Booster club theft should serve as learning opportunity

Youth sports don’t survive without a community of people banding together to make them happen. Youth sports require time commitments, structure and most importantly, funding.

Recently, an embezzlement investigation hampered the Colby Booster Club which sent shock waves through the community, as it should. The money that was lost or taken has not been found. The people that suffer are the athletes as funding that was meant for them is no longer available.

The booster club has committed to providing all programs per normal and has said the club has put measures in place to ensure this will not happen again. In hindsight, it’s easy to say measures should have been in place to prevent any sort of financial mismanagement to occur.

How many clubs or organizations currently only have one treasurer or volunteer monitoring cash income for certain events? So often, clubs continue with outdated practices because that’s how it’s always been done.

Although the money is missing, we don’t suggest litigation against booster club board members. A majority of the booster club board wasn’t there when this began. We don’t want to make excuses for the lack of oversight and accountability that plagued the booster club during this time. However, we understand that trust has traditionally been somewhat of a sacred value in small towns and has caused organizations like the booster club to fail in the oversight of the financial processes of the club.

We applaud the booster club for being willing to answer questions and face the music after the Tribune-Phonograph

learned of the issue. We also hope the booster club and any entity handling large sums of donated money continues to be transparent and proactive in financial safety. Clubs like the booster club, and thus, certain youth sports, would not exist without volunteer help which can be a thankless job.

Imposing the types of financial checks and balances you might see in a typical workplace setting would drive many parents running for the hills. Yet, this is exactly what organizations need to do in order to maintain and improve credibility and ensure that money raised is being used for intended purposes.

This phenomenon is not specific to the booster club. Schools, churches, municipalities, businesses, clubs and organizations can all fall victim to fraud, embezzlement or theft of money. It’s sad to say, but in a sense, we are calling for members with leadership positions within these entities to trust each other less. This situation should serve as a stark learning lesson for those in small communities. We would like to see clubs be proactive instead of reactive when analyzing their own financial practices.

Installing practices such as using lock boxes for cash collection events, having two members count money, sign checks and/or make deposits and providing direct bank statements instead of vague treasurer’s reports would be a good start towards ensuring financial transparency.

It’s time to put the topic on board agendas, bring it up in meetings or even ask the club treasurer or president, “Hey, what do we do with money we receive for raffles, concessions, fundraisers and other events?” These questions don’t hurt anyone but it is important for more people to be financially literate when knowing how cash and checks are being handled. To bring attention to these practices can be mundane work. However, as the old adage says: “It’s better to be safe than sorry.” We wholeheartedly agree.

The Tribune-Phonograph editorial board consists of publisher Kris O’Leary, editor Neal Hogden and reporter Nathaniel Underwood.

Brian Wilson of the Star News also contributed to this editorial.