Appointing a New Unit Treasurer

[SeattlePioneer]

So how does your unit transfer the duties of the unit (Pack or Troop) Treasurer to a new person?

 

As the current unit treasurer, I make it clear to the Pack Committee Chair that these duties can be transferred to a new person by a vote of the Pack Committee. (The bank wants to see a resolution voted on by the Committee to transfer authority over the checking account to a new person.)

 

I propvide the checking account statement to the Pack Committee Chair each month, and a statement of revenues and expenses each quarter to the Pack Committee. Anyone is welcome to ask more questions about the finances of the unit if they wish at any meeting.

 

If the Committee Chair isn't happy with what he sees going on, he knows he can propose a resolution to transfer the responsibilty to someone else.

 

In my view, it's important that the Committee Chair in particular know how the position of treasurer can be changed to a new person if they desire to do so.

 

[NJCubScouter]

SP, everything you say there sounds right. But in the units I have been involved with, the "problem" with the treasurer position is not getting an "old" treasurer out of the way to make room for a new one, but the opposite: Finding a new treasurer when the old one quits. I've seen treasurers have to quit because of job transfers, or choose to quit because their sons aged out of the troop, or have a big argument with the SM (not over money, in the one case that I saw) and storm out. There never seems to be anyone clamoring to take their place, but there has (almost) always been someone who, if asked the right way, will take the job.

[scoutldr]

If I were asked to take over as Treasurer, I would request an independent audit before agreeing, so we start with a "clean slate" so to speak. The audit could simply be by a committee appointed by the CC...perhaps consisting of a few parents and/or members of the CO.

[fred johnson]

... As the current unit treasurer' date=' I make it clear to the Pack Committee Chair that these duties can be transferred to a new person by a vote of the Pack Committee. (The bank wants to see a resolution voted on by the Committee to transfer authority over the checking account to a new person.) ... [/quote']

 

Wow. That's a new one. I've never heard of a bank asking to see records of proceedings from an organization that banks with it. But then again, things change and there are many types of banks. I've seen treasurer switched at least 8 to 10 times between different organizations. Ususally, it's as easy as adding someone to the checking account and removing someone else. Eventually or at the same time we change the mailing address and contact info. It's as easy as two people who up at the bank: the new treasurer and an authorized signer (or the person with the address on the account with some banks).

 

As for voting, that's your organizations choice. BSA does not required such a vote and the BSA structure lets the Charter Org Rep and Committee Chair designate the person.

 

As for audits, I've had mixed luck with them. Usually, it's in the interest of the outgoing treasurer. The interest of the new treasurer is just to draw a line in the sand and start from there ... usually because the previous treasurer dropped the ball on records or such.

 

[T2Eagle]

I have seen banks that required resolution-like paperwork to change signatories on a checking account, and I have seen banks that just say here fill out this card. This was for other small non-profits not Scouts. Since these organizations, similar to our committee, worked by consensus not formal votes, we just wrote up a statement saying we did it and submitted it to the bank.

[SeattlePioneer]

<>

 

 

Actually, I thought it was smart of the bank to ask for a formal action of the "board" appointing a new Treasurer.

 

 

While BSA doesn't require such an action before appointing a new Treasurer, I think it's smart for a unit to have an understood procedure for doing so.

 

IF a treasurer starts falling down on the job for one reason or another, you need and should have an agreed upon procedure to appoint a replacement, in my view.

 

Anyway, that's what I've done.

 

[Stosh]

I would think that the the money in the treasury belongs to the CO and they should have a say-so in the process. With that being said, it would be rather advantageous with all the changes of committee personnel, an annual reporting of the unit budget to the CO would be an honest way of letting the CO know how the group is managing their money.

 

Stosh

[fred johnson]

T2Eagle ... Thanks. I had yet to see that. Our banks (which are huge banks) have just required "authorized signers" and another authorized person to update the other authorized signers. Interesting.

 

I've seen it before with corporations where I've had to file articles with the bank for the account. It's interesting and banking has gone through huge changes since 9/11.