Depositing Checks Made to Scouts

Discuss questions around local unit policies for budgeting, reconciling, etc. This forum should not contain specific financial or membership information.
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JimMcKeeth
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Depositing Checks Made to Scouts

#1

Post by JimMcKeeth »

We received the following message from CHQ via MLS:
When you make your weekly deposits, never include checks made out to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). If you receive a check made out to BSA or a specific troop, please have the donor make a replacement check out to the ward or branch. Only checks made out to the ward or branch name (or Church name) will be accepted at the deposit bank.

During the Friends of Scouting drive, checks should be made out to the Boys Scouts of America, but they should not be placed in the ward or branch checking account. Checks for Friends of Scouting should be delivered directly to the local Scout Council.
Our annual fundraiser for scout camp (or whatever the big summer activity) is the Christmas tree pickup. We pass out flyers with envelopes and people then hang the envelop with a check in it on their tree by the curb and we pick them up on a specific date.

No matter who we ask them to make the checks out too, they still make them out Boy Scouts of America sometimes because it is a scout fund raiser. Also, since we are in Washington State, the majority of scout troops are not organized by the church, so non-members do not associate the two. If we request checks made out to the Church that may induce confusion or result in reduced donations.

This issue is that since the check is left at the curb and the donor is often not home there is no way to get them to re-write the check to the correct name. Also the boys do not always open the envelopes to inspect the donations until the money is counted back at the church.

I sent a query to CHQ through MLS explaining this, but their response just said:
follow the instructions in the handbook about fundraisers found on section 13.6.8 of handbook 2. These funds for boyscouts should be put into an other account for boyscouts and used for boyscout camps or youth camps related to boyscouts.
Which doesn’t clarify things any as that is exactly what we were doing. How should we handle these checks? Attempting to contact the individual donors for new checks after the fact would be quite an undertaking. Likewise, if we give all the funds raised during our fundraiser to the local council then they would keep the money and our troop would be under funded.

I understand this may be a restriction by the bang since the account is setup for the church and not the troop.

Thanks!
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aebrown
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#2

Post by aebrown »

JimMcKeeth wrote:How should we handle these checks? Attempting to contact the individual donors for new checks after the fact would be quite an undertaking. Likewise, if we give all the funds raised during our fundraiser to the local council then they would keep the money and our troop would be under funded.

I understand this may be a restriction by the bank since the account is setup for the church and not the troop.

The Church sent this message for good reasons. I understand the reasons some scout units in the Church have done this, but it is basically deceptive. A Church unit is not the BSA. They are two entirely different legal entities. Banks have no business allowing BSA checks to be deposited in a Church account, or vice versa (although some banks have been lax in their responsibilities and deposited BSA checks for Church units anyway).

So what do you do with checks you have already received? The instructions are clear. It is a hassle, but you need to get a replacement check if you want the funds to go to your Church unit's scouting program.
Questions that can benefit the larger community should be asked in a public forum, not a private message.
Rictersmith
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#3

Post by Rictersmith »

aebrown wrote:The Church sent this message for good reasons. I understand the reasons some scout units in the Church have done this, but it is basically deceptive. A Church unit is not the BSA. They are two entirely different legal entities. Banks have no business allowing BSA checks to be deposited in a Church account, or vice versa (although some banks have been lax in their responsibilities and deposited BSA checks for Church units anyway).

So what do you do with checks you have already received? The instructions are clear. It is a hassle, but you need to get a replacement check if you want the funds to go to your Church unit's scouting program.


OK just got off with Council again. Everything in Red below is simply for reference. Council WILL write the check out to the Church so that it can be deposited into the scout funds in accordance with all other church policies.

Our unit understands the needs for this policy and we are currently up against a wall and need advice.

Participating in the BSA Scout Fair Ticket and Council popcorn sales has generated a commission check from Council to our Pack and Troop. When we informed the San Diego Council that we needed the commission check made out to the Ward or Church, they refused and said they could not write the check to anyone other than the Unit itself. I showed them the letter that came last year when we received the memo. They still refused and said we had two options (1) Open a bank account for each of our units to deposit the commission checks into or (2) Accept that the Bishop (or Charter head) endorses over the check to the ward.

So we are stuck, wanting to comply and not finding the answers. If we can not endorse over a check to the ward, and BSA refuses to write the check to the ward, Council will not budge, is the only solution to open a bank account for each unit (which I don't know for sure but have been told will also not to be done for LDS units)?
jdlessley
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#4

Post by jdlessley »

Rictersmith wrote:Open a bank account for each of our units to deposit the commission checks into...
This is against Church policy (See Handbook 1).

It looks like all the options you are considering will not work.

Consult your local leaders. Your audit committee chairman (one of the stake presidency counselors) can always contact the area auditor or even contact the finance department at Church headquarters.
JD Lessley
Have you tried finding your answer on the ChurchofJesusChrist.org Help Center or Tech Wiki?
greggo
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#5

Post by greggo »

Is there any reason why the check from the council made out the the troop couldn't be signed over to the ward by the chartered organization head (the bishop), the scoutmaster or the treasurer (or whoever the appropriate troopleader)?
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wrigjef
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#6

Post by wrigjef »

It may be an inconvience to some people but how about accepting cash only in the future?
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aebrown
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#7

Post by aebrown »

wrigjef wrote:It may be an inconvience to some people but how about accepting cash only in the future?
This thread is about a check being written from the BSA council to the troop. I really doubt that the council is interested in giving out cash -- I'm sure their procedures require them to write checks.
Questions that can benefit the larger community should be asked in a public forum, not a private message.
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wrigjef
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#8

Post by wrigjef »

Oh I'm sorry. I thought the origional issue was participants in a fund drive for a ward scout troup were paying for Christmas Tree pick-up with checks made out to BSA.
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aebrown
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#9

Post by aebrown »

wrigjef wrote:Oh I'm sorry. I thought the origional issue was participants in a fund drive for a ward scout troup were paying for Christmas Tree pick-up with checks made out to BSA.

Well, I'm sorry, too. You're right about the original issue, posted by JimMcKeeth, which concerns funds collected for Christmas tree pickup. Your comment was certainly germane to that issue.

But the latter part of the thread is a response to an issue posted by Rictersmith, which concerns the depositing of a check from the BSA council. These two conversations got tangled, and although there is some commonality, there are some significant differences as well. I was mistaken in my response to you, since I incorrectly assume you were talking about this issue.
Questions that can benefit the larger community should be asked in a public forum, not a private message.
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