NO committee meeting for over a year

[mi_scoutmom]

I was asked to come back to be the committee chair for our small troop since Im the only one that remembers how they should be run and has been committee chair and secretary. Basically there has NOT been a committee meeting since my son made Eagle in June 2016. To write checks they basically called each other.  I believe that at the least I should get some sort of approval record on paper for the spending of monies. But how do I deal with the time in between?

 

thanks

[DuctTape]

The short answer is you don't. Set up the committee, and move forward.

[scoutldr]

Let your COR know what is going on and request an independent audit of funds before you take responsibility for anything.  If the CO/COR signs off on the audit, you are good to move forward.

[qwazse]

Have a cup of tea with the treasurer and ask to look over the checkbook so you can get a handle on what's been spent in the past, and what the current balance is. Your Charter Organization Representative should be your ally in this. Like scouterr said, if he's satisfied, move forward with the current balance.

 

If it looks like something nasty happened (e.g. $10,000 for summer camp when your troop only sent 8 scouts to a $300 camp) then your first meeting may need to be about taking action against someone, or the CO will do that legwork for you.

[NJCubScouter]

I agree with qwasze. Step 1 is look at the checkbook. If the expenditures look reasonable, and the deposits seem to be consistent with your understanding of the troop’s fundraising activity, personally I wouldn’t worry about whether there was a proper approval process in place for the past year. I would focus on making sure a proper process is in place going forward. Of course, as qwasze says, if it seems like a substantial amount of money is missing - or, I would add, spent extravagently, and I don’t mean simply overpaying for things here and there, I mean expenditures that make your jaw hit the floor - then action is required to find out what happened and who is responsible.

Edited October 30, 2017 by NJCubScouter

[SSScout]

Indeed, check with the COR.  Let her/him "earn their pay".   At the very least , contact the Charter Org Head (Institution Head in BSAspeak) and find out how important the Scout program is to the Org.   It would be VERY nice if you can get some Org members to join the Unit Committee for planning, oversight, "attaboys" when appropriate, general support.  An independent treasurer sounds nice , too.  

 

Congratulations on your assuming the responsibility to resuscitate the Unit, but be realistic.  Do not jeopardize your health or family dynamic or sanity  if , after major efforts and communication, it becomes apparent that it ain't gonna happen.  Sign over the Unit check b0ok to the Charter Org and move on... 

[mi_scoutmom]

Thanks guys.  I have an idea of what it entails but yeah we have no 'official' treasurer.  Our troop is very very small and so any 'exorbitant' monies missing couldn't happen as we just dont have those funds in the account.  And our former charter rep is the one who stepped down and into the committee chair position.  We have an excellent assistant scoutmaster whose son is 16.  Our current scoutmaster is young, 25 and IMO too immature for that position but even he agrees to me coming back in.  I was like, "I thought I was done once my son made Eagle and 18".  Apparently not.

 

Thanks for the advice

[ham_solo]

Not totally uncommon for a very small troop. 

 

Our troop is very small and I can't get enough adult volunteers to staff an actual committee.

 

The troop leadership consists of myself(SM), the former SM(now ASM), and one other adult committee member who acts as treasurer and advancement chair.   We are the only 3 of us that have access to the troop funds.   Our rules are we never sign checks for anything that pays to ourselves as reimbursement, we have to show documentation (receipts) to one of the other of us and they have to write the check.  For any large purchases we always notify each other before doing so.   The treasurer rarely pays for anything himself since he does not go on any trips except to summer camp, so he watches the bank statements and gets photocopies of every check from the bank and basically provides additional checks and balances to the two of us that actually have to pay for things on a regular basis.  I am pretty comfortable that our setup provides proper oversight and ensures responsible use of troop funds.

 

Our only "committee meeting" is once a year we get together and take the yearly plan the boys come up (eg go to X and do canoeing in July, go caving at Y in March etc), and put actual dates down on paper doing our best to make the dates work with our work schedules, the local school yearly calendar, holidays etc.   I guess this is because the three of us have informal committee meetings almost every week when we talk about whatever issue is going on in the troop.

 

 

If I could actually find enough adults to staff a real committee with a dedicated treasurer, secretary, chairperson, etc like we had back when I was in the pack, it would be great, but that seems to be harder and harder these days.

Edited October 30, 2017 by ham_solo

[fred johnson]

... we have no 'official' treasurer.  ...

You always have a treasurer.  You just might not know it.  Who carries the checkbook?  Who makes deposits?  Maybe it's shared, but someone is always responsible to coordinate the money.

 

If your troop may be so small that you don't have a bank account, then who carries the envelop with cash for the next event?  

Edited October 30, 2017 by fred johnson

[SSScout]

1)  Make sure all your adult volunteers get the required/necessary/appropriate training.

2)   Get yourself noticed.  Go to your District RoundTable,  the District Committee meeting (look online? ).  Communicate with your District Commissioner, MAYBE , just maybe ,  you have a Unit Commissioner assigned to your Unit and he/she/you don't know about it.  

3)  Put a sign outside your Meeting Place,  Council/District can get you a generic one,  so folks will know you're there.  Put an ad/article in the local paper.   Media exposure can't hurt in recruiting.

4) Oh, apropos #1,  get your Scouts into the next NYLT camp from your Council/District.   Nothing like some pumped up Scouts to make a Unit grow....

5)  Go camping.

[John-in-KC]

Mod note:

 

Moved to open discussion, program.  Nothing controversial here, just basic Scouting stuff.