p and f support group manual

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Parents and Friends Association

April 2011 Support Group Manual

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SUMMARY 3

OUR MISSION 3

ROLE OF SUPPORT GROUPS 3

HELP AVAILABLE FROM THE P&F AND THE SCHOOL 4

Communication ............................................................................................................ 4

Funding for Projects ..................................................................................................... 4

Organising an Event ..................................................................................................... 4

UNIFORMS 4

SPONSORSHIP GUIDELINES 5

Defining Sponsorship..................................................................................................5

Sponsorship Guidelines..............................................................................................5

Funds Raised Belong to the P&F .............................................................................6

In Search of Advertisers .............................................................................................6

ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES 6

SPORTING LEVY POLICY 6

FINANCIAL REPORTING AT MEETINGS 7

OPEN DAY 7

BEHAVIOUR STANDARDS ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.7

Parents & Spectators .................................................................................................... 7

Coaches ........................................................................................................................... 7

Consequences ................................................................................................................ 8

DUTIES OF OFFICE BEARERS 8

CONDUCTING MEETINGS 9

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS AND ELECTION OF OFFICE BEARERS 9

ACCOUNTING FOR FUNDS 10

CONTACTS 13

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SUMMARY

Parents of St Margaret’s have, over the years, built up a tradition of supporting the extra-curricular

activities program offered by the School. The School appreciates the assistance provided by such parents,

and recognises this also is a productive way for parents to spend time involved in the same activity as

their daughter.

The tradition of parent support for extra-curricular activities has evolved into the formation of Support

Groups for various sports and cultural activities. Any parent or school supporter may be a member of the

Support Group. For legal and taxation reasons, and in the interests of effective coordination and

communication, all Support Groups are constituted under the overall umbrella of St Margaret’s P&F

Association. Parents and Friends’ Association Support Groups play no part in deciding policy issues,

group selection, the organisation of coaching programs or camps, or the selection of coaches/conductors;

these are the province of the school staff.

This manual was prepared by the Heads of Co-curricular Activities and the P&F to assist the Support

Group’s President and members. This manual is designed to explain the help you can obtain from the

School and the P&F Association and to summarise School polices and attitudes on a number of pertinent

matters.

The requirements described herein are aimed at protecting parents and St Margaret’s in terms of

reputation, legal, insurance and taxation issues.

OUR MISSION

In a supportive Christian environment, reflecting the philosophy of the Sisters of The Society of the

Sacred Advent, St Margaret's Anglican Girls School aims to provide excellence in teaching and learning

within a broad, balanced and flexible curriculum complemented by other school activities; preparing

confident, compassionate, capable women able to contribute in a global community.

St Margaret’s is also committed to maintaining an environment that values the inherent worth and

dignity of every individual, that fosters empathy, sensitivity, understanding and mutual respect and one

which encourages its members to strive to reach its full potential.

Parents and Supporters should at all times ensure that their manner and behaviour reflects the school’s

mission and philosophy and that the school is represented positively in the wider community.

ROLE OF SUPPORT GROUPS

The role of Support Groups is to support the activities of the school and to assist the Co-coordinator of

each activity in the organisation of special events and fundraising. The typical range of activities involved

in a Support Group role are:

1. Help organise a pre-season ‘sign on’ event or pre-season fund raiser.

2. Help coordinate the refreshments for opposing teams visiting St Margaret’s.

3. Help the Coordinators of the activity organise the end of season presentation function and the

Annual Sports Award Dinner.

4. Assist the Coordinators of the activity in raising funds for specific projects, equipment, camps

and tours.

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Please be assured that the view of the School is that funds raised by a particular Support Group are spent

within that activity. If a particular Support Group has a special project whereby funds raised can assist a

specific need in that activity, then consultation is required to obtain permission from the Principal to go

ahead.

HELP AVAILABLE FROM THE P&F AND THE SCHOOL

Communication Communication Communication Communication

All requests for inclusion in the e- newsletter and/or bulk emails must be approved by the Principal.

All written communication from the group to external agencies must be approved by the Principal.

It is important that a member of your group attend the P&F committee and general meetings.

Members of all Support Groups are expected to maintain respectful relationships with all members of

staff at St Margaret’s and ensure their communications are cordial and helpful.

Funding for ProjectsFunding for ProjectsFunding for ProjectsFunding for Projects

The P&F assist Support Groups with funding for significant projects. Written proposals explaining these

projects can be submitted annually to the P&F Executive. All purchases for additional equipment must

first be approved by the Co-coordinator of the Activity, who may need to seek the approval of the

Principal prior to any application being made to the P&F.

Fundraising drives for new sporting equipment may be eligible for endorsement by the Australian Sports

Foundation (ASF). ASF-endorsed projects are able to receive tax-deductible donations, which can be an

extra incentive for donors to contribute. Contact the Director of Philanthropy for more information

about registering your fundraising campaign with the ASF.

Organising an EventOrganising an EventOrganising an EventOrganising an Event

Any event held on the schools grounds must be approved by the Principal. Please ensure requests to

conduct an event go to the P&F Management Meeting prior to seeking approval from the Principal.

Please note for events where you intend to serve alcohol the legal requirements must be followed.

UNIFORMS

All requests for uniform additions andandandand changes from the Support Group must be firstly discussed with

the staff Co-coordinator of the Activity before being sent to the Principal for approval. Issues relating to

the costs for parents, as well as the appropriateness of and necessity for any addition to or change of

uniform will be considered by the Principal in making the decision.

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SPONSORSHIP GUIDELINES

DDDDefining Sponsorshipefining Sponsorshipefining Sponsorshipefining Sponsorship

Sponsorship is defined as ‘the negotiated provisions of funds, goods or services to an individual,

organisation, team, event or program in return for the right to use that individual, organisation, team,

event or program to promote a business’ name, image, products and services.’ (This does not include

normal commercial dealings of the School, conducted under the authority of the Business Manager, or

donations.)

Include normal commercial dealings of the School, conducted under the authority of the Business

Manager, or donations.)

For the purposes of Support Groups, the following are specifically excluded from the definition of

sponsorship:

• Normal commercial dealings with the school, conducted under the authority of the Business

Manager;

• Donations of money where no rights are sought; and

• The donation of goods and services where no rights are sought.

It is acknowledged that even though a donor seeks no rights, the fact that a Support Group publicly

acknowledges and thanks a donor does not cause the donation to become a Sponsorship.

Sponsorship GuidelinesSponsorship GuidelinesSponsorship GuidelinesSponsorship Guidelines

All proposals for fundraising events must be approved by the Principal andandandand the P & F Executive. These

must be scheduled into the school calendar so that clashes can be avoided.

Any sponsorship proposals must first be discussed with the P&F Executive and then must be approved by

the Principal. Approvals will be given when the sponsorship falls within the guidelines set out in the

schools sponsorship policy.

From time to time, Support Groups and other groups within the School seek sponsorship for school

sports or activities. To help ensure that these proposals are coordinated effectively, the School has

developed sponsorship guidelines that must be followed in all instances. Please note that the Foundation

and P&F Executive must be notified BEFOREBEFOREBEFOREBEFORE any approach to prospective sponsors is undertaken.

The process of approving and registering sponsorships is straight forward and should not discourage

Support Groups from seeking this type of support. Communicating with the Foundation and P&F

Executive/Liason Officer will help to maximise the value of sponsorship income for the School, ensure

that sponsors are not repeatedly approached by different groups, provide some consistency around the

value of benefits offered to sponsors, ensure that the School’s name and reputation are protected; and

ensure that each sponsor is properly and formally thanked by the school.

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Funds Raised Belong to the P&FFunds Raised Belong to the P&FFunds Raised Belong to the P&FFunds Raised Belong to the P&F

For taxation reasons, any funds raised by your Support Group technically belong to the P&F Association.

However, it is the established practice and policy of the P&F to automatically authorise all Support

Groups to spend funds at their discretion according to the constitution (except for capital purchases as

mentioned previously).

Each year, the P&F require each Support Group to prepare a quarterly statement of income and

expenditure. (Note that all equipment purchased belongs to the School and may be used for other

activities.)

In Search of AdvertiIn Search of AdvertiIn Search of AdvertiIn Search of Advertiserssersserssers

The Support Group must liaise with the Head of Marketing and Communications at St Margaret’s when

seeking paid advertising support for any specific promotions. This is to ensure advertising revenue is not

lost to the School due to conflicting approaches. The staff are happy to advise which establishments are

already supporting the School and deserve recognition and return business.

ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICES

Any equipment bought by Support Groups automatically becomes the property of the School. The

School recognises that the Support Group who bought the property morally has first claim on its use.

However, the School must reserve the right to use the property and equipment as it sees fit.

SPORTING/CULTURAL LEVY POLICY

St Margaret’s offers students the opportunity to participate in a wide range of sporting and cultural

activities that are conducted through the QGSSSA competition and through other external organisations.

Where activities extend beyond the school’s normal sporting/cultural program a charge may be applied

due to the high costs associated with running the activity and the extra material needed for the program.

All levies applied must firstly gain approval from the Principal. Applying a levy must take into

consideration the following:

1. The establishment of the levy takes into account of the program costs, the budget assigned

to that specific sport/activity and the community expectations with recognition of the other

charges that are applied by the school.

2. The Levy is advertised as early as possible so that parents have plenty of time to plan

payment.

3. The structure of the levies, and the way they are communicated should be clear and simple -

a sports levy information sheet should provide simple and concise explanations of the levy.

4. Payment methods must be explained e.g. ‘up front’ payment or on an installment basis. 5. Annual evaluation of the levy must be take place.

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FINANCIAL REPORTING AT MEETINGS

At each Support Group meeting, the Treasurer must present a report showing the latest financial

statements including Profit and Loss Statement and Balance Sheet and latest bank reconciliation.

Two Office Bearers, the President, Treasurer or Secretary need to review these financial statements and

sign them after they are presented at a regular Support Group meeting.

Note that a copy of these should be forwarded to the P&F Treasurer after each meeting together with a

copy of the minutes.

OPEN DAY

Support Groups are requested to set up a display on this day to showcase their individual sports/cultural

activities. You will need to compile pictorial reports, for example, photographs about your groups for a

visual presentation on this day. This may be later used at other promotional activities throughout the

year.

BEHAVIOUR STANDARDS

Parents and Supporters are requested to conduct themselves in a manner which reflects well on the

school and can be viewed by students as positive role models.

Parents & SpectatorsParents & SpectatorsParents & SpectatorsParents & Spectators

1. Remember that children learn best by example. Always applaud good performances by the

visiting team as well as your own. Never use profane language or harass coaches or officials.

2. Teach your child that honest effort is as important as victory so that the result of each game is

accepted without undue disappointment.

3. Help your child work toward skill improvement and good sportsmanship. Never ridicule or yell

at your child for making a mistake or losing a competition.

4. Support all efforts to remove verbal and physical abuse from children’s sporting activities.

5. Recognise the value and importance of coaches. Support them in their decisions and do not

coach from the sideline.

CoachesCoachesCoachesCoaches

1. Be reasonable in your demands on the young players’ time, energy and enthusiasm. Remember

that they have other interests.

2. Accept the decisions of referees and umpires; this does not preclude rational clarification of

decisions at a subsequent time.

3. Teach your competitors that rules of the sport are mutual agreements which no-one should

evade or break.

4. Under no circumstances is there to be deliberate bending of the General Competition Rules and By-Laws for the various sports. Discourage time wastage and time-wasting actions, over-

vigorous play and deliberate use of illegal tactics.

5. Develop team respect for the ability of opponents as well as for the judgment of officials and

opposing coaches.

6. Remember the children need a coach they can respect. Be generous with your praise when it is

deserved and set a good example.

7. Follow the advice of a physician when determining when an injured player is ready to play again.

8. Ensure the equipment and facilities meet safety standards.

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ConsequencesConsequencesConsequencesConsequences

Parents and Supporters who fail to support the school’s mission and philosophy through inappropriate

behaviour at events and/or functions may be asked to leave such events/functions; to desist from such

inappropriate behaviour and/or not to attend future functions. In extreme cases, the law does provide for

the Principal to exclude parents from the school site and/or from school activities.

DUTIES OF OFFICE BEARERS

President: The President is the ‘Public Face’ of your Support Group. He or she represents your

Support Group’s interest to the outside world.

Duties include:

� Prepare and circulate the Agenda prior to each meeting.

� Chair all meetings.

� Keep in close contact with the Coordinator of the sport/activity.

� Keep in touch with those interested in the Support Group and try to determine their feelings

and ideas.

� Organise a planned program for the year, delegate responsibly for carrying out the program and ensure the program is carried out successfully.

� Plan for the future of the Support Group by identifying and encouraging future office bearers.

�

Vice President: Responsible to assist the President as the “public face” of your support group and

to act in the role as President should the President be unavailable or the position of President

become vacant.

Duties include:

� Chairing any meetings when the President is unavailable;

� Fulfilling the duties of President should the President be unavailable;

� Should the position of President be vacant at any stage, due to any circumstance, to fill

the role of President;

� Keeping in touch with those interested in the Support Group and try to determine their

feelings and ideas.”

Secretary: Responsible for the efficient administration and paperwork of the Support Group

Duties include:

� Deal with correspondence (receive and reply to mail, presentations to meetings and filing).

� Prepare a permanent record of decisions made at meetings.

� Help the President prepare and distribute the Agenda for meetings. � Notify members of meetings.

� Check the meeting venue and/or refreshments have been booked.

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� Copies of the minutes are distributed to the Coordinator of the activity.

� Invite the relevant members of the School staff to the major events of the year.

Treasurer: Responsible for the financial dealings of the Support Group

Duties include:

� Receive, record and bank all cash/cheques received.

� Check, pay and record all accounts that need to be paid. � Receive and reconcile all bank statements.

� Present a report of all receipts and payments to each meeting.

� Be continually aware of financial matters affecting the Support Group and advise the President

as needed.

� Prepare quarterly reports to the P&F Treasurer.

CONDUCTING MEETINGS

The President is in complete charge of the meeting. Members must comply with the President’s rulings.

The President’s job is to ensure the will of the majority at the meeting prevails and that the meeting does

not become dominated by a few strong minded and vocal people. There are three essential methods for

running an effective meeting:

1. Prepare an Agenda and ideally distribute it to members with the notice of the meeting.

2. Prepare Minutes that formally record the decisions made by the meeting. As a rule the more formally

meetings are conducted, the quicker and more effective they are.

3. The President should try and keep the meeting focused on areas concerning the Support Group agenda

and not on areas such as team/group selection or awards which fall outside the Support Group brief.

This will also ensure the meetings do not drag on unnecessarily and thereby dampen the enthusiasm of

members in attending future meetings.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS AND ELECTION OF OFFICE BEARERS

The President is elected at the Support Group AGM. At the AGM all positions are declared vacant and

an impartial person is nominated to chair the elections. At least 14 days’ notice of the AGM is to be given

in the School Newsletter and via the Support Group email list if one exists, and on the School website.

Nominations for President, in writing, proposed and signed, seconded and signed, and accepted by the

candidate, must be provided to the Secretary of the P&F and Secretary of the Support Group at least

seven days prior to the AGM. The names of candidates are to be conveyed to the Coordinator of activity,

President of the P&F and any interested member of the P&F who requests the information.

Only if there are no written nominations received prior to the meeting, then nominations for President

will be called for at the meeting. If more candidates nominate than are required, an election is held at the

AGM. All votes are to be made in person, there shall be no voting by proxy or email.

For Support Groups, the Committee, Secretary and Treasurer are nominated, seconded and an election

held if necessary, either at the AGM or at the following general meeting of the Support Group. The

timing of election of Secretary and Treasurer can be decided at the AGM after the election of the

President, or advised in the AGM ‘Notice of Meeting’.

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ACCOUNTING FOR FUNDS

The Treasurer is responsible for accounting for the Support Group’s finances. The Treasurer does not

have to be a trained accountant. These are the accounting procedures required by the P&F Treasurer and

the School:

1. Bank Account

a) The ANZ bank at Toombul is the bank to be used by all Support Groups as this brings all groups

into line with the bank used by the P&F.

b) Signatories on each Support Group account should be the Support Group President, Secretary

and Treasurer.

c) The accounts mustmustmustmust be established with ‘two to sign’.

2. Payments

a) A cheque book is to be kept by each Support Group.

b) All payments to suppliers are to be made by cheque. Reimbursements are also paid by cheque,

after producing an invoice or supporting documentation for the amount expended. NB: When

it is not possible to arrange a cheque, payment by personal credit card is allowable. The credit

card receipt is a form of proof of purchase, but preferably a Tax Invoice should be obtained at

the time of purchase.

c) Payments are to be made on the presentation of all of the following:

1. Cheque Requisition Form. This form states Name of Support Group, Date, Cheque No.,

Amount, Payee, Reason for Cheque, Approval by Two Committee Members (preferably at

a meeting), Signatories on the cheque.

2. Supporting documentation- tax invoice etc.

3. Cheque signed by two signatories.

d) Supporting documentation should be in the form of a Tax Invoice which quotes an ABN.

e) A copy of all completed Cheque Requisition Forms and accompanying supporting

documentation is to be kept by each Support Group. This should be completed on a monthly

basis or as required by the P&F Treasurer.

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3. Floats

a) Floats for Functions, barbecues, Canteen etc can be drawn using a Cheque Requisition Form

b) If there is insufficient time to organise a float through drawing a cheque, or if additional funds

are required, and therefore personal money needs to be used, the following procedures need to

be followed:

1. The person who has organised the float from personal funds on arriving at the function

needs to produce a Float Authorisation Form. The President or other Committee Member

needs to count the float and sign the Float Authorisation Form as coming from personal

funds.

2. At the end of the function the same person, President or Committee Member needs to

count the float to be reimbursed to the person who provided the funds and sign off when

the money has been returned to that person on the Float Authorisation Form.

3. This form is then to be given to the Treasurer

f) If a cheque is drawn for the float then this should be noted on the Banking FormBanking FormBanking FormBanking Form. which is

discussed under Deposits.

g) Seasonal floats may be arranged with an amount determined by the Support Group and

approved by the P&F Committee in advance of the drawing of the float. This float should then

be rebanked at the end of the season.

h) Payments should not be made out of money receivedshould not be made out of money receivedshould not be made out of money receivedshould not be made out of money received for sales or other takings. All income

and payments must be accounted for and recorded separately. All payments must be by

Support Group cheque, or personal credit card if arrangement of a cheque is not possible.

i) However, if an emergency situation arises in the middle of a sporting event or social function

and a purchase has to be made for drinks, sausages etc. and no funds are available, cash may be

authorized to be taken from the till by the Canteen or Function Convenor or Support Group

Treasurer ONLY and a Petty Cash Voucher completed stating the details of the purchase, the

amount, person approved by and signed by person purchasing goods. A Tax Invoice must then

be attached to the Petty Cash Voucher and both must be attached to the Banking Form.

4. Deposits

a) Deposit books are to be kept by each Support Group.

b) Each Support Group is responsible for its own banking. .

c) After each event the cash takings are to be counted by two people and both a deposit slip and

banking form is to be completed showing the name of the support group, date, amount, what

the deposit is for, and the signature of the two people who counted the money.

d) The Treasurer is to receive the banking form and the funds are to be banked as soon as possible.

e) The Treasurer is responsible for checking that details on the form are matched by a transaction

on the bank statement.

f) If at an event there is money collected for raffles or canteen sales etc. and there was a float

requisitioned as well, these monies should be counted separately and noted on the Banking

Form detailing the takings amount for each with a total banking figure.

g) No banking is to done by internet transfer.

h) Bankings are to be done promptly ie within one or two days of receipt.

5. Issuing of Tax Invoices/Receipts

a) Tax Invoices are to be issued for Sponsorships and Monetary Donations.

b) A copy should be retained in your records.

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6. Ticket Sales

a) Each Support Group is to organise printing of their own tickets for functions.

b) The support groups are responsible for the collection of funds for ticket sales. This should be in

the form of cash or cheques.

c) A register of ticket sales for each function will be kept by the support group running the

function. This should detail the function, date of the function, cost of the tickets, number of

adults, student and staff tickets sold and total tickets sold to date. Unpaid tickets are to be

followed up by the Treasurer.

d) In the instance of significant function, ticket sales may be processed through the School Supply

Shop, on when approved by the Principal, through the Business Manager.

7. Accounts

a) All Support Groups’ books are to be set up on MYOB or similar program and data entered on a

regular basis eg. monthly.

b) Bank reconciliations are to be completed monthly

c) The Treasurer of each Support Group needs to present a report at each meeting showing the

Profit and Loss Statement and Balance Sheet and include a copy of the latest bank

reconciliation. A copy of these should be forwarded to the P&F Treasurer monthly.

d) A file for each Support Group should be maintained by the Support Group containing

supporting documentation such as, Float Authorisation Forms, Banking Forms, bank

statements, bank reconciliations and Profit and Loss Statements and Balance Sheets presented

at each meeting.

e) All Support Group accounts are to be audited each year by the P&F auditor and the audited

accounts presented at the P&F AGM held in November each year.

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CONTACTS

Helen Lobegeiger is currently the central contact for all sporting groups – she can be contacted at

[email protected].

However, details for all current sport coordinators are as follows:

Artistic Gymnastics Shirley Patton [email protected]

Athletics Anthony Bird [email protected]

Badminton Lisa Chadwick [email protected]

Basketball Rosie Abbate [email protected]

Cricket Diana Marshall [email protected]

Cross Country Suzy Dever [email protected]

Hockey Kelly Alford [email protected]

Lifesaving Chris Farrelly [email protected]

Netball Suzie Dever [email protected]

Rowing Jonathon Voller [email protected]

Sailing Helen Lobegeiger [email protected]

Soccer Chris Forster [email protected]

Softball Desley Upton [email protected]

Swimming Lucy Downey [email protected]

Tennis Lucy Downey [email protected]

Touch Football Genevieve Isbell [email protected]

Volleyball Desley Upton [email protected]

Water Polo Stacey Hudson [email protected]

The other support groups contacts are currently:

Boarders Leisa Fowler [email protected]

Primary Angela Drysdale [email protected]

Music Brad King [email protected]

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Contact details:

St Margaret’s P&F

11 Petrie Street, Ascot Qld 4007 Australia

P&F Liaison Officer: (07) 3862 0765

Facsimile: 07 3862 3656

Website: www.stmargarets.qld.edu.au

Email: P&[email protected]

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