesting to your whole school community to create engagement with PTA and increase attendance. 

Announce the Meeting 

The list of meeting topics is noticed to members in writing at least 10 days in advance of the meeting using social media and email and/or is posted at school. To expedite the business at the meeting, supporting documents may be shared electronically with members or posted at school with adequate time for member review. 

Meetings may be held virtually or in person at any accessible location. A projected powerpoint presentation will reduce the expense of printing documents.

Whether your meeting is virtual or in person, consider new ways to draw a crowd, and add an activity or ice breaker before or after the meeting. Include refreshments and welcome everyone!

Be Prepared so the Meeting Goes Smoothly

In preparation, Executive Board members should review parliamentary procedure and the motion process and their duties in the Toolkit and Job Descriptions for PTA Leaders. 

  • Be prepared: members may ask for ballot voting (so have ballot supplies on hand). 
  • Remember: it is ok for the president to pause and confer with the parliamentarian or secretary during the meeting.

To expedite the meeting, the president may use the unanimous consent process for noncontroversial motions and/or use a consent agenda. Group consent agenda items according to the vote outcome required, majority or two-thirds. 

It may be helpful for the president and secretary to prepare a detailed agenda script so nothing is forgotten. 

Additional Resources

The California State PTA Toolkit provides practical guidance for conducting meetings:

Our Leaders’ Website is a one-stop resource for local PTA leaders:

You’ll find timely advice and great ideas in these articles on capta.org and the California State PTA blog: