P&F Executive Role Descriptions
Are you the P&F Chair?
The Chair should preside at all General Meetings of the P&F. In addition to that responsibility, the Chair should undertake several other tasks such as:
- BE IMPARTIAL
- Provide leadership for the P&F
- Act as the P&Fs representative
- Exercise some supervision of the functions of other Office Bearers
- Encourage parents and other to participate in the activities of the P&F and the school
- Actively pursue a collaborative working relationship with the Principal
- Set a warm and welcoming tone to the meeting
- Greet all members - new and established
- Ensure a quorum is present
- Maintain order of the meeting
- Ensure that members are aware of the minutes of the previous meeting and to obtain confirmation of these minutes
- Give all members the opportunity to speak but also confining speakers to the matters under discussion
Are you the P&F Deputy Chair?
The specific duty of a Deputy Chair is to act as Chairman at those meetings at which the Chair is absent.
In many P&Fs that is all that is required of a Deputy Chair, which means they operate during the year as just another member of the Committee, however, the Deputy Chair could be seen as a potential understudy to the Chair. Becoming familiar with the operation of the P&F and acquainting themselves with the duties of the Chair, including a working knowledge of meeting rules and procedures is advisable.
Are you the P&F Secretary?
The Secretary of a P&F is in charge of:
- preparing and distributing the agenda and meeting papers in collaboration with the Chair and Principal, and where possible distributing with the draft minutes of the previous meeting,
- taking and recording proper and accurate minutes of meetings,
- formulating and posting all notices of meetings, and
- provide a list of the P&F Committee members and contact details to the Principal following the Annual Community Meeting.
Importantly, the Secretary is entrusted with maintaining the records of the P&F.
Are you the P&F Treasurer?
The Treasurer is responsible for providing feedback to the P&F in regards to the finances of the group, in the form of a financial report tabled at each meeting. It is important to understand that the Treasurer is the steward and not the owner of the funds. In line with the new P&F Terms of Reference, P&F receipt and payment of monies must be transacted through the school operating bank account, with the P&F funds quarantined for P&F endorsed use only.
As detailed in the P&F Terms of Reference guidelines, the Treasurer is required to:
- prepare and present a finance report at each P&F meeting;
- prepare and present the Annual Financial Report at the Annual Community Meeting;
- prepare the annual budget to support the P&F Annual Event Plan;
- support the P&F Committee to prepare a plan of how fundraising income received and P&F levies (if applicable) will be spent. The plan should be prepared in consultation with the School Leadership Team and the School Advisory Council, once a planning meeting has been conducted (see 11.9 P&F Terms of Reference);
- collect and bank monies from fundraising events;
- collate P&F reimbursement forms, petty cash receipts and supplier invoices and ensure they are correctly authorised before providing to school finance staff for payment;
- ensure grant acquittal requirements are met (if applicable); and
- ensure motions relating to finance decisions, including approval of donations to the school, are presented to P&F Committee (where applicable).
All Catholic schools must hold an appropriate insurance policy with Catholic Church Insurance to cover the P&F members and CEWA against losses for any unintentional wrongful act committed.
For more information, please go to our website: https://www.csp.wa.edu.au/parent-groups