Tech Forum

Can auxiliary leaders collect checks for camp, i.e. girls, scouts, cub, camps?
1. checks must be made out to church.
2. checks handed to a member of the bishopric

I'm pretty sure the answer is "no", but I'm not in a place to look up chapter and verse.

guthrier wrote:Can auxiliary leaders collect checks for camp, i.e. girls, scouts, cub, camps?

No. HB 1, 14.6.1 makes it clear that all money received by the ward is to be collected only by a member of the bishopric. There are many good reasons for this. It should be sufficient that it is the policy, but it will protect the Church and all involved in handling money if proper procedures are followed. Some people handling cash might be tempted to "borrow" some of those funds, but even if they are completely honest, there's the chance that there could be a misunderstanding or some other problem that leads to accusations of improper handling of funds. When donations are given to a member of the bishopric in a sealed envelope and those envelopes are opened in the presence of two people following proper procedures, everyone involved is protected.

guthrier wrote:1. checks must be made out to church.

Actually, checks are to be made out to the ward, not to the Church. But you're probably referring to practices such as making checks out to the bishop, or to a scout, or to the scout troop. None of those are acceptable. The bank account is in the name of the ward, so the bank would be correct to refuse to process a check made out to any other entity.

guthrier wrote:2. checks handed to a member of the bishopric

Correct.

A good brother overpaid for his two boys to attend scout camp, I cannot find information if available on a refund. I have been recently called as a finance clerk. Thanks

roger075 wrote:A good brother overpaid for his two boys to attend scout camp, I cannot find information if available on a refund. I have been recently called as a finance clerk. Thanks

Scout camp funds should have been placed in an appropriate Other account. If is perfectly fine to issue a refund from an Other account when there is an over-payment or if someone doesn't actually end up attending camp (see The "Other" Category in the Help Center under Policy and Principles--it indicates that unused funds should be returned to the donor).

Just write up a note referencing the previous payments (including dates, amounts, and batch number), the correct payment amount and that this is a refund of over-payment. Have the bishop sign it and then file the note with the check stub as your supporting documentation.

roger075 wrote:A good brother overpaid for his two boys to attend scout camp, I cannot find information if available on a refund.

I'm unclear as to the issue. If he over paid, then a refund shouldn't be an issue unless there's nothing left. Unlike most donations to the church (tithing, fast offering, etc) there's nothing against issuing refunds for things paid to the Other account (which is where such payments should be going.)

guthrier wrote:Can auxiliary leaders collect checks for camp, i.e. girls, scouts, cub, camps?
1. checks must be made out to church.
2. checks handed to a member of the bishopric

I think there's an argument to be made that the answer is "Yes, but they shouldn't. "

HB1 14.4 uses the term "tithing and other offerings" pretty frequently to refer to contributions to the church. It explains what each category of contribution is for, and very clearly says only a member of the bishopric can receive the funds, with a limited exception for fast offerings. The only question remaining is whether funds meant for scout camp, or any other use of the member-financed activity "Other account " falls within the umbrella of either a contribution or "tithing and other offerings." I would argue it doesn't, and here's why.
1. There is an express prohibition against refunding T&OO. This naturally flows from the idea that T&OO are given without a specific purpose. But refunding unused portions of the other account is entirely permissible and even mandatory at times. And payments made to the other account MUST have a specific, approved purpose.

2. Excommunicated members may not pay "tithing and other offerings". If T&OO is read to include only the categories of payments described in 14.4, which include all freewill offerings, given without a specific purpose, that means they may not donate to the church. But payments for a specific purpose are never donations. The church holds them for convenience only.

That said, from an accounting and safeguarding point of view, it makes sense that a secure process that is already in place should be used for payments that fall outside the definition of T&OO. It's a process most members are familiar with, and that non-members can readily understand. It safeguards the funds and prevents any accusations against the adult advising the auxillary for lost, missing, or misplaced funds.

In the many audits I have participated in over the last 20 years or so, we had to zero out the other category in each branch/ward. Which sometimes meant we had to cut checks to some Donners, scouts, young women, etc.. (at various times, I was auditor, branch president, stake clerk, ward clerk)

Unclefred wrote:In the many audits I have participated in over the last 20 years or so, we had to zero out the other category in each branch/ward. Which sometimes meant we had to cut checks to some Donners, scouts, young women, etc.. (at various times, I was auditor, branch president, stake clerk, ward clerk)

When would it have to be zeroed out? If you're talking about zeroing the subaccount when the event is over and all the bills are paid, that's not an unreasonable interpretation. If anyone is saying everything has to be zeroed out by a certain date, such as the end of the year, I'd start asking for chapter and verse.