is anyone else sick of how things are always done on the cheap?

[creekster]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

I was exec. secretary for 1.5 yr and never was a budget discussed. It's done entirely on the fly. All I know is that we by Aug./Sept. we were in the red, and it's not like we have had activities that cost money.

Something is seriously wrong there. All wards/units in our stake have detailed line item budgets and each one of them includes YM and scouts separately (except for the singles ward). Something is not working as it should in your stake if this has never been discussed. Perhaps an audit is in order to make people start using the budget process as it should be used. (I also can't believe this hasn't already happened; we have two stake auditors that are tasked with performing in-stake audits of units other than their own and we also receive periodic audits from the church) Each year a proposed total budget is distributed in each ward to the heads of each organization that has a budegt (YW, YM, RS, etc.) and they are asked to prepare, but not necessarily submit, a detailed proposed budget allocating that total amount to the various programs they have planned for the year and let the bishop know if there is any shortfall or excess whereupon the ward can attempt to make adjustments. Moreover, at a ward council approxiamtely half way through the year the clerk prepares up to date reports showing how much is used and how much is left for each organization and if anybody is in trouble (e.g. thinks they will run out of money) they let he bishopric know and furhter planning takes place to try to avoid the problem. This process actually takes place, btw, and is not nearly as onerous as it sounds. Plus, it avoids nasty surprises and tends to help the wards avoid relying on the largesse of one or two well-off families (as we are counseled to avoid doiung this) and also makes leaders come to grips very early in the process with the reality that some families may not be able to afford to help out financially at all.

As to money, there is never enough. Fundraisers can fill the gap.