In these rules, unless the contrary intention appears:

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‘Annual General Meeting (AGM)’ is a meeting held only once every financial year within which an Association reports. The AGM must be held within four months of the end of the previous financial year and is the meeting at which the executive committee are elected, annual financial reports are received and other reports on the activities of the Association during the past year are presented.

 

‘Association’ refers to the entire P&C Association, including every financial and ex-officio member.

 

‘Audit’ means the collection of evidence relating to the Associations financial records and transactions to satisfy the auditor that the report is a true and correct reflection of the Association’s finances.

 

‘Auditor’ means the person appointed to conduct an audit. Must be either a registered company auditor, an audit firm, or a current member of a relevant professional body such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the National Institute of Accountants or the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants.

 

‘Authorised Signatory’ means financial members who have been elected as the office bearers of the Association i.e., President, Vice-President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer and one member of the Executive Committee who may be appointed for such purpose at the Annual General Meeting of the Association. These individuals must be registered with the associated financial institution.

 

‘Ballot’ means voting conducted in written form (as opposed to a show of hands).

 

‘Commissioner’ means the Commissioner for Consumer Protection exercising powers under the Association Incorporations Act 2015.

 

‘Common Seal’ is the official stamp or ‘signature’ of an Association. 

 

‘Declared by Lot’ means drawn out of a hat when a member ballot is tied.

 

‘Deliberative Vote’ is a vote given to a financial member of the Association. It is an equal vote. No financial member has a more powerful vote than any other member.

 

‘Direct Relationship’ means business, immediate or extended family, and marriage/de facto relationships.

 

‘Documents and Records’ means documents and records pertaining to the management of the affairs of an incorporated association.

 

‘Executive Committee’ means those financial members elected or appointed to fill the positions of President, Vice President, Honorary Secretary, Honorary Treasurer or others as elected to be Executive Members. The school principal is also member of the Executive by virtue of the office they hold.

 

‘Executive Meeting’ means a meeting convened for the Executive Committee members only.

 

‘Ex-officio Members’ are members of both the Association and the Executive of the Association by virtue of the position they hold, with full voting rights in the Executive only. To be eligible to be counted in the quorum and to vote in a General Meeting, they must be a financial member of the Association.

 

‘Financial Member’ means a person who has paid the required membership fee and is listed on the Register of Members.

 

‘Financial Statement’ is a written explanation of the financial transactions and financial position of the committee.

 

‘General Meeting’ means a meeting to which all financial members are invited and quorum achieved.

 

‘Member’ means a financial member of the Association.

 

‘Natural Justice’ means the right to a fair procedure that is free from bias.

 

‘Parents’ means parents and carers of children attending a government school.

 

‘Parent and Citizens’ means incorporated Parents and Citizens’ Associations, as defined in the School Education Act 1999.

 

‘Present at a Meeting’ means a financial member is present at a meeting if they are there in person or communicating by a form of real-time, synchronous technology that allows for their identification.

 

‘Proxy Vote’ is a vote cast by one financial member on behalf of another financial member who is not present at the meeting. No proxy voting is permitted at any meeting of a P&C Association.

 

 ‘Quorum’ means the minimum number of financial members required to be present for a meeting to proceed and make decisions that are Constitutional.

 

‘Register of Members’ is a compulsory and current register of all financial members.  The Register of Members must list each member's name and postal, or residential, or email address. The register must be made available to members for inspection upon request. 

 

‘Rising’ when the meeting has officially been closed. In AGM terms this means the current elected members of the Executive Committee would chair up to the close of the Annual General Meeting. The newly elected Executive would convene all subsequent meetings.

 

‘Review’ means a look over the Association’s financial report and provide a statement whether anything has come to the reviewer’s attention that does not comply with the requirements of Act.

 

‘Reviewer’ means the person appointed to conduct a review. Must be either a registered company auditor, an audit firm, or a current member of a relevant professional body such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants, the National Institute of Accountants or the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants.

 

‘Rules’ in this document means the Constitution.

 

‘Rules of Debate’ the rules to be followed when debating a motion.

 

‘Simple Majority’ means greater than half of the financial members (50 per cent + 1) present at a meeting.

 

‘Small School’ means a school with an average daily attendance of two hundred (200) or less students recorded at the start of the school year.

 

‘Special General Meeting’ means a General Meeting other than the Annual General Meeting and is called for a specific purpose.

 

‘Special Resolution’ a motion at a General Meeting to amend the rules, change the name or objects, or to wind up an Association. A three quarter majority is required to carry the motion.

 

‘Standing Orders’ the rules that govern the conduct of a meeting. 

 

‘Sub-Committees’ a committee of the Association created to perform specific tasks as required.

 

‘Terms of Reference’ is a document outlining the powers, limitations, purpose and structure of a sub-committee.

 

‘WACSSO Inc’ means the Western Australian Council of State School Organisations Incorporated.