Audit

[hherifor]

I have been asked to audit a local troop - anyone out there every done thi

[infoscouter]

what do you mean by audit? Is there a question about the finances? Do you need to do a financial audit? If so, I assume you'd do the same thing as you would for any other audit. Where did the money come from, how much came in. Where did it go and how much is left.

 

Or do you mean to conduct a unit visit, such as that conducted by a commissioner. If so, there are tools in the Commissioner literature (checklists, etc.) which will help you with what to look for, and how to assess the unit.

[hherifor]

We will be doing both. If you have a link to any examples or reference material, that would be great.

 

Thanks for the reply!

[Bob White]

That makes no sense! Who asked you to do this, Why did they ask you and what is your background for being asked?

 

If you were an accountant you would know how to do the audit, If you were a trained commissioner you would know better than to go in and audit " a unit, and you would know what to look for and what resources were available to evaluate a unit program.

 

Why you and why that unit?

 

 

[Stosh]

I would think that hherifor is accountable to the appropriate people and for some odd reason I don't believe anyone on this forum is on that short list.

 

Stosh

[hherifor]

1. I have a Undergraduate in Accounting and a MBA with an accounting emphasis

 

2. I have been a scoutmaster for over 3 years of a troop of 35 boys

 

3. I have been in scouting more than 20 years

 

4. I completed Wood Badge in 1992

 

5. The request comes from the Charter Org and the District Executive

 

6. There is an issue with the finances and unit leadership

 

 

Now - I do not see how any of the above goes to the request I initially made. People like Bob White - if you have nothing positive to contribute - then please don't!

 

I'm simply looking for any advise/examples from what I thought was a scouter forum, guess I was wrong

 

Thanks jblake47 - and you are correct!

[FireKat]

WOW! With your credentials you should be giving us advice.

Don't let some of the other posters get under your skin. There are plenty of helpfull folk here.

[Lisabob]

I've never heard of an audit like you are describing. Did the CO and DE give you any guidelines?

 

I wish you well with the endeavor, and perhaps you could let us know what sorts of things you do end up looking at, in the case that anyone else should find themselves in a similar position at some future time.

[Stosh]

Impressive list of credentials, but with some folk they don't amount for much on the forum. Hang in there and don't let this first impression be an influence on one's contributions. There are a lot of very nice people and nice people with as impressive credentials as your list, that can offer some great assistance.

 

There are a number of us with 25+ years of scouting under our belt that don't get any better reception than the one you got. :^)

 

Stosh

[DAL_TX_SCOUT]

I'd think this is a pretty straight forward audit...look at the expenditures for anything irregular. Identify with bank whom can write checks/visa/etc.

 

Examine deposits for the expected $$$ from dues, camping, etc. Unless this is one of those 200 person troops shouldn't be rocket science.

[Gold Winger]

"We will be doing both. If you have a link to any examples or reference material, that would be great."

 

Like most here, I've never heard of doing an audit on a troop. The financial aspect should be pretty straight forward, especially for you.

 

The Scouting aspect would be far more subjective.

 

Are boys actually doing the work for advancement or are the adults letting them slide?

 

Do boys lead?

 

Are they actually doing "Scouting"? By that I mean camping, hiking, helping in the community and not just playing video games.

 

Find out what the boys think. Are they there just to please their parents or are they having fun.

 

 

[Bob White]

Don't misy=nderstand it's not personal it is just odd. First it is odd to have the same person checking the books and eveluating the scouting program. It's sorta like having the p[lumber inspect your deck.

 

Second you would think someone woith an accounting background would not be asking scouters how to audit books, or spomeone with a scouting background acking what to look for in evaluating a unit's program.

 

 

It's just odd.

 

Add to that a District executive asking someone other than the commissioners staff to evaluate a unit when that's what the commissioners are trained at, or tpo have a DE ask for someone to check a units books when that is not the De's job or somewhere they get involved.

 

Lastly if an organization was to have an audit you would expect them to bring in a CPA.

 

Its just the whole thing is very odd.

 

As far as the fawning over hherifor's resume... while I am confident he or she is a very fine person the world is certaly not at a loss for MBAs or fopr scoutmasters with three years of experience. Neither would immediately make them a first choice for either an audit or for evealuating a snother unit's program.

[BadenP]

It is not improbable for a CO to ask someone they trust from outside the unit leadership to investigate their unit if something has been reported amiss to them. I hardly think a commisioner is better qualified to run an audit, and in most districts there are not enough commissioners in the first place and thats why these problems occur in the first place. This should probably be a low key audit to start out and see what develops. I do think the CO should inform the SM that this audit is happening and then why. There are too many variables and missing information here however for anyone to offer any real sound advice.

[Gold Winger]

" while I am confident he or she is a very fine person the world is certaly not at a loss for MBAs or fopr scoutmasters with three years of experience. Neither would immediately make them a first choice for either an audit or for evealuating a snother unit's program."

 

Do I detect a note of jealousy?

[Bob White]

First sorry for the typos I was multi-tasking at the time.

 

GW, you are like our very own scarecrow of OZ. What exactly would I be jealous of? Not getting to audit someones books? I hardly think that is cause for jealousy.

 

I have a PHD in skepticism at times. You would think that if a DE and CO needed someone to audit a unit's finances AND program, that first they would get two different people, and second they would select people who knew how to do it that would not require the assistance of total strangers.

 

The whole scenario just does not make any sense.

 

My positive recommendation would be to get someone who already knows and has experience in doing audits such as a CPA, and someone who knows how to elvaluate a Scout unit's program, such as a trained and experienced commissioner.

 

Let the Co worry about the money, it's their money. Let the district staff worry about the program, that's what district service is supposed to do.

 

 

 

(This message has been edited by Bob White)