Setting up an awards credit account.account

[Scoutfish]

Just wondering in any other unit does trhis, something similar or something different entirely.

 

We had one of our Bear dads step up and takeover as awards chair this summer after our existing awards chair crossed out with his son.

 

But before our new guy tookover,I acted as temp awards chair. Mainly it was just picking up awards and paying for them. I might have mentioned that our pack - while not huge - is not small.

 

One month, I picked up $384.00 in awards. Next month, I picked up a little over $250.00. Then before graduation I picked up another $230.00 in awards, and almost $450.00 in neckers and rank handbooks.

 

Now, I don't know what any of your yearly incomes are, but I can tell you mine doesn't come close to Bill Gates or the Speaker of the Houses'.

 

Matter of fact, I have watched my pay almost drop by 1/3rd from 5 years ago. I install garage doors in case you were wondering.

 

So, I don't know about you...but one payday, I might have no problem paying for the awards and getting reimburses a few days later. But some paydays...after paying the insurance on my house, my truck, my wife's car, then the electric, then the cable bill, water, etc.... well it just adds up and leaves me pretty tight. WEll, not digging in the couch for penninies, but relying on all my paychecks together.

 

Know what I mean? Might have a hard time rubbing two nickle together!

 

Okay, long story short:

 

WE had our treasurer cut a check to the scout shop for the amount of $500.00 Since we are not actually buying anything at the time, it becomes a $500.00 credit.

 

Then we hjave set it up so that only our awards chair, the CM ( me) and our CC can charge towards it.

 

When our awards chair does charge awards to the account, he brings the reciept back to the treasurer and in a week or so, she will cut another check to bring the balance back up to $500.00.

Actually, it's more of a case when the balance drops to half, we will bring it back to the $500.00 amount.

 

Again, only myself, the CC and Awards chair can charge to this account.

 

We decided a few years ago that the pack would not have a bank or debit card..the chance of misuse would be to great.

 

So have any of you done something similar to this?

Something 180 degrees differntly?

 

[83Eagle]

The practice you describe is S.O.P. as far as I know. I don't pay anything personally at the scout shop for the pack unless I forgot to ask the treasurer to up-fund the account enough before a purchase.

[Beavah]

Yah, Scoutfish. These things are called "Unit Custodial Accounts" and any unit can set 'em up with their local council / scout shop. Most units that live within driving range of a scout shop use them as a matter of course in just the way you describe.

 

If yeh file your CO's NFP status with da council/scout shop then dependin' on your state's laws yeh can also avoid sales tax on purchases made through the custodial account.

 

Beavah

 

[Scoutfish]

Well, up til spring/summer of tis year, I never had to deal with it. I know that our last 2 awards guys just paid then got reimmbursed for awards.

 

Glad I didn't think of something crazy. Not something that came up any previous leaders meetings!

 

 

[qwazse]

Our crew had one and I didn't know about it. (It amounted to a couple of $, but came in handy when registration got overcharged, and they needed to refund us.) They are that common around here.

 

For once you're not crazy. (Well, no more than the rest of us.)