23rd District PTA in December

Special New Year Edition!

Happy December!

2022 is coming to a close, and we are staring 2023 in the eye and telling it who is boss! (We take on each year as it comes, right?)

This special "New Year Edition" of the newsletter is going to help make sure our councils and units are successful in 2023!

A couple of notes to get things moving in the right direction for this term:

Keep Things Flowing Smoothly!

2023 is coming fast, and with more than 200 units to help in 23rd District, please remember that following unit-council-district in terms of communication and requests helps keep up organized and makes sure that everyone gets the information they need to be successful.

Out-of-Council units come directly to us at 23rd District for help, but if your unit is in a Council, that means your first stop for help is your council. The council helps support you right at your school district level. Remember - we need everyone kept in the loop to make sure things run smoothly!

A couple of notes to get things moving in the right direction for this term (Don't forget to download the calendar and checklist!):

Tax Time May Be Over, But There Is Still Work To Do!

There is information in this newsletter on a few very important topics: Worker Compensation Forms Submissions, Nominating Committees and Bylaws.

Worker Compensation Forms are submitted directly to AIM Insurance Services beginning December 15. This form covers the calendar year of 2022, not the fiscal year, and only documents those individuals your PTA has paid who are not independent businesses in their own right - individuals your PTA takes responsibility for in conducting business. Most units will have no one paid. If there is a surcharge, your PTA must pay the surcharge. See more information on Worker Compensation Form submission below!
Nominating Committees are forming now, or will be forming soon - and your bylaws play a key role in the election process! The formation of the Nominating Committee is legally required, so make sure you are doing it properly! There is a training opportunity at our mid-year training, so don't miss out! Don't miss information on the Twenty-Third District PTA nominating process - Twenty-Third District has elections for the 2023-2025 term coming up fast!
Bylaws - Every unit and council should be reviewing their bylaws annually to see if changes are needed, and bylaws must be updated (sent to California State PTA for renewal and recertification) a minimum of every five years for units, and every two years for councils. The renewal date is counted against the date the bylaws were signed by the California State PTA parliamentarian, not the date the bylaws were adopted by your unit. Have questions about bylaws, what you can change and what you can't? Reach out to Bylaws@23rdDistrict.org for help.

There are a LOT of handouts attached to this newsletter (like always), but they are ALL designed to help you. Don't forget that you can find things on our website, too!

This time of year can be tough for many. Don't forget to take care of you, too. Engage in self-care if needed, or talk to someone if it gets to be too hard to manage. Take time for family as we move into 2022, and if you need help, reach out. You aren't alone.

Always Remember: You are BRAVER than you believe, STRONGER than you seem, and SMARTER than you think." - A.A. Milne

Have a wonderful December, and we'll see you at our next General Association Meeting on February 28th!

- Laura Lucas

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You are receiving this newsletter because as a PTA leader in Riverside County (Council or Unit), you are a part of the 23rd District PTA family. Each month, we'll be sending this newsletter to help support you! There is a whole chain of PTA support to help you - unit to council to district. Families support each other - and we are here to support you. You matter, and we are very glad that you are here.

Reach out to us for help: Help@23rdDistrict.org
Find support on our website: www.23rdDistrict.org
Join us on Facebook: 23rd District PTA

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Don't Miss Mid-Year Training!

Some of us are just getting started - and that's okay! We're here to help!

Don't miss out on the Mid-Year Training Opportunity! You must register in advance for workshops that you would like to attend; links will go live on January 1, 2023.

Click this link to register after January 1st.

All officers are required to complete general finance and positional training annually. Course materials can be accessed by clicking on the course title at www.23rddistrict.org

When: January 9-13, 2023
Where: Virtually!

Cost: FREE

Workshops Offered:

Presidential Practices

General Finance

Treasurer Training

Amazing Audits

Parliamentary/Nominating Committees and Elections

Secretary Training

Treasurers must take both General Finance and Treasurer Training for compliance.

Remember, you can always find upcoming training opportunities by going to www.23rdDistrict.org and clicking on the OngoingTraining Initiative Link!

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STOP HERE! Twenty-Third District PTA is Looking For Leaders for 2023-2025!

QUALIFICATIONS

Only those persons who are eligible and who have signified their consent to serve if elected shall be nominated for or elected to office.
Nominees for the offices of president, treasurer, auditor, or an elected officer who are authorized to sign checks shall not be related by blood or marriage or reside in the same household.
No member shall serve concurrently in more than one elected or appointed District office.
To be eligible for an elected District office, a person must have served on the District board for one (1) year or have served a council in an elected position for a full two (2) year term.
To be eligible for the office of president, a person must be a member of a local association in good standing within the District boundaries at least thirty (30) days prior to election. And have served an association and/or council as President or have served on the District Board for two (2) years.

PLEASE COMPLETE THE FORM BY CLICKING THIS LINK

Submissions must be received by no later than 11:59 P.M., Friday, December 23, 2022.

At the close of the submission period, candidate submissions will be reviewed, and outreach and interviews will be scheduled between January 2-6, 2022.

Per California State PTA, the slate of the Nominating Committee must be posted to the Association by no later than January 31, 2023.

Officers will be elected at the General Association Election Meeting on February 28, 2023 and shall assume their duties on July 1, 2023.

If you have questions, please direct them to Nominating Committee Chairperson, Rhonda James at treasurer@23rddistrict.org.

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NOMINATING COMMITTEES - Forming Now!

It's time to start looking forward toward next year!

Nominating committees are a required piece of the election process for all units, councils, and districts! All units must attempt to elect a nominating committee; there is no vote or process that allows the election of the nominating committee to be bypassed.

Nominating Committees must be elected by the General Association at least 60 days before the election is scheduled to occur, nominations for the committee are taken from the floor at the General Association meeting, and no one can serve on the committee two years in a row, so make sure the election of the NC is on your agenda!

Here's a couple of important facts about the nominating committee:

The president is never involved with and does not serve on the nominating committee.
The committee has its own speaker: the chairman of the nominating committee, which is elected by the committee itself. If there is information to be issued on behalf of the committee, or the committee wants to reach out to interview a candidate, the communication is handled by the chairman.
The committee does not elect officers for the coming year; the committee only recommends people for office. Candidates must still be called for from the floor at the annual election meeting and a fair election held.
The deliberations and reasoning of the nominating committee are confidential and are not discussed with anyone outside of the committee. Disclosing the reasoning of the committee is cause for the committee to be dissolved, and a new committee formed.

Information on how many members your Nominating Committee should have can be found in Article V, Section 3 of your unit bylaws, and we have a handy-dandy Nominating Committee Success! guide to help out your committee attached to this newsletter!

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Worker Compensation Form Submission IS OPEN!

The submission of the Worker Compensation Form is required every year - even if no one is paid! California State PTA and AIM Insurance Services have partnered to make submission as easy as possible!

The form can be found here - a copy of the form will be sent directly to the officer who files!

Find step-by-step instructions for completing this form by clicking this link!

This form does not get remitted through channels - it goes straight from your unit or council to AIM insurance services! A copy of your completed submission will be sent directly to the email of the person filing the report, which can then be uploaded to MyPTEZ directly for compliance purposes (or sent to your Council if your Council collects items for upload).

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Mid-Year Audits are Coming!

Don't Forget!

The first audit period for the year (July 1 - December 31) is coming to an end, and that means it's almost time for the Mid-Year Audit!

A complete audit includes 3 things:

Audit Report
Audit Checklist
Recommendations Page (if recommendations are needed)

All three documents, plus dates of adoption by your executive board and association must be included for the audit to be considered complete.

Don't forget to have bank statements and bank reconciliations reviewed, signed, and dated by a non-checksigner.

Compliant audits should be completed by one of four ways, and anyone involved in the audit process should receive positional and financial training to ensure they are familiar with PTA practices:

An accountant or CPA, paid by the unit, to conduct the audit.
An elected or appointed qualified auditor [A CPA or professional trained to conduct audits; however, does not need to be employed in that capacity at present]
- This individual may not be involved in the handling or management of PTA funds.
- This individual is elected as an officer, or appointed by the Executive Board as a whole, and not just the president.
- This individual is ratified by the General Association and included in the minutes.
An elected or appointed* auditor [unqualified]
- If the auditor is unqualified, an Audit Review Committee is required to review the audit after completion by the auditor.
- Anyone completing the audit may not handle or manage PTA funds in any capacity.
- The Audit Review Committee must include two or more people, and may include the auditor; however, the majority of those serving on the committee should not be check-signers, nor should they have handled or managed PTA funds.
- The Audit Review Committee (and the auditor, if appointed) is appointed by the Executive Board, and not the president, then is ratified by the General Association and included in the minutes.
An appointed audit committee
- If the unit does not have an elected or appointed auditor, an Audit Committee may be appointed to complete the audit (this is different than a review committee.). In this instance, a committee of two or more is elected or appointed* to complete the audit.
- The committee must include two or more people, none of whom may be check-signers, and none of whom have handled or managed PTA funds.
- *appointed by the Executive Board, and not the president, and then ratified by the General Association and included in the minutes.

If units chooses to pay a professional auditor, please ensure that the auditor is familiar with non-profit organizations - preferably with PTAs specifically.

Meeting minutes must reflect who will be doing the audit, and when the audit was adopted.

When the audit is adopted by the Executive Board and General Association (with dates recorded), upload the audit documents to myPTEZ or forward to your council (or district, if OOC.).

Audits are required twice a year, and should be completed within two weeks of the close of period.

You can review the attached Audit Q&A to help ensure your audits are *chef's kiss* perfect, and you can also click the link to view the CAPTA blog audit steps: https://capta.org/your-mid-year-audit-in-5-easy-steps-step-1/

Have questions? Need Help? Contact your council or 23rd District PTA. We are all here to support you!

Have questions? Reach out to your Council, or if needed, reach out to us! Auditor@23rdDistrict.org.

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High School Seniors! This One is For You!

It's that time of year, and we don't want high school students who are involved in PTSA to miss out!

The Twenty-Third District PTA Graduating Senior Scholarship Application is attached to this email! This application has been sent to the counseling department of all Riverside County high schools with active PTSA units in good standing, and we're excited to celebrate our students!

Applications are due to Twenty-Third District PTA by no later than April 14th, 2023, and applications and inquiries must be sent by students directly to Scholarships@23rdDistrict.org. Applications sent through channels or by other parties (not the student submitting the application) will not be accepted.

It is important to note that the Twenty-Third District PTA scholarship is a separate scholarship from other scholarship programs, and is not affiliated with any other council or unit. All inquires and submissions must come directly to Twenty-Third District, and should not be mitigated by council or unit. This helps prevent any suggestion of bias or preference with regard to the individual submissions.