Serving on the Board at your booster club

[cbone]

I have been approached by a prominent parent at our gym about serving as the booster club treasurer because I work as an accountant. I'm a little hesitant because I'm so new to our gym and I don't know what the job entails. Can any of you who have served on you board throw some advice my way?

 

[wallinbl]

You can imagine a large part of it - membership checks, checks for leotards, checks for banquets, cash for each of those, cash from various fundraising activities that result in coins and small bills. Tracking down people that don't pay. Filing taxes (really easy). Meetings where lots of people have differing opinions.

 

[cbone]

What is the usual time commitment and flexibility like?

 

[vagymmomma]

The treasurer position requires the most hours on the board. Part of the time commitment depends on how big the gym is and how the gym divides some of the responsibilities. For example, I prepare the tax returns for the treasurer based on the financial information she provides to me. Also, we have level reps who are responsible for communicating to families about past due amounts. I think the biggest commitment is getting checks deposited and checks written on a prompt basis. Our treasurer also is responsible for preparing the annual budget, updating the budget periodically during the year, providing cash boxes for home meets, etc. We have 80+ gymnasts on team and it takes on average 2 - 3 hours per week (it's higher during meet season - lower in the summer). I definitely recommend being on the board -- it's best way to really know what's going on at the gym.

 

[wallinbl]

Meetings (for us) are once a month or so. I probably spend an hour a week dealing with making deposits, writing checks, updating the books and various documents (membership database, event RSVPs, orders, etc). That's for a club with about 90 members. When meets start, there will be more work due to dealing with meet fees, etc.

 

[bookworm]

I have been approached by a prominent parent at our gym about serving as the booster club treasurer because I work as an accountant. I'm a little hesitant because I'm so new to our gym and I don't know what the job entails. Can any of you who have served on you board throw some advice my way?[/QUOTE]

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My advice would be to run like the wind!

 

[Quadqueen]

After reading these posts, I'm so glad we don't have a booster club!

 

[Natasha]

It really varies from gym to gym. However, I think at any gym, the treasurer position is the most time consuming and usually the most thankless. Our treasurer constantly has to deal with parents who didn't pay but say they did, parents who constantly pay late for meets and miss deadlines, etc. It also depends on if your system is set up where installments are made for meets or if everything is pay as you go. That will make a big difference for time. Your best bet would be to try to talk to whoever did it at your gym last.As far as the board goes, I love our board. We all get along great, have a lot of fun, minimal meetings, and we have a great relationship with the gym. However, I know a nearby gym that if I were there and asked to be on the board, I would take bookworm's advice!

 

[gym law mom]

I agree with the suggestion of talking with the current treasurer to get an idea on what is involved. You will always either be hunting people down to give you money or be hunted by people wanting a check for something NOW. Many times being on the board also means you end up with other jobs because no other parents are volunteering and the work has to get done.

 

[cbone]

I was told someone volunteered, so I was off the hook. Then the person who they thought volunteered said she didn't. Then I was named the Treasurer. Than someone came up and said they had volunteered but their form got lost. Then I said, "I'm out!"

I dodged a bullet this year...