Section 1.

The name of this organization shall be hereafter known as THE Ringwood COOPERATIVE NURSERY SCHOOL; Association, INC.

Article Two~ Object

Section 1.

The object of this organization shall be the maintenance and management of a non-profit cooperative nursery school for pre-school children, called THE RING WOOD COOPERATIVE NURSERY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION, INC.

Section2.

The school shall be non-sectarian, racially non-discriminatory, and democratic in policy, for the purpose of benefiting an indefinite number of children, by assisting them to establish themselves in life. It is designed to be an enriching experience for both child and parent.

Section 3.

THE RING WOOD COOPERATIVE NURSERY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION, INC. shall operate with the certification of the New Jersey State Dept of Human Services, Division of Youth and Family Services.

Article Three~ Membership

Section 1.

All membership of this organization shall be of one class-Active.

A. Parents or guardians whose children are currently attending this nursery school or those who have registered for the following September, and have been approved by the Executive Board, shall be considered active members. Active members shall participate in the affairs of the Association, taking turns in the school participation program except when enrolled as a non-participating parent, and serving as officers or committee members when called upon.

B. Each member shall read, fill in, and sign an application form, as well as all other documents required.

Section 2.

Special cases: Any parent or guardian unable to fulfill his active membership duties shall have to submit a request to the Executive Board for special consideration.

Section 3.

Attendance is required at one General meeting per year. Maternity leave of eight consecutive weeks will be granted.

Article Four~ Registration

Section 1.

To be eligible for admittance, a child must be two years of age, three years prior to the legally accepted date for entrance into kindergarten in his home school district. If there is room, a child shall be eligible to enroll during the month that he becomes two with the approval of the teacher and the Executive Board. Preference shall be given to families in good standing, who are either active members or former active members, in that order. This applies through the date of the alumni registration. After that date, registration is on a first come, first served basis. Alumni registration shall be publicized at least one month in advance.

Section 2.

 Registration fee, one per family, per year, plus one month’s tuition, to be used as security, will be charged for each child upon application. The registration fee is non-refundable. Security shall be applied to the child’s last month of enrollment.

Section 3.

The first month’s tuition shall be paid by August 15th.

Section 4.

No child will be permitted to join classes until registration fee and tuition for the current month are paid, the health forms are completed and returned and the Registrar verifies the admission. Enrollment will be on a trial basis. If trial basis does not prove to be successful, the child shall be dismissed upon the teacher’s recommendation with the approval of the Executive Board.

Section 5

According to State law, each staff member is required to show proof of absence of TB to the Health Chairman no later than the first day of school. Each child must have a medical certificate filled out by the physician and in the Health Chairperson’s file before the first day of school. A child should have completed or be in the process of  completing the series of inoculations covering diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, and the immunization series against paralytic poliomyelitis. A child should also have received rubella, measles, mumps immunizations, as well as HJB. A child will not be admitted to nursery school until all the above requirements have been met.

Article Five ~Tuition and Revenue

Section 1.

The revenue of the Association shall be derived from the tuition and such other sources as may be agreed upon by the Executive Board with the approval of the general membership.

Section 2.

The amount of tuition shall be decided upon and be subject to change by the Executive Board based on their Knowledge of expenses and revenue.

Section 3.

Tuition shall be paid by the fifteenth of the previous month. Dues shall be considered delinquent after the fifteenth of the month. After this date an assessment of $5.00 will be paid by the delinquent member. In the event that the tuition is not paid for two consecutive months, or in the case of three delinquent payments~ the child may be dismissed From the School. Parents or guardians shall be responsible for tuition payments for the entire school year. Thirty days written notice must be given in the event that the child is withdrawn.    

Section 4. 

The accounting period of the Ringwood Cooperative Nursery School shall be from July 1st through June 30th.

Section 5.

Any surplus monies can be deposited in a savings account, in the name of the Association.

Section  6.

In the event that the school should disband, all assets of the Association shall be used for the payment of debts. If there are no debts, or if any assets remain after the debts have been satisfied, then the assets shall be donated to local charities designated by the Executive Board with the approval of the active membership.

Section 7.

An accountant shall be appointed by the President/ Co- Presidents and shall audit the treasury before July 15th of each year.

Article Six~ Meetings

Section 1.

There shall be at least one regular meeting of the entire membership to be held during the school year. The time if the meeting shall be determined by the Executive Board or the President/ Co- Presidents.

Section 2.

Special meetings may also be called by the President/CO-Presidents at any time. The Presidents/Co-presidents upon receipt of a written petition of five active members must call a special meeting.

Section 3.

The teacher or teachers must attend regular general membership meetings. They may attend meetings of the Executive Board at the invitation of and at the discretion of the Executive Board.

Section 4.

All regular and special meetings of the membership and all meetings of the Executive Board shall be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order, except where they conflict with the Associations preference. A quorum shall consist of one more than half of the active members.

Section5.

The voting power of a parent or guardian hired as a teacher or assistant teacher is relinquished in matters regarding salary, firing or hiring only.

Section 6.

A staff member must obtain approval of the Executive Board in order to enroll his or her child in his or her own class.

Article Seven ~ Officers

Section 1.

The officers of the Association shall be a President/Co-Presidents, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Registrar.

Section 2.

 Qualifications of Elective Officers: President/Co-Presidents, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Registrar must have their child or children in attendance or have registered them for the following September term. Such offices may not be held by hired personnel.

Section 3.

Nominations: A nominating committee of five (5) shall be appointed by the Board. The nominating committee shall select a slate of one or more candidates for each office, subject to the consent of each candidate, and present them to the membership.

Section 4.

Election: The officers shall be elected by secret ballot of Active members unless there is a single slate presented ,.and no nominations from the floor, in which case the Secretary may cast a ballot designating the election of the slate by unanimous consent of the membership. Officers assume their duties as of July 1st. Upon discontinuance of an officer as an active member, or upon resignation of an officer, a replacement shall be appointed by the President/Co-Presidents.

Section 5.

Duties:

A. The President/Co-Presidents shall: preside at all meetings, decide if there will be school in bad weather, appoint a chairperson to all standing committees with the exception of the nominating committee. Appoint a chairperson of any special committee deemed necessary or advisable, with the consent of the Executive Board.Act as coordinator between the teachers and the Executive Board.The President/Co-Presidents ex-officio shall be made a member of every committee. He   or she will have the rights of other members of the committees, except the right to vote and be counted as a member in the counting of a Quorum. He or she shall not be obligated to attend every committee meeting.

 B.The Vice- President shall: preside in the absence of the President/Co-Presidents, perform such duties as the President /Co-President shall assign, write teacher and aide contracts, arrange set-up of classrooms, and be responsible for lease renewal.

 C.The Secretary shall: Keep a record of each meeting- regular and executive, keep official membership list of the Association.

D.The Registrar shall: receive all inquiries on enrollment, arrange visits to the school for prospective members, register all students and recruit members to fill and staff all committees. Keep official membership lists of the Association and keep records of all applications and names of children enrolled, past and present. The Registrar shall be responsible for distributing the registration package, by-laws and all appropriate forms to all applicants.

D. The Treasurer shall: keep an account of all receipts and disbursements, pay all monthly bills of the Association, collect all the tuition and keep a record of all tuition, registration and securities paid by each member. The record books of the treasurer shall be audited annually before July 15th of each year. The Treasurer shall Submit a budget each year. The budget shall be prepared pith the Budget Committee, preapproved by the Executive Board, and presented at the first general meeting for final approval.

Section 6.

 Executive Board.

A. The President/Co-Presidents, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Registrar and Chairpersons of Standing Committees shall constitute the Executive Board. The Standing Committees are as follows: Housing Liaison, Equipment and Supply, Ways and Means and Publicity.

B. The Executive Board shall have the following duties: enforce current rules and regulations, approve all applicants for registration, employ or dismiss staff members, and when advisable, one or more teaching assistants either full or part- time. The Board shall also fix salaries for staff members and take necessary action for successful operations of the school.

Section7.

Staff members.

In hiring and dismissing of staff members, the action of the Board may at any time be over-ruled or set aside by a two-thirds vote of the entire active membership at a meeting called for that purpose by the President/Co-Presidents, at the written request of any active member.

The Executive Board shall submit the names of the staff members to be hired for the ensuing year. Staff members will not vote on this matter.

Article Eight~ Committees

Section 1.

Standing Committee Duties.

A.The Housing Committee will investigate all possibilities in regard to facilities that would meet nursery school standards and report to the Executive Board and general membership on such findings. The Chairperson shall meet with the leaser when necessary as the liaison. The Chairperson shall give an oral report at each Executive Board meeting and a written report shall be due at the end of each school year.

B.The Equipment and Supply Committee shall be responsible for purchase of all nursery school supplies, both consumable and non-consumable. It shall work with the Director to ascertain the needs of the school and be responsible for filling these requirements which comply with the budget approved by the general membership. The committee shall compare prices and quality of items considered for purchase before buying. The committee must report on the intended purchases and secure approval of the Executive Board before the purchase is made. The Chairperson shall submit all bills with his or her signature and the date, place of purchase and price. He or she shall give an oral report at each Executive Board meeting and a written report shall be due at the end of the school year. A proposed budget must be presented to the Budget Committee at the end of the school year.

 C.The Publicity Committee shall make posters to be placed in town stores, shall also notify newspapers of social events and drives for membership. The Publicity Scrapbook shall also be kept up to date. The Chairperson shall give an oral report at each general meeting and a written report shall be due at the end of the school year. A written proposed budget must be presented to the Budget Committee at the end of the school year.

D.Ways and Means Committee shall be responsible for the scheduling of events for the purpose of securing funds which shall be used at the discretion of the general membership. An oral report shall be given at each Executive Board meeting, and a written report shall be due at the end of the school year.

Section 2.

Special Committee Duties.

A. Nominating Committee (see article seven, section 3.)

B.The Health Committee shall be responsible for notifying parents of contagious diseases. The Chairperson, if possible a registered nurse, shall be phoned in the event that a nursery school child contracts a contagious disease. The Chairperson will contact the teacher, and fill out a communicable diseases form and distribute it to the parents. The Health Committee will keep all health records and notify parents of needed immunizations. A written report will be due at the end of the school year.

C.The Telephone Committee shall have an accurate list of all phone numbers of the members and is responsible for calling the membership in regard to the closing of nursery school for the day and all other special announcements. A written report is due at the end of the school year.

D.The Building and Grounds Committee shall be responsible for keeping toys, equipment, and the outdoor and indoor play areas in first-Class condition. When necessary, this committee shall also assemble and build new equipment. Authorization shall be obtained from the Executive Board for any expenditure of money. A written report is due at the end of the school year. A written proposed budget must be presented to the Budget Committee at the end of the school term.

E.The Paperwork Committee shall be responsible for duplicating and collating all necessary material for the nursery school. A written report is due at the end of the school year.

F.The Hospitality Committee shall be responsible for providing refreshments for the evening meetings, and setting-up of chairs, tables etc. The Committee shall be responsible for setting up, supplying, serving and cleaning-up for all special events such as Fathers Day programs. They shall provide name tags for the general meetings. A written report will be due at the end of the school year.

G.The Field Trip Committee shall be responsible for making arrangements for visiting places that provide educational interests: The number and nature of the field trips shall be left to the discretion of the Director, Field Trip Committee and Teachers. The number of children in a car shall not exceed the legal passenger limit for each car. A driver and an adult assistant shall be in each car. Siblings may not attend field trips. A written report will be due at the end of the school year.

H.The Creative Committee shall be responsible for examining all suggestions offered by parents for possible use in our nursery school situation. The members of this committee will help each mother give as fully as possible of her special talents: i.e. flannel board projects, doll and dress-up clothes, illustration of favorite songs, The Committee shall make name-tags for each child before school starts, and set-up and dismantle Christmas trees. A written report will be due at the end of the school year. A written proposed budget must be presented to the Budget Committee each year.

I.The House Keeping Committee shall be responsible for keeping all smocks, play clothes and doll clothes in a clean and in good condition. The Committee shall clean and defrost the refrigerator as necessary. The Committee shall also be responsibility for all pets, top dust the classrooms weekly, vacuum every other week and supervise the cleaning and care of the nursery school as needed. A written report is due at the end of the school year.

J. The Budget Committee, headed by the Treasurer, shall be responsible for compiling a proposed budget with the advice and assistance of the Standing and Special Committees. This budget shall be presented for approval at the Third general meeting of the year.

K.The Parent Education Committee shall provide programs for the general membership meetings a written report will be due at the end of the school year.

L.The Typing Committee shall be responsible for typing as needed

M.The Substitute Chairperson shall be responsible for securing substitutes when staff members are absent a written report will be due at the end of the year.

N. The Participating Committee shall prepare a schedule for the participating parents or guardians.

0. The Newsletter Committee shall edit and type a monthly newsletter. A written report will be due at the end of the school year.

P. The Directors assistant shall assist the Director with paperwork, typing, copying and collating as needed

Q. The New Membership Committee will be responsible for welcoming new members to the school.

K Class Representative Committee shall be responsible for making party sign-up sheets and helping collect for fund-raising. Also for helping with the 4yr old “Fun-Days", graduation and parties as needed

Article Nine~ Amendments:

Section 1.

By-laws may be amended by two thirds of the votes cast at any general membership meeting at which the quorum is present. The proposed amendment shall be a written petition signed by five active members and submitted to the secretary. All active members should be informed of the proposed amendment in writing at least two weeks before the meeting at which the vote is to be taken.

Section 2.

 By-law changes must be proposed and voted on by one and the same active membership. Section 3.

Section 3.

Each active member family shall have one vote.