PATO Bylaws

Revision date: 2019.10

1: Name

PATO: Parent Association of Tedako Preschool and School Age Programs at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University

2: Definitions

 PATO: Parent Association of Tedako Preschool and School Age Programs at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University

OIST: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University

CDC: Tedako Child Development Center preschool 

SAP: School Age Program and holiday program

3: Purpose

The purpose of PATO is as follows        

  • Support the CDC and SAP teachers, staff, families, and children

  • Support CDC and SAP activities and events        

  • Encourage, facilitate and promote community within the CDC and SAP by organizing activities and events

  • Help to promote the welfare and healthy development of CDC and SAP children

4: Policy

PATO is independently organized by the parents whose children participate in the CDC and SAP and is separate from all other organizations. PATO will operate in both English and Japanese to ensure accessibility. PATO collaborates with other organizations that work for the advancement of the welfare of CDC and SAP children.

5: Membership

Membership for PATO will consist of parents and/or guardians of children enrolled in the CDC and SAP. Membership is voluntary. Members will join the PATO emailing list.

6: PATO Officers

Annually, or as needed to fill any vacancy, officers shall be elected to the following positions and duties by the previous year's committee and/or any PATO members who attend the election meeting. As much as possible, each position will be held by 2 people with the goal that both English and Japanese fluency is represented in each position. The term for the PATO committee/officers is 1 year from September to September. Re-appointment is allowed.

Co-Chairpersons: Publicly represents PATO to the CDC, SAP, and general OIST community; calls for PATO committee meetings and general PATO meetings; moderates all meetings of PATO; and facilitates membership of PATO

Co-Secretaries: Records all meeting minutes in both English and Japanese, distributes meeting minutes and other documents to PATO members, and prepares meeting location and materials

Co-Treasurers: Records and reports PATO income and expenses, records and reports the bank account information of PATO, and announces the financial results at the PATO general meeting

Co-Community Outreach: Promotes member recruitment and oversees PATO events

7: PATO Committee Meetings

The co-chairpersons will call for committee meetings with all of the PATO officers. Committee meetings are specifically for planning purposes that do not need to include the general PATO members. Co-secretaries will record minutes in both Japanese and English and distribute committee meeting minutes to the PATO officers. Committee meetings are open to any PATO member who wishes to voluntarily participate. Committee meetings will be held on an as-needed basis.

Committee meetings will address the following:

  • budget planning and bank account reports

  • initiatives from general PATO members

  • proposals from CDC and SAP teachers or the CDC and SAP directors

  • implementation of activities and events for PATO                 

  • any emergency issues

  • any other matters deemed appropriate       

8: PATO General Meetings

General meetings will be called by the co-chairpersons approximately 3 times a year (one every 4 months).

General meetings will function as a yes/no decision-making platform for the PATO budget, expenses, initiatives for events and activities, education ideas, and community promotion and as a venue for PATO officers to communicate directly with the PATO members.

Decisions will be made by members who are present with a simple majority vote.

All members will be informed of the date and time of the meetings 2 weeks in advance.

All members of PATO will receive meeting minutes in both English and Japanese via email.

The CDC and SAP directors and any CDC or SAP teachers will be invited to participate in general meetings.

9: Community Promotion Events

The PATO committee and members will plan community promotion events to help facilitate open communication between parents and general well-being. These will include regular events, both monthly and yearly, along with additional events planned at the discretion of PATO members.

10: Financial Management

PATO will not be operated for profit. No part of its assets will contribute to the benefit of any private individual.

PATO will be funded by private donations from members and non-members and from the profits of fund-raising events.

A fee may be collected for a specific PATO event if the committee approves.

The co-treasurers will report annually on the PATO account.

11: Amendments

The bylaws may be amended at any PATO general meeting by a simple majority vote of those members who are present.    

12: Dissolution:

In the event of the dissolution of the PATO, all remaining assets, after accounting for liabilities, will be donated to the CDC and SAP.