Bylaws are important!
Bylaws are the basic rules for governing the organization. It contains the PTA’s legal name, purpose, membership, election, board of directors, duties of officers, quorum for meetings, how many meetings to have, etc.
Each PTA must review and renew its bylaws every three years.
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PTA Council of Howard County Bylaws
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Attention PTA/PTSAs:
Every PTA/PTSA in Maryland must submit updated bylaws to become a constituent association under Free State PTA. Bylaws represent the most important legal document of a PTA. Bylaws define your PTA’s mission, purpose and principles, and link your PTA to Free State PTA and National PTA. Bylaws additionally define the basic governance of your PTA in accordance with state and federal laws, establish meeting frequency, voting rights, and the duties and responsibilities of elected officers, committees, and members. It is critical that all members and officers understand their bylaws.
The templates are available on the Free State PTA website https://fspta.org. Hover over “About” and select “Bylaws and Standards of Affiliation”. Local and Council bylaws templates are on that page.
Once the updated bylaws are approved by your PTA/PTSA membership, (1) a copy of the approved bylaws and (2) a copy of the general meeting draft minutes documenting membership approval must be sent to Free State PTA.