Constitutions and Procedures

Constitution | Procedures

1.0 CONSTITUTION

1.1 THE NAME OF THE ASSOCIATION

The name of the Association shall be "The Principals' Association of Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools" (P.A.V.C.S.S.) hereunder referred to as the Association. The Association is a professional association of Principals of Catholic Secondary Schools in Victoria.

1.2 AIMS OF THE ASSOCIATION

1.2.1 To foster the professional development and welfare of its members.

1.2.2 To further, in conjunction with the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria and the Catholic Education Offices of Victoria, the development of Catholic secondary education throughout the dioceses of Victoria.

1.3 FUNCTIONS OF THE ASSOCIATION

The Association shall:

1.3.1 Conduct conferences and seminars for Principals, administrators and staffs in Catholic Secondary Schools.

1.3.2 Provide a forum for the discussion of common problems and new approaches.

1.3.3 Facilitate the dissemination of information about developments in education.

1.3.4 Provide assistance to schools in the interpretation and implementation of educational policy.

1.3.5 Help members to understand their roles as administrators and so to enable them to serve the school community better.

1.3.6 Provide representation of Principals of Catholic Secondary Schools in Victoria.

1.4 MEMBERSHIP

1.4.1 Membership shall be open to any person who acts as a Principal of any Victorian Catholic school with secondary classes.

1.4.2 During any necessary absence of the Principal, the person appointed to administer the school during this period shall be entitled to attend meetings of the Association and shall be entitled to have (consistency with next paragraph) "transferred" voting rights.

1.4.3 Members who have paid the current annual subscription shall be deemed financial members. Only financial members have voting rights within the Association. Such voting rights are transferable to the person who acts in absence of the Principal. These rights shall be known as "transferred voting rights."

1.4.4 Ex-officio membership shall be extended to the Ordinary and to the Director of Catholic Education in each diocese of Victoria.

1.4.5 Any Annual General Meeting may, by majority vote, confer Honorary Life Membership of the Association on any person deemed to have made a significant contribution to the Association.

1.4.6 Honorary life membership shall carry with it none of the obligations of membership, but shall entitle the holder to attend meetings of the Association and to speak, but not to make motions, to vote or to hold office.

1.4.7 Each of the Catholic Education Offices in Victoria shall be asked to nominate a person to attend meetings as an observer and to act as spokesperson on behalf of that office. Such nominated persons shall have no voting powers.

1.5 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION

1.5.1 The Annual Subscription shall be fixed by the Annual General Meeting of the Association.

1.5.2 The Annual Subscription shall be due and payable after the Annual General Meeting.

1.5.3 Members of the Association who have not paid the annual subscription after one calendar month has elapsed since the Annual General Meeting shall be deemed unfinancial members.

1.6 THE EXECUTIVE

1.6.1 Between meetings of the Association the business of the Association shall be conducted by an Executive.

1.6.2 The elected Executive shall consist of: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Five other members. The nine members shall include at least one principal from a country diocese.

1.6.3 All elected members of the Executive must be financial members of the Association and elections will be held annually by ballot at the Annual General Meeting of the Association after written nominations have been received. (1997)

1.6.4 Members of the executive shall be elected for two year terms, however no member of the executive may occupy the same office on the executive for more than 4 years. (1997)

1.6.5 A quorum for a valid meeting of the Executive shall be five elected members.

1.6.6 The functions of the Executive shall be to

1.6.6.1 Act on behalf of the Association between meetings of the Association

1.6.6.2 Carry out functions assigned to it from time to time by the Association

1.6.6.3 Convene meetings of the Association.

1.6.7 The Executive shall meet at least three times each calendar year and always prior to a meeting of the Association.

1.7 MEETINGS OF THE ASSOCIATION

1.7.1 Ordinary meetings of the Association shall be held at least three times each calendar year.

1.7.2 The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be held during the fourth school term of each calendar year for the purposes of receiving reports, including a financial statement of the Association, declaring the elected Executive for the following calendar year, and any other relevant business.

1.7.3 An Extraordinary Meeting of the Association may be called if ten members in writing request the Executive to call such a meeting or the Executive decides by a majority vote to call such a meeting.

1.7.4 At least fourteen days' notice in writing shall be given of the Annual General Meeting, of Ordinary meetings of the Association and an Extraordinary meeting of the Association.

1.7.5 A quorum for an Annual General Meeting, an Ordinary meeting and an Extraordinary meeting shall be one-third of the financial members of the Association.

1.8 CHANGES OF CONSTITUTION

1.8.1 Changes in the Constitution of the Association can be made only at the Annual General Meeting or at a special Extraordinary Meeting of the Association called for the specific purpose of considering an amendment to the Constitution. Notice of the proposed changes must be given in writing to all members at least fourteen days prior to the Meeting.

1.8.2 Motions involving amendments to the Constitution must be carried by a three-fifths majority of voting members present when the motion is put.

1.9 NOTHING WITHIN THIS CONSTITUTION

May be deemed to contradict the directives of the Ordinaries of the Dioceses of Victoria or the policy of the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria.

 

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2.0 PROCEDURES

2.1 INTRODUCTION

2.1.1 These procedures must be interpreted in the light of the Constitution of the Principals' Association of Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools.

2.1.2 A copy of the Constitution together with these procedures shall be given to all financial members of the Association.

2.1.3 Amendments to these procedures may be made by the Association at any meeting of the Association.

2.2 THE EXECUTIVE

2.2.1 The Executive shall be responsible for the coordination of the activities of the Association.

2.2.2 The Executive shall be responsible for the preparation of the agenda for ordinary, extraordinary and annual general meetings of the Association.

2.2.3 The Executive, where appropriate, may make recommendations to meetings of the Association.

2.2.4 The Executive shall be responsible for the efficient conduct of all meetings of the Association.

2.2.5 The Executive shall be responsible for the implementation of decisions taken at meetings of the Association and shall report on this implementation to a subsequent meeting of the Association.

2.2.6 The Executive shall be responsible for the seeking (from among financial members of the Association) of nominations and where necessary conducting ballots to obtain official representatives of the Association on Committees relevant to secondary education.

2.2.7 The Executive shall be responsible for the filling of casual vacancies on the Executive until the next Annual General Meeting. This action shall be reported to the Association at the meeting of the Association immediately following this action.

2.2.8 If the casual vacancy occurring is that of President, then the Vice President assumes that role and the Executive is responsible for filling the casual vacancy of Vice President.

2.2.9 The Executive shall be responsible for the filling, for the remainder of the term of office, of casual vacancies that occur for representatives of the Association on committees. This action shall be reported to the Association at the Meeting of the Association immediately following this action.

2.2.10 The Executive shall be responsible for ensuring the periodic evaluation of the Association and its activities.

2.2.11 The Executive shall be responsible for the commissioning of the annual audit of the Association and shall appoint the Auditors.

2.2.12 Special meetings of the Executive may be called by the President or on the written request of three members of the Executive.

2.2.13 A member of the Executive absent for more than two consecutive meetings of the Executive without excuse deemed adequate in the opinion of the Executive may, by a two-thirds vote by ballot of the Executive, be asked to resign the office.

2.2.14 The Executive may establish such sub-committees as are deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Association and the furthering of the aims of the Association. Such sub committees must report regularly to the Executive.

2.2.15 The Executive may employ an Executive Officer to promote and carry out the business of the Association.

2.3 OFFICE BEARERS OF THE ASSOCIATION

2.3.1 The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Executive.

2.3.2 The President may vote whenever that vote will affect the result.

2.3.3 The President shall be an ex officio a member of all committees established by the Association.

2.3.4 The Vice President, in the absence of the President or in the case of the President's inability to perform duties, shall perform the duties of President of the Association. In addition, the Vice President shall perform such duties as assigned by the President.

2.3.5 In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall preside at meetings of the Association and of the Executive.

2.3.6 The Secretary shall be responsible for the keeping of all minutes and records of proceedings of the Association and of its Executive.

2.3.7 The Secretary shall be responsible for the distribution of agenda papers and minutes of Executive Meetings and of Ordinary, Extraordinary and Annual General Meetings of the Association.

2.3.8 The Secretary shall conduct all relevant correspondence on behalf of the Association.

2.3.9 The Secretary shall be responsible for the safekeeping of the Association's files.

2.3.10 The Secretary shall be responsible for the calling of nominations and for the preparation of ballot papers.

2.3.11 The Secretary shall keep the register of honorary life members.

2.3.12 Upon resignation or at the end of term of office, the Secretary shall hand all papers appertaining to the Association's business to the President.

2.3.13 The Treasurer shall receive all subscriptions to the Association and shall keep current a file of financial members, together with their addresses. A copy of this file is to be made available to the Secretary of the Association.

2.3.14 The Treasurer shall have custody of all funds of the Association.

2.3.15 The Treasurer shall, at the direction of the Executive, be responsible for the investment of the Association's funds.

2.3.16 The Treasurer shall be responsible for the payment of all accounts of the Association.

2.3.17 The Treasurer, together with one other person nominated from the Executive, shall be signatories to all bank and investment accounts.

2.3.18 The Treasurer shall keep proper books of account of all moneys received and disbursed.

2.3.19 The Treasurer shall be responsible for the preparation of the annual budget which must be approved by the Executive.

2.3.20 At all times the Treasurer shall have the accounts open to inspection by the Executive, the President and by any auditors named by the Executive.

2.3.21 Within one month of resignation or at the end of term of office the Treasurer shall turn over to the incoming Treasurer all records and property in the Treasurer's possession.

2.4 ELECTIONS

2.4.1 The Executive shall be responsible for the conduct of elections required under the Constitution and Procedure of the Association.

2.4.2 At least six weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting of the Association, the Secretary shall notify all members of the Association that written nominations are called for all positions on the Executive and shall state a closing date for nominations to be received which shall be the day before the Annual General Meeting.

2.4.3 Nominations must be received by the Secretary in writing and must carry the signature of the nominee, the proposer and the seconder.

2.4.4 Election to the Executive shall be by ballot and a relative majority vote shall elect.

2.4.5 In the case of a tied vote, a further election shall be held in which only those candidates whose vote was tied shall have passive voice. If a further tie vote results, the election shall be determined by lot.

2.4.6 The order of election shall be:

President
V ice President
Secretary
Treasurer
5 other Executive members

2.4.7 The election of the five other Executive Members shall be as follows. The voting for the executive member representative of the country diocese shall be by the financial members present. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes being declared elected. If there is a tied vote the procedure outlined in 2.4.5 above shall be followed. After this election is completed, the other four members of the Executive shall be elected by all financial members present, the four candidates receiving the highest number of votes being declared elected. If there is a tied vote, the procedure outlined in 2.4.5 above shall be followed.

2.4.8 Two tellers for the election are appointed by the Chairperson.

2.4.9 After collection of the ballots in a ballot box, the tellers count the ballots and announce the result of the vote to the Chairperson.

2.4.10 The result of the election is proclaimed by the Chairperson.

2.4.11 Where only one nomination is received for any position on the Executive, that person shall be declared elected.

2.4.12 If there is no nomination for a position, nominations may be called for from the floor. If this procedure results in no nomination, the Secretary shall call for written nominations and a postal ballot shall be conducted. If one month elapses after the Annual General Meeting and no nomination has been received, the Executive may fill the vacancy.

2.4.13 The election procedure outlined above shall be followed whenever the Association elects one of its members to either the Executive or as a representative of the Association.

2.5 REPRESENTATION ON BEHALF OF THE ASSOCIATION

2.5.1 Only financial members of the Association are entitled to act as representatives on various bodies which are concerned with education and seek the participation of the Association.

2.5.2 It is the responsibility of these representatives to report in writing regularly to the Executive of the Association and to meetings of the Association.

2.6 MEETINGS

2.6.1 Prior to meetings of the Association, all members shall receive agenda papers.

2.6.2 At an extraordinary meeting of the Association, only matters contained in the notice of such a meeting may be discussed.

2.6.3 The President shall conduct meetings according to Parliamentary procedures.

2.6.4 Only financial members of the Association may make motions and vote at meetings of the Association.

2.6.5 The President shall exercise the right to allow non members to speak at a meeting of the Association.

2.7 FEES, DUES AND FUNDS

2.7.1 The fiscal year of the Association shall be from 1 October to 30 September inclusive.

2.7.2 In addition to the annual membership fee, the Association may charge for services (such as conferences, publications) offered to its members and to others.

2.7.3 All funds collected by the Association must be used to further the aims of the Association or for Catholic Secondary education in Victoria.

2.8 EMBLEM

2.8.1 The emblem of the Association shall be

2.8.2 The name and emblem of the Association shall not be employed for individual gain or benefit and shall not be put to any commercial use.

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