Friends of Beacon Academy (FoBA)
DRAFT Charter
Mission
Friends of Beacon Academy (FoBA), referred throughout this document as ‘FoBA’, is a
parent and teacher organization, which works collaboratively with Beacon Academy to
create a harmonious, dynamic and internationally-minded school that is a welcoming
and exciting place for the whole Beacon community.
Objectives and Purposes
The purpose of FoBA is to collaborate with Beacon Academy to advance the interests of
the school and to promote the wellbeing of students, parents and teachers. To this end
it shall:
 Advance the social, academic and physical development of the students by
initiating or supporting activities organized to those ends.
 Raise funds to support Beacon Academy’s students through activities and
projects.
 Provide an opportunity for parents, and parents and teachers to meet and
socialize.
 Promote understanding and cooperation amongst students, parents and
teachers.
Non-Profit, Non-Political
FoBA shall be exclusively educational in character as described above. It shall not be
conducted or operated for its own profit, and no part of the net earnings of FoBA shall
benefit any individual.
FoBA shall, in its aims and activities, be politically neutral. It shall recognize the diversity
of cultures and nationalities that constitute Beacon Academy, and shall act to foster
harmony by recognizing common concerns.
Membership
Parents or legal guardians of students enrolled at Beacon Academy are automatic
members of FoBA. Membership will continue for parents or legal guardians for as long
as their children are enrolled at the school.
One member of the Beacon Academy administrative team and two teachers will sit as
members of the FoBA Committee every school year, and will be appointed by the Head
of School.
Friends of Beacon Academy (FoBA) Charter
1
Committee and Office Holders
The office holders of FoBA shall be a committee consisting of Chair, Deputy Chair,
Secretary/Beacon Academy Administration Representative and Treasurer.
The term of the Committee members and office holders of FoBA shall be one year,
beginning on 1st of September and ending on 31st of August every year (or as otherwise
decided upon). All members and officers are eligible for re-election, except for the
Secretary/Beacon Academy Administration Representative, which is appointed by the
Head of School.
Elections
Any member of FoBA (parent or legal guardian of a Beacon Academy Student) or Beacon
Academy staff member may nominate a candidate (with their consent) at the March
monthly meeting.
At the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in August the nominated candidates for each
office holder position will be read and voted on by the membership present. The
candidate with the most number of votes for each office will be elected.
Responsibilities of the Committee
 The Chair shall be responsible for calling meetings and will set the agenda, in
consultation with the Committee. For an initial period of time, the Head of School
will co-Chair the FoBA Committee.
 The Deputy Chair shall assume the responsibilities of the Chair, in the event that
the Chair is absent.
Note: Both the Chair and Deputy Chair are responsible for coordinating and
communicating about FoBA to the wider Beacon community
 The Secretary shall be responsible for keeping accurate minutes of the FoBA
meetings, including meeting of the Committee. As this person is also the Beacon
Academy Administration Representative they shall serve as a direct liaison
between FoBA and the Beacon Academy Leadership Team.
 The Treasurer shall keep careful account of the FoBA funds and submit a report
at each FoBA meeting.
Standing Committees
There shall be Standing Committees of FoBA, which are small working groups of people
focused on a particular outcome or event. The Standing Committees may include:
 Cultural Committee
o Diwali Celebration– to assist in the planning and implementation of the
annual Beacon Academy Diwali Celebration.
o Chinese New Year Celebration– to assist in the planning and
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implementation of the annual Beacon Academy Chinese New Year
Celebration.
o United Cultures of Beacon Day Committee – to assist in the planning and
implementation of the annual Beacon Academy United Cultures of
Beacon Day.
Arts Committee
o Creative Arts Week - to assist in the planning and implementation of the
annual Beacon Academy Creative Arts Week.
o Arts events
Social and friendship Committee
o Halloween Celebration– to assist in the planning and implementation of
an annual Beacon Academy Halloween event for students.
o Welcome/Newcomers Committee – to assist in organizing activities to
welcome new parents and families.
o Parent/Teacher Social Committee – to organize social event/s for parents
and teachers.
Fundraising Committee – to organize regular fundraising events (e.g. bake sales,
annual calendar etc) with proceeds benefitting Beacon Academy students.
Programs Committee
o Character Development– to liaise with the Head of School on the ongoing
development and implementation of character development initiatives
within the school.
o Library and Literacy Social Committee – to organize social event/s for
parents and teachers (to include being on the Book Week team).
o Service Committee – to assist and advise the Service Coordinator and CAS
Coordinator is community services programs.
The Chair for each Standing Committee will be filled at the AGM and shall report at each
FoBA meeting re the work and planning relevant to their Standing Committee. FoBA
members may Chair or sit as members on more than one Standing Committee at any
one time. In the event that there is no Chair available for one of the above-mentioned
Standing Committees, the Standing Committee, and therefore the event/initiative, will
either not run for that year, or will run as per arrangements made solely by the
Academy.
From time-to-time additional Standing Committees may be added to the above list, with
the approval from the Head of School.
Friends of Beacon Academy (FoBA) Charter
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Fundraising
The money that is fundraised during a particular year should, as much as possible, be
spent that year unless a unanimous decision to carry over funds for a larger project is
made. A modest amount should be carried over each year in order to keep the bank
account open.
The process of acquitting or spending raised money is as follows:
 A motion must be put forward at a FoBA meeting.
 The proposed purchase must be agreed to by the Head of School for a motion to
be voted on.
 The motion needs to be carried by 75% agreement for the purchase to then
proceed.
 A person is nominated to undertake the purchase.
 A receipt must be obtained for the purchase and passed onto the Treasurer so
details are recorded in the FoBA accounts.
Liabilities of Members
No members of FoBA or its office holders shall have any personal obligation with respect
to FoBA liabilities.
By Laws
1. Address. The business address of FoBA shall be the address of Beacon Academy.
2. Meetings. An AGM shall be held in October with other meetings called once per
month during the year, at times determined by the Committee.
3. Except in cases of urgent business, notification of the time and place of FoBA
meetings shall be published in the School calendar or written notification shall
be sent to members at least one week prior to the meeting date.
4. Quorum. A quorum for voting purposes shall exist when 9 members are present.
5. Procedures. General meetings will be conducted in English, although verbal
translation may be provided in other languages (such as Bahasa).