Girl Scout SUMore. Training. Cover Your Assets: Troop Finance Procedures. A short and snappy training for use in Service Unit Meetings

Transcription

1 Girl Scout SUMore A short and snappy training for use in Service Unit Meetings Training Cover Your Assets Financial Responsibility for Troop Volunteers Length of Session: 45 minutes Materials Needed: Cover Your Assets: Troop Finance Procedures Summary: As Girl Scouts, we promise to use our resources wisely. To that end, fiscal responsibility is the duty of all volunteers and staff in Girl Scouts. This training session will teach you about some financial reporting and record keeping procedures that will help document and manage the troop s finances. Objective: By the end of this session, you will be able to implement some basic money management tools to help document use of Girl Scout troop funds. Large paper, white board, or chalkboard Markers or dry erase markers Envelopes (one for each table or small group) Handouts: Troop Finance Report Quick Reference: Cover Your Assets SAMPLE Planning Budget: Income SAMPLE Planning Budget: Expenses Troop Financial Policies Crossword Puzzle/Answers Prep Step: Prior to the Meeting Make photocopies of all participant handouts. Make one photocopy of the Write it down and back it up handout for every table group, and cut randomly into puzzle pieces. Put each puzzle into an envelope. Place envelopes on tables before participants arrive.

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3 For Training Facilitators: From setting the stage to activity reflection 1. Set the stage Method: Icebreaker (puzzle) and overview Clarify the training exercise: Review the summary and objective of this session. Explain to leaders that while it s important and necessary to keep good records of how the troop s money is being spent, there are some efficient ways to do so. Let participants know they will receive some information and tools that will make the troop financial documentation process easier! 2. Activity A Knowledge: Basic doc- umentation guidelines Method: handouts, discussion Hand out copies of the Annual Troop Finance Report. Tell participants they will need to fill out this form and submit it to their SUA or MDC by June 15 of every year. Let them know this form is easy to fill out, if they have been keeping good records of the income and expenditures throughout the year. Reference: Page Activity B Understanding: Why do troops need to document and who could do it? Method: popcorn brainstorm Brainstorm answers to the following questions. (Write down responses on chart paper or white board, if you wish and have time): Why is it important to write it down and back it up? (Examples: to protect both girls and adults, to protect the Girl Scouts non-profit status) Who could be the person to keep track of troop finances? (Examples: troop leader, other registered adult volunteer, the girls! (Reference: Girl-Led Troop Finance Management ) 4. Activity C - Application: How does a troop manage finances? Method: small group discussion and case studies Brainstorm answers to the following questions. (Write down responses on chart paper or white board, if you wish and have time): How and where could you keep records of all troop expenditures? (Examples: Excel or Quicken spreadsheet, handwritten check register) How could you keep track of receipts? (Examples: envelope, manila folder, taped into a spiral bound notebook, inserted into sheet protectors labeled with expenditure categories Hand out the SAMPLE Check Register: Troop, SAMPLE Planning Budget: Income and SAMPLE Planning Budget: Expenses handouts. Have participants discuss these handouts in small groups of two or three. Have each person write down two ideas she/he will take from these examples to help them document Girl Scout troop income and expenditures. Note the more child-like handwriting on the last few entries on the Sample Check Register. Involve girls in the troop money management process as much as possible! 5. Activity D - Knowledge: What are Black Diamond s troop policy guide- lines? Method: crossword puzzle Hand out the Troop Financial Policies crossword puzzle, and have participants work in pairs or small groups to complete. Share answers as a larger group. Note: You could do the Troop Finance Policies Crossword Puzzle a separate SUMore training activity, at another leader meeting. 6. Reflect and discuss Method: discussion Come together again as a large group and ask a few volunteers to share some changes or improvements they will make to their record-keeping processes. Thank the participants, and remind them that if they need any further assistance with financial policies, they will find a great deal of information on the Black Diamond website, in the Volunteer Essentials Reference Guide! 3 Adults respond best to learning that is: Active Experience-based Recognizing the learner as an expert Independent Real-life centered Task-centered Problem-centered Solution-driven Skill-seeking Self-directing Internally and externally motivated Key Facilitation Skills: Reflecting feeding back the content and feeling of the message. Let me see if I m hearing you correctly Clarifying restating an idea or thought to make it more clear. What I believe you are saying is Summarizing stating concisely the main thoughts. It sounds to me as if we have been talking about a few major themes Shifting focus moving from one speaker or topic to another. Thank you, John. Do you have anything to add, Jane? We ve been focusing on views 1 and 2. Does anyone have strong feelings about the other views? Using silence allowing time and space for reflection by pausing between comments. Using non-verbal and verbal signals combining body language and speech to communicate for example, using eye contact to encourage or discourage behaviors in the group. Be aware of cultural differences. Neutrality is important here, so that we don t encourage some people more than others.

4 GIRL SCOUTS OF BLACK DIAMOND TROOP POLICIES FINANCE 1. All troops will keep appropriate financial records that may include but not limited to copies of all receipts and purchases. Audit of financial records may be conducted at any time. 2. All troops must submit an annual troop finance report and the troop program report to their Service Unit Administrator or Field Executive by end of May. 3. Control of Cash: a. Petty cash on hand for incidental expenses such as postage, emergency snacks, etc. should not be more than b. All troops must maintain a checking or savings account. All bank accounts should be opened in the name of Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council Troop # with the FEIN # as Four (4) signatures are required for a troop bank account. Signatures need to include the following: Troop Leader; another registered adult with the troop; Service Unit Administrator/Field Executive; and authorized staff member. For internal controls, each check issued must have 2 signatures. It is not necessary to have 2 signature line checks or special banking procedures. c. Troops may obtain debit cards if available. Debit transactions will be subject to the same controls and procedures as checks. Debit transactions must be documented in advance. 4. Money raised, earned, or received by a Girl Scout troop becomes the property of the troop and is not the property of any individual troop member, girl or adult. 5. If an entire troop divides or flys-up, resulting in the disbanding or dissolution of current troop, the treasury will be pro-rated and distributed to the troops involved according to the number of girls reregistering. 6. If a troop disbands, all troop assets are to be given to the Service Unit Administrator and forwarded to Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council within 30 days of disbanding. The council will hold the funds for a period of 2 years. If the troop is reactivated during that time period, the funds will be returned to the troop. At the end of the 2nd year, unclaimed funds will be returned to the Service Unit to be used for girl programming. REMINDER: Money earned should be spent to benefit the current troop/group members. The exceptions are troops saving for major projects, trips, or seed money for early fall expenses. 4

5 MONEY-EARNING EARNING Money-Earning projects support the annual troop program and plans, and flow from girl-adult planning. Troops and groups are expected to participate in the council sponsored product sales. If additional funds are needed for the year s planned troop program, the following policies have been adopted by the Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council Board of Directors to assist troops and groups in funding the Girl Scout experience.policie POLICIEY Y EARNING CONTINUED 1. Girl Scout Product Sales: All Girl Scouts are expected to participate in the annual cookie sale. An amount per box is kept in the troop treasury. Participation in the fall product sale is encouraged. 2. Additional money-earning projects may be conducted only for a specific program activity and will be limited in number. Troops must have participated in the cookie sale and fall product sale to be considered for additional money earning projects. Written parental permission must be received before girls may participate in a money-earning project. 3. A list of approved fund-raising projects will be distributed to all Service Unit Administrators and troop leaders at the beginning of each Girl Scout program year. Written permission for any approved troop money-earning project must be secured from the Service Unit Administrator/Field Director one month before the project occurs, and must show girl/adult planning. All other fund raising projects must be submitted, at least two months in advance, to the Finance Committee of the Board of Directors for approval. 4. No troop money-making projects may be conducted during the following: - Local United Way Campaigns. - Cookie Sale (during scheduled order-taking and delivery times) 5. Girl Scout troops may not request donations of merchandise from businesses without the approval of their Service Unit Administrator. The items listed above are in compliance with the Blue Book of Basic Documents: Adopted by: Board of Directors March 12,

6 Troop Money Management Made Easy 1. Start out right. Set up the troop/group bank account according to Black Diamond guidelines, and separate the money related duties among the adults (and girls, if appropriate) in the troop. 2. Plan ahead. Determine troop needs, using budgeting and girl planning. Plan your money-earning activities if needed. 3. Write it down and back it up! Records don t have to be pretty, but they need to be accurate and complete. 4. Submit the Annual Troop Finance Report to your SUA or MDC annually by June 15. Annual Troop Finance Report Income Balance on hand at start of the year. Troop/group dues collected at meetings. Cookie Sale Proceeds. Fall Product Sales Proceeds. Total from other moneyearning activities. Total Income Subtract Total Expenses here from table on the right. Current balance on hand Expenses Meeting Supplies/ Equipment. Badges, pins, etc. Service Projects. Program Activities. Financial support from troop to individual girls. Cost of conducting money -earning activities. Girl Scout training fees for Facilitators. Total Expenses This Annual Troop Finance Report is part of the annual A Look Back report. The most current bank statement should also be submitted. Also, see Volunteer and Troop Essentials for more information. Common Sense Guidelines to Cover Your Assets Managing money that is not your own is serious business! Protect yourself and your girls with a few precautions: * Never write a check out to yourself. If reimbursement is to be made, ask another signer on the account to sign the check. * Never reimburse expenses without proper receipts and back-up. * Never make a check out to cash. All checks should have some form of back-up. * Never hold on to a non-sufficient funds (NSF) check. Most banks require action within a limited time, waiting too long could cost. * Never deposit Girl Scout funds in your personal account. * Never mix Girl Scout cash with your personal cash (in your wallet, etc.) * Never use the Girl Scout checkbook to pay for personal expenses. * Never refuse to share troop financial information with a parent/guardian. Never spend incoming cash for other purposes; deposit it intact. ALWAYS follow all product sale and cookie procedures. DON T FORGET TO SUBMIT DEPOSIT SLIPS TO COUNCIL!! 6

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10 DETAILED CASH RECORD OF TROOP/GROUP AND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TROOP/GROUP TREASURER (The cash record is kept by the treasurer, and is a detailed account of all the cash received or paid out of troop/group treasury, such as payment of weekly dues, purchase of equipment, sale of tickets, payment of transportation, and payment of membership dues.) Troop/Group Number Year Date Item Income Expenses Amount of Cash on Hand Balance from Previous Year XXXX XXXXX 10

11 Date Item Income Expenses Amount of Cash on Hand Balance from Sheet XXXX XXXXX Totals Signature of Treasurer Date Date Approved by Troop/Group IMPORTANT Troop/group funds should be banked in the name of the troop/group and the council. Two adults should be given authority to draw against the account. These will usually be the troop leader, assistant leader, group coordinator, or other registered adult of the troop/group. This suggestion is made in order to give access to the funds in case the troop leader or group coordinator is called away or is unable to sign checks. This record, or a copy of it, should be forwarded as the leadership of the troop/group changes; from one treasurer to another as the office changes. Cash on hand include bank balances, as well as bills and coins. Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. Cat. No Retyped 9/01 11

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