Students Should Leave This Workshop Knowing

Treasurer

The Association of Catholic Student Councils

86 City View Dr.

Daly City, CA 94014

(415) 584-9877

www.tacsc.org

Students should leave this workshop knowing:

· The role and responsibilities of the treasurer

· How to keep a record of expenditures and deliver reports

· How to prepare a student council budget

· How to open a student council account and write checks

· How to plan and execute fundraisers

Overview of the workshop:

This workshop will educate student council treasurers about their job on student council. They should leave the workshop confident in their responsibilities and full of new ideas about how to raise money for their schools

Workshop outline:

I. The Role of the Student Council Treasurer

A. Prepares student council budget along with other officers.

1. Allocates the amount of money each activity and commissioner will receive

2. The budget should be prepared before the school year, preferably during the Summer Planning Meeting.

3. All student council officers should be present when the student council budget is planned.

B. Record Keeper

1. The treasurer must keep a record book of all incoming and outgoing money

2. Everything must be written down on paper.

3. Student council expenditures should also be recorded in a computer. Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Money are great programs to help the treasurer record expenditures.

4. Records should be neat and organized

C. Works with School Administration

1. The student council moderator should always be up to date on all matter regarding the financial status of the council.

2. The treasurer should meet with the school bookkeeper privately before the school year begins to learn basic and correct bookkeeping procedures and forms.

3. The school bookkeeper should be notified of the council’s financial status often (at least once a month).

D. Reporter – Written and Verbal

1. The treasurer should be able to write complete treasurer reports and present the report verbally. This is usually done weekly at student council meetings.

2. The treasurer should be aware of all issues pertaining to the funds of his/her student council.

E. Efficient, Organized, Neat & Honest!

1. The treasurer has a job that requires organization so he/she should become an example to their entire council.

2. Pay bills on time.

3. Keep an accurate record of receipts - make copies for back up!

4. Be able to account for all student funds at any given time.

5. Accept ideas and criticism of the moderator and principal.

6. The most important aspect of being a good treasurer is HONESTY!

II. How to Open a Bank Account

A. Check with your moderator or school principal first to see if the school already has a student account.

B. Secure approval from the student council to open the account.

C. Be sure the student council has the minimum amount (usually $100) to open a checking account.

D. All accounts must be opened in person and not by telephone. BOTH the moderator and treasurer must go to the bank together. Ask for the person in charge of new accounts.

1. Bring all important documents with you (photo/school ID, cash to open account, etc.)

2. Treasurer will sign the account as a co-signer

3. Set up the account so two signatures are required for signing checks (usually the moderator and treasurer).

III. Check Writing 101 (see sample check below)

A. Step One – Write the payee’s name where it says Pay to the Order Of

B. Fill in the correct date including the year.

C. Fill in the amount of the check in the box where the dollar sign is

Example: $100 or $100.75

D. Write out the dollar amount word for word including any change.

Example: One hundred and 00/100 or One hundred and 75/100

E. Write on the memo line what the check was for. Example: Sweatshirts for the student council or chocolate chips for the bake sale.

F. Record the amount of the check in your checkbook registry (see sample below). Include the check number (which can be found in the upper right hand corner of your check, the payee’s name, the amount of the check and the date.

Sample Check

Sample check registry

How to Plan an Activity

To ensure that your student council plans a successful, organized event, follow these nine steps:

1. GOAL: What is the reason for this activity?

¶ What do you want to accomplish?

¶ Examine your present position in relation to your goal

2. IDEAS: How will you carry out your purpose? What will the project be?

¶ Brainstorm – The more ideas the better. No idea is a bad idea.

¶ Establish guidelines for selecting the project. List ALL of the factors

that must be considered (money, facilities, time, people)

¶ Narrow down ideas – keep in mind the goals as well as the guidelines.

BE REALISTIC!

3. COUNCIL APPROVAL: Vote on what to do from your brainstorming.

4. ADMINISTRATION & MODERATOR APPROVAL: This is necessary for proper initiation. In some cases the moderator may be able to speak for the principal/administration. Nonetheless, good public relations dictate that the principal/administration should be aware of what is happening.

5. ORGANIZATION: Plan the details.

¶ The date, time and materials needed

¶ Committees

¶ Publicity

¶ Secure the necessary facilities

6. ACTIVITY: Make sure everyone is doing their job!

¶ REMEMBER! Check in advance to make sure that everything is ready and all assignments are completed.

7. THANK YOU: Thank everyone involved in the project.

¶ Faculty members

¶ Parents

¶ Principal

¶ Student body

¶ Custodial staff

8. EVALUATION: How did you do? What went right/wrong and why?

9. FILE: Complete a report in the student council records.

As you come along or think of “better ways” to do it next time, write them down and add them to your file for future reference.

Treasurer

Fundraising Ideas & Descriptions

After School Snacks

Description: Sell nutritional snacks after school when students are likely

to want a quick bite to eat before sports practice, choir rehearsal, or a

tutoring session.

Fruit juices, apples, string cheese, peanut butter and crackers, yogurt, bananas and pretzels would all be convenient to sell. An alternative would be other popular foods such as pizza by the slice, fresh baked cookies, a bag of chips, pretzels, or low fat ice cream.

Bake Sale

Description:

Each month, a Bake Sale is sponsored by two different classes. Half the money is donated to the Student Council and half the money is kept in the class fund.

Coordinate with the class helping to sponsor the bake sale and make assignments as to who will bring/bake the treats you will sell.

Bean Feed

Description:

Plan a Bean Feed in February where the proceeds can go to the charity of your

choice. Each student is issued as many tickets they can sell. The person

who sells $20 worth or more are eligible to attend a free movie,

sponsored by the local theater owner perhaps. The top sales person is

honored at an assembly and their name is placed on a plaque-

in an effort to make this an annual affair.

The Bean Feed dinner is held on a night preceding a basketball

game or some other special school event. Adults $4 and children $2. The menu consists of baked beans or bean soup), salads, rolls, dessert, milk and coffee. Mothers and fathers might be asked to donate their time to help prepare and serve the meal. (Get upper grade students involved in the preparation and serving as well.)

Book Fair

Description: Over a few weeks or months, have students bring in any old

or gently used books that are still in good condition. After a decent

collection has been made, have a book sale.

You can have your book sale

during lunch when students have time to browse. You might also consider

having the book sale on Sunday after Mass so parishioners can support the

fundraiser as well.

Breakfast Bar

Description: Many students travel a long way to school by bus or car. Consider having a hospitality committee (run by the student council) that provides hot chocolate, juice and donuts waiting for students when they arrive at school.

This is something that could happen once a week (on Fridays) or several days a week. The student council would be in charge of purchasing, preparing and selling the breakfast items for a small profit.

Bring & Buy Sale

Description: Beginning in November, the members of the student

council make posters for each classroom requesting that each student

bring one new item that would be suitable for a Christmas gift.

Send out letters to the local stores and they can help provide valuable

items. Set a day in December for the date of your sale.

Plants, stuffed animals, perfumes, pins, picture frames, cookies, bread, cakes, brownies, pads to be placed by the phone, jewelry and many other things can be sold to students and parents at the Bring & Buy Sale.

California Gold Rush

Description: This is a great idea for schools in California – or anywhere

really! Collect old film canisters and bury them in an approved location.

The canisters are filled with prize descriptions – example: a digital

camera, a bag of M&M’s, movie tickets, etc.

Students rent shovels from the student council - $1 for 5 minutes of digging.

When a whistle blows, the shovels are collected and rented to a new group of prospectors.

For schools that can’t dig up a field, shredded, computer paper could be used in a gymnasium. Students then “dive in” to find prizes.

Candy Grams

Description: For any holiday, the Student Council distributes a card to everyone who pays $.25 to write a note to a student or teacher. The Council collects the papers, attaches a piece of candy and then delivers the grams.

This is an easy and fun way to raise funds. Tip – The student council might think about purchasing one gram for every student in the school to avoid any hurt feelings.

Candy Room

Description: During lunch, student council members or a group of

volunteers sell candy to help raise money for the student council.

The reward is the feeling or being useful and productive at school

l and a free candy bar at the end of the week.

Cash for Cakes

Description: Sponsor a Radio Cake Auction. Have members of the student

council and their parents bake cakes, cookies and other sweets.

Take them to school and set up a radio station, using the school’s P.A. system. Student council officers talk on the radio, announcing the bakes goods and starting the bidding process. Students may enter their bid by calling a designated phone number, or they can e-mail bid to a given site in your school. Their bids are relayed to the “radio” room. The highest bidder wins the cake, which is delivered to the student’s house or homeroom.

Celebrate Leap Year

Description: Celebrate Leap Year with a “Salute to Leap Year”

fundraiser. Students pay $.25 for 3 leaps. Leaps are measure and

prizes are given to the students with the longest leaps.

Craft Fair

Description: Have students and their parents make holiday crafts. Be sure to give them lots of notice (months if necessary).

Advertise your craft fair in the school newsletter, parish bulletin and in your local in the bulletin to generate support and awareness. Hold Fair on a Sunday after Masses.

Door to Door Car Wash

Description: This activity requires participation by students of the upper grades and parent/teacher supervision. The more you advertise in advance of this project, notifying your prospective clients, the more successful it will be. You can even pre-sell your services with tickets.

Instead of waiting for people to come to you for a car wash, grab buckets, sponges, towels, soap, brushes, and other care washing

equipment and go door-to-door in the neighborhood to wash cars. Pairs or trios of your group can approach a house and volunteer to wash their car for a set amount. Use the homeowner’s hose and water supply. For those experienced in the group, waxing could be done for an additional fee.

Dream on America

Description: This patriotic performance by students is given several

times for the school and community.

Money is raised from admissions to the performances and from the sale of commercial time to local businesses. The ads are written and performed by the students.

Drive-in Movies

Description: Charge $1 per student to view the movie. Gather

all students and charge for popcorn and soda.

Design and paint boxes like cars to recreate the drive-in movie atmosphere.

Easter Basket Raffle

Description: In the springtime, make up Easter Baskets and raffle them off to the Student Body.

Sell the raffle tickets for $1 and raise money for a charity.

Easter Lily Pins

Description: Have a committee buy lily flowers and make pins out of them.

They can be live or fake flowers.

During Holy Week, sell the pins for ladies to wear them at Mass on Easter

Sunday.

Endowment Fund

Description: Send letters to alumni asking for financial support for their alma mater. This can be an annual campaign or something you do every few years.

Invite alumni to a special luncheon and discuss school related needs. All contributions are tax-deductible. This is a great fundraiser.